In the Bleak Midwinter by Carol Rivers

Author:Carol Rivers [Rivers, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: East End, Family Saga, Fiction, Historical, London, Romance
ISBN: 9781849834117
Google: RaRdAAAAQBAJ
Amazon: B005JBN84A
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2011-10-12T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Birdie sat in the covered wagon, her legs having just managed to carry her from the waterfront to the road, where she had been roughly pushed up into the back of the cart. It was dark under the canvas and she could see very little. As her eyes became accustomed to the gloom, she saw that a man with a long black beard and wearing a dark hat was sitting opposite her.

‘Wh . . . who are you?’ she stammered, gripping the rough wooden bench she sat on and trying to keep her balance as the cart rumbled along. ‘Where are you taking me?’

The man stared at her. Birdie tried again but with no success. She glanced across to the end of the wagon, where two bales of hay were stacked. There was no easy escape and anyway, the woman had barked at her to sit still and soon she would be seeing Frank. Was it true? Were they keeping Frank a prisoner? Where was he? Were they the same people who had captured Pat? Fear was making her panic. A fine sweat ran down between her shoulders blades and over her forehead. Where was she going to end up?

The wagon rolled along and Birdie knew that, by now, it must have left the island. She wondered if she would hear what Pat had heard, a clock or bell somewhere that would give her some indication of where she was. But all she could hear was the loud drumming of her heart. Unlike Pat, she hadn’t been blindfolded. As far as she remembered no one had seen her being put into the wagon. The woman had made sure of that, hurrying her along, with the blade of the knife at her back.

When the wagon stopped, Birdie saw it was still daylight. A chink in the canvas let in the pale light. Then suddenly the flap at the back was thrown open. The woman jumped over the tailgate and onto the dusty boards.

She took a rag from her pocket. ‘You will be blindfolded,’ she said abruptly. ‘Nothing will happen to you.’

‘Where’s our Frank?’ Birdie demanded, shrinking back.

‘You will see him soon.’

There was nothing for it, Birdie realized, other than to do as she was told. The woman tied the rag round Birdie’s head making certain that it came down well over her eyes. She was so frightened that she wasn’t sure if she could move. But then a hand gripped her wrist and she was bundled out of the wagon.

‘Birdie, it’s me, Frank.’ He untied the rag and held her shoulders. ‘Don’t be scared. They had to do it – pick yer up like that. The law have got eyes everywhere.’

Birdie stared into a stranger’s face. Frank’s hair was dark, not his lovely red colour. He looked much thinner, his high cheekbones thrust out as the skin drew tightly over them. His big blue eyes had a haunted look. ‘Oh, Frank, is it really you?’

‘Course it’s me. Give us a hug.

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