Young Writers Society

When I awoke the next morning I could hear shouts and screams downstairs. It was not unusual, for Missis and the Master were always bickering, so I paid little attention to it. As I neared Eleanora’s room, I recognised her girlish squealing.
“Where have you been?!” She demanded, crossly. “I’ve been waiting here half an hour for you to attend on me.”
“Yes, Miss, sorry, Miss.”
“Pull up that chair over there and get started on your chores.” She ordered in a queenly manner, tossing her radiant gold curls over her shoulder.
I felt my cheeks glow. How dare she speak to me like that? After all the pleasant conversations we had exchanged before the holiday!
“No,” I answered simply, “I will not pull up that chair. What is wrong with you?” I demanded furiously, “you were a pleasant girl before you went away, now you’re a spoilt selfish wench!”
Eleanora stared at my scowling face, bewildered.
“We have to adapt to the new society.” She explained calmly, in the irritating manner which Mary had aspired to.
“You don’t understand. Society is not about snobbery or middle class social climbers. It is about working as one group of people!”
“Leave my room at once, Alice, and do not return until you have something polite and honourable to say.”
“With pleasure.” I replied, and stalked out of the room.
When the Master and Mistress heard of my so called ‘treachery’ to my young mistress, they took the opportunity to harshly punish me for it. It was a lot worse than I had expected; my back was stripped and I was whipped for every year of my age. Lord I’d never felt such pain, and when they had finished I was forced into a bath filled with salt water. As I lay scorched and blistered, I thought ‘this must be Hell itself’. My fellow servants showed no mercy, in fact, they looked rather amused.
At last I was removed and thrown from the house armed with nothing but the garments I stood in. Where could I go now? What was there left for me to do? No house would take me after what had just happened. The only thing I could do was find Papa, in the place that he had mentioned to us. What was the name of the pub? The Four Claws? Five Bells? Oh, how I wished I’d taken more notice of him! I staggered down the hill to the main village and walked slowly to Dr. Mackenzie’s cottage.
“Good Lord, Miss Parker! What happened to you?” He asked.
I allowed him to take my hand and lead me into his office.
He sat me down on a chair and told me to lean forward. I did so and gently he peeled away the rough material clinging to my back.
“Miss Parker! What did you do?” He demanded.
“Lady Trunston’s daughter Eleanora used to be a pleasant, well mannered girl. Now she is a snob. I told her so, and her mother ordered this punishment.”
“Miss Parker, there is a time and a place for a smart mouth. What on earth did they make you do? Lie in salt water?”
I nodded, tears stinging my eyes.
“I want you to go home at once, Miss Parker, and lie in a cold bath.”
“Then what?” I asked.
“Wear only your thinnest night garment, and if possible, sleep on your front.”
“Thank you Doctor.” I answered.
“I’ll get Emma to escort you home.”
So Emma took me back to Badgers’ Bookshop, so strange and empty without Mary or Penny.
I wandered the house thoughtfully. Now I was free of Willow Hall, I could invite Mary and Penny back to live, we could take over the running of the bookshop and Papa need never know. However, that did not happen. I did something that I would come to regret every day of my life.

I struggled to make ends meet for the next few days. Doctor Mackenzie sent Emma around with bread and jam, and sometimes I was invited to share the Doctor’s meal. I told him of my plan to run the shop, and he seemed surprised.
“Alison,” He began, (I had told him to call me by my forename) “I do not wish to intrude, but have you heard from your sisters recently?”
“No, I haven’t,” I admitted, “Lady Trunston said that she would prefer if I severed all ties with my family. She said that they ‘create a distraction’.”
“So when did you last hear from them?”
“It must have been at least a month ago. I miss them.”
“Your Lady Trunston never told you when you received letters?”
“No, Bethan the scullery maid informed me when I received post.”
“Who was the last letter from, Alison?”
“Mary.” I drew it quickly out of my pocket. I had known well enough to keep my private letters upon my person at all times.


Dearest Alison
I write to you wishing that I could change the past, however I cannot, so I will keep this letter simple enough for you to understand. The man we call ‘father’ was a vicious brute. He abused me, however not in the manner that he mistreated you, dear sister, I would have killed him with my bare hands if he had done so.
I am working hard at this precise moment in time and hope that one day we will live together as a family again. I also want to express the fact that I was not Papa’s perfect daughter, I have faults as everyone does, and some of those are becoming more apparent as I continue to work. I always did what I thought best and to keep Papa happy, that does not mean that he did not hate me, it means that he looked at me and saw our darling Mother who sadly passed away before either you or Penny knew her properly. Sometimes I cry at night for her, and I always pray for her and you must too. I understand Papa’s true nature, although I would not dream of divulging it in a letter, it is far too distressing for you to read. I hope that you are working well and being obedient under the tough regime at Willow Hall so I will not keep you from your duties.
Moreover, Penny is safe and loved where she is now, so do not worry.

Your sister
Mary Parker


There was no address at the top of the page to reply to, so I assumed that Mary would write to me when she felt obliged to.
I handed it to Dr Mackenzie avoiding Emma’s prying eyes and he quickly scanned it.
“Alison, do you know where Mary is?” He asked in a grave voice.
“No, Doctor. There is no address on the letter.”
“I think you need to look at this.” He turned the letter over and pointed to a faint stamp mark.
“Kilnbridge.” I explained.
“Mary has left Cobingdon Kilbury.”


That was the final straw. I had to find Mary. Someone must know where she had gone in Kilnbridge; there weren’t many people who hadn’t known her here in the village. I packed my old bag that night and set off to Kilnbridge. It was the next village and a much more respectable place, I had heard. Doctor Mackenzie had suggested that I check the hospital there, and ask as many people as possible.
My feet were aching by the time I reached Kilnbridge, and my shoes were worn and dirty. I stopped outside the hospital in the square and asked the nurse if she knew of anyone called Mary. She laughed in my face and slammed the door.
Next I tried the local green-grocers, (Mary had had to eat something whilst she was here) and the green-grocer also laughed in my face.
“Oh, so you’re a relative of Miss Mary’s, are yer?” He asked.
“That’s right. I am her sister.” I answered.
“Oh, I shouldn’t worry about Miss Mary, she can take care of herself. Now, I’m closed, so hop it.”
I knew I wasn’t going to have any luck, so I walked down the lane leading to the church where there was a cosy looking house on the corner.
“Can I help you, dear?” Asked a plump, merry-faced lady from one of the windows upstairs.
“I’m looking for a boarding-house to stay in. Do you know of any?”
“Wait a minute” she instructed, and disappeared from view. Seconds later she had appeared in the front doorway, her hands on her wide hips. “Now, you come ‘ere.”
“I need somewhere to stay, if you please, ma’am.”
“Don’t call me ma’am. The name’s Jeanie. Come in ‘ere, you’re all tired out.”
I nodded in agreement. She put a plump arm around my shoulder and led me up a flight of stairs into a small room with a little grate and a candle burning brightly next to the bed.
“Here you go, little Miss. I can see you ain’t got much, so I won’t charge yer.”
“Oh, thank you,” I exclaimed, and gave a little curtsy (I had been trained well by Mary).
“You’s a funny thing.” Jeanie smiled, “what you wanderin’ ‘round Kilnbridge for?”
“I’m looking for my sister.” I explained, “she lives here.”
“Hmm. Well, I’ll leave you to sleep, Miss.”
I muttered another ‘thank you’ before slipping into the bed.


The next morning I breakfasted early so that I could leave and find Mary as soon as possible. Jeanie would not take any charge for my board or meal, and waved me off with a merry goodbye.
I set off for the square again, convinced that she would be in one of the grand buildings. I had no luck, but I saw a few people twitch when I said Mary’s name.
My next stop was the Town Hall, and the gentleman outside refused to allow me to enter, so I left without any information at all. I was getting desperate so I called upon the hospital again. Thankfully it was a different nurse this time, but she was just as rude and vulgar as the first. Then the ‘Sister’ arrived and demanded to know what ‘a little urchin was doing in her hospital’. I explained my situation and she sent the nurse away.
“Have you tried the brouthel in the next street?” She asked. (I think she said ‘brouthel’)
“No I haven’t,” I answered, “is it a school of some kind?”
“Yeah,” Interrupted another nurse, “a charm school, if you don’t mind.” She burst out laughing, and the Sister shooed me away without a second glance.
I followed her brief instructions and came to a dingy grim-looking building in the next street. The windows on the ground floor were framed by ragged bits of material, and a dusty plaque next to the door read ‘Miss Gabriel’s Seminary for Young Ladies’. I couldn’t believe that this horrible place was a school. It looked too dark and grim to be a school. Nevertheless I knocked on the door and I heard a female voice call ‘one moment’. She opened the door and almost fell out, her gown ripped and frayed.
“Who are you?” She asked, leaning against the doorway for obvious support.
“My name is Alison Parker I have come to…”
“You’ve come to join us young ladies.” She interrupted, and seized me by the collar, practically throwing me into the dark hallway behind her.
“Jessie, there’s another one ‘ere.” The girl called, and another scruffy girl came out of the darkness. As she came into the dim light I could make out her thin frame and ragged clothes.
“You misunderstand me,” I protested as Jessie examined my face, “I’m looking for someone. My sister, Mary.”
“Mary! You don’t mean, Miss Mary by any chance, do you?” Jessie asked. She turned to the other girl, “Dora, I’ll sort this out.”
“What is this place, anyway?” I asked, “it can’t be Miss Gabriel’s Seminary for Young Ladies?”
“Oh no, that place closed down years ago. This is a Charm School.”
“It’s so grim and dark. How can you live here?”
She did not answer. I heard male laughter from the room next door and realised what a ‘brouthel’ was.
“I doubt my sister’s here.” I announced proudly. Mary would never sink as low as that.
“Oh yes, I’m sure.” Jessie sneered, steering me through a door and into a room full of scruffy girls and men.
“Miss Mary, you’ve got a visitor.”
“Whatssssmatter?” A voice called from the back of the room. I recognised it instantly, disgusted and appalled.
“I’m coming.” And there she came, dirty, dishevelled, drunk out of her mind. When she saw me, she stopped.
“Alllisssonn.” She slurred, “my s…sister.”
“Mary, what have you done?” I demanded furiously. “You whore!”
“Now, don’t treat your sister like that. She’s a good little earner. Does what she’s told and does it well.” Jessie explained gleefully.