Children of Toil ✔

Chapter Nine

To her surprise he turned up at The Crown that night. Meggy didn't go to him but instead pretended not to notice him. She had plans to somehow, through him, get back at Olivia. To take away what was good in her life, to destroy her as she had helped ruin Meggy.

Meggy decided to toy with Maurice Berry, perhaps make him fall in love with her if that was possible.

He approached her meekly and searched the room before speaking. "Hello again."

Meggy looked up from the table she was wiping and faked a surprised smile. "Hello again." She mimicked and waited for him to say more.

He shuffled his foot backwards and forwards before speaking. "We met today. At the show."

Meg moved off to the next table, looked back at him as she did so, and smiled. "Aye, Mister Berry we did that."

Maurice took his hat from his head, followed her, and watched as she bent and wiped the next table. "I... I want to apologize for Olivia's behaviour today."

Meggy saw his gaze was fixed on her backside. She continued to work so he wouldn't see her smile. When she was able to keep a straight face, she stood and looked at him, then shyly glanced away and studied the dish cloth. "You dinnae have tae apologize for your wife, sir. That be up ta her I think." She moved to the next table.

Maurice traipsed after her. "She told me about the journey. How... well... I don't have to say it."

Turning abruptly at his words, Meggy placed her hands on her hips. "Aye, Mister Berry. You nae have ta tell me how your cat of a wife and her cousin ruined my life. I live it every day."

Maurice was taken aback. He stared at her, and then looked around the room.

"Tis all right, Mister Berry, there's no one sober enough here to have heard a word I just said. Now is that all you came ta say or have you somethin' else on your mind." Her voice softened. "I dinnae want it ta be this way, but they left me no choice." Meggy felt her heart ache, her determination withered as her hopelessness flourish. Her way of life wasn't this man's fault and the hate she felt for Olivia dwindled. Meggy sighed, knowing the woman had done what she had because she believed Meggy to be bad, a threat even. But, how do you tell someone, who's never had to fight to live, that their interpretation of what is good and bad is so different from the person who is fighting the fight.

Meg released her breath in defeat and looked once again, down at the cloth in her hands. "What I do ta put food in my mouth dinnae make me a bad person, Mister Berry."

He reached out, touched her face and brushed the loose hair behind her ear. Then he took her chin and lifted it. "I know," he said simply, and then added, "I came because I wanted you to know that I understand that, and now my wife does too." He smiled and left Meggy standing, stunned.

She watched him leave. When he didn't look back Meggy grinned. She smiled because for the first time in a long while she had not read what was in a man's mind and this gave her new hope. Maybe, just maybe, not every man was the same.

*

The bar had begun to fill with sailors from the H.M.S. Paluma and Rapid. Both were war ships which had docked that day. A Masonic Ball was being held in their honour. Good money had been made when the H.M.S. Royalist had landed in July and even better money was to be made now. Many of the sailors and show goers would leave the ball early and frequent the joss houses, gambling dens and brothels in Sachs Street.

Meggy needed to get herself in the right frame of mind. "Bee, I'm going ta freshen up. Can Sue Lin keep an eye on the tables for me?"

"Jesus, Meg, do you have to, at this minute? The place is fillin' up quick and Adelaide hasn't come down from her last customer yet!"