Veiled Vengeance

Warning: this piece contains slavery, abuse, and implied sexual abuse

Rumour had it that Mr Williams’ new wife was the most exquisite creature bestowed upon man. That’s what I heard Dr Jones say when he came by last night. He said you gave her something blue alright. 

Brides had to wear something blue, didn’t they?

Sarah in the kitchen said her name was Georgette, but I’d heard from May that her name was Adriana—something exotic—like the Adriatic Sea, if that was even a real place.

Apparently no one’s ever seen her face! Except Mr Williams—surely he would have when he lifted her veil. I heard Mama tell Aunt June that he beat her face black and blue.

I thought I saw her yesterday, walking across the upper landing from her bedroom to Mr Williams’. But Mama pulled me away from the stairs by the hair, telling me it was rude to stare. She said if I stared too long they’d pluck out my eyes so I had nothing to stare with. 

It would be nice to live upstairs. 

Sarah said she never saw Georgette without her veil. Or her gloves for that matter. Strange woman, that’s what she called her. 

Aunt June said Billy ran away last night. I didn’t tell her, but I thought I saw Mrs Williams take him away. Maybe he saw her without her veil?

No one saw Mrs Williams that week. Except Dr Jones. I heard him tell Mr Williams he was a damn fool for keeping a bitch like her. Mama told me not to say such foul words again. She said next time they would chop off my tongue so I had nothing to speak with. 

But I couldn’t stay quiet when I saw her come to take Sam away. 

Mama was asleep, but I could see the shape of her veiled head from the window. If Mama was awake she would’ve told me to stay put or else they’d chop off my feet so I’d have nothing to run away with. 

But I had to save Sam. He was the only son Aunt June had left.

By the time I made it to where they had been moments ago, Sam was gone. Hearing my steps, Mrs Williamson’s head turned up, her usual white veil traded in for black. The light from her oil lamp cast devilish shadows across her clothes. I opened my mouth to scream. Maybe if someone heard me, they could come save both me and Sam?

Her gloved hand clamped over my mouth. I kicked in the dirt, trying to fight her off. 

My teeth sunk into her palm, catching on her glove. She hissed in the darkness, and I tore it off. 

We both froze. 

In the flickering light of the lamp, her hand stood out. Dark. Darker than mine, almost as dark as Mama’s hand. With ugly purplish bruises in the shape of fingers wrapping around her wrist. 

She pulled her hand back. 

“Go back to sleep. And keep your mouth shut,” she said harshly.

I nodded and ran back inside, shaking.

In the morning, I asked Mama what happened to Mrs Williams. She looked at me like I was crazy. Master Williams hasn’t got a wife, she told me. 

“So who’s the woman with the veil?” I asked.

Mama pressed her lips together. 

That’s Georgette.

by Nirvana Prasad