Silver, p.35
Silver, page 35
“Is there something wrong?” It was Heston, he was so attuned to waiting upon others that it was only natural he noticed Elizabeth’s pause for attention.
“Miss Greenwood?” he asked softly.
She considered him for a moment and something about his quiet strength made her feel ridiculous and some of his calm flowed to her. Bateman could not hurt her here. In a few days time, she would be free of London and free of him.
“It’s nothing,” she replied. “Will you excuse me. I think I will join Miss Ward after all.” And with that she rose, excusing herself from the table.’
True to her earlier observations, she swept down the centre of the room so that chairs were drawn back in advance of her passing. She had crossed the room in a matter of a minute. As she exited the main hall, a wide staircase swept back down to the street, or upwards towards the ladies room. Elizabeth was just about to ascend the stairs when an impulse made her take the stairs down. When she levelled out on the ground floor, she followed the stairs down another flight to a darkened corridor. As she stepped from the bottom step, she could make out the muffled sound of a woman’s voice and a scuffling from around the corner. Elizabeth’s heart began to pound and she felt her mouth dry up as she felt her instinct drag her onwards. She stepped lightly to peer around the corridor and, as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, the outline of a man struggling with a woman came into focus. The man held the woman by the wrists and had her pushed against the wall. As the man bent his head again to the woman, Elizabeth was not surprised to see Batemans’s face against Kate’s. In the split second it took for Elizabeth to be filled with rage, she found she could feel the hot breath of Bateman upon her own face as he had pushed himself upon her over the summer. She would not remember lunging at him but Kate would tell her that evening how she seemed to come from the walls themselves. Elizabeth flew at Bateman’s head, grabbing his hair, his cheeks and his eye sockets. She hissed words at him furiously that she had never heard orated before. Words that seemed to come from another tongue and Bateman was knocked to one side, reeling. He drew up his arms to protect himself, hardly knowing what had hit him.
“Keep off! Keep off you devil!”
In the flailing gloom, he caught sight of Elizabeth and began to laugh. She felt her anger rise and her attack became more fierce.
“Get off her! Get off her! Get off her, you swine. You reprobate!”
He had grabbed hold of her own wrists and though she struggled he was far superior in strength. Kate had been knocked to the floor in the scuffle and she now began raining blows upon Bateman. In one swift motion, he knocked Kate away with a blow to the side of her head. She fell to the floor once more and there she stayed. He had Elizabeth pinned for a moment against the wall in much the same position in which he had just held Kate. Elizabeth shook with fear and anger that she could be overpowered like that. She managed to bend her head to where he held her wrists and bit his hand hard.
“You little bitch,” he shouted though his face showed that same dark excitement that she had seen in the lane that night and she began to scream. There came a rush of cold air then a loud thud accompanied by Bateman yelping.
The next moment, she was free and Bateman was sprawled on the floor clutching his nose. Heston was stood over him, his fists balled and his shoulders rounded forwards as he shadowed Bateman. Kate was warning him.
“Careful Mr. Heston, be careful.”
Bateman shook his head and then lunged for Hesston’s mid riff, the two of them staggering backwards into the opposite wall. Fists flew and, as they connected, there followed the sickening sound of bone on bone.
Elizabeth’s own rage was far from dispersed and she tried to pull Bateman from Heston. As she did so, Bateman whirled round and pushed her to the ground. She clattered into a packing case and Kate shouted out.
“Be careful. She’s pregnant!”
Both Heston and Bateman stopped. Heston was torn with an urge to assist with Elizabeth and to pummel the remaining daylights out of Bateman. He opted instead to stand still and wait.
“You’re pregnant?” said Bateman.
Kate groaned and whispered to Elizabeth over and over. “I’m so sorry Miss. I’m so sorry. Oh Lord. I’m sorry.”
Bateman began to laugh.
“Oh this evening just keeps on getting better! And you the dutiful bride to be Elizabeth! I am appalled! What kind of woman must your fiancé think you to be?”
Elizabeth was numb with rage and her jaw was clenched on her retort. Bateman stepped forward and leaned to whisper close to her ear.
“Don’t say I never gave you anything.”
It took all her self control from slapping him but she managed to maintain her dignity as she spat back.
“It is a gift from Silver actually.”
Heston and Kate both looked at each other, their eyes accustomed to the dim light. Bateman continued to stare hard at Elizabeth, his eyes narrowed. She felt a pulse in her temple throb as she waited to see what effect this news had on him. Though she herself had never heard him doubt Silver’s identity there had been plenty of reason to suspect that he knew more than he let on. She held her breath. Eventually, he spoke. His tone was thick with disdain and he curled his upper lip as though Elizabeth had something rotting about her.
“Miss Greenwood, I am surprised you can narrow it down to just the one man.”
The insult washed over her. She simply felt a sense of great relief. Relieved that, with such an admission, Bateman both accepted Avery’s identity but also rejected any connection with the child.
“You can keep your bastard child and Silver can keep his whore here but Heston here will be arrested. I shall see you jailed for assault, hear?” He jabbed a finger in the air as he touched the back of his hand to his bloodied nose. Heston held his head high but looked nervous.
“You will do no such thing,” Elizabeth stated calmly.
“I beg your pardon?” retorted Bateman. Heston and Kate also looked startled. Her tone as authoritative and her voice was steady. With Avery out of danger, she felt suddenly back in control.
“I don’t like to repeat myself, Mr. Bateman but in your case I see I shall need to make a concerted effort both to speak up and slow down. I said, you will do. No. Such. Thing,” she enunciated loudly.
Bateman bristled and he drew himself up, stepping forwards to within a few inches of Elizabeth’s face.
“And why is that?” he asked menacingly.
She did not blink as she replied amiably.
“Because you have made an enemy of me already, Mr. Bateman, you do not now wish to antagonize me. Do you?”
Bateman snorted loudly and began to turn away.
“I think I shall take my chances, Miss Greenwood.” He shook his head. “Antagonise you? Ha!”
“I should explain, Mr. Bateman. I am merely a woman of no great importance and of course, whilst I am prone to spend evenings in the company of men with whom I should not be seen, yourself included, I am also prone to spend afternoons in places where I should also not be. Reading things I should not be reading.”
Bateman halted in his steps and turned to consider Elizabeth, his face clouded with confusion.
“You probably do not know this about me Mr. Bateman but I have a penchant for reading just the most awful of fiction. I don’t speak of those penny dreadfuls you can find in any old bookshop but the fascinating real life stories like the real life tragedies of the circus freak shows you can see on the common. I like stories about men who are tried for their crimes and, when found guilty, are punished. Then there are those crimes so heinous, against the laws of decency of God and of nature that I could not even conceive of a punishment. I have always found the light in my father’s study all the better for reading. But then you should know that. Both yourself and your father have spent a good deal of time in there yourself.”
Bateman’s jaw clenched and a vein near his eye began to bulge with the tension of his anger.
“Its amazing what lengths a father might go to keep his family name clear whilst his son will go out of his way to sully it. Don’t you think, Bateman?”
He snapped and leapt forward a foot, raising his hand towards her face. She did not flinch but Heston was quick to lunge forwards regardless.
~o~
The day they left London, Elizabeth kept expecting her father, Georgina or someone to rush alongside the coach and forbid her from leaving. Through Kent and overnight in Dover, she thought she saw familiar faces at every turn come to fetch her home. Across the Channel, sick with the rise and fall of the waves, she still thought that she saw the face of Cribbs among the lower deck. In fact, she did not quite shake the feeling until they arrived at Ostend and the foreign ground beneath her feet assured her she was free, if not of her predicament but certainly the immediate concern of her father.
The air of liberation and anticipation was not solely Elizabeth’s to cherish and she witnessed the same elation in her travel companions the moment they stepped from the boat. Avery had arranged passage from Ostend to Ghent where they would stay for a few nights and as they continued their journey by coach, Elizabeth took the opportunity to consider the changes leaving England had wrought upon Silver, Heston and Kate. She knew very little about Heston. She knew that he had pretended to be a tutor, the son of a family friend, to convince her own father as to his suitability. However, she knew nothing about where he had come from nor what he did. That Bateman recognized him that night troubled her but his actions in saving her from him assured her he was firmly on their side. Later on in their travels, he was to be butler and foil to Avery’s male counterpart but for the time being he was to be Avery’s tutor. Kate was like an infant at Christmas time, she sat beside the window remarking on every small thing which they passed. Though not accustomed to foreign travel herself, Elizabeth could not bring herself to find pleasure in the sight of every plain looking street.
For the first weeks, the four travelled further into Europe avoiding the busy cities and the tourist routes they had promised Frederick Greenwood they would follow. Avery was yet to find a place he was comfortable to start his transition in and so they seemed to be permanently on the move. After another fortnight, they arrived in the town of Basel in Switzerland and Avery, pleased with what he saw, indicated to Heston that he should check the four of them in to a hotel as Mr. Silver and Miss Greenwood.
Basel was a bustling town with an exciting community of its own and with many visitors from all across Europe. Since Queen Victoria had holidayed in Switzerland the previous year, the area was thriving with the added tourism. As Elizabeth waited for Heston to check the four of them into a hotel, she walked with Avery down to the banks of the Rhine. As they stood on the meander of the river taking in the panorama, she watched him breathe in the chill November air and sensed a promise that had been absent from all of the other locations so far. Though she would have preferred somewhere warmer or more sophisticated like Paris or Florence she had to agree that the place was lively and beautiful. Though she did not know it then, as she watched Avery’s shoulders relax as he exhaled, she felt some of her own anxieties dissipate along with the mist of his breath on the cold air.
“I need to find somewhere to change before we head back to the hotel,” he said.
Elizabeth said nothing and Avery turned to explain. “The porter shall be expecting to escort you and Kate to your room and a Mr. Silver and Mr. Heston to their rooms.”
Elizabeth nodded but shrugged. It was a gesture which said many things; that she did not know how to help, that she did not know what to say and that she did not care. Ignoring her, Avery’s eyes lit upon the bridge that spanned the river to their right. Dark grey, it was made of several arches which reflected dully in the water. Where the bridge met the land, a deep pocket of trees and bushes proved to be too tempting an opportunity for Avery. Looking around quickly he grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and strode down towards the bushes.
“Oh, surely not!” Elizabeth exclaimed when she realized his intentions and she looked around furtively, craning to see if anyone would see them. By the time she had reached the dark bushes, Avery had slipped between them and the grey stone wall and called out to her.
“Keep a watch. This won’t take more than a moment.”
True to his word, only five minutes later, Avery emerged clutching the carpet bag in which his dress and boots were now stowed. He looked a lot more disheveled and Elizabeth stepped forward to correct the sweep of his hair and to pull his shirt collars more tightly around his neck. Above them, where the bridge rose across the water, a pedestrian noticed them and wolf whistled, calling out in German. From the man’s perspective, the pair looked as though they had just been caught out in a romantic clinch and Avery stepped back from Elizabeth abruptly.
Elizabeth looked up at the man and impulsively gave him a wave and a ready smile. Avery laughed and, caught up with the moment, he pulled Elizabeth too him and kissed her. As he did so, she closed her eyes and felt herself drawn upwards to him. By contrast, Avery drew away and looked sheepish. Rather than spoil the moment, he strode back to the main thoroughfare, calling over his shoulder.
“Come, Miss Greenwood. The day is young and there is much to do.”
It was over in a second but the feel of his lips on hers stayed with her all that day. As they arrived back at the hotel Elizabeth could still feel it; over dinner that evening and when she woke the following morning, to the sound of Kate drawing water Elizabeth pressed her hands to her lips to assure herself that he had left nothing of himself upon them.
~o~
By the end of the month, Avery had explored much of the city and was beginning to grow restless. Now that he had begun to shed his female persona, he was keen to keep on with his first plan which was to see as much of Europe as possible. As amiable as ever, he had begun to build a network in the city and the familiarity with which he was met was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable. Though they had checked in as travelling companions with Kate posing as Elizabeth’s maid and Heston as his valet, Avery had quickly been upset with Kate having to wait upon Elizabeth and he had employed the services of a young girl who could attend to her instead. This left Miss Ward with more free time at her disposal than she was comfortable with. Their days fell into a routine quickly enough with Kate and Avery taking morning walks around the city, they would all lunch together and then he would often spend his evenings alone or as a foursome with Heston, Kate and Elizabeth taking in some evening entertainment. With two women in his entourage he was beginning to get a reputation around the town which amused and annoyed Elizabeth.
“What on earth do you both find to talk about for so long on your walks?” Elizabeth asked one morning when Kate had returned from a walk with Avery.
It had been growing much colder and Elizabeth, though annoyed that Avery had not once asked her to join him on his morning stroll, was rather pleased to be inside on days such as those. Kate seemed to give her question much thought and then shrugging her shoulders she replied.
“We talk about lots of things. I seem to do much of the talking but he always listens. He asks me about the town I grew up in, about service, about how it is to sleep in a truckle bed in an attic room, about how it feels to wear his pretty dresses after the plain sacks I am used to.” She blushed as she noticed Elizabeth watching her and she quickly tried to change the subject.
“We have not yet talked about you, if that is what you wish to know. Though quite what I am to tell him when he asks why you are beginning to look so thick around your stomach is beyond me.”
Elizabeth shot her a glare. This was what came from Kate having too much time on her hands. If she was not kept busy, she had time enough only to press Elizabeth about what she planned to do. Thus far, Elizabeth had managed to avoid discussing it entirely but she was growing concerned too and, though she was cross with not having brought it up herself, she welcomed the opportunity to have someone else to talk about the matter with.
“I rather hoped he would never know,” said Elizabeth finally. She had turned her face away from Kate’s and she felt tears welling. It was unlike her to allow her emotions to run so close to the surface but in the last months she had found herself welling at the most ridiculous and sentimental things.
“But of course he must!” Kate spouted. “Sometime in the spring, you are going to be heavily pregnant and you won’t be want to be gallivanting around Europe on your travels. We won’t leave you on your own, so we need to think about a place to settle for a bit. A month after that you are due to be home and I’ll bet you’ve given no thought to what your father is going to say when he sees you looking as large as a house. How is that going to look? That Avery concealed that from him will not go down well either. When you said you didn’t want to tell anyone. I let you alone. You said you needed to get out of London and we got out of London. You said you wanted to get away from that Bateman. Well I reckon you won’t see him again. Not in a long time. So now you are clear of him, and England, you must tell Avery.” Kate fell silent and Elizabeth continued to keep her face turned away. Of course she had heard everything that Kate had said and contrary to what the girl thought of her, Elizabeth had given all of those things a lot of thought. She knew exactly how her father’s face would look if she arrived home either pregnant or carrying a baby. She also knew only too well that her fiancé would rather terminate their engagement than be shamed in such a way. She knew she was beginning to show and she suspected it would not be much longer before she would not be able to deny the changes in her body to the rest of the world. She knew all that but did not know what to do. Though she felt like a woman, the enormity of the problem made her feel like a child. She had hoped that something would happen, that somebody would make a decision for her or that Avery would just find out and plans would be made without her knowing.
“Elizabeth?” Kate prompted.
