Ettie was about to hurry forward when the noise came again. Before she could turn, two great hands landed on her shoulders and sent her flying. She lay stunned on the grass.
‘No one gets the better of old Jim,’ hissed the man she’d been running from. He loomed over her, his breath coming in short, sharp jerks. ‘Where’s your money? Give it over and I might let you go.’
Ettie blinked, trying to scramble away. But he was soon upon her, grabbing her roughly and pulling her into the bushes.
‘Help!’ she screamed wildly.
‘No one’s gonna hear you,’ he snarled. ‘So, you’d better cough up or else!’
Ettie was so frightened she couldn’t speak. Her body seemed frozen. The smell of the man made her feel sick. What was he going to do to her?
She soon found out.
‘You asked for it!’ he roared and tore off her coat, pushing his fingers into its empty pockets. When he found they were empty, he let out an angry roar.
‘Don’t, please!’ she cried, as he raised a hand to strike her.
But the slap burned painfully across her dirty cheek. Ettie was stunned. She had never been struck before. This action was something very new to her. The life she had lived with the sisters was one of peace and prayer. The nuns would never condone violence. If any of the orphans were naughty or disobeyed, they were sent to Mother Superior who gave them a passage to learn from the catechism.
As Ettie gazed up at her attacker, she knew that this would not be the last of the blows, when he discovered she had no money …
All she could do was to raise her hands to defend herself. The man dug roughly into her smock and Ettie screamed.
Suddenly he stood still. His sweating face had a strange look, a startled expression. Just above his eyes a small round mark appeared on his forehead.
The thud of his falling body made Ettie jump. He lay silent on the ground, his beard entwined with the dry leaves and dirt. A bright red swelling was beginning to appear around the tiny mark.
Ettie scrambled away, afraid he would stir and grab her. But he just lay there, a trickle of saliva oozing from his open mouth.
She stood up and pulled on her torn coat and shawl. To her surprise, a soft voice whispered, ‘Don’t worry, he’s out for the count.’
Ettie swung round. ‘Michael!’
She almost didn’t recognise him. He was dressed much smarter than she had ever seen him dressed at the orphanage. His coat and trousers were not patched or darned. His dark hair was brushed neatly and cut shorter. Even his boots looked shined and respectable.
‘Welcome to the wide world,’ he chuckled, his grey eyes twinkling. ‘You found yourself some trouble at last. But Old Jim won’t bother you again. I took care of that.’
‘It was you?’ Ettie stared at the still figure.
‘I did what David did to Goliath,’ he replied and slid a small catapult from inside his jacket pocket. ‘Remember the stories you read to us?’
‘Yes, but they were only stories.’
‘What’s the point of the Bible then?’
Before Ettie could answer the man stirred.
‘Better get moving, Old Jim’s only stunned,’ Michael said taking her arm. ‘Let’s get out of this place.’
‘Old Jim? You know him?’
‘Everyone does. But I didn’t know he came in the park. Sorry. We should have met somewhere else.’
They stood at the fountain and Michael pointed to the trickle of water. ‘Take a drink and we’ll be on our way.’
Ettie was grateful for the cool, reviving water. But she kept glancing around, imagining Old Jim hiding in the wood. If it hadn’t been for Michael, what would have happened to her?
She wiped her mouth on her torn sleeve. ‘Thank you for saving me.’
‘You’re my girl. I’ll always look after you.’
Ettie smiled as the warm feeling spread inside her chest. She knew a bond was forming between them.
Chapter 6
Seated with Michael on a grassy bank of the lake, Ettie's legs finally stopped shaking. Michael had assured her that Old Jim would not follow. All around the lake there was a neat path. The well-dressed children were playing in the weak rays of the afternoon sun. Couples were strolling by the water and feeding the ducks.
‘He wouldn’t dare show himself here,’ Michael explained. ‘The toffs would call a rozzer.’
‘Why did he come after me?’
‘The way you speak. It’s posh. You looked like you might have some money. If not, he’d have nabbed you.’
Ettie gasped. ‘Nabbed me?’
‘They say he uses kids to work for him.’
‘How do you know all this?’
Michael shrugged. ‘I’ve lived on the streets most of me life.’
‘Don’t you have any family?’ She had never asked him before.
‘Hah!’ Michael scoffed. ‘So far as I know I’ve got none. And what would I want with them anyway? Someone who chucks their kid in the workhouse is no better than Old Jim.’
‘Your parents put you in the workhouse?’
Michael stared at her disbelievingly. ‘Where do you think a kid like me comes from?’
‘I thought … well, I …’
‘Forget it,’ he cut in moodily. Ettie could see the hurt in his eyes. ‘I don’t care what you thought. Or anyone thinks. I’ll prove you all wrong and get rich one day. And, I won’t care how I do it or who I tread on to get to the top.’
‘Oh, Michael, don’t speak like that.’ Ettie shivered as she always did when he sounded so bitter.
‘Have you been given your marching orders?’ he asked sullenly.
She tried to push back the tears and nodded.
‘There you are, you see. I told you so.’
‘It’s what Rome wants,’ Ettie argued.
‘Rome is where they hoard the loot,’ Michael muttered coldly. ‘The Sisters of Clemency are skint. The East End is on its uppers
