Read Online No Peace for Amelia by Siobhan Parkinson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Siobhan Parkinson
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dark smell of creosote came up into the room from the joists beneath, and warm, musty air from under the floor came with it.
Amelia’s grandmother looked at Mary Ann in consternation , but Mary Ann didn’t catch her eye. With a moan, she fainted, her knees folding like the hasp of a penknife and her apron billowing as she went down in a graceless heap on the floor. Because the room was so full of people , there wasn’t space for her to stretch out and she lay huddled together like a collapsed marionette. Amelia’sgrandmother had to step over her before she could turn to minister to her.
Mary Ann’s lips were blue and her face was greyish-white and bloodless. The grandmother shook her shoulders and spoke her name. When Mary Ann didn’t respond , she smacked her briskly in the face. Mary Ann’s hand went up to her smitten cheek and she opened her eyes. ‘Ma?’ she whispered. ‘Ma?’
‘Mary Ann!’ said the old lady. ‘Mary Ann. It is I, Hannah Pim. Can you hear me?’
Mary Ann’s eyes opened wider in surprise, and she put a hand to her head. Then she started to struggle to her feet.
The soldiers had forced up more floorboards and were still groping among the joists. Edmund sat on the top step of the ladder-stairway – for there was no room for him inside – and wept quietly to himself.
Mary Ann stood up, helped by the old woman, and she faced the men who had violated her private world of memories and grief – for her precious letters lay strewn around the room, some of them torn from their envelopes , and one at least torn in two, where an impatient hand had ripped it against the knotted bootlace – and said: ‘I hope yous are satisfied now. You’ve wrecked my room, you’ve upset the child and God knows what damage you’ve done. Will you go now, please, since you haven’t found – what you – came – for.’ It was a long speech for someone who’d just come out of aswoon, and Mary Ann’s voice petered away as she came to the end of it, but her stance was firm if her voice was weak.
‘By God and we will not,’ retorted the officer. ‘We’ll find it all right. Come on, lads!’ And he led the clumping heavy-footed band down the stairs again. They upturned a few pieces of small furniture in the other bedrooms, and swung the curtains half-heartedly, but they didn’t really expect to find anything there. They went on downstairs again, and had a good rummage in the kitchen and the scullery. They rumbled the coal about in the bunker in the yard, and they pitched paint tins and garden tools around the potting shed. One of them poked pointlessly among the branches of the apple sapling in the back garden and sliced a twig off with his weapon. Then they marched back through the house again, carrying coal dust from the mess they had made at the coalbunker and leaving coaly footprints in the kitchen, dwindling to black smudges as they reached the hall.
They shook out the coats under the stairs and upturned people’s innocent high boots where they stood waiting for wet weather or a trip to the country and they even opened out an umbrella, twirling it pointlessly and bending a spoke or two. They gave a cursory look in the dining room and rattled the crockery in the sideboard, and then they turned their attention to the drawing room. A brass log box stood by the fire, and they heavedall the logs out of it. They opened the ottoman and yanked out all the blankets and old curtains it contained. They opened the lid of the piano, which stood inoffensively against the wall, and ran their gross fingers along the pins and boards, creating a muffled cacophony which made them laugh. They swished the curtains and finally they wrenched the cushions from the chairs and pulled at the innards of the upholstery.
All this time, Grandmama, with her hand under Mary Ann’s elbow to steady her, and a silently weeping Edmund followed them wretchedly from room to room, Edmund keeping his eyes averted all the time, and
Amelia’s grandmother looked at Mary Ann in consternation , but Mary Ann didn’t catch her eye. With a moan, she fainted, her knees folding like the hasp of a penknife and her apron billowing as she went down in a graceless heap on the floor. Because the room was so full of people , there wasn’t space for her to stretch out and she lay huddled together like a collapsed marionette. Amelia’sgrandmother had to step over her before she could turn to minister to her.
Mary Ann’s lips were blue and her face was greyish-white and bloodless. The grandmother shook her shoulders and spoke her name. When Mary Ann didn’t respond , she smacked her briskly in the face. Mary Ann’s hand went up to her smitten cheek and she opened her eyes. ‘Ma?’ she whispered. ‘Ma?’
‘Mary Ann!’ said the old lady. ‘Mary Ann. It is I, Hannah Pim. Can you hear me?’
Mary Ann’s eyes opened wider in surprise, and she put a hand to her head. Then she started to struggle to her feet.
The soldiers had forced up more floorboards and were still groping among the joists. Edmund sat on the top step of the ladder-stairway – for there was no room for him inside – and wept quietly to himself.
Mary Ann stood up, helped by the old woman, and she faced the men who had violated her private world of memories and grief – for her precious letters lay strewn around the room, some of them torn from their envelopes , and one at least torn in two, where an impatient hand had ripped it against the knotted bootlace – and said: ‘I hope yous are satisfied now. You’ve wrecked my room, you’ve upset the child and God knows what damage you’ve done. Will you go now, please, since you haven’t found – what you – came – for.’ It was a long speech for someone who’d just come out of aswoon, and Mary Ann’s voice petered away as she came to the end of it, but her stance was firm if her voice was weak.
‘By God and we will not,’ retorted the officer. ‘We’ll find it all right. Come on, lads!’ And he led the clumping heavy-footed band down the stairs again. They upturned a few pieces of small furniture in the other bedrooms, and swung the curtains half-heartedly, but they didn’t really expect to find anything there. They went on downstairs again, and had a good rummage in the kitchen and the scullery. They rumbled the coal about in the bunker in the yard, and they pitched paint tins and garden tools around the potting shed. One of them poked pointlessly among the branches of the apple sapling in the back garden and sliced a twig off with his weapon. Then they marched back through the house again, carrying coal dust from the mess they had made at the coalbunker and leaving coaly footprints in the kitchen, dwindling to black smudges as they reached the hall.
They shook out the coats under the stairs and upturned people’s innocent high boots where they stood waiting for wet weather or a trip to the country and they even opened out an umbrella, twirling it pointlessly and bending a spoke or two. They gave a cursory look in the dining room and rattled the crockery in the sideboard, and then they turned their attention to the drawing room. A brass log box stood by the fire, and they heavedall the logs out of it. They opened the ottoman and yanked out all the blankets and old curtains it contained. They opened the lid of the piano, which stood inoffensively against the wall, and ran their gross fingers along the pins and boards, creating a muffled cacophony which made them laugh. They swished the curtains and finally they wrenched the cushions from the chairs and pulled at the innards of the upholstery.
All this time, Grandmama, with her hand under Mary Ann’s elbow to steady her, and a silently weeping Edmund followed them wretchedly from room to room, Edmund keeping his eyes averted all the time, and
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