Mistress of Greyladies by Anna Jacobs Read Free Book Online

again and they’d already turned towards it, so after a moment’s hesitation, Phoebe stuffed the money down the front of her dress and left the way she’d come.
    Desperate to find out what was happening, she went round to the front again and asked a woman why the crowd had gathered. As if she didn’t know!
    ‘There are some Germans living there. The police are going to lock them up. Stein, they’re called.’
    ‘I’ve heard of them. They’re Austrians not Germans.’
    ‘Same thing, as far as I’m concerned.’ She swung round to stare at Phoebe. ‘You’re not one of ’em, are you? You don’t sound as if you come from round here.’
    ‘Me? Course I’m not a German. I’m English, born and bred. I grew up in Northumberland, in the north.’
    ‘You don’t sound like a foreigner, I must admit, but you do talk funny.’
    ‘Of course I’m not a foreigner. I’d better get to work now, though. Don’t want them docking my pay, do I?’
    Phoebe walked away and when she peeped back over her shoulder, the woman seemed to have forgotten her. The two policemen had disappeared inside the house.
    She stopped again at the corner, watching from a distance, not speaking to anyone. She wouldn’t dare try to defend the poor Steins again. You couldn’t reason with hysterical people.
    After a while, she saw the policemen come out of the house again, escorting her poor employers, who looked pale, terrified and suddenly much older.
    A few stones whizzed in their direction and the crowd pressed in on them. One policeman roared at the bystanders to get back. ‘This is England. We don’t tolerate mobs causing trouble here. We leave that to foreigners.’
    For a moment all hung in the balance, then a woman said calmly, but in an equally carrying voice, ‘He’s right. We’re English and should act like it. Let the law take them away.’
    The Steins tottered off with their two blue-clad protectors. Phoebe could only hope the poor dears would be safe.
    They weren’t her employers now, were they? They wouldn’t dare open the shop again, even if they were released. She’d better find another job and somewhere else to live.
    With nothing more to see, the crowd started dispersing. She realised she was wasting valuable time. Another mob was bound to turn on the Steins’ shop at some stage, if they hadn’t done so already. She hurried away to pick up her bag of clothes and as much else as she could carry.
     
    At the shop she found that the violence had started. A policeman was guarding the premises, but the big shop window was broken. Stones and shards of glass littered the pavement. She stared at the damage in dismay, then went up to him.
    ‘Stay back, miss, h’if you please.’
    ‘Can I go inside and get my things?’ She gestured to the shop. ‘I work there. Or I used to. I’ve been living above the shop, so I need to get my clothes out.’
    ‘How do I know you’re not a looter?’
    ‘I’m not! I’ve come here openly, haven’t I?’
    ‘I suppose so. What’s your name? Right. Wait there.’ He went to the next shop and yelled inside. ‘Police! Can someone come out here, please?’
    Mrs Harby peeped out of the door.
    ‘Do you know this young lady?’
    ‘Yes, Constable. She’s called Phoebe Sinclair and she works – I mean
used to work
for them.’ She jerked one thumb in the direction of the Steins’ shop.
    ‘I’m definitely not working there any more, Mrs Harby, but I need to get my clothes and my other bits and pieces.’ Thinking of the Steins and how afraid they must be made tears come into her eyes and she let them fall, squeezing out others on purpose. ‘All I have in the world is in there.’
    ‘I can’t let you go inside on your own,’ the policeman said, ‘and I can’t leave my post. If I do, people will break in.’
    ‘How about I go in with her?’ Mrs Harby offered. ‘I can check she’s not taking anything that’s not hers – not that I think she would anyway. She’s a nice lass and