Black Road to Heaven

Chapter 17: Emily

After all my fun with Ella in the day, I did not want to go to bed last night. Such was my elation, that Mrs Rosemary made me a glass of hot milk before she went home, to settle me down.

At dinner I had seen a few more faces that I had not yet met, and Ella had explained, upon my questioning later that night, that the others did not work every day and when they did work it was usually late at night or in the day, meaning I would rarely see them.

As I lay down on my straw mattress in front of the last dying embers of the warm fire, I found my eyes to be filling with tears! I had had such a wonderful day, I could not help but wish that Sam was here to share it with me.

I heard the old Grandfather clock chime from the living room, and I realised that Sam would be packing up his stall now. Would be forget where I was and wait for me like he usually did?

I began to cry. Just as I did, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and someone leaning over me. I rolled over, half expecting it to be Sam, but instead found myself looking into the moonlit face of Katy.

My eyes widened as I sat up looking confused, but she just grabbed my hand, winked, and pulled me up and away from my new bed and the semi-warm fire.

We went to the back of the back of the house via a long hall with lots of off-leading doors. I tried to ask where we were going but she put a finger to her lips and continued to lead me around a dark corner, where she opened a door.

We stepped in and I appeared to be in a bedroom. Not lavishly furnished, but still very nice, it had two beds at either wall. Ella was sat on the right one combing her limp hair.

“Hello,” she greeted me. “We felt awful leaving you on that horrible straw in the cold, so here; you can have my bed tonight and I will share with Katy and then tomorrow, we will sort you out a room of your own.”

“But do not tell anyone!” Katy swung me around. “Mrs Rosemary shall know from us and Ella shall probably tell Thomas, but no-one else must know; especially not Albert!”

I nodded, “Okay, I am very grateful, thank you very much. I really was alright on the straw though!”

I climbed into bed, falling into a gentle sleep listening to Katy and Ella’s whispered talk of boys and men whom I knew not.

When I awoke in the morning, Katy was sat on her bed combing her hair, and Ella had gone.

“Good morning,” Katy said to me.

“Good morning, what time is it? And where is Ella?” I asked sleepily.

“It is seven of the clock, breakfast is served in one hour, you had better get dressed. Ella has to get up one hour earlier than us; she is already awake. Right now she is probably about to go and wake up Lord and Lady Charles,” Katy explained. She grinned and the left the room saying, “I will meet you in the kitchen; just get dressed, tie up your hair and wash your face.”

Finally, I had gotten up and finished helping with the tasks and Mrs Rosemary gave me a slice of bread with a strip of bacon thrown between it, so I could be on my way.

I arrived on Baker Street, and then wandered what to do. When would Charles even be here? Should I just wait for his arrival; sit in my usual place and watch the world go by?

But then I saw the blacksmith’s shop that Charles so often visited, and on a whim, decided to go inside. I stopped for a moment, trying to think of a pretence to enter the shop under, but then reflected that I was better at in-the-moment thinking. I crossed the street and went in.

Inside, there was an uneasy atmosphere. I could see the blacksmith working on something with his back to me, orange sparks flying out wildly. Several bottles of alcohol lay derelict on the floor and the whole shop smelt of cigars. I did not like this place.