Bound to Please

Chapter 1: I am courted

The magistrate stared at me and I lowered my eyes, hoping that my welling tears would plead my innocence. "Mary Roper," he said at last, "you are accused of the crime of murder, what do you have to say?"

"I am innocent, sir. Mr Chandler was a good master. I would never hurt Mr Chandler."

"The defendant will be held in custody while investigations continue. Take her away."

The sergeant led me out of the courtroom and along the short passage to my cell. The heavy door closed behind me and the lock clicked shut. My knees felt weak as water and I sat heavily on the board that served as bed and chair. Time passed slowly before the door was opened again. The sergeant ordered me to stand and hold out my hands for the manacles. When he had put them on he led me to a small room next to the court.

The Magistrate, Mr Hornchurch, was seated at a desk drinking a cup of tea. He motioned me to sit on the bench opposite him. The Sergeant stood beside me.

"Now girl," says Mr Hornchurch, "it is time you told us what happened. You need to tell us everything or you are going to end up swinging on the end of a rope. Mrs Chandler says you were with her and Mrs Jenkins when Mr Chandler called for you, is that right?"

"Yes sir, Mrs Jenkins and me were sorting out the bed linen and Mrs Chandler came in to check what we were doing. Then Mr Chandler called for me and Mrs Jenkins told me to go and see to him."

"And did you go to him?"

"Yes sir, I went down and he asked me to fetch a bottle of port. Mr Watkins usually looks after the master but he was gone somewhere so he called for me to fetch it."

"What was Mr Chandler doing when you went in the room?"

"He was at his desk sir, and he says get me a bottle of port Mary, so I curtsied like I always do and went out to fetch the port."

"Then what happened?"

"When I was going back to the room I heard Mrs Chandler scream and when I went in the room Mr Chandler was lying across his desk and there was blood all over and on the back of his head."

"And what happened to the bottle of port you was fetching?" the Sergeant growled. "Mrs Chandler said you had no bottle of port with you when you came in the room."

"I couldn't get it sir, the cellar was locked and I don't have a key."

"So Mr Chandler sent you to get a bottle of port and you didn't ask him for the key?"

"I didn't know the cellar was locked. He never sent me to get his port before, Mr Watkins looks after the cellar."

"You killed him girl, stove his head in with a poker. Why did you do it? Tell the truth, it might save you from the hangman." I burst into tears. "He was going to turn you out cos you was in the family way. Mrs Jenkins told us all about it. Was that why you killed him?"

I could barely speak, but I heard what was being said. A pregnant woman is a fallen woman. A fallen woman is a guilty woman. "I'm not in the family way," I whispered.

"Not now. Lost it, didn't you. A few weeks ago you was poorly. Lost the child. You was blackmailing him and when you lost the child he wouldn't pay up so you killed him."

I wiped my eyes, sniffed loudly and looked at the Sergeant. "Why would I kill him? If everything you say is true I wasn't having a baby and I wasn't being turned out. Why would I kill him? And if I did kill him why didn't I run off? Why would I go back to the room when the mistress screamed?" I looked at the magistrate. "Please sir, tell him to stop saying I killed Mr Chandler and that I was with child and I lost a baby. How can I have lost a baby when I wasn't in the family way? I was sick from something I ate. I told Mrs Jenkins that."

"You was the only person in the house what could have done it," the sergeant said.

"He was dead and Mrs Chandler was standing by his body when I went in the room."

"Are you saying Mrs Chandler killed her husband?" The sergeant sounded shocked.

"No, the mistress wouldn't kill nobody."

"Where is Mr Chandler's man Watkins?" the magistrate asked.

"I don't know sir. He went away somewhere the day before it happened and Mr Chandler was ever so angry that morning that he wasn't back."

"And you did not see Watkins on the day of the murder?"

"No sir. He hadn't come back."

"Did Watkins dislike Mr Chandler?"

"Oh no, sir. Mr Chandler was real good to him. He was happy working in the house."

"And you? Were you happy working for Mr Chandler? Was he good to you too?" He looked me up and down in the way men do to girls.

"Oh yes, sir." I sniffed again. "He was very good to me. I couldn't say a bad word against Mr Chandler, sir." I knew what he was asking. I peeped at him from under my eyelashes and then looked down at my hands."

"I see," he said. "Sergeant, could you leave us alone for a few minutes? I think Miss Roper would be more able to talk in private."

"She's a dangerous woman sir. It's clear that she killed Mr Chandler. She's the only one as could have done it."

"She is manacled. I think I can cope if she tries to attack me." I looked at him in surprise and he gave me a little smile in return. He wanted to hear my story and he expected to enjoy it.

"As you wish sir," the sergeant said. I was still staring at my hands when I heard the door close behind him.

"Now we can be more comfortable, Mary. Don't be shy girl, I am a man of the world, I won't be shocked. Mrs Jenkins said you were with child."

"I wasn't with child, sir."

"Were you and Mr Chandler on intimate terms? You know what I mean by that don't you Mary?"

I continued looking at my hands and took my decision. "Yes, sir," I whispered.

"And were you?"

"Yes, sir."

"And did he force you?"

"No sir, not really sir. I couldn't really say no for I could have lost me place and ended on the streets, but, he didn't force me sir. He was kind."

"Tell me about it, Mary."

"I can't sir. Oh sir," I peeped at him from under my eyelashes. He wanted to hear about it. He wanted the details. "Oh sir, I would be too embarrassed, some of the things he did to me sir."

"But he didn't force you?"

"No sir, I wanted to please him. That's why I couldn't have hurt him, sir. He was my Master. I belonged to him." I put my hands over my face and could see his reaction between my fingers. He moved in his seat, adjusting himself for comfort. I knew then that I could convince him of my innocence. At that thought I almost laughed. I had stopped being innocent a long time before.

"I shall speak with you again Mary," Mr Hornchurch said. "You can trust me to act in your best interest." He raised his voice and called the sergeant. The door opened immediately. "You may take the prisoner back to her cell."