THE DEPRIVED.... Chapter 3... Part 30.

A continuation of my book.

The next time Beth saw Nat was when he came to take Fanny away. Fanny had cried, putting both arms around Beth’s neck and promising all the time she would come and visit Beth at every chance. While she and Beth talked, Nat played with the children, seeming to have an affinity with them as they screamed and laughed when he lifted and whirled them around. At last Nat came to Beth’s bedside and held her hand. He squeezed her hand gently as he looked into her eyes.
“I will be in taking a liberty, if you’ll allow me to come and visit you the while you are laying here, Beth.” he promised.
“Come, Nat. I aint to hanging here no further!” called Fanny, already at the door.
Nat waved at her before turning back to Beth.
“And you must be telling Fanny when you come to be set out from here, so I can be in service to you in any way I can.”
Beth thanked him, assuring him she would let Fanny know as soon as she could about her release. Fanny ran back to Beth’s bed and hugged her once more and kissed her on the cheek before going round to each bed, sharing a word and a laugh with each patient. Beth reasoned this was Fanny’s way of giving her and Nat a little more time with each other. Fanny gave one last turn with a blown kiss and wave to Beth then she was gone. Nat stood for just a while with his eyes on Beth and then with a wave and a smile he too followed Fanny out of the door and was gone

 

For the next two days, life seemed very empty for Beth without Fanny to cheer her up. Even the children seemed to play on the floor in more subdued fashion. Beth now began a daily exercise routine, walking round the ward and feeling herself grow stronger each day. In her mind she was determined to leave yet afraid of leaving because she had no idea of where she would go and what she would find once out on the streets again. She had no money and only the clothes she wore. The answer came to her on the third day, late into the evening when the ward door opened and Fanny came running into the ward.
“Beth! Beth!” she cried, running up to Beth and putting her arms round Beth’s neck and kissing her cheek. “Beth, how is the feeling in you! You are well now? Can you take to walking alright? Will they let you out?”
As she hugged Beth, her words came out in a torrent of questions and all too quick to answer.
“Please, Fanny. I am fine and so pleased to see you. Now let me go and tell me what you are doing. How is the new job?”
“Oh, it’s to a grand larkins Beth. I’m in to living with four girls in a top room of a big house which has the owning of the company. It aint in grand style, being very small and cramped but we girls aint in minding cause we has a merry laugh. The work in the factory is hard handling and in long hours. We has to start work at five in the morning and in graft till seven at night, while the rules is in strict concern. If I’m late, I gets a hard fine of a sixpenny piece and the same if I drop any of the matches. But I get three bob a week so I aint into a grumble. That’s three shiny shillings a week, as long as I aint to breaking any of the rules. Oh, and it’s a full nine pennies a week taken in rentage. But I aint in to complaining, it’s better than being out on the streets or working as a Night-Girl.”
Beth listened to Fanny’s chatter about the work but her mind was on Fanny’s brother, Nat. She could not ask outright but wanted to know about him. Fanny stopped talking, as if reading Beth’s mind.
“Nat tells me to telling you he’ll come to see you tomorrow if that fits the bill. He’s to saying tomorrow evening after work.” she said.
“Yes, I would like to see Nat.” said Beth, demurely. “Is he alright?"
“Nat’s abiding in the same house as I do. He’s habiting in the basement with some other men. I aint allowed to go down to his room, seeing as the men aint to mixing with the women inside the house, so I sees him outside. We are into meeting secretly down a side alley to the back of the house every night and we gets to gabbing. ” said Fanny.
“The factory rules sound very strict.” said Beth.
“Well, it’s to that we are or its cold nights on the streets. There’s a whole lot as is taken on there, men and women all to a comfort.”
Fanny stopped, her hand resting on Beth’s arm. “Why aint you in thought of taking work alongside me? It’s to an easy if we can be together. You can habit with us girls and get to a larking!”
Beth nodded. She would love to be with Fanny, especially if that meant being close to Nat.
“I’ll have to see what the Doctor says. I can’t just walk out of here.” she said.
“Why aint you ready? Aint you fit to be walking?” demanded Fanny. “I’m to thinking the ward would be glad to see you to an outing and one less mouth for the pudding!”
“Well, I can’t leave Fanny because the Nuns at the convent had me brought here and I just can’t leave, that would not be nice.” answered Beth.
Fanny tossed her head impatiently.
“Nice aint got nothing to do with being nice for an old bunch of them God’s People!” she said hotly. “They only wants to keep hold of you so you is to a bondage to them in working and all for nothing and without the larkings. The next thing is you’ll be one of the God's-People and wearing the black tattie sacks!”
Beth laughed, wondering what Sister Dominique and Sister Joy would say if they heard what Fanny had to say about them.
“I have already told Sister Francis and Sister Joy I am not going to become a Postulant. And if the Doctor says I can leave then I will come with you and get a job at your factory.” replied Beth.
“That’s it, Beth! You can be into giving Nat the telling when he comes to see you. He’ll be into a merry dance with you, of that I’m to certain and sure of his happiness.”
Beth smiled, hoping Nat would be happy at the news.
“Anyways Beth, I have to go now and get me head to the bed and get some sleeping shuteye. I aint wanting to be late for the grind tomorrow.”
With that, Fanny bent over and kissed Beth on the cheek.
“I’ll be saying me goodbyes then Beth. Nat will shake himself  to be here tomorrow evening and if the quack gives you the leaving, you give Nat the joy and I will speak to her at the factory about a job for you.”
Beth kissed Fanny back then watched as Fanny walked out from the ward before settling herself down on the bed and smiling, her thoughts on Nat till she fell asleep.

 

"Well Doctor, am I fit enough to leave?” asked Beth.
The Doctor, a big burly man of advancing years, hung his stethoscope round his neck.
“Let’s give it a couple of day’s more.” he said. “You’re still weak and need to be sure you are over the problem. I am sure you will be able to leave in a couple of days. Let’s say you can leave on Thursday.”
The Doctor walked from the ward, ignoring the children who ran and called after him and those men and women who walked in apathetic circles round the ward.
Beth thought about waiting till Nat had arrived that evening and then simply walking out with him. There was nothing to stop her. No-one ever seemed to be on duty in the ward, most times just to be there for feeding the patients and then leaving things to run as they would. But then Beth smiled to herself at the thought of Nat’s face if she did just that, said she was leaving with him. That would be so presumptuous. Supposing Nat did not want her in that way, seeing her as just Fanny’s friend.

Such doubts stayed with her till that evening when the door opened and Nat walked in. Straight away the children ran to him and having waved to Beth, he played with the children before coming to her bedside and taking her hand.
“Wotcha Beth.” he said animating the Cockney slang as he squeezed her hand gently.
She did not draw her hand away, feeling the warmth of him as he bent over and kissed her cheek. She knew she blushed and smiled through the redness which burnt her cheeks. Nat appeared not to notice.
“Sit on the bed, Nat.” said Beth as she moved over to allow him to sit on the side.
“There’s no chairs here so you’ll just have to sit beside me, unless you want to stand.”
“I’ll be in fine comfort in seat next to you, Beth.” replied Nat.
He kept hold of her hand as he talked.
“How is it that you feel now?” he asked, a gentle hand touching her brow.
“I spoke to the Doctor earlier.” said Beth. “He told me I could leave in two day’s time. Did Fanny tell you she has asked me if I wanted to work with her?”
“Ay, that she told me.” replied Nat, looking at her closely so Beth looked away, feeling the shyness creeping back, her cheeks beginning to glow again.
“What are you choosing to do, Beth? I really do hope you want the taking at the match factory. It would be in grand larking with you into working with Fanny. I’m into working there as Fanny has instanced you. I’m in the work to package the goods in the ground department, stacking and storing and there are times as I take out one of the delivery carts, driving the horses and delivering the goods to the local markets and such.”
Beth smiled happily, listening to Nat’s voice. He had a voice which other’s listened to, not so uncouth as most Cockneys but with a softening to the words yet deep enough. It was strange, Beth had never thought about voices and accents before. She remembered her father’s voice, his deep country Irish brogue. While her mother had spoken a lot softer and with a gentle lilt. Beth knew that her stay in the East-End had not lost to her the lilt of Irish, although she had picked up some of the slang which coarsened the language. She dare not ask Nat what he thought of her voice.
“Are you into some daydreaming, Beth?”
Nat’s voice broke into her thoughts and she jumped, feeling guilty.
“Oh I’m sorry, Nat. I was just wondering if you liked my accent.” she blurted out, then put a hand up to her mouth.
“I didn’t mean to say that!” she exclaimed.
Nat laughed.
“It’s a voice to a softness and love, Beth. I’m to a fancy of your speech, the fine way that Irish accent has appealing. I just wondered if you had the paddy as to go with it, you know the temper. There’s many as come from your country in working with the lot of the men I work with and they can find it in quick temper to call their lot.”
Nat laughed out loud and Beth joined him in the laughter.
“I’m in asking that you grant me an answer to my thinking, Beth. Tell me should you want to come and find company with Fanny and me at the workings.” said Nat, becoming serious.
“Of course I want to.” breathed Beth as she looked up into his eyes.
This time she did not blush and they sat for some time, not speaking but simply gazing into each others eyes and lost in their own world.
Nat suddenly bent and kissed Beth on the lips, gently before pulling away.
“Oh! I was not in meaning to allow myself the liberty! exclaimed Nat. “I am begging at the slight and ask forgiveness.”
“I wanted you to, Nat. Yes, I wanted you to kiss me!” Beth cried.
“Get you on then, Mister. Kiss her!”
The children had crept up to the bed, one of them shouting so that Nat pulled sharply away. They had been oblivious into their own world and unaware that the whole ward seemed to have been watching them.
“Go away, you rascally brats!” shouted Nat, good-humouredly.
The children ran away, squealing with laughter as Nat made out to chase them.
“I am to thinking I’d better be going and let the children lay to their cots.” said Nat.
“Will you come again, Nat?” asked Beth.
“Indeed I will, if you’ve the fancy for me company.” answered Nat as he bent to kiss her. “I am in fancy to seeing you all the time.”