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

so
sorry.”
    “Surely if I tell the
mistress she will let me stay. It is her grandchild after all” Mary queried.
    Bessie had a grim look
on her face. “I wouldn’t count on it Mary. Don’t do anything rash now.”
    But Mary had decided
on her plan of action. She would tell Miss Lucy first. Miss Lucy who empathised
with all the heroines in the novels she read, she would see what a cad her
brother had been. She would then break the news to her mother, gently putting
Mary’s point of view forward. Mary would then be allowed some time to lie in
for the birth, and once the baby was born she would get back to work. Yes,
things would work out just fine. She had to face her problems head on.
    So the very next
evening when Mary was reading to Miss Lucy in her room, she stopped at the end
of the chapter and asked Miss Lucy if she could talk to her on a very private
matter.
    She explained her
predicament to Miss Lucy and her brother, Edward’s part in it.
    Miss Lucy turned pale
and looked away from Mary with a horrified look on her face. She then asked
Mary to leave her, and so Mary quickly jumped up and went to finish her usual
duties around the room before retiring.
    “No Mary. Leave that
this evening. Please just retire now.” And Mary confusedly left the room.
    In bed later that
night Mary went over and over what she had said to Miss Lucy earlier, and Miss
Lucy’s subsequent reaction. Mary however misread Lucy’s horrified reaction as
an empathetic one, and fell asleep consoled that tomorrow the whole mess would
be sorted out.
    When Mary arrived
downstairs in the morning to start her duties she wasn’t surprised that Giles
was waiting for her and asked her to step into his room. He had a little office
room next to the kitchen and across the hall from the housekeeper’s room, where
Mary usually ate with Bessie and Mrs Smythe, the housekeeper.
    However, Mary was
shellshocked when Giles informed her in a brisk manner, that she was being
dismissed with immediate effect for gross misconduct and lies.
    “But I haven’t lied. I
just told Miss Lucy the truth” she protested.
    “I’m sorry Mary, but
there is nothing any of us can do.” Giles continued. “Mr Muir is away in
Calcutta and Mrs Muir is in charge. What made you think the mistress would take
your side against her son and heir. She wants you out of the house before she
rises for breakfast this morning.
    Mary stared at him in
fear.
    “There is nothing to
be done Mary.” he continued. “Perhaps, you should have spoken to Mrs Smythe
before it got this far.”

The Poorhouse
     
     
    She was given a week’s
wages and told to go upstairs and pack her bag immediately. She was not to talk
to any of the other servants. They were all busy going about their duties
anyway, and Bessie had been bustled into the housekeeper’s room by Mrs Smythe
as soon as she had come downstairs that morning.
    Once outside on the
pavement in Strathern Road, her little battered suitcase holding her few
belongings, Mary didn’t know which way to turn. She looked at the little bit of
paper Mrs Bean had pushed into her hand as she left. On it was an address. Of
what though, she did not know. It seemed like the only option she had. So she
wandered down to the tram stop, but then thought better of it, and started to
walk towards Dundee. She didn’t want to waste any money on trams as she didn’t
know how or when she would be able to earn any more.
    When she got close to
the town, she stopped a lady who was hurrying past and asked her if she could
direct her to the address on the bit of paper. She looked at it and shook her
head. “Sorry lass, I’ve no idea where that is.”
    So Mary carried on
towards the centre of town, and the next person she asked exclaimed loudly “Oh!
That’ll be the poorhouse yer wantin. I can see why too”. The woman looked
knowingly at the bulge showing through Mary’s coat.
    “The poorhouse!
Never!” thought Mary horrified. But where else could she