Among the Darkness Stirs

She frowned. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because you seem to care.”

She scowled. “Of course I care, idiot! Someone hit you on the head! This is serious. Did they take your money? Valuables?”

“They took the ledger, Audrey,” he said simply.

Audrey’s hands fell to her sides. “The ledger,” she said, then frowned. “Why did they take the ledger?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Audrey’s mind seemed to race with the possibilities. “What do you think?”

He sighed. “I think, as crazy as it sounds and as absurd as I thought it first was when you mentioned it to me, we’re on to something. But, Audrey,” he took a step towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders, “whatever you’ve stumbled onto, whatever this is, it’s nothing good.”

Audrey met his eyes, and hers were filled with dread. “I know.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Audrey shook her head as she thought about everything that happened up to this point. “What do we know without the ledger? We only had a short amount of time yesterday to look up the inmate names. The only thing we discovered was that they all died from the black death,” she wondered.

Henry pondered that. “I was thinking the same thing. We still have the list of the names that we think matches the initials, and it’s a start. The General Register Office is responsible for the records of all the deaths in England. In Norwich, we have a register office. A death has to be certified by a doctor in the district where the death occurs. Once the certificate is issued, the body can be buried.”

Audrey understood. “Yes. My father handled numerous burials over the years, and Dr. Thomson had to issue the certificate.”

“The cause of death has to be registered and then the registrar will issue the certificate for burial or cremation. But cremation is very rare.” He paused, seeming to think. “We can visit the register office and review their books. I don’t think it will be difficult. I’ve worked with the office before when I’ve handled wills and such.”

“I think that’s an excellent suggestion, Henry, but I’m concerned. Someone took the time and trouble to attack you and take the ledger. Aren’t you worried?” she asked. “Aren’t you worried they’ll do something else? Something worse?”

Henry paused as he stared down into her face. “I am worried. I’m worried for you. Worried for me. But what can we do? I can’t stop now, can you?”

Audrey sighed and shook her head. “No. We can’t stop now. We have to unravel this. We have to visit the register office.”

Audrey joined Frances and the other staff for supper and glanced about the table, more nervous than ever. She looked at the faces that had become so familiar to her and wondered if one of them might be responsible for Marguerite’s death or Alistair’s death. Had one of them crept about the night before and hit Henry on the head to capture the ledger?

It seemed absolutely ludicrous. The staff seemed so normal, and she couldn’t imagine a

ny of them doing something so evil. She looked across at Frances, who was oblivious to everything happening around her, and that frightened her even more. How on earth could she keep her sister safe? She wondered if she might ask Theodocia to take her for two weeks, and the thought made her feel better.

In the grand house by the river, surrounded by servants and the society matron, Frances would be safe. Audrey felt a sense of relief and made a mental note to write to Theodocia that evening. She must get Frances away. She didn’t want her on the workhouse grounds any longer than possible. She would make some excuse to staff and tell Frances it was for her own good. She wouldn’t argue.

She looked across the table and saw Master reading his Bible as he often did and Matron sipping her tea, watching Audrey. She knew very well that Matron disapproved of her. She was a single, unmarried woman with an education and a position that enabled her to be freer than many of her counterparts.

The doctor joined them and ate quietly while reading the newspaper. Joseph and Levi were chatting together as they often did. The chaplain often ate in his office so they rarely saw him, and the nurse was on duty and took meals at a different time. She shook her head. It was too silly to imagine any of the people sitting at this table plotting evil deeds at the workhouse.

Frances wanted to play with the other children after supper so Audrey gave her approval, and the young girl scampered off.

“Ms. Wakefield,” Matron addressed her as she sat across the table from her.

“Matron.”

“I wanted to stop and speak with you. Your mother has not been on the workhouse grounds as of late,” she stated.

“No. I placed her with a doctor for evaluation.”

“Hmmm. You have much to deal with,” Matron assessed.

“She’s my mother. I want to take care of her,” Audrey said simply.