The Lace Balcony (69 page)

‘I never seen her read nothing.' She added helpfully, ‘But I seen her sign her name with a cross, Sir.'

‘Have you ever heard your mother say her prayers – Protestant or Catholic?'

Annie concentrated hard. ‘Ma says she's Catholic. Is that the same as Irish?'

‘Dumb as Paddy's pigs, an eedjit!' an unseen male voice snorted, causing the judge to demand silence in the court.

‘Do you know any priests or clergymen, Annie?'

‘Once a priest man came to our lodging house. To see an old woman what was ill. She died. He never came back again.'

‘Did anyone tell you what to say in this case, Annie?'

‘No, Sir. What do
you
want me to say, Sir?'

The judge looked disconcerted then gently dismissed her and called Mrs Foley to the witness box. ‘You are the mother of the child Annie Cole?'

‘I am being the woman Annie
calls
her ma. But she was only wished on me by her dead mother when she was a toddler.'

‘It would appear you have taught her nothing about God or religion.'

‘That's not true, y'Honour. I've done me best by her. But she's terrible ignorant, she is. Nothing can well be taught her.'

‘Did you ever send this child to school?'

‘A waste of time and money. Nothing sticks in her head two days running.'

‘Did you tell Annie what to say about the man who stands here accused?'

‘I did no such thing, Sir!'

‘Very well, you may return to your seat, Mrs Foley. But I must request you to be more particular in future about giving the girl religious instruction.'

He looked with sorrowful, rheumy eyes in Annie Cole's direction.

‘I regret it is impossible to proceed with this case by including the testimony of a child so ignorant of every sense of religion that she has no concept of God. Therefore she cannot be expected to understand the difference between right and wrong – or the consequences of telling a lie.'

Vianna hissed at Molly. ‘This trial is a farce. Do you want to leave, Molly?'

Molly shook her head.

The judge continued, ‘However I will allow the case to proceed without the testimony of the child – the claimed victim in this case.'

Baker politely answered the questions put to him, projecting the air of a man whose good reputation has been injured. ‘How could I know how old she was, your Honour? You heard her. She doesn't even know her age herself. But she's a big girl – with the body of a woman.'

Under questioning, he admitted he had seen the girl standing on a street corner in The Rocks that was a known venue of prostitutes. ‘She took me by the hand to a nearby laneway. She invited me to have my way with her person.'

Vianna felt sickened. She kept her arm around Molly's shoulders.

Pressed to continue, Baker became plaintive. ‘The girl never said no, your Honour. Never cried out. Never spoke a word . . . no, she didn't bleed – she was no virgin. She's a big girl as you can see. I had every reason to believe she was eleven – so connection with her was quite within the law, ain't it!'

Baker assumed the role of the aggrieved party. ‘There wasn't no problem until that Foley woman popped out of the bushes, crying out that I raped the girl. When I refused to give the woman any more money, she ran to the Watch House and the constable came and had me arrested.'

‘You say the girl gave her consent to your actions on her person?'

‘Indeed she did, Sir. It was her what solicited
me,
Sir. She asked me for a penny and I gave it to her.'

The judge said the words slowly. ‘The child asked you for a penny. Did you never think to ask Annie Cole her age, Baker?'

‘You heard her yourself, y'Honour. That little whore's so dumb she don't even know who Our Lord Jesus Christ is.'

Vianna struggled to remain seated.
Pity there isn't a law against hypocrisy – Baker would get Life.

The judge stared at Baker until the man became so disconcerted by the silence that he began to examine his fingernails. The jurymen conferred and quickly reached their verdict. The judge delivered it with an air of resignation. ‘The case has failed to establish the two principle points necessary to prove the crime was rape. I have no choice but to dismiss this case. Jos Baker, or whatever your name is, you are free to leave this court. I strongly advise you that in future you confine your activities to persons who are fully aware of what
kind of business you wish to transact – and that willing or not, they be not under the age of consent.'

Despite the judge's barely concealed contempt, Baker thanked His Honour profusely and feigned surprise when several women shouted out against the verdict. Now that he had been legally vindicated, Baker wanted the final word and addressed the spectators. ‘British justice has been seen to be done. I would never be guilty of harming a child. I am a family man with a dear daughter of my own.'

Vianna gasped in horror. Molly broke free from her embrace and yelled out to the judge. ‘Stop him!' He's a liar!' Trembling violently Molly pointed at Baker. ‘As God is my witness, he's my father! He did it to
me
when I was ten years old.'

Voices rose in confusion when Vianna leapt up onto the bench beside Molly, shaking her fist in the air.

Vianna's clear, pure voice carried the length of the court, causing the startled judge, flanked by the jury as he left the court, to turn around in response.

‘Shame on all of you!' Vianna would not be silenced. ‘This military jury is a farce. Trial by jury is our right under British law!'

Voices took up the cry, and the chants grew in strength. ‘Trial by jury!'

Mungo pushed his way through the volatile crowd towards Molly who was trying to reach her father, screaming out. ‘Let
me
take the oath, I believe in God!'

The moment he heard Molly's voice, Baker cowered against the guard for protection. Mungo caught Molly in his arms and held her head against his chest, signalling to the constables there was no need to restrain her.

Vianna stroked Molly's hair. ‘You're the bravest person I've ever known.'

‘No, I'm a coward. I was afraid of him.'

Mungo was adamant. ‘He walked free today, Molly. But the law will catch up with him. He'll end his days on Norfolk Island.'

Molly turned to Mungo in despair. ‘It's too late for me to charge my father, isn't it? But can nothing be done for that poor little girl?'

Albruna did not hesitate. ‘I give you my word, Molly Baker. I shall personally ensure that Annie Cole is taken from that woman and placed with a kind family.'

Mungo took charge. ‘You can believe that, Molly. Let's get you ladies home.'

He shouldered his way through the crowd that was closing in on the girls.

A man's voice cried out in triumph. ‘Hey, that's the Sydney Venus to be sure!'

Vianna saw the shock of recognition in Albruna's eyes. But the woman kept her head high and her arm around Molly's shoulders as she steered her to the carriage.

Looking directly at Vianna, Mrs L'Estrange said stiffly, ‘You'd best come with us.'

Mungo climbed up beside Old Crawford. The old man's eyes looked cloudy.

‘Home? Which road should I take? The road to the Cotswolds – or to Bath?'

Mungo realised the old man had mentally retreated to his native land.

‘Don't worry, Crawford. I know a much quicker route,' he said gently and took over the reins.

Vianna held Molly silently in her arms, her feelings equally divided between anger at the law's failure to deal with child rape, admiration for Molly's courage and respect for Mrs L'Estrange's dedication to helping women and child victims of the law. Vianna felt a wild surge of hope that this determined woman would help Mungo find Daisy.

On their arrival at Rockingham Hall Mungo caught hold of her, determined to detain her. ‘I must talk to you alone. Everything has changed. I'm a free man.'

She looked straight through him. ‘Nothing has changed, Mungo. I must go.'

Molly clung to her but Vianna saw the mistress of the house staring at her.

Well that's one cat that's well and truly out of the bag.

Mrs L'Estrange said stiffly, ‘I think you had better come inside, Miss Byron. Molly needs a close friend to support her.'

‘Thank you, ma'am.'

Later, after she had comforted Molly and watched over her as she lay resting in her bed in the attic, Vianna was surprised when
Mrs L'Estrange called her aside. ‘I understand you are Mungo Quayle's friend, searching for your sister. I regret we have had no success so far. But we won't give up. Meanwhile I have a message from a friend of yours I was able to place in work. Elizabeth Stuart.'

‘Wanda! How wonderful. Where is she, ma'am?'

‘She has chosen to work on a property down the South Coast – in the hope of tracing her mother's tribal people in the Illawarra. She wants you to know she is safe and well.'

‘Thank you, ma'am. More than I can say.'

Vianna curtseyed when the mistress of the house departed, leaving Vianna astonished at seeing Albruna L'Estrange in a new light.

A high-born lady intent on retaining her role in society. Yet this proves she knew Mungo had a notorious woman under her roof. She chose to turn a blind eye – and help him search for Daisy. No one in this house is what they seem!

•  •  •

Later that evening Mungo was in the garden, seated on the grass with his back against a gum tree, smoking a pipe. His attention was focused on Vianna's balcony – until out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a man's boots, polished to a high shine. His eye travelled up to the face. Will Eden was smiling.

‘What's up, Mungo, you look down in the dumps?'

‘Vianna won't talk to me. Can't say as I blame her. It wasn't exactly romantic to tell the woman I love to go to bed with my half-brother.'

Will looked sympathetic. ‘I reckon you could do with a bit of help. I admit my last bright idea got you transported to Moreton Bay. But
this
plan is fool proof. You'll make your fortune.'

‘Yeah? This isn't about another island with an active volcano is it?'

‘No, it's a wonderful city called Melbourne.'

‘Melbourne? Never heard of it.'

‘That's because it doesn't exist yet. But it's going to be a legendary city down south on Port Phillip Bay. Are you willing to hear me out . . .?'

Mungo threw up his hands in surrender. ‘What the hell. What have I got to lose?'

‘It's an ill wind that does nobody any good,' as Stepmother used to say. But it's hard to see how any good can come out of Jos Baker's trial.

Vianna sat shivering under a rug in a tiny attic room in Rockingham Hall, where Molly lay in an exhausted sleep in her cot bed, her normally suntanned face pinched and white, half-concealed by a patchwork quilt. Jane had brought it for her, along with a herbal drink to help her sleep. The girl's hair was plastered to her cheeks by her tears and she frowned in her sleep as if to trying to escape the dark images of a bad dream – or her childhood.

Within an hour of their arrival home the details of Baker's trial and Molly's outburst in court had spread through the L'Estrange mansions like a raging epidemic, encompassing the whole household. Vianna had even heard the raised voice of Kentigern L'Estrange responding to his wife's account of Molly's brave stand. It seemed all were angered but few surprised by the jury's decision.

Vianna slipped down the servants' stairs to the kitchen to ask Cook for a hot water bottle for Molly and found herself caught up in the midst of an ugly scene. Mrs Baker was surrounded by a cluster of assigned servants and under a crossfire of questions.

Cockney George was the most vocal. ‘What did the judge say when Molly accused her father?' he demanded.

Another servant chipped in, ‘Molly's branded herself now. No decent man will marry her.'

And another, ‘She was just a little kid. Why didn't you protect her from him?'

Mrs Baker was red-faced with anger. ‘You've seen how violent he is. I did the best I could – left the bugger and took Molly with me. Rockingham Hall is the only place we've ever been safe from him – thanks to Master Felix and Mungo Quayle.'

Vianna cut across their arguments. ‘Leave Molly in peace. I was there in court, you weren't. What she did took great courage. You've
no right to judge her or her mother. You have to live with a violent man before you know how it feels.'

That silenced them. Cockney George took control. ‘Yeah, come on you lot. Quit your magging and get back to your places before the Mistress catches ye.'

That had the desired effect. They scattered in all directions.

Vianna returned to the attic with the hot water bottle, feeling a wave of pride at the protective roles played by ‘the brothers L'Estrange'. But where was Felix right now? Whatever had occurred at
Mookaboola,
Molly's tears and the clues behind her words gave Vianna the strong impression that Felix had been ‘consoled' by Molly – but now had cold feet.

Vianna knew it was too late for legal justice for Molly. The law was blind to the rights of children. But she believed she knew Felix better than he knew himself – a dreamer with his head in the stars, he was above all a stickler for preserving family honour. Now, through no fault of her own, Molly's past trauma was public property. Vianna was convinced Felix would express sincere support in private, but if his relationship with Cook's daughter were to become known, she suspected he would withdraw into his protective shell.

That's a problem only Felix can solve. Mine is finding Daisy. I feel sure Severin knows where she is. Time is running out. The
Bussorah Merchant
is my one chance of a free passage. Why is it I feel Daisy is close by me? Just out of sight . . .