Authors: Dulcinea Norton-Smith
“
Would be my pleasure Mr Nowell Sir
”
said the Constable as he grabbed one
arm of each woman and dragged them out of the house, not slowing to make sure
that they made it through the door frame clear of bumps and bruises.
The
air soon rang with the crack, slap of the leather strap and the cries of the
women. Roger turned to the two girls and smiled at them gently. He nodded
towards a stool and Alizon went to sit on it. The other girl stood close to her
and twisted a piece of Alizon
’
s hair nervously until it formed a knot and made Alizon
wince before she gently removed the girl
’
s hand and placing it in between her
own. Roger perched precariously against the kitchen table, testing it first
before lowering his full weight onto it.
“
Should I call you Alizon or Lizzie?
”
Roger
’
s voice had now taken on a gentle,
less formal tone. Alizon looked down in shame.
“
Alizon Sir.
”
“
Do not think me a fool Alizon. It has not come as a
surprise to me to see you here, though it seems that you were surprised to see
me.
”
“
Yes Sir. Sorry Mr Nowell Sir, for lying. I didn
’
t mean to, it just happened.
”
“
So you know that lying is wrong?
”
Roger
was surprised at this; that a girl brought up in the lap of the Devil and
surrounded by malcontent could know the difference between right and wrong. It
all but confirmed his suspicions that she was not tainted with the same
wickedness as her family
“
Yes Sir, I won
’
t lie again. Not ever.
”
“
Now Alizon I need to ask you a few questions. Is that ok?
”
Alizon
looked at Roger nervously. A battle played itself on her face. A battle,
between betraying her family and pleasing Roger. The latter obviously won.
“
That
’
s ok Sir. I won
’
t lie to you. Not ever again. You can
ask me what you will.
”
Throughout
this exchange the sound of slaps from outside had begun to slow down and
finally stopped. The younger girl had begun to look less scared of Roger and
had let go of Alizon
’
s hand.
“
Tell me little one, are you the fair faced one they call
Jennet?
”
The
girl nodded and smiled a dazzling smile, eager to be noticed and to please.
“
Well Jennet, I need to talk to your sister. Would you go
outside to my Constable and tell him that he can take you and your mother and
grandmother down to the river to sit awhile. I will call for him when I have
finished.
”
Jennet
looked to Alizon, unsure of what to do. When Alizon nodded, she gave Roger
another dazzling smile and skipped out of the house, happy that all of the
drama was over and she had been chosen for such an important job. Once she had
left Roger turned back to Alizon.
“
Tell me Alizon, do you believe in God?
”
“
Of course Sir.
”
Alizon said quietly then looked with
nervousness towards the door. Roger followed her gaze then gave a nod.
“
Ah, but your family don
’
t know.
”
Alizon
nodded.
“
So your family, do they believe in God?
”
“
I don
’
t rightly know Sir. I think they do. They believe in the
other one more though.
”
“
The other one? You mean the Devil?
”
“
Yes
”
said Alizon looking down in embarrassment.
”
“
Alizon does the Devil do their bidding? Do they seek to
cause others harm?
”
“
Maybe, I don
’
t know Sir. They don
’
t tell me much; they think I am too
young.
”
“
Are you too young Alizon? Too young for beliefs?
”
“
I don
’
t know. I am fifteen, almost sixteen. I believe in God Sir
so maybe I am old enough.
”
“
Do you believe in the Devil Alizon?
”
“
Yes maybe I do for it
’
s not God that lives in my Mam and
Gran
’
s hearts.
”
“
Alizon, were you with your Grandmother on the day that she
visited Richard Baldwin
’
s farm?
”
“
Aye sir I was. She don
’
t walk far without me to guide her,
cos of her eyes.
”
“
What happened when you got to the farm?
”
“
We went as far as the gate to the farm Sir and then Mr
Baldwin came out to us.
”
“
What did he say?
”
“
He asked why we were there. He ignored me and just talked
to Gran. She said we
’
d come to get the money he owed my Mam.
”
“
And what did Mr Baldwin say to you then?
”
“
He said that he didn
’
t owe Mam any money. That she was a
work shy
…
.
”
Alizon stopped speaking and looked at her feet once more.
Again the look of embarrassment crossed her face.
“
What Alizon? You can tell me. I won
’
t judge you for just repeating a word
you heard.
”
“
He said that my Mam was a work shy whore and a whore o
’
the Devil at that and that he weren
’
t going to pay her no monies.
”
“
Well a gentleman shouldn
’
t talk like that in front of a lady.
Not even in front of one such as your Grandmother. I am sorry for that Alizon.
What happened next?
”
“
Gran said that he would be sorry talking about her kin like
that. Mr Baldwin shouted some bad words at her and said we were to get off his
land and never go back or we
’
d be sorry. He waved his sheeping stick at us and tried to
hit me with it so we left. We haven
’
t ever been back since.
”
“
Hmmm.
”
Roger
stopped the questioning and leant back against the table again. During the chat
he had been leaning closer and closer in and the strain was now causing his
aging bones to complain. Fifty years old and suffering from the aches and pains
of age, Roger nevertheless felt in the prime of his life. This situation vexed
him however. He had no doubt that Demdike had caused the death of Emma Baldwin
yet Alizon said that they had left the Baldwin farm and not returned and Roger
believed her. As Roger stood in thought Alizon stared at his face, a nervous
look in her eyes. Roger wrinkled his nose. In the first time of quiet since
entering the house his nose had had time to notice the musty, mildew tinged air
again. If he could put a name to the smell it would be
“
filth
”
. He looked around at the pools of
muddy earth where the roof had dripped in water. Cat faeces littered the floor.
How could those harridans let the poor children live in this pit?
As
they sat in silence he heard the not too distant voice of Hargreaves as he
brought the women back up the hill, chastising them for the state of their land
as he came. Just a minute or two until they reached the house, Roger reckoned.
Suddenly a thought hit him. As Alizon stared him in the eye it seemed that the
thought he had had been sent directly from her.
“
Alizon what did your Grandmother do after you left the
farm?
”
“
We came back here. It was nightfall by then. She told me to
leave her outside to sit awhile so I came into the house to look after Jennet.
I put Jennet to bed in our room then I heard Grandma calling so I went and
helped her inside.
”
“
That
’
s all?
”
“
Yes Sir
”
“
Then two days later Emma was struck ill and almost a year
to the day was dead
”
said Roger, almost to himself.
There
had not been a straight answer here. Not the fullness of what he wanted to
hear, but a start and the threads had begun to weave together, giving Roger the
beginnings of an idea about how this family of witches worked. Not enough to
arrest any of them but enough to assure him that they needed to be watched, and
carefully.
“
What
’
s up with you Lizzie? You
’
ve said nowt for the past half hour.
”
Gabe flicked a piece of grass that
he had been chewing on at me.
I
picked it off my knee and flicked it to the ground. We had been sitting at
Beggar
’
s Bend for half an hour now and for the first time since we
had met, five years ago, I had been unable to think of anything to say to Gabe.
We had always had it so easy. We talked about everything; hopes fears, acting
like stupid five year olds. Why had it all suddenly become so difficult for me?
“
There
’
s nowt wrong. Stop your fussing Gabe. Just thinking
’
is all.
”
“
That
’
s a lie and you know it Liz. Don
’
t lie to me. I can see when there is
something wrong. Know every part of your mind I do.
”
Gabe
moved round to sit in front of me and put his fingers under my chin, tilting my
face upwards. I tried to keep looking down but when it started to give me a
headache I looked to the side instead, squinting down the road. I still had
money left from the leather purse so I had no need to beg but being here was
better than being at home and it meant I could see Gabe. Now that wasn
’
t feeling like such a good idea.
“
Look at me Lizzie. What
’
s
up?
”
Gabe lowered his head and moved it to the side a little to
try and catch my eye.
My
eyes flitted to his before I could stop them and once our eyes met I was stuck.
I knew in the very core of me the colour of Gabe
’
s eyes. My knowledge of every part of
his face pulsed through my blood but now it all seemed so unfamiliar and new.
The June sun, hot and bright, glinted in his eyes, making the pale green an
almost transparent shimmer. I could see each freckle, far more of them than in
the winter months, and each small hair growing from his jaw-line, making a
slight shadow fall across muscles in his face that I couldn
’
t remember having seen before. His
face was so close that his breath on my face was comforting and creamy like a
mug of warmed milk. Yet I didn
’
t feel soothed. Every nerve in my body seemed to jangle.