Making a Stand
‘Mama, I have to go to Frederick’s side. This cannot go on. Lord Frederick is doing the only thing he can. He is being true to himself. I must do that, too. I must release him from the marriage, if that is what he wishes, and settle on him an amount that he can go forward with. And I need to help him in his quest to save this girl that he loves. I betrayed him with a man I thought I loved. Now I can show loyalty to him, as the man I truly love.’
‘Katrina, it isn’t the done thing. If this woman is his mistress, then you should be discreet about it.’
‘It is a bit late to teach discretion, Veronica,’ said Lady Eleonore. ‘I am still very cross with you for not dealing with this vital aspect of a woman’s role as a wife in our society, when schooling your daughters. If you had, none of this would be happening – except my son’s efforts to help this girl, of course, whom I know is not his mistress . . . Oh, I know, Katrina, it suits you to think she is, and to be forgiving of him. It appeases your own conscience, but that is all the merit there is in the accusation. Frederick is an honourable man and, even if he did love the girl, he wouldn’t do anything other than he is: helping her to get through this and seeing that she has a good future.’
‘I know, Lady Eleonore, and it isn’t what I think. I just want to help him, that’s all. Well, and to get his forgiveness. And surely my being with him will stop any gossip. There are those who are beginning to believe Lord Bellinger, and some of the snippets in the news-sheet are outraged at it all and could make life very difficult for him. The Queen even—’
‘Queen Victoria should know the truth by now. I have friends at court whom I have told everything to. Yes, everything. They are very discreet, but they will gossip about it with the Queen, which is exactly what I wanted. I doubt Lord Bellinger will ever have an audience with her, or be anywhere near anything that she attends. I am sure the Queen is watching this case very closely, and I think you are right, Katrina: you should go to him. It will look good that you are standing by him. In his last message Frederick said the trial had run for two days and would be in session again tomorrow. I believe there is only the girl’s testimony to come, as she wasn’t well enough to give it.’
‘Is it a good thing it’s lasted so long?’
‘It is, Mama. It means that a lot of evidence has been heard.’
‘Yes, you’re right. This is a proper trial, not like some when, if the defendant is poor, they don’t even have a say,’ Lady Eleonore said. ‘This girl has a lawyer, and Frederick hired a man to dig into everything. There are others being arrested for what happened to her previously. Frederick thinks it looks good for her, but he is worried sick about tomorrow. He says the girl has resigned herself to her own death, that she sees it as a way out. She believes she will never have any peace from the torment that got her where she is. I feel so responsible, as does Frederick. Those children should never have been arrested. They helped all they could, when we had the accident. The new police force is over-zealous, not to mention too costly.’
‘If that is the case, I will go immediately to Frederick,’ Katrina responded. ‘Mama, can you stay here a little longer? I don’t want Marcia to be at your home whilst I stay there. It will take me a long time to forgive her for what she has done.’
‘Do you think you should travel? I mean, what if you are pregnant?’
‘Is there any doubt? Can there be, Mama? I thought that—’
‘Yes, yes, dear. Oh, I do wish you girls wouldn’t talk so openly about things of that nature. It is embarrassing.’
‘Oh, Mama! How am I supposed to know anything if I am not told? How did you know? Did you just guess it all?’
‘No, I – I, well, your father knew everything. He told me, his class . . . I mean . . . Anyway, I also had Eleonore as a friend.’
‘Yes, and I am French, and we French are not so stuffy about it all. I had a lot to unlearn, to fit into the English society, but I did so. I can never understand you English being so prudish about such a natural thing. Of course it is possible you are not pregnant, Katrina. You could have missed your monthly for several reasons, but it is not probable. I would say, from the way you have taken to that side of human nature, that you must be very careful or you will have babies by the dozen, and by as many fathers.’
‘Eleonore!’
‘Well, it is true. And good luck to the girl. I was the same – couldn’t get enough – but I had my tricks. I will tell you about them, Katrina. In fact I have a duty to do so, otherwise our family will be constantly embroiled in scandal.’
Katrina wanted to laugh at this. Lady Eleonore was a madam sometimes, but so down-to-earth and understanding. She could never think that Eleonore was, or might be still, a woman who would lie back and think of England – or, in her case, France. No, she was a woman of the same ilk as herself: passionate and capable of reaching great heights, when she was with a man she wanted to be with. Now her mother, she wasn’t so sure about. Maybe she and Daddy had got along in their own way, but . . . Oh, I must stop thinking about such things. The very thought of her mother and father doing it was embarrassing; and besides, thinking about anything of that nature wasn’t good for her, as she missed Frederick so. They had only been together in that way so few times, but when they had— Oh God, it was all a mess. She had messed up something that was the most beautiful thing in her life.
‘Katrina, why have you come?’ The coldness of Frederick’s remark sliced her heart.
‘I have told you.’
‘I know, but it is all too much for me to deal with at the moment. The last day of the trial begins in half an hour. I have to go, but I cannot think of not being there.’
‘I will come with you.’
‘No! Good God, what on earth are you thinking of? It is no place for a lady!’
‘Well, I don’t believe I am a lady, Frederick. I am a woman, that is all. And my husband is the subject of gossipmongers when he least deserves to be. I want to show I am solidly with you on this, that I know all about it. Besides, I too want to help Ruth Dovecote. This is a ridiculous charge, and we women should stand shoulder-to-shoulder.’
‘I should applaud you. That was a good speech. As for the rest of what you have told me, though it sickens me, you are my wife and will remain so. We will think of the child you are carrying as our child. I am its father. As for the way we conduct our lives in the future, I do not know as yet how we will do that. It may suit us both to have affairs. We will work it out between us. But this is not the time, and I wish you hadn’t come.’
The words sounded cruel, but to Katrina they were a joy to hear. So he does intend to carry on being my husband? Well, that would make things easier. The affair thing – no. She would fight that every way she could. At least he would never have her consent to do so, and she didn’t think he would enjoy doing it in a clandestine way. It just wasn’t him. ‘I am happy you intend to stay with me, Frederick. Thank you. As you say, the terms we will have to settle. For now, Ruth Dovecote is more important, and I am coming. Whether you give me a lift or I come in my own carriage, you will not stop me.’
‘Good Lord! Oh, very well. You can come with me. But I want no reaction to anything I might do.’
What he might do, she couldn’t imagine. But a small part of the hurt inside her melted. I think I won a small victory there. But, girl, she told herself, don’t for one minute think the battle is won. There is a long way to go. The main thing was that she was ready for the fight. She’d fight until the end of the world for Frederick. Her love for him was that strong.
The courthouse held no shocks for Katrina. She had imagined it being worse than it was. The cold of the place struck her most. Pulling her shawl around her neck, she looked up at the high ceiling. A streak of autumn sunlight came through the skylight, but it held no warmth and did little to lighten the dingy mustard-coloured room. The smell of paraffin lamps and of the sweaty bodies in the public gallery tinged her nostrils, but didn’t overly bother her. The atmosphere held tension and filled her with a strange anticipation, to the point where she felt akin to the knitting ladies who attended the beheadings in France, during the Revolution.
France. Would they ever get to visit there? Or would Frederick go on his own to complete an ambition he had had for so long, to visit all the places his mother’s family once owned? Still, this wasn’t the right time to think of lost honeymoons. The clanging of gates below and the sound of the rattling of chains told her they were bringing the girl up.
It was shocking that they should put Ruth in irons. As she understood it, there was no possibility of her escaping. The girl could hardly walk, or so she had been told. When Ruth appeared, being carried by a warden, this was confirmed. When the warden turned at the top of the stairs, Ruth looked straight up towards Frederick. Her expression registered shock as her eyes moved on from Frederick.
She is looking directly at me. Now what do I do? I don’t want my appearance here to upset her, not least because that will confirm Frederick as being correct when he said I should not attend!
The moment held awkwardness, but the thought occurred to her that maybe a smile of encouragement might ease the situation for the girl, and let her know she was there to support her, not condemn her. The girl didn’t smile back, but some of the stiffness went out of Frederick and he gave Katrina a grateful glance. Small titbit, but I feel better for Frederick’s reaction.
As the warden sat the girl down on the bench in the dock, Katrina was able to get a better look at her. Painfully thin and with dark, sunken skin under her eyes, she looked desperately ill and a pitiful sight, but one that held a waif-like beauty. Something in Katrina wanted to go down and take the girl in her arms and give her comfort. A big part of her prayed the girl would not send herself to the gallows. A lot depended on her testimony. Frederick had said on the way here that Ruth still held a death-wish and wanted her life over. He had a plan, though – something he’d arranged that he hoped and prayed would change Ruth’s mind.
His ‘something’ now appeared, in the shape of an old lady. The distinct squeak of bathchair wheels announced her arrival. Frederick sat up and looked over the balcony, his countenance one of hope. Ruth gasped. Frederick turned and whispered, ‘Mrs Nora Bottomless.’ The lady was someone very important to Ruth, he’d explained, but although he had told Katrina about her, he’d declined to explain the connection. He’d seemed almost gruff about it, for some reason.
Katrina watched, fascinated, as the old woman and Ruth stared at each other, then a powerful voice, as if from a much stronger woman, came from Mrs Bottomless. ‘Ruth, lass: live for me and for Josh. I need you, and Josh needs you to take care of me.’
The warden spoke to Ruth, obviously warning her about talking, so she didn’t answer, but a young girl’s voice came from behind Katrina. ‘And live for me, Ruth. I need you.’ Turning, she saw it was Amy. Katrina didn’t know her well, of course, but she had interviewed her as a prospective nanny and had found her pleasing, though her accent and command of the English language left a lot to be desired and needed correcting.
Whilst she tried to catch Amy’s eye to offer a smile of comfort, another voice had her turning round. The chap on the other side of Frederick, whom she understood to be Haydon Green, Frederick’s investigator, had spoken. ‘And I do, Ruth. I need you.’ At this, Frederick turned sharply towards Haydon, but didn’t say anything.
For a moment the tension in the room rose, especially in herself as she willed Frederick not to say anything. The girl was now staring at him, and he had turned back towards her and held her gaze.
Katrina could feel her cheeks warming. Please don’t let him speak. I don’t think I can stand the indignity. A head appearing at the top of the stairs caught their attention. Lord Bellinger! Oh God, no. No . . .
‘Excuse me.’ This Bellinger said to the man who had spoken to Ruth. The man got up and gave his seat to Bellinger. ‘Freddie, my boy, and Katrina. Well, this is pleasant. I heard you were here and that you, Frederick, have been attending the trial every day? I thought I would join you. Been quite a high-profile event. Reported in the news, and your comings and goings noted by all. What’s it all about then?’
‘What this is about is justice for an innocent girl. It is not a side-show, Lord Bellinger.’
‘Uh-oh, you’re cross with me over something. Sorry, old friend. Whatever it is, I’ll make amends.’
‘Not this time, you won’t. I want nothing more to do with you.’
‘All stand.’ This, from a self-important man who had come through a side-door on what Katrina was now thinking of as ‘the stage’, stopped the appalling conversation.
The judge entered, his wig immaculate, his cloak of the finest satin and his medals of office gleaming as they caught in the flicker of the lamps. Katrina held her breath. How would this day end? Please, God, not with her and Frederick further estranged; and not with the outcome that Ruth desired.
After a brief summary, Ruth heard her name. She was the one being called now. The warden lifted her and carried her forward. On giving her name, a hissing started up above her. The judge called, ‘Order’ and the silence was immediate.
‘Ruth Dovecote, do you believe you have special powers?’
‘No, Sir.’
The prosecutor who’d asked this had a pompous attitude that she’d only seen him use with those who spoke for her: a man from the prison hospital, the warden who had helped her, the Earl and Haydon Green. None of them had been intimidated by the prosecutor and all had stood firm.
‘How, then, do you account for two boys suffering grave illness after you cursed them, and one man dying?’
‘I can’t, Sir.’
‘So you are not denying that you cursed them then?’
‘Not cursed, but I hated them for what they did to me.’
‘I say that is a curse, and a curse can give such fear of the likes of you that it can cause death!’
‘M’Lord, may I say that my learned friend is suggesting that hating someone who does wrong by you is tantamount to a curse; and, further, he is suggesting that a curse can maim or kill. I say that is poppycock. How can a curse cause the pox such as the boys in question fell victim to? I have cursed you, M’Lord – yes, I confess I have, on many occasions when you have ruled against me, but you are still in good health, are you not?’
‘I accept the objection of the defence. Furthermore I, for one, have heard enough. I see no evidence of this girl using any powers, or even thinking she has powers. I believe, as Lord Rollinson, the Earl of Harrogate, said yesterday, that it is just a myth whipped up by ignorant folk who would have us believe that someone with an affliction can hold powers that could be used to harm. I see this girl as having been harmed, rather than harming others. I am dismissing the case and ordering that Ruth Dovecote be released from prison to the wardenship of the Earl of Harrogate – immediately.’
Shock held Ruth rigid. Shouts of ‘The witch has got away with it!’ and ‘The wrong ones have been arrested – she cursed them, so they would be so!’, and more along those lines, had her looking up at the gallery. Aye, she could see people who cared about her, but mostly what greeted her was a sea of hate. She could take no more. ‘No . . . no! I want to go to the gallows. I want to die. Please, I want to die.’ Her screams silenced everyone else’s, leaving her voice echoing back to her, thick and slurred and spraying the spittle that had foamed in her mouth. ‘I am a demon. I bring sorrow wherever I go. Please, let me die. Please.’
The hammering of a gavel quietened her. ‘I will not have this uproar in my court. And I forbid that the defendant’s last words be included in the records. Ruth Dovecote, you are a very sick girl. You are not evil. I may have come across as thinking that, before I heard all the evidence, but now I know you are sinned against, not a sinner. And take note, all of you in the gallery who would lynch this girl: not one of you will be spared a jail sentence if you even try to harm her. This case has set a precedent and has shown that the poor should have a fair trial. You should be grateful to Miss Dovecote for that. And to Mr Cotram and his fellow lawyers, who have believed so for a long time. I, for one, hope they have more successes in the future. This case is dismissed and closed.’
‘All rise.’
This, Ruth thought, was a phrase she would never forget hearing. Every day it had meant the end of her ordeal for a little while, but today it meant it was over. Letting go of the little strength that had sustained her, she slumped against the warden.
Frederick sat staring down at Ruth. At the judge’s words, his world brightened, but with Ruth collapsing it crashed again. He couldn’t go to her. It wouldn’t be right. He had to deny that longing, for the sake of Katrina. Whether she deserved it or not, as his wife she commanded respect from him in public.
‘Well, well, winners all round, eh? Nice for you, Frederick; now you can do as you please with her.’
‘Don’t even attempt to mark me as being like you, Bellinger. My little finger has more honour in it than you have in your whole body. You have gone too far this time. You are a first-rate cad! And as I was saying before, neither I, nor any of my family, wish to have anything further to do with you.’
‘I think, Lord Frederick, your wife should be left to speak for herself on that subject.’
‘My husband speaks for me, Lord Bellinger. If I never see you again I would be all the happier. There are stronger words than “cad” that suit you; we are just too polite to use them.’
‘Maybe, Frederick, you will use them if you know that your wife loves me and has slept with me, and only recently invited me to her home on a pretext.’
‘You are not worth it. Damn you, Bellinger!’ Frederick erupted.
‘And I am not in love with you,’ Katrina went on. ‘You duped me. I am in love with my husband, and always will be. Even if your plotting makes it so that we are not able to stay together, I will still love him – and I will never, ever think of you other than as a vile creature. Don’t come near me ever again!’
This shocked Frederick. Katrina had said she loved him as if she meant it. And her daring to speak whilst he was engaged in an argument . . . This wife of his was proving to be a handful that he wasn’t sure he needed or could deal with.
At her words, Lord Bellinger had risen and left. His small laugh as he did so caused Frederick to worry. Concern crept over him and got the hairs on his arms standing up. Bellinger could cause trouble, and would enjoy doing so. No doubt he would let others know that he’d had an affair with Katrina – not so that Henrietta heard, but their peers would enjoy a snigger at Frederick’s expense. And what of Katrina? Her reputation would be in ruins. Every time they attended a function there would be whispers and innuendoes. He didn’t want that for her. He’d have to stand by her, even though it was painful to do so.
Below, the witness box was now empty. Ruth had been carried back downstairs. Looking to his left, he saw Amy, her head in her hands; and, glancing down again, Mrs Bottomless – or Nora, as she’d asked him to call her – was taking a similar stance. So much despair around him but, with Katrina by his side, he didn’t feel he could help any of them. Her words changed that.
‘Frederick, you must go to Ruth. I will look after Amy and Mrs Bottomless. Instruct your man to give me a hand. Is that him over there?’
‘It is. Katrina, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.’
‘I don’t deserve you to. We will talk it all through, but it isn’t our lives, my love, that are the important ones at the moment. I suggest you get Ruth to Dr Parker, who has been our family doctor for a long time. He has a small cottage hospital. Here, I’ll write his address down. He’ll take care of Ruth – tell him to charge it to Daddy’s account. I’ll forewarn Daddy.’
‘Thank you. I – I wish—’
‘Later. Just do what you have to do, and do it with my backing and love.’
Frederick couldn’t find a way of answering this, but her words and Katrina’s concern for Ruth’s welfare chipped a little off the hard crust that had formed around the place where his feelings for her lay. Maybe we could sort something out? I hope so, as what I really wish for can never happen. Maybe it will, for Haydon Green. Funny how he said what he did – and with such emotion. Oh God, life is complicated.