Diamonds Fall (8 page)

"I don' think I'll ever get married," Patsy muttered almost inaudibly. Annabel was shocked, everyone got married, it was just how things were done.

"What? Never?"

"If love's jus' a story, why would I? I've never seen it end happily, so why'd I wanna make myself miserable?" Annabel laughed at this.

"You're so melancholy, of course you'll marry, you must!" Patsy looked a little angry at this presumption so Annabel adopted a more tender expression and tried again. "Not all men are like your father Patsy, when you leave here you will understand."

The younger girl just nodded. "I'll leave soon as the boys are big enough to come with me."

"What boys?"

"Hetty's boys! Tom takes `em with him everywhere, they don' stand a chance. I gotta take `em with me. It's why I've stayed so long...that an' until you came, I never knew a better world existed."

Annabel felt a strange mixture of emotions; she was both sad and happy at the same time. She had made a difference in a positive way to someone's life and it felt exhilarating, yet she didn't hold the power to truly do anything about it.

"I gotta take Billy wi' me too," Patsy continued. "And Jen and Daniel...none of them belong here either. Now Hetty's gone there ain't nothin' to stay for once I got `er boys. We gotta wait for the right moment."

"It will come soon Patsy, I promise. And when it does I will help you in every way I can."

She let this new information sink in, wrapping a consoling arm around Patsy's shoulder. She was going home, although when still remained unknown. It could be years for all she knew and she could still end up prey to Tom and Trevor's anger or desire before then.

The door downstairs flew open, banging against the wall. The sound reverberated around the stable. Both Patsy and Annabel stiffened, Daniel stirred in his sleep. After several moments of silence, filled only with the howling of the bitter wind, Patsy peeked downstairs.

"It was just the wind."

Annabel sighed in relief. The dread it had been Tom or Trevor subsided and she relaxed against the straw. In his sleep Daniel wrapped a protective arm around her waist. Annabel flinched at first, sour memories flooded back into her mind and her heart rate sped up dramatically. However the warmth of Daniel's arm seeped through to her skin and she began to drift slowly off into sleep beside him.

The wind continued to howl well into the night, the door banging open so often they eventually just left it to swing on its hinges. The thuds of it bashing against the wall startled them awake every few minutes. Genevieve's cries, mixed with the ferocious weather, left any hope of sleep nothing more than a distant day dream.

Just before dawn, when the wind had died down to a low whistle and the door was once more closed (even the horses hadn't braved the weather and were still huddled in the corner of the stable), the baby finally fell asleep, allowing the others a small window of opportunity. This opportunity was destroyed when another bang flew through the air, followed by a shrill scream.

Daniel woke up instantly. His eyes snapped open as he leapt to his feet with amazing agility. Not having the patience to lower the ladder back into position, he jumped down to the ground floor. He swore loudly when his landing was not as smooth as he had planned, in his haste to intervene with whatever injustice was taking place to, and at the hand of, his kin. All this took place before Annabel had even rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

Patsy sat up quickly once Daniel's bulk had left their side. The rags in her hair bobbed absurdly on top of her head. She slid off the bed, dragging the ladder across the floor and down into place on the ground before making her own descent. Clouded with anxiety, she missed the bottom rung and slipped, with a thud, onto her bottom. Still half asleep, Annabel fumbled down the ladder and with Patsy, rushed across to the house.

They flew through the door just in time to see Daniel throw his father across the room, away from his mother who was lying in the exact place Hetty had laid just days previously. Daniel rounded back on his father, a fierce anger in his hazel eyes. Seizing the elder man's collar he drew back his fist and thrust it square into his mouth. Blood sprayed onto Daniel's face making him look wild. Trevor only smiled. It was a terrifying smile. Blood coated his few remaining teeth as his cracked lips stretched upwards grotesquely.

Annabel, standing shocked just inside the doorway, lost her balance as Tom barged past her, pushing her to the ground like a rag doll on his quest to assist his father. With one swift, practiced movement, he grabbed the fire poker and smashed it across the back of Daniel's knees. Annabel cried out a shrieked version of Daniel's name, in a desperate attempt to warn him, but Tom was too fast. A gasp of pain left Daniel's lips and he folded to the floor.

He looked up, seemingly determined not to show the suffering in his eyes. Annabel had been looked at with hatred and disgust before, but the look Daniel gave to his father in that moment was so strong it made her very bones turn cold.

Trevor kicked out his leather booted foot, pummelling it into Daniel's stomach. He curled into a tight ball, as his brother continued to hit him with the poker. The metal clanged as Tom frequently missed in his drunken state and hit the floor beside him. The occasional thwap of the poker hitting flesh made Annabel wince as Daniel cried out. His body turned slowly black and blue. Blood seeped from his many wounds yet his eyes never shifted from his father's face. The look inside those eyes grew colder with every second, even as the strength was leaking out of him.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds.

Amidst the horror surrounding them, Patsy had sunk down to the floor to hold her frozen mother, who seemed even more distressed at the nearness of her youngest child. The haggard woman looked on with an impassive expression as her son was beaten, without uttering a single word in protest. Unable to reach the metal jug to repeat her previous attack strategy, Annabel grabbed a bucket full of ice cold water from near the door and poured the lot over the three men. Daniel spluttered and coughed, rolling onto his other side so he could breathe, finally breaking the eye contact with his father. Almost in slow motion his attackers stopped and turned towards the young girl at the door, who had been so submissive upon her first arrival but was now beginning to harden to this wretched way of life.

"You want some of this do you?" growled Tom, raising his poker once more. His grotesquely large muscles bulged with hate as his body swayed in his drunkenness.

"Think o' the money m'boy. We can't ruin her yet."

"You ruined `er in the forest."

Trevor laughed, a rasping sound that rattled a large quantity of phlegm in his throat. It was a sound that took Annabel back to that day, filling her with fear. Tom smiled as well at Trevor's amusement. The bond between the two men was almost sick. Tom seemed always out for his father's approval, whilst his father lived to give it to him.

"I can take you to the point o' death with this poker and then jus' leave ya in the filth wi' the idiot and the animals until you're healed. The reward'd be so big by then that your folks would `ave no choice but to sell me your fancy house."

Tom had stepped over Daniel, careful to tread on his fingers as he went. Daniel groaned and tried to grab his brother's ankle but he just shook him off. Tom stopped so close to Annabel that their noses were almost touching. His rancid breath and unwashed body filled her nostrils so strongly, she had to fight with every ounce of will power she had not to be sick. Tom, another evil grin lighting up his features, turned around and planted a hard kick to Daniel's stomach. Patsy screeched as Tom pushed past Annabel laughing. Trevor followed his favourite son like an obedient dog.

Annabel dropped beside Daniel. The sight of his limp body filled her with a sense of panic. Her heart was beating so quickly it felt as if it were in her mouth. The sound of Patsy and her mother's shrill voices were drowned out by the blood pumping rapidly through Annabel's veins and pounding inside her head. She shook Daniel's shoulder, softly at first but with increased urgency as his body remained motionless. A small drop of blood was now trickling down from the corner of his mouth.

"Daniel!" she screamed over and over again, watching his swollen, unconscious face for any signs of life. Patsy was at their side in a matter of moments, calling his name as well. In a state of utter desperation Patsy drew back her hand, slapping Daniel over the face.

"Patsy!"

But Annabel's scorn was drowned out by another loud screech from Patsy as Daniel's eyes fluttered and a bubble of blood bloomed between his lips, signalling that he was breathing. He coughed as the air rushed back through his body.

"Daniel," Annabel whispered again. Her hands fluttered uselessly over his battered body, wanting to soothe but afraid to touch him in the risk of hurting him further.

He groaned, his eyelids pressed tightly together as if he refused to open them and return to the pain of real life. Annabel let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.

"You're going to be alright Daniel. I'll take care of you."

His fingers twitched and, without thinking, she covered them with her own. She squeezed them lightly and he squeezed hers back, flinching as the movement caused fresh hurt. His breathing was still slightly laboured from the agony of his wounds. The strength he had put up for his father and brother collapsed in an instant.

Daniel's mother was now talking, insulting her younger son's stupidity, but Annabel had no time for her and gently stroked Daniel's hair away from his face, exactly as Billy had done to her when she had first arrived. She watched with a stirring in her breast as his features softened at her touch.

The two girls sat there for a short while watching Daniel breathe, until Patsy got back up and went over to her mother. She had turned to face the wall, her face wrinkled up in disgust.

"Why'd I produce only idiots?" she screamed at her son, breaking the heavy silence. "Why'd ya `av to be my child?"

With these words Daniel's last ounce of composure fell away as his entire body sagged under the weight of his mother's disappointment. Giving himself over to the emotional and physical hurt of the past week, tears started to ooze from his tightly closed eyes.

"You deserve so much more than this Daniel," Annabel whispered right next to his ear. Surprising even herself she planted a light kiss on his forehead, feeling a small spark of happiness when he shifted ever so slightly closer to her.

At her mother's scorn-filled words Patsy staggered away from her. With a final, scornful glance she turned on her heel and rushed across to the stable, returning with a frantic Billy in her wake.

"Dani," he gasped as he caught sight of his younger brother sprawled out on the floor, broken and bleeding. Annabel looked at the sibling's mother, who had turned away as if ashamed when her eldest child entered the room.

Annabel felt sick with anger.

Billy bent down without hesitation - he had come to terms with his parent's hatred before he could even walk - and scooped Daniel up with ease. He was a lot stronger than Annabel had thought. She hadn't noticed before the muscles that ran up his arms too, larger even than Tom's although Billy would never have thought to use them to inflict hurt on anyone. Daniel screamed in pain as the movement jostled his bruised flesh. When Billy had disappeared back into the stable next door, Patsy picked up the empty bucket and disappeared to fill it up. Thus, Annabel found herself alone with the woman who was supposed to care for and love her three best friends. She saw red. She was angrier than she had ever been in her life. Her blood boiled up in her veins until it reached a feverish heat.

Taking three deliberate steps towards the old woman she drew back her hand and struck it across her frail cheek so hard a prickling pain radiated up her arm. Almost instantly a red mark appeared upon her victim's face. Leaning in close to her she whispered; "this is the beginning of the end for you. I will be found soon and when I am back amongst my power and my riches I will drag you down so much further than you've taken me. That's a promise."

Snatching up a deformed loaf of bread and a few shirts from a toppling pile, Annabel turned and fled back to the stable in the wake of her friends. It was a mark of how much she had changed that she didn't run away. This was the first time she had been unsupervised, she could have done it. Yet, her heart wouldn't let her. She was too invested now. She cared too deeply.

Daniel wasn't strong enough to climb the ladder so Patsy had cobbled together a bed of loose straw, placing a tattered blanket at the top in the absence of a pillow. Daniel groaned in pain again as he was set down. Blood soaked his thin white shirt, his torso being the main area of attack, and there was a vicious lump on his head, the bruise from which had already forced his right eye shut.

Annabel wanted to cover him with her own blanket but feared it would only irritate his exposed wounds so left him for the time being to be soothed by the cool night air. As soon as Daniel was placed amongst the straw Billy picked up the baby, who cooed contentedly, wrapped in his loving warmth. Annabel didn't want to leave Daniel alone so sat beside him. She watched Billy dote on the child, refusing to allow any of them to feed her, change her or bathe her. They were only allowed the occasional cuddle and even then it was only for the short periods of time it took Billy to wash, toilet and eat. Annabel thought Billy must only be getting a couple of hours sleep a night. Even though it had been only a few days, he had begun to literally live for Genevieve. He loved her more than any father had ever loved their child.

"Billy?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Jen have to sleep upstairs on your own tonight."

"No," he shook his head. "We be lonely."

"But Tom and Trevor cannot get Genevieve if you are upstairs. Jen cannot be seen Billy."

He looked as if he would protest until Genevieve cooed again, attracting his attention. He pondered the idea Annabel had presented.

"Thinking," he muttered and Annabel kissed his cheek, earning a smile before he nodded and ascended the ladder, Genevieve in one arm, the other gripping the rungs with a practiced ease.

Annabel looked up at the sound of the door creaking open to find Patsy, laden with the now full bucket, coming back in. She put the bucket down beside Daniel. As the water's ripples diminished Annabel ripped a section of the old shirt she had stolen, dipping the fraying strips into the cold water. She unbuttoned Daniel's shirt and began to press the wet material against these wounds first. Daniel cried out the second she touched the first mark, his muscles clenching beneath her touch. Her cheeks flushed as she began to clean away the blood, revealing the tanned, scarred skin beneath it.

Patsy tried to soothe her older brother by humming. It was slightly out of tune and thus didn't hold the magic of Daniel's song. Having cleaned this part of him, Annabel washed each of his rough hands in turn, more to touch them than a need to actually be cleaned. Once she had completed this, she washed off his face. His laboured breath turned steadier as she soothed his hurt. Satisfied she had done all she could for the moment, Annabel turned to Patsy who had curled up in a ball in the corner. From a slight distance you would think she was completely at ease, drifting back into sleep as if her rude awakening had been caused by a loud bird. However, this close to her Annabel could see Patsy's eyes wide open and roaming as if she were looking for answers on the grimy wall. Annabel reached around her friend to clasp her hands in comfort; they were trembling slightly and as cold as death itself.

"Are you okay?" Annabel whispered into Patsy's ear, finding her own solace in Patsy's presence whilst trying to restore some heat into her icy fingers. She nodded, her face making a rustling sound against the straw. Patsy squeezed Annabel's hand in hers as the warmth slowly returned.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

Annabel pondered this question for a while before answering.

"That no-one should live like this."

"No-one else does," Patsy replied.

Annabel propped herself up on her elbow, looking into the half of Patsy's face that wasn't pressed into the straw.

"Yes they do...even in my world."

Patsy turned around.