Chapter 2

In the small hours of the morning, one of them – it might have been Bill – needed to use the facilities, which resulted in all of them stirring. It was far too early to get up and anyway the bed was too comfortable and they were all still tired. Despite a general snuggling and fondling, they went back to sleep.

Etty woke first, and prodded Bill and Candy to wake up. “Come on, you two. I want to know why Dad’s called us here.”

Candy whined, just a little. “But Bill’s got...”

“It’ll keep. Won’t it, Skipper?”

Bill grunted. “I suppose so. ‘sides, Candy, if I remember, it’s Etty’s turn.”

“If you just get on, TH, you can go first when we get back tonight.”

“Ohkayyy.” Candy rolled out of bed and stamped, despite her bare feet, to the en-suite ahead of Etty, and Bill whose eyes were fixed on two sleek, feminine, tanned bodies. Thanks to Etty’s persistence, they made it down to the dining room, showered and appropriately dressed, without further sexual activity (though not, perhaps, without a fair amount of fondling and caressing).

Their waitress was familiar. “Good morning, Becky,” Bill smiled. “Nice to see you again. Full English for all of us. Peppermint tea.”

“Good morning, sir, ladies. I have a message for you from Committeeman Hemmings. He’d like to know when to expect you. If you tell me a time, there will be a car to take you to him when you’re ready.”

“Oh, good! Thanks. Could you tell him nine-thirty? We should be ready by then, I think.”

“Very good, sir. And I’ll bring your breakfasts soon.”

They all missed coffee, and hoped there would be some when they arrived at the Hemmings residence. But breakfast was as good as it could be, and Becky was duly rewarded again for her service.

Sharon, in a smart chauffeur uniform, was standing next to the gleaming Rolls. She greeted them and opened the door; Bill found himself sitting in the middle of the comfortable seat, with a young woman snuggling up to him each side.

They arrived at the substantial building which was Etty’s childhood home.

“Don’t get out yet,” Sharon said, “let me do my job.” She exited the vehicle and trotted round to open the door which let Etty out, followed by Bill and Candy. Etty stood, gazing at the house, an odd expression on her face. Bill, impressed, stood next to her.

“Are you okay, Love?”

“Yeah...” she drew it out. “I can hardly believe how far I’ve come. This seems, well, remote, I suppose.”

Candy pressed close to Bill and he glanced down. She looked ... scared? He leant down to kiss her head. “I love you,” he murmured. “You don’t need to fear anything here.”

“I know,” she sighed. “In my head I know it. It’s just ... for a moment I remembered ... being taken...”

He wrapped her up in his arms. Etty was following Sharon to the front door. “Come on, Sweetie. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

Candy straightened up, turned, and took his hand as they walked towards the opening door. They saw Etty greeting her father, then being embraced by her mother, who was crying. “Baby! You look so well!”

“I am well, Mama. Very well.”

“Bernadette...”

“Mama, I’m getting people to call me ‘Etty’ now. I needed to change. Have changed. I’m a new person, with skills, in an important job.”

“She is,” Bill said, shaking the Committeeman’s hand. “I want her to face the Board for her Master’s ticket next year.”

“That’s good to hear, Skipper,” Etty’s father said, turning to Candy. “Welcome, young lady. It’s good to see you again. Bernadette,” he hesitated, “Etty ... has told us how important you are to her, and the Skipper.” He looked round to each of them. “Come along inside and have some coffee. You do all drink coffee? Bern ... Etty ... has told us about importing coffee from the Continent. We’ve noticed a drop in the price already.”

“Yes, sir!” Candy smiled, and held up a bag. “We’ve brought a little present for Etty’s family.” She extended it to their host, who took it and weighed it in his hand. “A sample of our last cargo,” she finished.

“Thank you, Candy ... Etty and Bill.”

Candy sat very close to Bill, with Etty on his other side. They were served coffee – very good coffee – and were required to chat about the previous year, and the development of Lady Betty business.

“I don’t suppose you’d have room for another trainee?” Etty’s father asked.

Bill frowned. “We could, apart from carrying sufficient provisions for four, rather than three. But I imagine there might be other requirements...”

The older man nodded. “But you seem to be coping with these two.”

“They have a great relationship with each other, so there’s rarely any friction. Never anything serious.”

“Did you have someone in mind, Dad?” Etty put in.

“Several, actually,” he said. “We’ve one or two long term residents, and several that their ... sponsors ... would be relieved to be able to stop paying for. A stay at the Horseshoe is quite expensive. Once an indenture is complete, we need to either extend or discharge the trainee. If the sponsor is unwilling to accept the trainee back, our options are limited. We’re getting some funding from the penal budget, but I’m not at all sure the best use of it is maintaining an ... inmate ... who is becoming institutionalised. If we could find somewhere they could support themselves while contributing to society, it would relax the pressure on us with regard to the others.”

“Skipper, we could, you know. And there might be a reason to land one or other of us.”

“I can’t think what that might be.”

“What if one of us was pregnant?”

Bill went very pale, and didn’t respond immediately. “But...”

“Skipper, I want children. I could work, even pregnant, up to a point – six months, maybe – but it would be good to have a trained replacement.”

“Master,” Candy put in, tentatively, “not yet, but I would really like to have children.”

Bill’s face darkened from ‘pale’ to dark red. “Oh.”

“I know we’d have to share, but we can do that, Master.”

Bill smiled slightly. “Really? Candy, I know you get on well with Etty, but another woman?” His colour subsided to the point that his tan was only slightly darker than usual.

It was Candy’s turn to blush. “I’m sorry about this morning, Master. Etty, sorry.”

“It’s okay, TH. It really is. I do understand. But Dad brought us back here for a reason. Dad, are you going to tell us?”

Will Hemmings smiled enigmatically. “No. Not until after lunch, when we’ll be having some visitors. But I think you’ll be pleased.”

Lunch, according to Etty afterwards, was less elaborate than usual, but still very good, and they finished off with more coffee.

“Tea is still expensive,” Will Hemmings shrugged.

Inconsequential conversation continued until Etty was almost bouncing in her seat; Bill could feel the tension in her. But the door bell was faintly audible, followed by voices growing in volume as they approached. The door opened and the Hemmings’ housekeeper announced, “Chairman Booth with Deputy Chief Constable Charles Philips.”

Bill and Etty stood, whilst Candy slid forward onto her knees, with her head down.

The two men entered the room and greeted Will Hemmings before turning to Bill with a smile. They shook hands with Bill and Etty, then Chairman Booth stopped in front of Candy.

“Please, stand, young lady.”

Bill reached down a hand and helped a trembling Candy to stand. Bill squeezed her hand and detached his in order to wrap his arm round her shoulders.

“We hadn’t met, young lady, but do you know Mister Phillips? No? Oh, I think Inspector Sanderson interviewed you, didn’t he?”

“Yes, sir,” Candy replied quietly.

“Charles?” Chairman Booth turned to his companion, and stepped to the side.

“Miss Stillson,” Candy’s eyes widened at the use of her original name, and the formality of the man’s tone.

“Sir?”

“I’m here to apologise to you. I, and the force, let you down. I’m very sorry you had to endure what happened to you.”

Candy glanced up at Bill, who smiled and winked. She replied, “Thank you, sir. I accept your apology. But because of what happened, Bill found me, and I’m very happy to be as I am.”

“Good! I’m pleased to hear that. Now. You may be interested to hear that the man who abused you is now mining tin in Cornwall, and the slave dealer who sold you is mining coal a few miles away. Both under indefinite indentures.”

“Oh.” She glanced up at Bill again. “I don’t know what to say about that.”

Mister Phillips nodded. “No, because you’re a good person. However, we felt we needed to do something to compensate somewhat for your suffering. Not that we can undo it. So. I have some documents here...” he rummaged in a slim briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of thick papers. “Right. First, here is your emancipation, releasing you from your indenture.”