she did not even flinch. On the contrary, she
hurried out looking flushed. She wants it and she is going to get it. Just make
sure she knows what to expect.”
“I think it would be better to wait for
Jenny to return and perhaps Beth will oblige. Christy will be of little use to
you.”
“Well, it would take one to know one,
wouldn’t it?”
“That is an offensive remark, Mr. Mason.
I am unmarried, but I have never maintained a relationship with a female.”
“I have told you who I want this evening,
Leah. I do not expect you to neglect my instructions.”
“Mrs. Mason would be displeased.”
“Mrs. Mason will never know, and in any
case, she will be pleased for any distraction which keeps me away from her room,
will she not?”
Silence, then he spoke again. “After
dinner. At eight-thirty sharp. In my room.”
He turned and wobbled back up the
stairs. We had listened to every one of his cruel and vicious words holding our
hands to our mouths so he wouldn’t hear our gasps. Christy was crying by the
time we heard the top door close. We burst into Mrs. Leah’s room in horror and
revulsion.
“I’m afraid there is nothing I can do
girls. He is the master and you are the servants. If you want to keep your jobs
you’ll have to oblige.”
Christy wailed miserably. “I cannot bear
any man to touch me, especially not him. I can’t do it. I’d rather die. I’d
rather he beat me to death.”
“Christy, would you let him touch you?
I’ll do all the rest. He won’t notice. Mrs. Mason will be back tomorrow and he
won’t dare when she’s at Eyre Hall. We’ll threaten to tell her.”
Christy tugged at Leah’s dress sleeve. “Mrs.
Leah, you have to help me.” Leah was the only person in the house, except Mrs.
Mason who dared to stand up to him, but she was scared of him, too.
“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”
She was heartless. She knew it would kill Christy, who was in love with Daisy,
but still, she didn’t care.
Christy used to like the boys, until
last year when a gang raped her on her way back from Hay. She had drunk too
much gin, but in any case, she couldn’t have fought them all off. On full moon
nights, they stalked their prey and attacked like a pack of hungry wolves. She
knew who they were, we all did. Mr. Raven’s son and his friends. We told her to
tell Mrs. Mason, because Mr. Raven was afraid of her, but she said they
threatened to do it again if she told anyone what had happened, so she never
did.
It was just some fun for them, but Christy
changed after that. She never went out, said she hated men, and vowed that not
one of them would ever touch her again. Daisy was good to her. She used to work
at the George Inn. Leah called her when we had guests and more servants were
needed. Then Leah asked her to stay on because she was tall, strong and hardworking,
and perhaps because she liked bathing her on Saturdays. Soon, Daisy and Beth
became close, so close they spent winter nights huddled in bed. I had thought
it was due to the cold, but they huddled even more in summer, so I guessed they
were tipping the velvet. Daisy was kind to Christy, and suddenly she was
smiling again, like she used to, although she never ever left Eyre Hall. She
wouldn’t even go out as far as the steps to the gardens.
I would have liked to marry Michael. He
kissed me once. I used to think he might like me, but he was just playing
around. We all soon noticed he had higher ambitions, too high for his own good.
After he left, Fred was employed. I never liked him very much. He was too quiet
and reserved. I didn’t trust him. Then Simon started chatting me up, until he
finally asked me out, and we became special friends. He said he loved me, and I
told him I loved him too, but I lied. I didn’t think I could do much better. He
is a good, kind boy, so I hope to marry him one day and have children of my
own, and perhaps a little house on the estate. Who knows?
When I told Simon, he said I was
hurried out looking flushed. She wants it and she is going to get it. Just make
sure she knows what to expect.”
“I think it would be better to wait for
Jenny to return and perhaps Beth will oblige. Christy will be of little use to
you.”
“Well, it would take one to know one,
wouldn’t it?”
“That is an offensive remark, Mr. Mason.
I am unmarried, but I have never maintained a relationship with a female.”
“I have told you who I want this evening,
Leah. I do not expect you to neglect my instructions.”
“Mrs. Mason would be displeased.”
“Mrs. Mason will never know, and in any
case, she will be pleased for any distraction which keeps me away from her room,
will she not?”
Silence, then he spoke again. “After
dinner. At eight-thirty sharp. In my room.”
He turned and wobbled back up the
stairs. We had listened to every one of his cruel and vicious words holding our
hands to our mouths so he wouldn’t hear our gasps. Christy was crying by the
time we heard the top door close. We burst into Mrs. Leah’s room in horror and
revulsion.
“I’m afraid there is nothing I can do
girls. He is the master and you are the servants. If you want to keep your jobs
you’ll have to oblige.”
Christy wailed miserably. “I cannot bear
any man to touch me, especially not him. I can’t do it. I’d rather die. I’d
rather he beat me to death.”
“Christy, would you let him touch you?
I’ll do all the rest. He won’t notice. Mrs. Mason will be back tomorrow and he
won’t dare when she’s at Eyre Hall. We’ll threaten to tell her.”
Christy tugged at Leah’s dress sleeve. “Mrs.
Leah, you have to help me.” Leah was the only person in the house, except Mrs.
Mason who dared to stand up to him, but she was scared of him, too.
“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”
She was heartless. She knew it would kill Christy, who was in love with Daisy,
but still, she didn’t care.
Christy used to like the boys, until
last year when a gang raped her on her way back from Hay. She had drunk too
much gin, but in any case, she couldn’t have fought them all off. On full moon
nights, they stalked their prey and attacked like a pack of hungry wolves. She
knew who they were, we all did. Mr. Raven’s son and his friends. We told her to
tell Mrs. Mason, because Mr. Raven was afraid of her, but she said they
threatened to do it again if she told anyone what had happened, so she never
did.
It was just some fun for them, but Christy
changed after that. She never went out, said she hated men, and vowed that not
one of them would ever touch her again. Daisy was good to her. She used to work
at the George Inn. Leah called her when we had guests and more servants were
needed. Then Leah asked her to stay on because she was tall, strong and hardworking,
and perhaps because she liked bathing her on Saturdays. Soon, Daisy and Beth
became close, so close they spent winter nights huddled in bed. I had thought
it was due to the cold, but they huddled even more in summer, so I guessed they
were tipping the velvet. Daisy was kind to Christy, and suddenly she was
smiling again, like she used to, although she never ever left Eyre Hall. She
wouldn’t even go out as far as the steps to the gardens.
I would have liked to marry Michael. He
kissed me once. I used to think he might like me, but he was just playing
around. We all soon noticed he had higher ambitions, too high for his own good.
After he left, Fred was employed. I never liked him very much. He was too quiet
and reserved. I didn’t trust him. Then Simon started chatting me up, until he
finally asked me out, and we became special friends. He said he loved me, and I
told him I loved him too, but I lied. I didn’t think I could do much better. He
is a good, kind boy, so I hope to marry him one day and have children of my
own, and perhaps a little house on the estate. Who knows?
When I told Simon, he said I was
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