Beyond Innocence Read Online Free PDF Page B

smile.
    In the long hours they worked side-by-side, Electra felt Lizzie’s eyes on her. She knew Lizzie, like the others, did not trust her and the few words exchanged while they tended to Mary were more than had been said throughout the entire voyage. As difficult as it was to accept, Electra understood why the women would hate her. For them, she represented the class they held responsible for their poverty and hardship. However, in the past few hours she sensed something had changed between herself and Lizzie and suspected she had found an ally.
    The pains now came at closer intervals and at Lizzie’s instruction, Electra gently massaged Mary’s belly. The skin was stretched as tight as a drum and the baby had moved low onto the pelvis. Lizzie stroked her rough fingers over the hard lump to ensure it was the slope of the baby’s back. Then she put her ear to Mary’s stomach to listen to the baby’s heartbeat.
    Electra watched, fascinated, until Lizzie lifted her head and pointed at Mary’s belly. “Here, put yer hand down and see if yer can feel the back of its skull.” Lizzie took Electra’s hand and guided it to where the birth canal began.
    “Oh, Lizzie, I can feel it,” she gasped.
    The older woman blinked at Electra then urged Mary to push. But the young girl had lost the strength to cooperate.
    Finally, Lizzie turned and rubbed her aching back. “If she don’t do somefin’ right now, we gonna be buryin’ two bodies soon as we hit land.”
    This sparked a reaction from Mary who lifted her head and screamed, “No you ain’t.” And with an almighty effort, pushed a pale, scrawny boy into Lizzie’s scrambling hands.
    There was a moment’s silence from the incredulous onlookers. Then with the realization it was done, they cheered the courageous new mother and fussed over the squirming newborn. Lizzie wrapped him in a strip of her skirt and put him back into his mother’s arms.
    With weary effort, Electra wiped a stray tear from her face as she pondered the miracle she had just witnessed. To think that even in the filthy hold of a prison ship, an innocent baby could move the hearts of the most implacable women. She sucked in a deep breath and savoured a moment of euphoria for the first time in many months.
    The dark, cramped quarters were silent. The only sound was the raspy wheeze of old Lizzie Cranston, exhausted after her night’s work. Distracted by hours of Mary’s screams, no one at first noticed the ship had ceased to roll until Hetty Bender jumped up and squealed with excitement.
    “It’s the cove. We’re here. Jeezuz, it’s bloody over.”
    “Nar, lass, it’s just startin’,” croaked Lizzie. The old woman glanced over to Electra and nodded her thanks.
    A deep chill skittered down her spine.
    They had arrived.

Chapter Two
    Sydney Town, Australia
    “Sir. Mister Radcliffe, sir. The Liberty is after being ready to unload. What be your orders?”
    William Radcliffe flexed his tanned arms to ease the ache in his back and rubbed at his stubbled chin.
    “Move the wagons closer to the ship, Sean. Then you and the other two board and wait for me on deck. I don’t want any of those light-fingered dockworkers near my goods.”
    “Sure now and I remember the last time, sir.” The man, about to move off, paused and turned back, “And I saw the new lamb. A grand wee thing she is too. Ye’ll not have had much sleep I’ll wager.”
    William Radcliffe smiled. “Yes, she is perfect. The first from my new stock of Spanish Merinos. Damned ship could have picked a better day to dock; I’ve only had two hours’ sleep.” He yawned and as Sean moved off, William made the mistake of glancing toward the road.
    “Helloo, Mister Radcliffe. Over here,” called the older of two women standing by a carriage.
    He groaned as he recognised Mrs. Litchfield and her daughter, Wilhelmina. The woman was desperate to find a husband for her very dull daughter and had targeted William. Mrs. Litchfield waved her