Among the Darkness Stirs

Joseph met her eyes. “I only saw the latter half of it. She was making a scene in the box and becoming very loud. I saw Mrs. Ryland escort her out of the box.”

Audrey swallowed hard. “And everyone here saw it?”

Joseph looked at her with sympathy. “Many of the staff enjoy the concerts at the theater. We get the cheap seats and attend when we can. Most of us were there, except Matron. She doesn’t think the theater is godly.”

Audrey’s chest suddenly felt tight. She could not bear the stares any longer. “I should get back to the classroom.”

Joseph touched her arm as they both stood. “You’ve nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone goes through spells. They’ll have something else to talk of by tomorrow.”

As Audrey passed by the rest of the staff, Matron was leaving, but she saw Audrey coming her way and stopped. “Ms. Wakefield.”

“Matron,” she said in return.

“A moment,” Matron said, tilting her head so that she would stay back. Audrey waited to see what the woman would say. “I understand there was some commotion at the theater last night.”

“Yes.”

“Some upstart with your mother? Is she unwell?”

“She might be. I’m having a doctor look at her.” Audrey didn’t want to be having this conversation.

Matron eyed her. “Hmmm. That is good. Perhaps your mother is becoming senile. I’ve seen it happen with older patients.”

Audrey refused to accept that. “I’ll wait to see what the doctor says.”

Matron seemed to watch Audrey for some sign, but none came. She turned and then abruptly left her.

Later that evening, Frances was reading and Audrey was working on her lesson plans for her students. As she had been in the classroom now for some time, she knew her students’ levels and wanted to cluster them together. She hoped they would learn together and help each other and advance to the next level. She put the children’s initials down and made a circle. She stretched her arms out and looked over at Frances, who was reading before the fire.

She turned back to the clusters and stared down at the circles and the initials. The initials reminded her of those in Marguerite’s diary. She was surer than ever that the initials were those of inmates, but the numbers baffled her. She looked at the note from Theodocia inviting her and her sister to supper tomorrow and then looked back at her sister.

She had wanted the workhouse and this cottage to be a successful new beginning for her sister and mother, but instead, her mother seemed to be unraveling before her eyes. Audrey had been left with no other course but to admit her to the doctor for an evaluation. She felt frustrated and alone, and there was only one thought in her head, one that surprised her greatly.

She wanted to sit with Henry and talk to him. She wanted to unburden her troubles and feel his strength as he supported her. She had come to rely on him and his friendship.

The following evening, they had a comfortable supper with the Rylands. Later, after the meal, they enjoyed coffee and brandy, and the foursome played the Old Maid card game and called the loser an “old maid.”

Henry’s eyes followed Audrey whenever she moved about the room, and when Theodocia took Frances outside to show her the river, the couple lingered behind, saying very little but enjoying each other’s company. They made plans the next day to visit sights in the city, and Theodocia offered to watch Frances.

The next afternoon was a cool autumn Saturday. Henry took Audrey to visit the Plantation Gardens in Norwich. It was a garden hidden away from the bustle of the city that he thought she would enjoy. Audrey took in the green lawns and plants that decorated the garden and the birds singing in the trees.

“Do you like it? I thought you would,” he said as they walked side by side through the gardens.

She glanced up at him. “I do very much. It was kind of you to think of me.”

“I think of you often, Audrey.”

“Do you?” she asked him honestly, without any coyness.

“Yes. I would say you’ve bewitched me, but I don’t believe in witches.”

She pondered that for a moment. “What do you believe in?”

“The law. Right and wrong. The good in people.”

“And me?” she wondered.

“Without a doubt,” he said simply.