Evils Of The World

 

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Chapter Two - 'Epiphany'

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Turpin silently removed the picture frame in the hallway, revealing the little peeping hole in the wall. He had been spying on Johanna frequently, however, so far there hadn't been much worth seeing.

But what was going on in there now? Johanna sat by the window, obviously impatiently looking for somebody.

She must be waiting for that bloody sailor boy again...!

He frowned at that thought in aversion, witnessing Johanna leaping to her feet and opening the window. She smiled happily towards somebody on the street, then - much to the Judge's dismay - actually dropped her latchkey.

So you think you can get away from me that easy, my dear Johanna?

Turpin furiously clenched his fist.

Far from it! You'll see!

He grimly put the picture frame back in place, then entering Johanna's room without knocking. Johanna abruptly turned around in surprise, facing him with a baffled expression on her face. Busted!

"So it's true." He said, with a certain sadness in his voice.

"Sir." Johanna defiantly replied. "A gentleman knocks before entering a lady's room."

"Indeed he does. But I see no lady." Turpin skilfully countered. "I keep telling myself that my Johanna would never betray me, never hurt me so."

"Sir." She answered bravely. "I will leave this place."

"Oh, you will." He sneered. "And you'll be shown what life holds for you in case you intend on carrying out your childish plan of running away with that stupid boy." He paused, enjoying the increasingly anxious look on her face. "You will learn to appreciate what you have, my dear...!"

Therewith Turpin left the room, clearing the way for the Beadle who instantly headed for Johanna, grabbing her. She protested loudly but in vain as she was dragged all the way down to the carriage waiting in front of the house.

"Get your hands off me, you dirty scoundrel!" Johanna hissed hysterically. Beadle Bamford simply chuckled in response and before she knew what was happening, Johanna found herself in the carriage with him and Judge Turpin.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, sobbing angrily. The Beadle chuckled again.

"Your probable future." Turpin ominously replied, his voice cold and calculating.

Johanna was startled at this absolutely useless and yet so inauspicious piece of information.

She took a look out of the window, realizing that the carriage had brought them to a part of London she wasn't familiar with. It must have been late afternoon since the sun had set already. The vehicle stopped and the Beadle dragged Johanna towards the richly ornamented door of one of the nearby buildings.

Judge Turpin went ahead and knocked. Only seconds later, a curvaceous red-haired woman in about her early forties opened the door, smiling brightly as she recognised him.

"Your honour! What a pleasure to see you again this week! And Mr Bamford, too!" She stood aside to let the group in. The redhead glanced at Johanna curiously, but the Judge pulled the pretty lady away from the others, letting the Beadle take care of Johanna for the moment.

Meanwhile Johanna looked around in awe, the sumptuous entrance hall was decorated in luxurious Chesterfield furniture, an Italian marble floor and exquisite velvet curtains.

While Johanna kept on looking around with mouth agape, Turpin had finished whispering and gesturing to the woman who had opened the door before. Johanna saw her nodding, then she disappeared quickly in one of the many rooms.

"What is this place?" Johanna asked, still impressed by the equipment the foyer provided. "A place you will never forget, ungrateful thing." The Beadle answered, snorting.

Turpin returned and Beadle Bamford bowed out. "Milord. The carriage will be waiting for us in about an hour's time. Meanwhile I hope you don't mind me...minding my own business, do you, Sir?"

Judge Turpin shook his head and the Beadle headed for another door, a sardonic grin on his face.

"Why are we here, Sir?" Johanna asked Turpin, doubting she would really want to learn the answer. He grabbed her arm, marching her across the hallway, upstairs.

"I brought you here..." He finally spoke to Johanna. "...to bring you back down to earth with a jolt." The Judge opened one of the doors on the first floor, sat down in one of the nearby wing chairs, dragging a wailing and fighting Johanna on his lap, face away from him. He easily prevented her from getting back to her feet, clutching her in a vice-like grip, holding her wrists tightly. Much to her surprise the redhead from downstairs entered the room, walking towards a slide door which separated this room from the next.

"Let go of me!" Johanna whimpered. "Stay still!" Turpin drawled the words, trying hard to ignore the effect her fidgeting had on him. For goodness sake, she was sitting on his lap...!

"And watch attentively, my dear! This is probably going to be your future...!" That said, Turpin signalled the other woman to slide the door to the next room open. She did so and left.

Johanna's eyes widened in outright shock and she immediately stiffened. In the next room – not far away from her – were a couple of men and women doing the most horrifying things she had ever seen.

Most of the men were rather ugly, dishevelled and rude, the unnameable young women were not much older than herself, if at all. One particular girl even bore a remarkable resemblance to Johanna and it confused her pretty much as she saw that very girl smiling toward her direction, not understanding that the smile was not for her but for the Judge, whom the girl knew pretty well from previous encounters.

Johanna gasped for air, not able to comprehend what was going on before her very eyes. Her heart racing, she shuddered as she sensed Turpin's hot breath on her ear, whispering.

"I know of your romantic figment of that young sailor boy taking you away from me." Johanna started sobbing again. Turpin had never been so close to her than in that moment. She was scared out of her wits. "But think, Johanna! Think realistically! What could a poor sailor offer you?" Turpin continued in a hoarse voice. "A home? Safety? A life befitting your rank? No. A vagabond life. Chasing from one harbour to the next, always short of money. And then, one day, when he's tired of you, you'll be all alone. All on your own. No place to go, except for...this!"

Johanna fell apart and started crying piteously. The Judge's words were etched into her mind, same as the disenchanting and primitive licentiousness she involuntarily had to witness. One could literally hear her heart break as she realized the probable truth of his wisdom.

"Please, Sir..." She breathed powerlessly. "...take me away from here! I will never run away. I'll be good, I promise." Johanna sunk down against him.

Realizing that she was quite close to simply faint from the overload of impressions and threats, Turpin decided that he had frightened her enough. Probably he had exaggerated a bit but in this case, he told himself, the end justifies the means.

"That's my Johanna." Turpin grinned, satisfied with the outcome of his little shock therapy.

He let go of Johanna's wrists and allowed her to rise. Turpin looked into her big blue eyes, still filled with tears. He almost felt sorry for her but she just had to be brought back to reason!

Judge Turpin offered her his arm for assistance and Johanna reluctantly, but gratefully, accepted it. Dutifully she followed him downstairs, where the Beadle was already waiting for them.

Johanna shrunk at the mere thought of what Beadle Bamford had probably done while she and Turpin had been upstairs. Meanwhile it was more than obvious to her that this place was a brothel...

On their way back, no-one spoke a word and so Johanna listened to the recurrent sound of the horse hooves echoing back from the cobbled street. There was so much she had to think about. So much that had changed within one little hour. It was a painful cognisance, but it was true. – There was no future for her and that sailor boy, no matter what feelings she might have for him. She hoped for them to go away, little by little...

Turpin could offer her so much more, though she had never realized that before.

He was held in high esteem, powerful, awfully rich and, good Lord! - He was a judge! Who would mess with a judge? If there was anyone being able to shield her from the evils of the world, it would be him...but at what price?

Johanna's train of thought ended right there as the carriage stopped abruptly. She was home...

To be continued soon...

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A/N: Sooo, I hope you liked it? And don't worry – Johanna is not off the hook yet! ;-) There's smut ahead...^^ Anyway, please let me know what you think of the story so far and leave me a review! It's much appreciated and keeps me writing!

Well, l'm curious for your opinion! Thanks a lot! ;-D