Trapped In She Town : A Romantic Novella (The Jute Mills Series) by Serena MacKay Read Free Book Online

reported
downstairs that Mary was sick and she was allowed the rest of the evening off.
“Mary dear, maybe you should go home for a few days” Bessie said. But Mary knew
that was the last place on earth that she needed to be. She felt so betrayed by
the people she had loved and trusted the most.
    Two days later, Bessie
tried again to get Mary up and out of bed and to eat something.
    “Please Mary. I’m
worried about you. Mrs Muir said you could have two days to recuperate, but she
is expecting you back on duty tomorrow morning. I’ve brought a bit of soup for
you. Will you give it a go please?”
    Mary slowly sat up in
her bed, but pushed away the spoonful of soup Bessie offered her. ”Mary please”
pleaded Bessie.
    “I’ll be up and ready
for work tomorrow morning, Bessie.” She said robotically “Just leave me for
now.”
    The next morning, Mary
was up and pulled on her uniform. Bessie gasped in shock when she saw the state
of Mary’s hair before she managed to pull on her bonnet. All her beautiful
long, tresses hacked off.
    Mary felt sick all
day, but she managed to get though her chores and attend to Miss Lucy, then
towards the end of the day she heard some news that made her feel even better.
    “Mr Edward finally
leaves for Calcutta next week” Mr Giles reported to all the staff in the
kitchen that evening, and it was all Mary could do to stop herself from
shouting “Hurrah!”.
    The week flew by
without Edward bothering her at all as he prepared for his departure. He seemed
to have lost interest and Mary was thankful for small mercies.
    Two months later
however, Mary was still being sick in the mornings, and she put this down to
her pining for George. She knew he would probably never want her now because
she was soiled, but she still felt a huge betrayal at his marrying Beth. He had
seemed so sincere to Mary. How could she have fallen for his sweet talking when
all along he had wanted her sister? Mary decided that she obviously did not
understand men and was better off without them.
    Bessie however had
worked out the real reason for her sickness.
     “Mary is that you
letting out the seam on your dress again” she asked one evening.
    “I know, goodness
knows where all this weight is coming from as I am run ragged up and down these
stairs some days” Mary trilled.
    “Come on Mary, stop
playing the fool with me. We all know what’s going on. Everyone downstairs is
talking.” Bessie replied sternly. “You’d better watch out or the mistress will
hear of it soon.”
    “What are you talking
about?” Mary asked bewildered. “The mistress will hear of what?” All of a
sudden a feeling of dread settled over Mary.
    “Mary,” Bessie spoke
softly “it’s obvious you’re in the baby way and the mistress will not accept
relationships between the servants.”
    “What do you mean?
Relationships between servants?” Mary queried.
    “You and John. He is
the father I presume.”
    “No, he is not the
father. There is no baby.” she stormed. “Mind your own business Bessie and
don’t mess about in mine.”
    But, all of a sudden
with a feeling of horror, Mary became aware that Bessie was right in one thing.
She must be pregnant. However the father was not John – it was Edward. And
again she felt a well of disgust.
    Bessie saw the shock
and surprise come over Mary’s face and she spoke quietly to her.
    “You didn’t realize,
did you pet. My god Mary, you’re an innocent all right. I’m surprised you and
John knew what to do.”
    She giggled but then
turned serious again. “You are going to have to leave the house you know. As I
said many times before, the mistress won’t allow relationships between us servants.
You need to speak with John. He’ll do the right thing by you.”
    “But Bessie, I didn’t
do anything with John. I didn’t do anything wrong” she burst into tears.
    After a while she
calmed down enough to tell a horrified Bessie the truth.
     “Oh Mary, I’m