Fear Of The Dark

"Why aren't you at work young lady?" My grandmother croaked and I looked up at her where she was sitting in her rocking chair. Her eyesight was shit and so was her hearing so I was baffled as to how she knew I was even in the sitting room with her. "And do not pretend you are not in here Kirsty, my eyesight isn't as bad as I make it out to be."

"Children don't go to school on a Sunday," I explained, looking back down at the doll I was stitching back together, courtesy of my twin cousins George and Harriet (George who had pulled 'Sophie's head off, and Harriet who had a hissy fit when their mother couldn't stitch it back on because she was busy).

"Then why are you not with Jonathon and Sarah?"

"Because I couldn't find them so I decided to come home and mend Sophie," I sighed, exasperated at all the questions, though I couldn't really expect anything less because that's just who she was.

I scowled when I pricked my finger, shoving it in my mouth to stop it bleeding. With that I decided Sophie could wait a little longer to have her head reattached and took the things to the sideboard.

As I did my father entered and waved his hand, telling me to sit. I did as asked whilst he stood, watching me carefully. "I've found someone suitable for you," he began and I creased my brow in confusion.

"Someone suitable for what?"

"Marriage,” my eyes widened and my heart dropped completely. "His name is Maurice. He wishes to meet with you tomorrow."

"Do I have any choice in the matter?"

Dad gave me a look I didn't understand so I just excused myself and decided to go look for Sarah or Johnny and tell them. I didn't want to get married. Not to somebody I hadn't picked myself that is. I wanted to do the whole 'meet a man, fall in love, get married' thing. This did not sit well with me at all.

As I got to the gate at the end of the tiny patch we called garden, I saw Johnny coming up the street, hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head bowed to look at his shoes. I smiled at the familiar person and made my way to meet up with him. "Hello Johnny have you seen-" I stalled when he finally looked up and I saw his face for the first time.

His right eye was decorated with a purple and green tinged bruise that looked painful. "No I haven't seen Sarah," he answered for me and began to walk again but I just followed him, all thoughts of this marriage forgotten.

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, clearly trying to shrug it off.

"So that black eye just magically appeared did it?"

Johnny stopped and span on his heel to face me, his expression like thunder. "I said it was nothing Kirsty!"

I wasn't going to take that as an answer because obviously something was up or he wouldn't have had such a nasty black eye. A fact I knew since he hadn't got into a brawl when we went to the pub the night before. He'd been too busy worrying about Sarah getting home from work to able to.

"Just because I am a classroom assistant as opposed to a doctors receptionist, does not mean in the slightest I am stupid Johnny," I began. "I don't know whether you remember but I am a very well educated girl. Plus working with children you learn to spot lies and evasive answers now tell me how you got that black eye."

He stopped dead in his tracks keeping his back to me and I grinned triumphantly, resting my hands on my waist as I waited for him to answer me. Eventually he turned slightly so he was standing side on. "I got into a fight with some men this morning Kirsty. Happy?"

"What men?"

"There's nothing you can do about so why does it even matter who did it?"

"It was those three we saw you with yesterday wasn't it?"

"No," he retorted quickly. Aha, silly Johnny. I did say I could spot lies. I raised my eyebrows disbelievingly at him and folded my arms. He didn't let up but he didn't need to because I knew it was them. He knew that to because he looked nervous now, like he knew what I was going to do next.

"Where do they live Johnny?"

He shook his head in refusal but he didn't carry on walking like I expected him to. He just stood there, pulling at his collar like he wanted to leave. I glared at him walking a few steps forward, tapping my fingers against my arm waiting for the answer he was going to give me. "Oh fine 165 Eaton Place." He gave in but I gave a small start at the address.

When I was a child before my grandfather died and we lost all our riches, I lived there. I could barely remember it since I was only six when we moved out but I remembered the name. I gulped but nodded anyway and span on my heel, hurrying out of our street and in the direction I needed.

I could hear Johnny calling at me to stop but I ignored him and carried on. I felt his hand holding my arm, trying to hold me back and drag me back to Whitechapel but I would only pull my arm away and carry on. Johnny wasn't going to stop me no matter how hard he tried. Finally I saw the familiar street of grand buildings as the elegant women walked up and down the paths with men in smart suits and top hats.

Carriages rattled up and down the road stopping here and there to let people out or for people to climb in. I was getting disgusted looks from many of the people in the street, obviously because poor girls didn't usually come and stain the beautiful facade of Eaton. I reached 165 and climbed the steps before knocking on the door.

Johnny had lagged behind but I could hear him still yelling to stop. My attention was trapped, however, when the butler appeared, his nose quite obviously turning up. He looked familiar; maybe he had been the butler when I lived here with my family? I shrugged it off however and stepped closer to the door.

"I wish to speak with the master of the house," he was obviously taken aback when I spoke because his eyes widened; ha! He was expecting a proper cockney accent and instead he gets proper eloquence.

The butler then steeled himself and puffed his chest out as he began to close the door on me. "I am sorry but street urchins are not welcome here."

I pushed the door open anyway and stepped inside. I certainly didn't remember the interior of the house, but like I said, I was six when I last saw it. The parlour maid entered after a while when Johnny come bursting through the doors trying to get me out along with the butler. By the time the people I wanted to see came into the entrance, obviously to see what the commotion was, most of the staff had gathered around.

"What's going on?" One of the men asked; he was new to me and his face was slightly bruised so I figured he was the one who got into the fight with Johnny.

"Kirsty really, let's go, it's nothing," Johnny insisted, glancing at the four well dressed men watching us.

"No, Johnny, I want to know exactly why you have a black eye and since you won't tell me I guess he will," I glared at the bruised man.

He began to laugh and Johnny grimaced still trying to get me out of the house. It was becoming out of hand. I hadn't even got a reason from the men and the police were led in by the butler who pointed at me. But, out of the blue and completely unexpected, the one with the long dark hair and equally dark eyes stepped up. "It was a misunderstanding, gentlemen," he explained glancing down and looking directly at me. I knew his voice. Why the hell did I recognise his voice?

"Well, then we owe you our deepest apologies ma'am," the officer said as they let go of me.

"I should think so," I huffed, yet again shocking people with my voice.

With that the butler showed them out and we all watched patiently, waiting till the door was closed to look at each other once more. I also noted the lack of staff now; obviously, they had been told to go back to their duties. "Now what is it we can do for you?" The green eyed one asked in a bored voice, leaning up the post at the bottom of the staircase.

"I know one of you hit Johnny and I want to know why," I said looking over them all. They all looked towards him.

"Maybe if he watched your friend better he wouldn't be in this position," the one with green eyes now said, his voice laced with venom. If he looked after my friend better? What the hell was he on about? I glanced at Johnny awaiting my answer but none came; he kept a stony cold look on his face so I looked back at them.

"What do you mean?"

"She was almost murdered last night," he retorted and my stomach dropped, my legs completely collapsing beneath me with shock. Tears blurred my vision at the thought. Was that why I hadn't seen her today? Had she been hurt? I wiped my eyes of the tears and saw them all crowding round me with concern etched on their faces, none more so than the one who had told the police they didn't need to be here.

Gently he reached a hand up and wiped the tears away from my face. "You didn't know did you?" He said softly and I shook my head before bursting into proper tears. I buried my face in my hands as I sobbed. I wanted desperately for the thought of my best friend being murdered to go away but it wouldn't.

"Kirsty, stand up," I heard Johnny say softly and I moved my hands away from my face before being helped up by the long haired one. They led me through to a sitting room and sat me in a chair. I was still sobbing and the guy wiped my eyes some more where he crouched down in front of me. A maid bustled into the room with a glass of water which he made me drink even though I didn't want to.

Then he turned to his green eyed friend. "Well done you idiot," he frowned.

"I didn't know she didn't know, did I?!" He retorted.

"It- it's fine," I sobbed trying to stop my crying and calm down; I was becoming all hot and flustered and I didn't want to go red faced in front of these handsome men. "Johnny, can we go home?"

I saw him nod and with that I pulled my self up to my feet. I thanked the four men and bid them good day before leaving. With two things now pushed to the back of my mind, I hurried home to Whitechapel so I could see Sarah.