Three Round Towers by Beverley Elphick

had a big hole in her head and… she had recently had a baby. ’Tis all I know, honest, Esther. Did you know her?’
    â€˜I might have,’ I whispered. ‘But she didn’t have a hole in her head when I last saw her and she was already dead.’
    â€˜Beth is her baby then is it? I guessed as much.’
    â€˜Billy, I don’t know what to do. Beth was her baby and she killed herself just after birthing her. It was Master Coad’s baby and Missus Coad wanted rid of it. I ran away from the farm to save the child. I never killed Becca, I loved her; she was my only friend,’ I wailed.
    Poor Billy, he looked so bewildered to be the recipient of such an outpouring, but I was all used up with keeping things inside me.
    He patted me gingerly on the back. ‘Don’t ’ee fret miss, it’ll all get sorted and little Beth will be taken care of.’ I loved how Billy cared so much for Beth.
    I got up and gathered myself. ‘I must go to the town and find the coroner and tell him what happened,’ I told Billy – but it was too late.
    Mrs Fisher was coming towards us with Cecilia, smirking as she shouted, ‘The constable has come for you! You’m wanted in connection with a murder and theft of a baby girl.’ She was so pleased to be able to say all this she didn’t even notice that she had interrupted and pushed her mistress to one side.
    Cecilia spoke angrily: ‘Mrs Fisher, kindly leave us this instant.’
    When she had gone she turned to me, ‘Esther, the constable is indeed here and I am afraid it is very bad news but surely you have some explanation. John will be home later but in the meantime you will have to go to town with Constable Wicks.’
    I grasped her hand and pulled it to my breast. ‘I have not killed anyone and I have not stolen Beth. She is dearer than life to me. Please believe me…’
    Her clear blue eyes searched mine and she squeezed my hand.
    â€˜I will send for my husband, he is some way away today but as soon as he returns we will try and make sense of it.’
    Billy butted in. ‘What about Beth ma’am? You mun let ’em take her to the parish, it is a bad place for a little tacker like her.’
    Cecilia looked round at Billy in surprise before saying, ‘Beth will stay with us until everything is resolved. No one will be taking her away, I promise.’
    I rode behind the silent Constable Wicks and felt myself to be a feeble and pathetic creature unable to defend myself, even thinking that I might be to blame for all this. Hot tears coursed down my face and I felt everyone looking at me, a suspected murderess and child-napper. I was taken to the new house of correction at the market tower and put into a tiny room with naught but a bench to furnish it. The constable looked at me, judgingly it seemed, as he left. ‘The coroner will talk to you as soon as he returns,’ he said gruffly. The door slammed and I was alone with my thoughts.
    What seemed like hours later I could hear a commotion outside and I went to peep through the grill in the door. I could see nothing but I heard Mrs Makepiece’s angry voice upbraiding the constable.
    â€˜Now see here young Wicks, you’m a fool to think that young scrap of a girl a murderer. You let me in to see her or I’ll take it up with the coroner himself. Has she been charged? Has she admitted fault? Does she even know what she is s’posed to have done? No? No. I didn’t think so. Did the coroner say she was a murderer? No. You just want to look important – going and dragging her in here behind you and letting people think what they liked. That crowd gathering outside will have her strung up if you’re not careful and then where will you be when she is shown to be innocent of God knows what. Open that door and let me in to sit with the girl.’ I heard hurried steps and the key turned in the lock to admit a very