always been. In spite of this, Eliza knew that he had not slept much at all; she had awakened several times to hear him pacing the floor, but each time she had drifted back into a sleep of sheer exhaustion. Having left the sail loft clean and without a trace of having beenused, Eliza set about cleaning the shop floor, dusting and tidying the counter ready for opening.
Enoch arrived on the stroke of seven and, as she let him into the shop, Eliza glanced up at him nervously, wondering what sort of mood he was in this morning. As he strode past her, his face was pale and tight with anger. At first he did not speak and she found his silence more frightening than a tirade of words. She stood, shifting from one foot to the other, while he went behind the counter and took down the stock book.
She licked her dry lips. ‘Wh-what do you want me to do next, Uncle?’
Enoch looked at her for the first time, his brows knotted together over the bridge of his nose. ‘Come here, girl.’
She hesitated, eyeing him warily.
‘You set Bart on me by telling lies, I know very well you did.’ Unbuckling his leather belt, he doubled it up, slapping it against the palm of his hand. ‘You need a lesson in respect for your elders. I can’t have you turning out bad like your brother. Come here.’
‘No! I won’t. You can’t beat me for nothing. You promised Bart you’d look after me. You swore on the Bible.’
‘Insolent child!’ Before she had a chance to escape, Enoch caught Eliza by the scruff of her neck, forcing her to bend over a pile of coiledrope. He brought the belt down across her backside with such force that the air exploded from her lungs in a howl of pain. Again and again he thrashed her until she fell, half-fainting, to the floor. Dimly, she heard the door open and the sound of chattering voices that ceased abruptly.
‘Gawd’s strewth, man. You’ve half killed the poor little sod.’ Ted’s voice was harsh with rage as he lifted Eliza up in his arms. ‘Fetch some water, Davy.’
‘Leave her be,’ Enoch snarled. ‘She’s a limb of Satan and she deserved every last lash of my belt.’
‘I’ve never even beaten me apprentices with such viciousness, and some of them deserved a lot worse. Why, Eliza’s nothing more than a child and a girl at that. Call yourself a good Christian man, Enoch Bragg. I’d say it was Satan that had got into you.’
‘Her brother is a murderer. Bartholomew Bragg is a cold-blooded killer who attacked an innocent man and sent him to his grave. He is a bastard in the true sense of the word and they’ve both got tainted blood. It’ll be the workhouse for her before the day is over.’
‘You’d do that to your own kith and kin?’ Ted set Eliza gently down on her feet, supporting her with his arm around her waist.
‘She’s no kin of mine. I’m washing my hands of her as from today.’
Eliza leaned against Ted, too bruised and sore to take in the enormity of Uncle Enoch’s words. This was a nightmare: it couldn’t be happening. She felt Ted’s arm tighten around her and he shook his fist in Enoch’s face. ‘You’re an evil old codger, and no mistake.’
‘Bah! You’re a soft-hearted old fool.’ Enoch spat the words as he retreated behind the counter.
Davy came running in from the yard, carrying a mug of water. ‘Here, Liza, take a sip of this.’
Wetting her dry lips, Eliza managed to drink some of the cool water. ‘Ta, Davy.’
‘He’s a brute,’ Davy whispered. ‘My old man ain’t as bad as that, even when he’s boozed up.’
‘Get to your work.’ Enoch pointed a shaking finger at Ginger, Carrots and Dippy Dan who were standing in the doorway open-mouthed. ‘Get up that ladder, you’re cluttering up my shop. And that goes for you too, Peck. I’ll thank you to mind your own business.’
Ted squared up to Enoch, sticking out his chin. ‘I’m making it my business, Enoch Bragg. You’re not fit to look after a dog, let alone a child. Never mind what
Enoch arrived on the stroke of seven and, as she let him into the shop, Eliza glanced up at him nervously, wondering what sort of mood he was in this morning. As he strode past her, his face was pale and tight with anger. At first he did not speak and she found his silence more frightening than a tirade of words. She stood, shifting from one foot to the other, while he went behind the counter and took down the stock book.
She licked her dry lips. ‘Wh-what do you want me to do next, Uncle?’
Enoch looked at her for the first time, his brows knotted together over the bridge of his nose. ‘Come here, girl.’
She hesitated, eyeing him warily.
‘You set Bart on me by telling lies, I know very well you did.’ Unbuckling his leather belt, he doubled it up, slapping it against the palm of his hand. ‘You need a lesson in respect for your elders. I can’t have you turning out bad like your brother. Come here.’
‘No! I won’t. You can’t beat me for nothing. You promised Bart you’d look after me. You swore on the Bible.’
‘Insolent child!’ Before she had a chance to escape, Enoch caught Eliza by the scruff of her neck, forcing her to bend over a pile of coiledrope. He brought the belt down across her backside with such force that the air exploded from her lungs in a howl of pain. Again and again he thrashed her until she fell, half-fainting, to the floor. Dimly, she heard the door open and the sound of chattering voices that ceased abruptly.
‘Gawd’s strewth, man. You’ve half killed the poor little sod.’ Ted’s voice was harsh with rage as he lifted Eliza up in his arms. ‘Fetch some water, Davy.’
‘Leave her be,’ Enoch snarled. ‘She’s a limb of Satan and she deserved every last lash of my belt.’
‘I’ve never even beaten me apprentices with such viciousness, and some of them deserved a lot worse. Why, Eliza’s nothing more than a child and a girl at that. Call yourself a good Christian man, Enoch Bragg. I’d say it was Satan that had got into you.’
‘Her brother is a murderer. Bartholomew Bragg is a cold-blooded killer who attacked an innocent man and sent him to his grave. He is a bastard in the true sense of the word and they’ve both got tainted blood. It’ll be the workhouse for her before the day is over.’
‘You’d do that to your own kith and kin?’ Ted set Eliza gently down on her feet, supporting her with his arm around her waist.
‘She’s no kin of mine. I’m washing my hands of her as from today.’
Eliza leaned against Ted, too bruised and sore to take in the enormity of Uncle Enoch’s words. This was a nightmare: it couldn’t be happening. She felt Ted’s arm tighten around her and he shook his fist in Enoch’s face. ‘You’re an evil old codger, and no mistake.’
‘Bah! You’re a soft-hearted old fool.’ Enoch spat the words as he retreated behind the counter.
Davy came running in from the yard, carrying a mug of water. ‘Here, Liza, take a sip of this.’
Wetting her dry lips, Eliza managed to drink some of the cool water. ‘Ta, Davy.’
‘He’s a brute,’ Davy whispered. ‘My old man ain’t as bad as that, even when he’s boozed up.’
‘Get to your work.’ Enoch pointed a shaking finger at Ginger, Carrots and Dippy Dan who were standing in the doorway open-mouthed. ‘Get up that ladder, you’re cluttering up my shop. And that goes for you too, Peck. I’ll thank you to mind your own business.’
Ted squared up to Enoch, sticking out his chin. ‘I’m making it my business, Enoch Bragg. You’re not fit to look after a dog, let alone a child. Never mind what
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