Free Paupers Graveyard by Gemma Mawdsley Page A

not you are of the same blood. And don’t you dare speak to me of kindness. From the day you entered this house you made our lives hell. You are not a scrap on your brother. He would never have treated a woman in such a disgraceful and demeaning way.’
    â€˜My damned brother! That’s all I’ve heard since I got here. Well, I’m sick of it, do you hear me? Once I’m rid of you, I’ll no longer have to hear about what a saint he was!’ He was dribbling and had lost all self-control. ‘I have one thing that he can’t have, and that is life. He’s dead, Elizabeth, rotting in the ground even as we speak, and I’m glad he’s there. I hope he rots in hell.’
    She hit him and he fell back, stunned by the blow.
    â€˜You have two weeks to find somewhere else to live. After that, I never want to see you or your wretched children again. Do I make myself clear?’
    â€˜Perfectly.’
    â€˜We’ll see how clever you’ll be then, madam. Even your own father refuses to have you under his roof!’ He delighted in her expression of shock. ‘Yes, indeed, I’ve known for some time.’
    â€˜I’ll find a place to stay. Anywhere would be preferable to living here, and being degraded the way I was last night. Only a beast would stand by and allow that to happen. You should be ashamed of yourself.’ She turned and walked out.
    â€˜Remember,’ he called after her, ‘two weeks, and take only your clothes, nothing else.’
    Her stomach was churning as she walked up to the nursery. Where could she go? Whatever money she had managed to save would not last very long and what then? They were almost into September and, if the summer was anything to go by, the winter would be a bad one. She had little time to plan, but she would not let the girls see how worried she was.

EIGHT
    The walk to work seemed longer than usual for Timmy. He had slept badly after waking during the night to the sound of crying. He sat up, unsure of what he was hearing, and tried to isolate the sound above the thunderous snores of his father. No, he had been right, it was the sound of someone crying. At first he was afraid and looked over to where his parents were sleeping, trying to make out, in the darkness, if they were both there. It was impossible to see, so he got up and crept over to the door. It came again a sad, mournful sound that chilled him to the bone. Could it be his mother crying? He had never seen her do so in all his twelve years. Even when his father beat her, she refused to cry. He edged his way farther through the doorway and peeped into the kitchen. Only the dying embers of the fire lit the room, but he could make out her shape huddled up in the chair with her head in her hands and crying as though her heart would break.
    â€˜Ma?’
    â€˜Timmy, lad, I’m sorry. Did I wake you? Oh, I’m so sorry.’ She put her head down and the crying started again.
    â€˜Ma, what is it, what’s wrong?’ He shivered in the cold, pre-dawn air. ‘Ma, tell me.’
    â€˜I’m frightened child, so frightened.’ Her hands muffled the words.
    â€˜Why, Ma, why?’
    She must have heard the panic in his voice, for she sat up and bought the back of her hand across her face, wiping away the tears.
    She put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him towards her. ‘Listen to me, child, and mind you listen well. I’d never for all the world want to frighten you. You know that, don’t you?’
    He nodded.
    â€˜But there’s something bad about to happen. I don’t know what it is, but it frightens me. I feel as though I’ve lost you all. That my children are gone from me.’
    â€˜No, Ma, we’ll never leave you.’
    â€˜Ah, child,’ she kissed his forehead. ‘I’m not afraid of you leaving me. You’ll do that anyway in time, but there’s a force greater than anything I’ve ever