Among the Darkness Stirs

Marguerite seemed pleased with the praise. “It’s a very long song so I think I’ll leave it for another day.”

“Another day?” Audrey asked.

“Yes. I tire easily now, but I would ask you to come and visit me another time. Would you?” The hopeful expression on her face told Audrey the woman was being sincere.

“If you like.”

“I would. What older woman doesn’t want to be cheered by the sight of a lovely young one?” she said.

“Then I promise to return,” Audrey told her before she left the room.

She hummed the song to herself as she moved along through the workhouse warren of hallways and out into the grounds beyond. It was dark, but she liked to walk when no one was around. She passed the vegetable garden, the stables, the bakery until she made it to the furthest part of the workhouse to see the orchards. Behind her were the male and female dormitories and to the far left was the infirmary for the sick inmates, the chapel, and the mortuary.

She had discovered the orchards the previous day and liked to walk among the trees. She could let her mind wander as she looked up at the apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees set in perfect long lines.

She touched the delicate trunks of the fruit trees as she moved through the orchards. After several minutes of soaking up the peace, she returned to the workhouse, passing by the stables. Levi and Joseph were sitting on two barrels, chatting, with a lantern in the dirt between them.

“Audrey!” Levi called out to her, and she stopped to speak to them.

“Good evening, Joseph, Levi. What brings you out here?” she asked them both.

Joseph leaned forward, and his eyes twinkled in the lantern light. “A little chin wag. Nothing much. And you?”

She walked closer to them. “I was taking a walk to clear my head.”

“How are the little demons? Doing any better?” Joseph asked her, the corners of his mouth twitching.

“A little. It takes time. Your advice helped,” she told him.

“Anytime.” He winked.

She took a seat with them. “I met the strangest lady just before I came out. You must know her.”

“What’s her name?” Joseph asked curiously.

“Marguerite Shirley.”

Joseph hummed in recognition. “She’s the stuff of fodder for a magazine like The Illustrated London News. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was actually in it back in the day.”

“Really?” Audrey said, surprised.

“I don’t know truth from fiction, but she’s been here a long time. Far as I can tell the longest inmate here.” Joseph leaned back. “And the Master before Meacham gave her that room, which she doesn’t share. That’s rare in itself.”

“It is. I wondered about that,” Audrey said. “What’s her story?”

He smirked. “You won’t believe it.”

Now she was intrigued. “Tell me.”

“She was the mistress of William IV,” he said simply.

Audrey frowned. “King William?”

Joseph shrugged. “So, she says.”

“But she could say anything,” Audrey said. Just because someone said something, that didn’t mean it was true.

Joseph inclined his head. “She could. Apparently, she was on the stage and in her prime quite beautiful. She had a string of lovers, and one of them was the king. It’s really not so farfetched. Then she fell on hard times and could no longer make do and came here.”