Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Ebony couldn’t help but feel somewhat giddy after she’d kissed Henry. She couldn’t help but want to kiss him after what he’d said.

Purity cannot be stolen, it can only be given to the one you love.

The flaw she carried around with her he’d completely dismissed. He didn’t care … or at least he didn’t think she was responsible.

The way he held her made her feel so important and wanted. And when they broke apart he just watched her, even when she turned away to watch the scenery out the window. She could feel his soft gaze on her the whole time.

If this was a taste of what was to come, then she couldn’t wait.

Ebony had never been to Yorkshire, nor any other county before Vernon had found her. She’d never been further north than Suffolk but she’d heard that the north of England was spectacularly beautiful.

She and Henry didn’t kiss again for the duration of the journey but they sat together, either holding hands or leaning on each other. She enjoyed the closeness. She knew he was very proper and traditional so he would be quite formal about beginning a courtship. That was what rich people did – court? What would they do if they were courting? What did rich people do for leisure? She’d seen several fine people attend the opera when she was performing but she’d much rather sing in an opera than see one. She didn’t need to do any specific activities, just spending time with him would be enough for her.

“We’re here,” Henry announced, rousing Ebony from her light sleep. She’d been laying on his shoulder but he hadn’t complained. She immediately looked out the window to see a large, yet charming cottage. It had several miss-matching additions but it only added to the magic of the quiet house. She was mere feet from her little sister, she could fear the sheer excitement building in her.

The driver opened the door for them and he helped Ebony down. She took in her surroundings and her smile grew wider and wider. Henry offered Ebony his arm and they walked together down the path. He rapped a few times on the door and they waited a minute before it was opened by a woman.

She was older, but she had a kind face that was covered in lines from smiling so much. Her hair was silver and twisted into a bun on her head. Her eyes were hazel and her smile was very friendly. “Henry!” she exclaimed, immediately pulling her grandson into a tight hug.

Henry chuckled and hugged his grandmother back. “Grandmamma, I’ve missed you.”

His grandmother kissed his face repeatedly. “I’ve missed you too, my darling. How are you? Your mother’s letter nearly put me into my grave. Are you hurting? I wanted to come to London but a week in a carriage isn’t good for me.” She began to check him over meticulously.

“I’m alright,” he promised. “How is Celeste?” he asked.

“Oh, she’s wonderful,” she replied. “I’ve been tutoring her, teaching her to read and such. And you must be the famous Ebony. I’ve heard so much about you. Come in, come in.” She beckoned them into her homely sitting room. Even though nothing matched, her furniture and decorative possessions all worked well together.

“I hope only good things, Mrs Alcott,” Ebony said carefully, unsure of what Celeste might’ve told her. She wasn’t proud of a lot in her youth – especially stealing from people while she sang. His grandmother was important to Henry and she didn’t want her to judge her.

“Of course, your sister has nothing but nice things to say about you. She’s been looking forward to seeing you for a long time. Celeste!” she called out. “Come downstairs please!”

Almost instantly Ebony heard movement upstairs. She could heard footsteps coming down the stairs and soon enough a small girl wearing a bright yellow dress was charging toward her.

“EBBIE!” she squealed before launching herself into Ebony’s arms.

Ebony couldn’t help but burst into tears as she held Celeste. She was heavier than the last time she’d seen her, nearly a year ago, and she’d grown at least an inch. She wasn’t as thin, which she was thankful for, and she looked healthy, even if she was still quite petite. Her hair felt like silk in her fingers and she wore it straight down her back instead of pulled and pinned like Ebony’s hair had been initially. “I missed you so much,” she whispered in Celeste’s ear which only made her sister hold her tighter.

“You won’t leave me, will you?” Celeste begged. “You won’t leave me again?”

“No, I promise I will never leave you. We will always be together.” Ebony set Celeste down on the ground but kept holding her hands. She looked at Henry’s grandmother and smiled warmly. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for her. I’ll be forever in your debt.”

She shook her head. “Anything for family, dear,” she said simply.

That made Ebony’s smile grow. Family. She liked that.

“Celeste, do you have a hug for me?” Henry asked, kneeling down on the ground.

Celeste nodded and immediately hugged Henry around his neck tightly. “You’re my favourite,” she said in his ear, attempting to whisper.

“You’re my favourite too.” He chuckled.

“Catherine is teaching me the alphabet song,” Celeste said proudly. “I can sing it, do you want to hear?”

“Later,” Ebony promised. “They’ll be time for everything.” She was thankful Catherine was educating Celeste. Ebony’s mother had taught her to read and write when she was a girl. She’d died before she could do the same for Celeste.

Henry and Ebony had been in Yorkshire for two weeks. It was two weeks that she hadn’t thought about Vernon or the upcoming trial or the fact that Henry had been hurt or that she would have to talk about what she’d gone through to a room full of strangers.

She’d gone on walks with Henry which had often resulted in a stolen kiss or two. She’d cooked with Catherine and sung in church with Celeste. Of course she didn’t use her operatic voice but it was nice to sing in front of people again. They were a little family, Henry, Celeste and she, and she couldn’t wait to be able to take Celeste back to London.

She got on really well with Catherine. Catherine had gained Ebony’s trust fairly quickly, and though she knew something had gone on as she knew about the upcoming trial, she never pressed for details. Instead the two women made pies and pastries and prepared dinner each night. She hadn’t cooked before so it was good to learn. Catherine entertained her with stories about Henry through the years and she gave Ebony mothering advice which she really appreciated. She would be Celeste’s mother more than her sister. She would be guiding her through adolescence and her teenage years. She’d be nursing her broken hearts and wiping her tears away. She needed all the advice she could get.

“The key piece of wisdom I can impart on you is to know when to step away,” Catherine had told her. “Sometimes children, especially girls, just needed to be in an irritated mood. It’s like a screaming baby. You can nurture them for so long until you realise that you just need to let them cry until they sooth themselves.”

Ebony definitely would be taking that away with her.

But the two weeks of farm bliss ended when a letter addressed to her arrived at Catherine’s farm. It was from the Court of King’s Bench. It was the summons.

Just holding the stiff parchment in her hands made her panic. The thought of looking into his cold, grey eyes made her want to be sick. A pair of large, warm hands took the letter from her. Henry broke the seal and unfolded the letter.

She watched him read the letter carefully. “You have been summoned to give evidence for the prosecution in the case of the Crown versus Vernon Reginald Shaw. The trial is three weeks from now. We’ll have to plan a journey. Is Celeste returning with us?”

But Ebony couldn’t answer. She broke down in tears right at the front door as memories came flooding back into her mind. The first time was the most traumatic. She wasn’t expecting it and she’d never been more terrified in her entire life. It was after that that Ellen had become her friend and had taught her how to survive under Vernon’s control.

But she hadn’t spoken about it. People knew, but they didn’t know. They could never understand or empathise. After the trial they really would know. She was damaged goods.

Henry’s arms enveloped her and he lifted her off of the ground. He took her upstairs and quickly shut her in the bedroom in which she’d been staying. It was a good idea, she didn’t want Celeste to see her cry. Henry rubbed her back soothingly as he held her. “You can’t let him win,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t get to beat you. He’s going to hang for this, Ebony, but he doesn’t get to take you with him. He doesn’t get to win.”

She knew he was right. She knew that her feeling frightened of him would allow him to have a hold over her but she couldn’t help it. Until their final confrontation had taken place, she would always be afraid of him. “Just hold me,” she whispered. “Don’t let me go.”

She felt his lips on her forehead. “Never,” he said back.

A journey had been planned for the following week. Celeste was sad to be leaving Catherine, though happy to be going with Ebony to their new home. She didn’t know anything about the trial or Vernon, and she never would. Regardless of what Celeste had been through in the brothel and regardless of what she had seen, she was still very much an innocent. Her naivety had protected her.

She had several new dresses and toys that Catherine had bought and made for her had been packed and Ebony had done the same to her own possessions. She liked taking care of Celeste like a mother. She was finally in a position to protect her. They didn’t answer to anyone, not Bill Seaver, not Vernon, no-one.

Funnily enough, Celeste never mention her father. Perhaps she’d forgotten him? Perhaps she knew he was no good. She didn’t know. It would be Celeste’s choice whether or not to see him, and Ebony would wait until she asked.

Two weeks before the trial, the Ethridge carriage arrived back in Yorkshire to taken them back to London. It was a tearful goodbye, especially for Celeste, when saying goodbye to Catherine. She was such a nice lady and Ebony truly respected her. She hoped that she would be able to return at Christmastime. Catherine seemed to think she was as she’d already talked to the vicar about having Ebony lead the hymns at the Christmas service. She was looking forward to that. Church songs were always beautiful, and the churches always provided a lovely echo to one’s voice.

Catherine kissed Ebony’s cheek and wished her luck with the trial. She said she’d be praying for her. Catherine and Celeste hugged tightly and Catherine assured Celeste that there would be a Christmas gift waiting for her when she returned to Yorkshire. The mention of gifts excited even Ebony. They’d never had Christmas gifts before. They were simply out of the question when she was young. The money was used to pay the lease and to put food on the table. Frivolous spending was unheard of.

“I love you,” Celeste mumbled into Catherine’s neck.

“I love you, too, my darling,” Catherine replied and kissed her cheeks. “Be good.”

“I will,” she promised.

“Goodbye, grandmamma,” Henry said, giving his grandmother a hug.

“You’ll be careful, alright,” Catherine urged. “If I receive another one of those letters from your poor mother then I shall have to punish you. No pie at Christmas!”

“I wouldn’t want that.” Henry chuckled. “I love you. I’ll miss you.”

“I love you, too. Give my love to your sisters and your brother.”

Ebony was sad to leave when she felt the carriage take off. She and Henry sat opposite each other and Celeste elected to sit with Henry on his lap. She really was attached to him. He was her hero. Ebony’s too.

“Where are we going?” Celeste asked after they’d been riding for an hour.

“London,” Henry replied. “To my home.”

“What’s London?” she queried.

“London is a city,” Ebony explained. “The capital of our country.”

“Is it near Suffolk?” she continued to ask. Ebony was surprised she remembered the name of their home county.

“Not exactly.” Henry chuckled. “It is south of Suffolk. Below it. Much, much bigger than your village. You’ll love my house. There are many rooms for you to explore. Plenty of books to read and I’ll even show you the secret passageway down to the kitchens. I’ll show you where our cook keeps the cakes.” Celeste seemed excited about the thought of cake. London would be an excellent fresh start for Celeste. She could attend school, or Ebony could tutor her, whichever was more affordable. She could be with children her own age – Henry had many nieces and nephews. She’d be able to have friends and live a normal childhood. Ebony wanted her to have good memories. She wanted her to forget the past two years and she prayed in time she would.

Henry smiled reassuringly at Ebony. Knowing he’d be there for her made her feel a little better. In two weeks she’d give her evidence and then she could forget Vernon and move on, she hoped, with Henry.

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Hope you liked it!

This chapter is for Bella. Most of you will know who she is. She would have turned 5 yesterday. You may think I'm overly attached to my pets but I don't care. I love my pets and I'll always miss my little monkey. I went and sat with her at her grave yesterday for a while. Then promptly cried my eyes out. Gosh, it sucks :(

But in happier news -- :P Today I went and saw Thor 2 with my best friend, damn Chris Hemsworth <3 SO GOOD! Then she needed to buy mascara so she checked her phone to see how much money she had in her account and she's like 'Hey Laura, I have $69." And then she giggled like a child and I was like "Tam, you're 18 years old." But it was still funny :P

Then I went back to her house as she has Americans living in her street and they do Halloween. Halloween isn't a big thing in Australia. Virtually nobody celebrates it. My mum never let us do it as she said it was rude to knock on people's doors and demand lollies (what Aussie's call candy). But yes, there were a bunch of kids around trick or treating and it was so strange to see as growing up we never did that :P But walking past the American house it was so cool hearing their accents. They were like "Happy Halloween, y'all!" I kind of agree with my mum, I probably won't let my future kids go around and demand lollies from people, but it was cool to see it once :)

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