THE DEPRIVED... Chapter 3...Part 35.

A continuation of my book.

“Did you know about this?” asked Beth of Fanny as she came running into the room.
Fanny grinned mischievously.
“Has Nat made acquaintance of his notion to you?” she said.
Beth undressed quickly and jumped into bed.
“Yes.” she answered. “Nat told me but why didn’t you tell me, Fanny”
“Nat was in mind to ask you himself as to his notion and bade me be silent.” replied Fanny.
The girls in the room had stopped talking as Fanny stood up and made the announcement.
“Listen you girls. Me and Beth here, we’re in moving out and getting our own rentage!” she shouted. “There’ll be no more of Mother Bellamy telling us what time to be in, nor aint it going to be her fashion of bidding us hurry to work!”
The girls squealed with delight, all beginning to chatter at once about their own plans to move out.

 

True to his word Nat found lodgings not far away from the factory and the three of them quickly made to move into the rooms.
“It aint much as to look at but we can give it a sharp look if there’s a painting and some pictures along with curtains.” said Nat as Beth and Fanny began to inspect the double rooms on the ground floor of the house.
“Well here’s to you two girls in a fine larking down to Whitechapel Market. There’s new curtains and bedding to be got while I start a nice fire in the grate. Don’t you both get tangled up in forgetting to buy vegetables and some mutton for dinner.” said Nat as he began to collect the paper and wood for a fire.

For the first time in a long while Beth felt a sense of freedom, walking the distance from Bow down to the sprawling market of Whitechapel Road. It was a light Sunday morning and both girls joined in the throng of people who either made their way to visit others or going to the market. Then there were those who also joined the crowd who were urged on by the pealing of bells which called them to Church. Fanny was by far the better shopper, haggling with sharp-eyed market men and making gains of a farthing here and a halfpenny there and always getting the best of a bargain, so the pennies spent gained them a full shopping bag full of house-needs.

Nat had got the fire going, with a pot of water bubbling from the suspended hook. He had also sorted out the double doors which closed off one room from the other and moving the beds to an appropriate room, two single beds in the back room for Fanny and Beth while he had the single bed in the front room.
“It takes a man to seek his own richness. Do you not see how Nat is taken the fancy of taking the room with the fire in it!” exclaimed Fanny with hands on hips.
Beth laughed as she helped Fanny set the curtains up to the windows and secretly happy with the set-up. She had been worried that Nat might have set up the beds all together or even worse had set up one small bed for Fanny and then pushed the two single beds together as a double bed for himself and her. When Beth had broached the subject to Fanny as they had made their way to the market, Fanny had laughed loudly.
“Nat aint in sauciness as to take that road! He’s far too much in a gentleman’s thinking to ever think like that.” she had said, which proved to be right on reaching home.

The three of them settled happily into their new home.

The landlord, Mr. Yates, was a sound old gentleman with mutton-chop whiskers and a kindly voice. He had supplied the beds for a moderate sum and had made sure the chimney had been swept before they took up residence.
“We can’t have a chimney fire burning the house down.” he had said. “I’ve seen too many houses sending mountains of red hot soot back down the chimneys that choked another to death on the fumes before setting the house alight.”
All Mr. Yates demanded was that the rent be on time and that the tenants act in a responsible way. It was a joy to sit in the front room after work with a fire going and to sit after a meal with Nat reading from a penny book under the light of candles and with Beth and Fanny sitting on Nat’s bed with ears bent to catch the words.

 

At work, Stanbridge seemed to have changed somewhat in her station, preferring to leave things to Georgina while she sat in the large red office chair and studied papers which all knew she could not understand, being totally illiterate. Beth only cared about the time when the hooter sounded at seven each evening, when she could hurry home to a nice fire and a cooked meal. Fanny had taken to seeing a man who worked in the dispatch department, a friend whom Nat had brought home for supper and a game of cards one night.
“How are you getting on with Cuthbert?” asked Beth as they lay in bed.
“He’s in a kindness, Beth and much the gentleman.” replied Fanny, though Beth felt there was more to it than Fanny cared to admit.
“Only just nice?” urged Beth.
Fanny said nothing and Beth accepted she did not want to discuss her relationship. This bothered Beth, who shared every secret with Fanny and thought Fanny did the same with her.
“Why aint you sleeping with Nat?” asked Fanny suddenly. “Is it not in a natural joining with you both?”
“I don’t know.” Beth blustered, not knowing how to answer the question.
“I has it to make love with Cuthbert.” said Fanny, almost defiantly. “Oh, I aint into forgetting what happened last time, what with losing the babs in that way and ending up in hospital but I has the learning of it this time and Cuthbert wants me in child. He is to stand by me.”
Beth said nothing. It was the way Fanny spoke, as if she wanted to say something but held back from committing herself. Beth decided to leave it, Fanny would tell her in her own time. She turned her thoughts to Nat. They loved each other and she knew that from her own feelings and the way Nat cared for her in a most considerate way. But Nat had never tried to take advantage of her, never suggested anything by word or action. Of course she wanted him to make love to her but she could not bring the issue to an opening. It was for Nat to initiate the proceedings. With this in mind Beth closed her eyes and fell asleep.

 

“I want you both to sit down.” said Fanny as she stood alongside Cuthbert with their backs to the fire.
Beth sat down at the tone of Fanny’s voice while Nat, as he always did when news might be bad, preferred to stand.
“Me and Cuthbert have something to tell you and I aint in holding it in any longer. I know we should have told you before but I aint ever found the words.”
“Then tell us, Fanny.” urged Nat. “You aint never been one at loss for words afore. So come along and put Beth and me at ease. I’m sure it aint too bad."
“You’re not ill, are you?” broke in Beth, tears spurting to her eyes.
“No, of course I aint ill, Beth.” said Fanny with a laugh. “And it aint in bad taste to tell.”
“Then please do tell us else I’ll be falling to sleep.” declared Nat.
“What I have to tell you both, well what Cuthbert and me have to tell you is that we, Cuthbert and me, is going to move up to Northumberland to live. Cuthbert’s mother is alone and is in need of Cuthbert to run the family’s small farm. My Cuthbert has it in his mind to take me with him and I’m in a mind to go.”
For some time there was silence in the room as Beth and Nat took the news in.
“When are you going?” asked Nat, breaking the silence.
“We have it planned to leave on the Sunday morning. We’re taking the post coach from Victoria.” offered Cuthbert.
“We meant to tell you ages ago but I aint having the heart to break the news.” apologised Fanny.