Storm Child (20 page)

‘You mean heal Annie? But we
don’t even know if she has healing magic and she’s too young to control it
properly.’

‘I’d wager she has the same as Annie. 
And she probably don’t know how to use it but if you explain it to her…’

‘How am I to do that?’

‘I don’t know. But you have to
make her understand. And right now, you’re the one who knows her the best. If
anyone can persuade her to sing, it’s you.’

‘She’s a baby!’ Charlotte cried.
‘She’s not even two years old yet.’

‘But she can sing enchantments…
we heard her.’

‘We did,’ Isaac agreed. ‘While
she sang the wolves were outside but as soon as she stopped… well…’ he waved a
hand at the window. ‘It looks like they’ve gone off. So she must have been
doing
somethin
’ whether she meant it or not.’

Charlotte carried Georgina to the
bed and sat next to Annie.  Georgina peered over her shoulder and held out
chubby arms for the sleeping girl.

‘You know this is your sister?’
Charlotte whispered. ‘You remember?’

Georgina squealed and reached for
Annie again. Charlotte set her down on the bed where Georgina laid a hand on
Annie’s cheek and gurgled quietly.

‘We must sing to her,’ Charlotte
said. ‘We must sing to make her well.’

Georgina gazed at Annie. She
patted her face but Annie didn’t stir.

‘Do you think she’s dying?’
Charlotte asked, looking up at Polly.

Polly nodded. ‘I think she might
be.’

‘Georgina,’ Charlotte said,
fighting back tears, ‘let us sing together. You want to sing with me? 
Come along…’ Charlotte halted for a moment and looked at Polly again. ‘What
should we sing?’

‘Damned if I know,’ Polly
replied. ‘I don’t think the songs old Ern’ sang around the house would be much
good and I don’t know hymns on account of him never
lettin
’
us out on a Sunday for church.’

‘You wouldn’t have gone to church
if he had let you out on a Sunday,’ Isaac cut in with a slight smile.

‘Probably not,’ Polly agreed.

Charlotte looked thoughtful. And
then she began to sing. ‘
All things
bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all
things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all…
’

Georgina looked up, her face
breaking into a delighted smile.  She clapped her hands.

‘You sing, Georgina,’ Charlotte
said. ‘Come along…
Each little flower
that opens, each little bird that sings…
’

And then Georgina opened her
mouth and began.  It was a tiny sound that didn’t mean anything to anyone
else, but Charlotte knew the sound well. Evenings had often found her mother singing
hymns as she darned or washed. Charlotte would join in and then Georgina would
accompany them with a funny little sound that always filled them both with joy
to hear.  Nobody else knew it was singing but they did.

‘Sing to Annie…’ Charlotte said,
leaning close and encouraging Georgina to do the same. ‘Sing to your sister and
make her well…’

Charlotte began again and
Georgina followed. But the sound changed.  It became more musical, more
ethereal, just like the sound that Isaac and Polly had heard coming from the
cage in the cellar.  Charlotte began to sway and her own song died as she
felt the enchantment take hold of her senses. The world was there, and yet not
quite there as the music worked into her soul. The rest of the house fell
silent, as if every child had been taken by the magic too.

And then, Annie’s eyes fluttered
open.

Twenty-five

It was as if she had woken from nothing more than a deep
sleep. Colour instantly rushed to her sallow cheeks and she gazed at Georgina, who
had now stopped singing and gazed back.

‘I’m dreaming,’ Annie whispered.
‘I must be.’

‘You’re not dreaming,’ Charlotte
laughed through her tears. ‘She’s here, safe and sound.’

Annie pushed herself up and
gathered Georgina into her arms. ‘After all this time!’

Isaac wore a grin that threatened
to burst from his face, and as Polly moved to his side, he threw his arm around
her and pulled her close. For once, she didn’t wriggle from his grasp, slap him
or call him names. She simply leaned her head into his chest and smiled as she
watched Annie finally reunited with her sister.

‘How does it feel to do something
good?’ Isaac asked her.

‘Don’t think I’ve gone all soft
on you just because I’m
lettin
’ you have a cuddle,’
she replied, and his grin grew wider still.

Some of the children from the
cages began to gather at the door to the room, peering in.

‘Blimey, I’d almost forgot about
you lot,’ Polly said, turning her attention to them as she shoved a still
grinning Isaac off.

‘What on earth…’ Annie began, but
Polly cut her short.

‘It’s a long story and we don’t
have the time to tell it here. First we got to work out how we explain a load
of dead Brethren, a few less dead wolves and a load of urchins with nowhere to
go, to the local constabulary without getting ourselves in trouble.’

‘I don’t think we can,’ Charlotte
said, drying her eyes. ‘I don’t think we can go to the authorities at all. Who
would believe our story?’

 ‘Well, we go to find
somewhere who can take this lot in.’

‘How many are there?’ Annie asked
with a bewildered expression.

‘More than I care to count.’

‘Mother could help,’ Charlotte
said.

Polly turned to her. ‘She took
one orphan in but I don’t think she’s going to take another hundred or so.’

‘No…’ Charlotte laughed. ‘But
she’ll know who to go to for help.’

Polly went out onto the landing
and clapped her hands for attention.  Those children still in their rooms
now poured out to listen.  ‘We’re about to leave,’ she announced in a loud
voice. ‘The wolves might still be out there but they might not. Either way
we’ll do our best to protect you but we
ain’t
makin
’ any promises.  We’re
goin
’
to try and find you somewhere to live. Some of you might fancy
tryin
’ your luck on your own and if you choose to then the
best of British to you. Some of you might want to come with us and we’re happy
to have you along. We can’t say what will happen when you do but we’ll do our
best to make sure you have somewhere dry to sleep and food in your bellies. So,
you can make your choices now and we’ll leave in five minutes with those as
want to come with us.’  She went back into the others. ‘Think that ought
to do it.’

Isaac grinned. ‘I know who I’d be
putting my money on if it were me deciding.’

‘I wouldn’t want you along, you’d
slow me down,’ Polly fired back.  She turned to Annie. ‘Think you can make
the walk back to Ern’s place? We can hitch Chester up there and take Charlotte
back home, talk to her mother while we’re about it and see what can be done
about this
stinkin
’ bunch of urchins.’

Annie nodded. ‘I’m fine. I feel
like I could walk to Dr Black’s a thousand times now that I have Georgina
back.’

‘We only need you to do it the
once,’ Polly said briskly. She turned to the others. ‘Right then… shall we see
what’s what outside? Who’s for some wolf spotting?’

To anyone watching it would have looked a strange
sight.  Bedraggled, blood spattered, laughing and joking, Isaac, Polly,
Charlotte, Annie and Georgina headed the front of a crowd of equally sorry
looking children of all shapes and sizes as they trekked along the pathway that
snaked through the heath.  Night had fallen now and they shivered as their
breath disappeared in smoky plumes into a night sky peppered with the brightest
stars. But nobody complained of the cold. Some gnawed on crusts of bread salvaged
from the kitchens before they left the orphanage for good.  A few
children, mainly older ones, had decided to take their chances alone and had
departed with no ill feelings on either side. Now, Isaac held a flaming torch
aloft as they led what was left of the orphans, as did Polly at his side, and a
few of the older children at the rear of the crowd did too.  But Annie was
vigilant, and the wolves did not bother them, although they heard their howls
out in the woods on more than one occasion. 

‘You know,’ Annie began as they
walked, ‘in a funny way, Georgina did turn out to be the babe of the prophecy.’

‘How do you reach that
conclusion?’ Charlotte asked.

‘She toppled the order by
destroying them.’

‘She didn’t destroy them, the
wolves did.’

‘And who brought the wolves?’

‘We did.’

‘To rescue Georgina.’ Annie
kissed her sister on the head as she carried her along. ‘You see?’

‘I suppose so,’ Charlotte replied
with a slow smile.

‘But how do we know that the
order has been toppled?’ Isaac cut in. ‘There might be hundreds of others
around the world doing the same thing.’

‘He’s right,’ Polly said. ‘Think
about it. Who assassinated Her Majesty? It weren’t old Finch, that’s for sure.
The Brethren could be far bigger in number than we could imagine. And they must
be powerful to have got so close to The Queen.’

They were silent for a moment
before Charlotte spoke again. ‘So it might not be over yet?’

Polly shrugged. ‘Who knows?’

‘We must do our utmost to alert
the correct authorities then and stop it.’

‘How do we know the correct
authorities
ain’t
in on it?’ Polly replied serenely.
‘Think on that if you will, sweets.’

As they neared the dark hulk of Ernesto Black’s home it was
almost midnight. Polly had wanted everyone to sleep there and move on in the
morning, and Isaac had agreed with her, with the added proviso that Ernesto’s
study be locked as his body was still in there and he didn’t think it would
fill any of the children with confidence if they happened across it. But
Charlotte was adamant that her mother would be waiting, awake night and day
until she returned, and she didn’t want to make her wait any longer than was
necessary. When Polly finally relented and Isaac offered to accompany her with
Chester, all eyes turned to Annie and Georgina.

‘I know what I ought to do,’
Annie said with tears in her eyes. ‘It’s no life with me like she could have
with you and your mother, Charlotte. And yet it’s awful hard to give her up.’

‘I know,’ Charlotte said softly.
‘And it’s a decision only you can make. If your conscience is clear, then
you’ll know you’ve made the right one, whatever it turns out to be.’

‘You want her too?’

‘I do,’ Charlotte agreed. ‘She’s
like a sister to me now and I love her dearly. But I have no blood claim as you
do. Mother and I would be delighted to have her if you decided it was best. But
I cannot blame you if you decide to bring her up yourself.’

‘I can’t give her anything,’
Annie said.

‘We’d help… right?’ Isaac put in,
glancing at Polly who gave a nod of agreement.

‘Still…’ Annie sniffed.  She
held Georgina out for Charlotte to take. ‘Quick, before I change my mind.’

Charlotte was silent and
thoughtful for a moment. ‘Come with us,’ she finally said. ‘At least see what
Mother says.’ She smiled. ‘Perhaps she can be persuaded that we have room for
one more.’

‘You mean that?’ Annie replied,
her eyes wide.

‘You are Georgina’s sister and it
seems cruel to part you. But you are right that she would be better living with
us… you both would.’

‘But what about money?’

‘It would be hard but we’d manage
if we all worked a little here and there. You and I are certainly of age. I may
be able to gain some teaching…’

‘And I could grow things. I’m
good at that. And I can tell the pesky crows not to come
eatin
’
our seeds.’

Charlotte laughed. ‘Then I think
we should talk to mother and see what she says.’

Annie beamed at Charlotte and
then handed Georgina to her. She turned and threw her arms around Polly.

‘I’ll miss you, Poll.’

‘No you won’t, I was vile to
you.’

‘In the beginning. But I
understand now. You were just trying to survive like the rest of us.’

Polly sniffed. ‘Come on,
Clotpole
. Get these ladies home before I start
cryin
’ or something.’

Isaac grinned and tipped his cap.
‘Certainly, my lady.’ He was now bundled up in one of Ernesto’s old woollen
coats. It was deep blue, a little too wide for him and almost swept the floor.
But, as Polly had remarked in a quiet voice to Annie a few moments before, he
looked uncommonly handsome in it.  Annie had simply smiled.  He leapt
up onto the trap and took Chester’s reins.

‘
Ain’t
you supposed to help them up?’ Polly snapped.

‘They can get up themselves,’
Isaac said brightly. ‘They done it a hundred times before.’

Polly rolled her eyes. ‘He may be
wearin
’ a gentleman’s coat but that certainly don’t
make him a gentleman.’

With another hug and a laugh,
Annie, Charlotte and Georgina joined Isaac. With a click of his tongue and a
flick of the reins, he guided Chester out of the gates and set off for
Charlotte’s house.  Polly turned her thoughts to Ernesto’s house…
her
house
, she reminded herself with a smile… at least for tonight
anyway.  Tomorrow was another day and she was not going to worry about
what it might bring just yet. There was a ton of food in the pantry and a whole
lot of hungry mouths to give it to. Tonight was going to be a good night.

Twenty-Six

Polly flicked through the dusty pile of papers. Isaac’s
voice came from behind her.

‘Not those again, Poll. What’s
the point?’

‘I’m
goin
’
to learn to read and then I’ll know
everythin
’ that’s
in them.’

‘And then what will you do?
Charlotte already told us what we need to know. It’s all over now and
everyone’s happy.’

‘Ernesto was mixed up in this and
he nearly got Georgina killed. And I nearly helped him.  I have to live
with that on my conscience.’

‘You put it right, as I knew you
would. You’re one of the good ‘
uns
Poll.’

She put the papers down and
turned to him. The sun slanted in through the high windows of the study
throwing a slice of bright light across the room.  Two weeks had passed
since they had rescued Georgina and spring was on its way. A story had spread
through the area that the orphanage on the
Uxmouth
road had burned down in a terrible fire, and so, the decision they had taken
with Charlotte’s mother not to report anything to the authorities had turned
out to be a wise one.  It was clear to them that the story of the
orphanage burning down had been invented by the very same people they would
have been trusting with the secret of what really happened that fateful day.
And when Isaac returned one night on a covert mission, he found that the
building was indeed a heap of ash, presumably with all evidence of everything
that had ever happened there turned to ash too. It made things easier, however,
when they had to find homes for the orphans. They told people that the children
had fled the fire and come to them and the children were too scared to say any
different. People were happy to believe it and homes were found.  Ten or
so remained with Isaac and Polly, who had decided to stay in their house and
had buried Ernesto Black somewhere remote.  They lived in fear of someone
coming to look for him, but they were happy, for now at least. Recently,
however, Isaac had found Polly in the study more than once, going through Ernesto’s
papers for clues as to who or what they were dealing with, just how far the
influence of the Brethren spread. He feared it was becoming an obsession, and
it wasn’t a healthy one.

‘Just think, Poll… We saved the
empire and nobody knows but us,’ Isaac said as he gazed down fondly at her.
‘Seems like a bit of a rum deal to me.’

‘You weren’t expecting a reward,
were you?’ Polly asked. ‘
Ain’t
you learned yet that
nobody rewards ragamuffins like us, no matter how many empires we save. Most
important thing is we saved Georgina.’ She sniffed. ‘They’re still out there…
The Brethren are still out there. There’s a new king on the throne but if they
can kill Victoria they can kill him too and start all over again with new
children and new sacrifices. They want the world and they’re still
tryin
’ to get it…’

‘Poll… there
ain’t
a thing we can do. We were lucky to escape with our lives as it was.’

‘They’ll come here, it’s only a
matter of time before they find us.’

‘People have forgotten Ernesto
already and so they’ll forget us too. It was only criminals who knew him anyway
an’ they won’t care that they
ain’t
seen him in a
while.’

 ‘What about his fortune?
Won’t someone think it strange that he
ain’t
claimed
any all this time?’

‘
It’s
lyin
’ in a bank somewhere, right? So let it lie there. The
bank
ain’t
gonna
say
anythin
’ about it, they like money lying in there.’

‘What about the house?’

‘We was
livin
’
in it before, and we can live in it now, just the same. No one ever came to
call when he was alive and they still won’t come to call. The only difference
is that we’ll be masters of it.’ Isaac flashed a grin. ‘Just think on that. We
can do whatever we like in there.’

‘Don’t get any funny ideas,’
Polly scowled.

‘I wouldn’t dare,’ Isaac laughed,
happy to see her distracted from Ernesto’s papers. ‘But we can come and go when
we please, eat when we please, do chores or not as we please…. Maybe…’ his face
lit with pleasure at the possibilities opening out, ‘maybe we can even take
other nippers in and give them a better life than they got on the streets. We
can give them a choice so they don’t have to rely on charity.’

‘
Ain’t
we got enough here as it is?’

‘We know how to run the house,
there’s plenty of room, and if we all work together for chores and money it’d
be easy.’

 ‘You’re mad,’ Polly said,
fighting a smile. ‘That would never work.’

‘Admit it, though…’ Isaac said,
moving his hands to her waist to pull her close, ‘you want to try it too.’

‘Maybe,’ Polly said, tossing her
hair back. ‘Though your ideas usually end up a disaster so don’t say I didn’t
warn you.’

Isaac pulled her closer still and
leaned his forehead on hers as he looked into her dark eyes. ‘Call me
clotpole
,’ he whispered.

‘
Clotpole
.’

‘I love you.’ Isaac planted a
tender kiss on her lips.

‘No you don’t.’

‘I do. I’ve always wanted to say
it and nearly
bein
’ killed makes you awful brave
about things that you didn’t dare say before.’

‘Don’t get any ideas that I love
you back.’

‘You’re a terrible liar,’ he
laughed. ‘So…. what’s your answer? You and me, master and mistress of the
house…’

‘It’s a terrible plan… but I
suppose if every plan was clever life would be boring.’

‘Is that a yes?’

 ‘Why not? I
ain’t
got
anythin
’ else to do.’

Polly smiled up at him and Isaac
knew that no matter what she said, she loved him too. This was the girl he was
bound to, through thick and thin, and knew now he would always be. They
understood each other like no one else did.  It seemed their destinies had
been entwined since birth.

Charlotte
had read what she could of the papers in Ernesto’s study and they had all felt
shivers down their spines at the mention of sacrifices that had been planned:
the
blood of a thousand innocents to be spilt in the Dark Lord’s name
. Isaac
had joked that if they were to find just one innocent amongst the ragamuffins
of Hampshire he would be impressed.  But though they shared uneasy
laughter, trying to pretend that it wasn’t real, it didn’t change the awful
truth. There were evil people abroad doing evil deeds in the name of all that
was unholy, and in his heart, Isaac knew that Polly was right. The quiet lives
they enjoyed now would not last for long. But with her at his side he could
pretend, just for a short while. And when the day came to fight again, he would
be that much stronger in her name.

The End