Workhouse Waif

Chapter Three

That afternoon, after Bella's release, Miss Ainsty kept her back to fill up inkwells, cut pencils and perform the various little tasks all schoolchildren considered a privilege. She felt it was the least she could do, for in her philosophy, children could only flourish if they knew kindness.

Bella had known there'd be problems with Marie Froggatt and her little group of bullying girls. Marie had come to Bristol from one of the wool factories in a neighbouring town. There'd been a bad fire and the family had all lost their work so the parents were in here too, though they saw little of their daughter. But they still had the chance of freedom, of a return to work once the mill was rebuilt, all modern, with new concrete floors, not wood. Wood absorbed oil from the machines and had fuelled the blaze that had ruined everything.

The Froggatts would get out, and Bella would still be in. So, they took chances, those bold girls led by Marie, thinking themselves above the other inmates, above the laws that governed the folk in the warehouse. The only retribution to be hoped for must be personal and secret. Bella was always plotting vengeance for injustice, revenge that would never be traced back to herself.

Her mind worked on her plan as she poured the ink into the china inkwells. Miss Ainsty meant well by keeping her back and she didn't mind it because the place was often too noisy, or she was too exhausted, to work out her thoughts.

"You should try and keep out of trouble, Bella," Miss Ainsty said. "You know Marie and her friends are always spoiling for a fight. And you always give it to them. And somehow, I don't know why, it's always you who ends up getting punished, even though you didn't start it all. If you could just ignore them, and turn the other cheek. You'd be much happier."

"They're the ones that do wrong, Miss, calling names. My Pa will sort them out as soon as he gets a chance. He'll get us all out of here soon."

Miss Ainsty turned her back and started wiping the list of Kings and Queens from the blackboard. For all Bella seemed so tough, she was just a frightened little girl at heart. In some kind of fantasy world she'd invented for herself, she'd picked a mother and father from amongst the inmates, so she could say she had a family like the other girls. The man and woman weren't even a couple, and Bella had never spoken to either of them. But she'd claimed a silent, tow-haired woman with a tragic face for her mother. The woman was never likely to dispute it—it seemed she'd lost her tongue through some trauma years before, and had not said a word to anybody since.

Bella's choice of a father was far more understandable. The man she referred to as "Pa" was the stockiest—and also the most handsome—fellow in the workhouse. He was full of pride, determined to get out, and more than happy to fight his way out if necessary. He had a temper on him matching Bella's, and his fist was as firm as the rest of his muscles. The men often deliberately goaded him into a battle so they could bet their meagre provisions on the outcome. It wasn't much of a gamble—Rob Withers' blows flew straight and sure. He hardly ever lost.

He was always just about to leave the workhouse, as he told his mates, so he didn't much care for the rules or anything. He liked the way they were impressed when he told them this so he said it a lot and they always begged him to stay a little longer because with his strong arm and quick temper, they knew they could rely on him to see them right.

But no one could have predicted what the ultimate outcome of that temper would be, nor the affect it would have on little Bella Hart.

If you want to read more, this book will be published June 4th 2020. Keep an eye out for the reminders! Here's the link- http://mybook.to/workhouse