Chapter 13

“Simon, look at this.” Susan had been round to the house to check on progress, it was nearly finished. The charity were delighted and had appointed a Miss Hepworth to act as Warden (Susan had suggested naming her something more friendly, like Supervising Advisor), who was forty nine and actually did seem to be quite friendly. She had collected some post and was showing Simon a letter.

‘Dear Mr and Mrs (or Reverend and Mrs) Peters, I hope you are both well. I hggf not as well as I had hoped uhh.’

“Why is it smudged?”

“I think they are tears, read on.”

‘I find myself with a problem and I don’t know hufdhhfdhhi. Sorry, I’ve pulled myself together. Let me explain. I have been a foolish, foolish girl. I know that. I should not have been persuaded. It was very silly of me. I hdlihf’ Once more the writing became smudged with splashes of water which he assumed were tears. Then, in a different hand: ‘I have taken over the responsibility of writing to you, Emily is too distraught. To put the matter briefly, she was persuaded by a cad, a blaggard (sorry for the language, but it is correct in this case) of the worst order. She was persuaded that he loved her and only needed a little time to set his affairs straight and would then marry her. Oh the perfidy of the man! He misused her, knowing that he had no intention of honestly dealing with her. The worst has happened and she is with child. She hid it for some time; even considering an approach to an old lady in Back Row, known for enabling pregnancies to stop – forgive me if I do not mention the lady who told her this. Luckily she came to her senses. Believing herself to have loving parents, she threw herself on their mercy; but they have failed her. Yes, I speak that strongly! Father demanded that she leave the house immediately, and mother agreed and even picked up a stick to drive her from her home. I left with her, so shocked was I. We are now in extremis, staying in a poor house where we wedge the door shut each night for fear of intruders. Forgive me for writing, we are bereft of any other ideas. If you could loan us some money, we would be most grateful. Elizabeth.’

“My dear, this is awful. I ... we ... yes, we must leave tomorrow!”

“Leave? Are you saying you will not lend them some money?”

“What? Oh, they don’t need money. They need friends. We shall go and collect them. I wonder ... I shall be back soon. Pack an overnight bag.” With that he was gone. She looked at his receding back; yes, this was a good man to have married. Many would have dismissed Emily as not deserving for being so stupid. A few would have sent some money. Simon was engaged in more practical help. It was Wednesday, if they left tomorrow, they could be back by Sunday for the services he had to take. She started to put some clothes in a bag.

It seemed no time before he returned. “Are you ready? The cab is waiting, hurry, the train leaves in fifteen minutes. Ah, Mrs Walker, we shall return in two days, never fear. Arivaderchi!” with that he kissed the surprised lady on the cheek and waved at Felicia, carried the bag to the waiting cab and Susan and he were gone.

The first train was the usual slow, stopping train and it was clear he wanted to get out and push it to travel faster. “We have fifteen minutes at the main line. It should be enough.”

“There will be a train down this late?”

“A sleeper my love. The main station is the last stop before it wends slowly down. We will be in London at 6 in the morning. We must ask for a sandwich at the station. I am sorry there is no dining car.”

“You are wonderful!” She leant over and kissed the young man in public. Since the young man was also wearing a dog-collar that proclaimed him to be a man of the cloth, the couple facing them in the small compartment were doubly scandalised.

As they pulled in to the main station an hour later, the man said “In my day, such actions were kept for the bedroom!”

“I know,” Simon said. “I can’t help it, women just find me irrisistible.”

“Simon! You are very naughty. Shall we?” At the buffet, they asked for sandwiches – all gone. They asked for cakes and were told they were sold out. A working man sitting in the corner, waiting to take the train they had arrived on back to Newborough approached them.

“Begging you pardon sir and madam. I have a hunk of bread and some cheese which I found I did not need for lunch as a hostelry provided me with some. It is clean, see?” it was wrapped in paper, “No, no charge, a good turn always repays itself.

“That it does, that it does. Bless you.” Simon replied. Some respectable people would have refused, but he had no false pride. They boarded the train and found their compartment, and ordered two teas to go with their feast.

“Well, Simon? What now?” They had finished the hunk of bread and cheese. Both had laughed at their older friends and relatives who would have been shocked at the make-do approach. “Do you want the top or bottom?”

“Where will your bottom be? That would be my choice.”

“You are incorrigible. Still, I suspect we would get little enough sleep anyway on this train.”

The journey proved fun. Neither had had sex on a train before and the jolts and judders provided an interesting variation on the regular process of advance and retreat. Sleepers have no ablutions beyond a small sink, and both opted not to bother with sleep wear since it would come off immediately again. So when Simon needed to make water, he looked at his sleeping wife and used the sink. She woke and watched, pleased that he ran some water after to wash around the basin. Later, when it was her turn, she looked at her husband, now in the top bunk, and did the same; sitting on the sink top she let the water flow and looked up to see her husband watching with a smile. “You are perverted. Too perverted to be a vicar.”

He climbed down to her.

“Not at all, you are just too wanton to be a vicar’s wife. A fact that I am grateful for every day. If you had been some floral wall flower given to making scones and tea, I would have despaired. Still, it seems that appearances are deceptive. Reverend Michael seems to staid and sensible and Mrs Walker a proper vicar’s wife.”

“Perhaps the Archbishop’s wife prowls the streets at night selling her body?”

“Have you met her. I fear she might have to pay people ... no, that is unkind. But she is a little...”

“Old and crusty?”

“We must stop, this is not a good conversation.”

“You must punish me, good sir.” And with that, she bent over his lap. She had been wondering what it would be like since Mrs and Miss Walker. He spanked her with pleasure and then insisted she lubricate his member with her mouth before imposing on her; to her great and vocal delight. Anyone passing along the corridor would probably have heard, but since they saw nobody, and since that was the reason for many to take the sleeper, they were able to ignore that possibility.

In the morning, therefore, they were at the unsalubrious Miss Aire’s Bed and Breakfast establishment. The painted sign had lost some of the letters, leaving it to say ‘Air B n B’ with substantial gaps. They walked in and were greeted by a young girl of eleven “Too early to check in yet sir and madam. Unless you pay extra, like? Perhaps you only want the room for an hour or two? Them’s the rates for temorroroary occupantsea.”

“Young lady, should you not be at school? We are not hear to rent, we are hear to meet two young ladies.”

“Oh? Talent spotters? We get a lot of them. We only got two girls at the mo, and one of them’s preggers. Up the duff! So she’d not earn you for a while, unless you get some of them special people who like weird stuff. The other one’s okay. She could be sold as a virgin a few times I think. Whatdo I know? I were sold four times as under ten only last week.”

“Bring them.” Susan said, before Simon could respond in the way he wanted to. “You cannot right every wrong, and the girl seems contented to follow into the family business.”

“I take a commission.” A woman said from behind them. “They lock themselves in each night, so they might need some persuasion; but I think they’d be werf it.”

“No doubt.” Susan responded, aware that this kind of place probably had some men to provide ‘security’; she could tell Simon was not happy.

Emily and Elizabeth appeared, looked surprised and then pleased. “Girls get your bags.” Simon simply said.

“And my commission?” Asked the blowsy lady behind them, blocking the exit.

Susan stepped forward: “Listen, you old hag. These were booked for us weeks ago and they ran, I think they’ve seen the alternative now so they’ll come happily. For that I’m grateful. But if you don’t step out of the way, the four men outside will come in here and set fires on every floor, take the pretty ones – not you! - and leave you to explain to the rozzers who are going to arrive at midday as arranged. You ever try and poach our girls again and I’ll ram your teeth so far down your mouth that you’ll be able to eat through your smelly arse. NOW MOVE!” The older woman looked shocked and meekly stepped aside as Emily and Elizabeth re-appeared with a bag each.

“Here, give to the man. Come on.” Susan said brusquely and they left. Outside, she gave a long sigh and started to shake.

“You were magnificent! I nearly believed you myself.” Simon said, putting down a bag to hug her.

“School drama finally showed it’s worth. Come, we need to get away before she realises she’s been duped. Ah, wait – excuse me.” she addressed a policeman on the corner “Are you aware that Miss Aire’s Bed and Breakfast is actually a brothel?”

“Not a very good one, ma’am. I’d recommend Lady Astones in Club Row for the likes of you, they cater for different tastes.”

“Thank you?” as they walked off, she said “Not the response I expected, but that is the capital for you. A den of iniquity from one side to the other.”

“Except the Mother of Parliaments, surely? And the Royal Palace.”

“Hah! The members barely have their members put away from what I’ve heard, and King Edward is well known ... But I’m forgetting myself, welcome ladies, you are returning to Newborough with us.”

“Oh, we didn’t mean ... I mean I never expected. Ohh” Emily burst into tears and Simon looked concerned, what was wrong?

“Walk on Reverend Peters, I’m afraid you don’t understand everything. Elizabeth, explain to him.”

The two walked a little further, Elizabeth taking his arm, not thinking that perhaps vicars are not meant to have their arm taken by attractive unmarrieds. “Simon, oh, can I call you that or must I use your title?”

“It isn’t a title, it is a ... actually I don’t know what it is. But yes, call me Simon please. Reverend Simon or Reverend Peters makes me think I am fifty.”

“It will be Bishop Peters by then. Anyway, Simon, it is because she is happy. She is five months pregnant and could hide it no longer. Father was despicable – oh I know I should respect my elders, but he was! He has not been a good father to us, all his love was bestowed on our brother. I do not blame him – our brother I mean – but do you know, father taught him to swim. He did not teach us.”

“I’m pleased to hear it.”

“What? Oh, oh yes, perhaps.” She remembered their state of nudity when he taught her and her sister. Yes, perhaps not the approach a father would take. “But you understand? Then he threw her out. I am sure if she had refused to go he would have bodily thrown her. I had to go with her. Mother was no help. We are alone, you see? So your act of kindness until we can find some way to shift for ourselves is overwhelmingly kind I -” she leant in and kissed him on the cheek. Two men of the cloth – thankfully not his church – walking past looked shocked and walked faster. “Oh sorry, was that my fault?”

“It was, but they were Methodists so it doesn’t matter. But perhaps save any other gratitudinous actions until we are on the train?”

“I’m sorry, we can only afford Second Class.”

“I love you and Emily a lot, but I’m not sitting on a wooden bench all the way to Yorkshire; so you will have to rough it in First. It’s fine, you can owe me.” He said, they both knew he would never be repaid.

The journey back was quieter and more relaxing than the one down. They took possession of a small six person compartment and pulled down the blinds to the corridor; but even then, Simon and Susan could hardly make passionate and vigorous love all the way back (like they felt they had done the way down). Both of them fell asleep and were only awakened by the ticket collector. “Restaurant car is open and not too full if you are interested.” Was his helpful observation. Emily suggested that she wasn’t hungry and was told that she was eating for two now, so she would eat. Elizabeth similarly suggested that she didn’t need food and was more robustly told with a smile by Susan ‘not to be so blind-well stupid. Of course you are hungry, all teenagers spend their lives grazing.’

They had a light early tea (or late lunch) of toasted muffins and teacakes and tea and cakes to follow. It felt like a day trip out rather than the first day of a new adventure.

Then they watched the countryside pass, and Simon contemplated Emily and wondered who the lucky man was. He knew he should not think that, but he vividly recalled her attractive body naked in the baths. “Simon” Susan whispered “Adjust yourself, or stop thinking whatever it is you are – I dread to think what or who it is”.

They arrived at the main line, and caught the slow train to Newborough. They were all slow in the evenings. Finally they arrived. Susan had explained that the girls could not be housed in the rectory, not only was there no more space, but regrettably some parishioners were less charitable and might be put out that an unmarried mother was a guest there. Oddly, considering her willingness to be punished and for her daughter to be similarly dealt with by Reverend Simon, it was also clear that Mrs Walker was unhappy about the idea too, considering it unbecoming to welcome an unmarried mother to her house. So she was willing to be spanked on her bare bottom by a man she barely knew, and for that same man to see her nubile teenage daughter in the same way, and for that same man to deal even more harshly with an errant woman of the flock; but not to forgive a sinful girl for her mistakes.

Luckily some of the rooms in the houses were ready to be occupied and, although it was not officially their right to decide who would be housed, Simon and Susan had told Miss Hepworth that she had an urgent case that needed to be dealt with immediately. She agreed readily since the Peters were providing this accomodation for the Yorkshire Unmarried Mothers (YUM).

They moved the two girls in, helped them settle in and then left them to return to their accomodation in the rectory. “Ah, thank goodness, Oh, Mr Peters, it is a nightmare! My poor husband has relapsed and is not expected to return for at least three more weeks, and there is a young woman in the study. She has been waiting for two hours. I cannot guess, well, I should not, but I suspect. I am not given to gossip, but she is known to be something of a flirt. Perhaps I should not say. Oh, but she is! She played with Mr Jenkins’ affections; truly she did. She is married, but her husband is ... well I don’t know. She is attractive, I suppose. I cannot tell. But she wishes to speak to a minister, she would not reveal why, so I am sure ... well I should not say, but truly she is likely to. Well you will see. I -”