Naughty
It was a cold winter’s morning, and the neighbourhood was scarce awake yet, but Anne Lister could already be spotted walking across the fields with long strides, her coat flapping about her skirt. The ground was frozen solid, and the sun was beginning to rise making the hoarfrost sparkle creating a magical image of a winter wonderland. However, Anne Lister was in a hurry and had no time admiring the beautiful landscape that stretched before her eyes. She had business to attend to. She couldn’t help a smirk, today all might finally be revealed and hopefully it was all in her favour.
Anne arrived at the pits and greeted the men above ground with a firm and authoritative ‘Good morning’ and they answered her with her due respect. She approached Mr Washington who had agreed to meet her at the early morning hour.
“Miss Lister, Good morning.” Mr Washington greeted her cheerful as always.
“Mr. Washington.” Anne acknowledged him and stood him aside from the rest of the men. She was impatient to know and so wasted no time with formalities.
“Did they find proof? That the Rawson’s have been stealing my coal?”
“Yes, ma’am. They are still at it. Your men can’t order them to stop loosening the coal.” Mr Washington told her, and she hummed in reply, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought.
“I shall get down there myself then. They are on my land. Besides it’s easier to testify if I have seen the trespass myself.”
“Are you sure that’s wise? The pits are…” Mr. Washington silenced when he saw her thunderous expression, knowing that there was no point in trying to deter Miss Lister when she had made up her mind, and he’d rather not fall out of her good graces.
“I’m going down there now, and um, then I’ll expose them to the magistrate possibly.”
“Possibly?” Mr Washington repeated dumbfounded, hadn’t the whole point been to do just that? Or why else had they sunk the pit just there. Anne glanced at him briefly, giving a nod,
“Yes, Mr Washington. Pressing charges is an odious thing to go through, one I might enjoy avoiding. If they pay fairly for the coal they’ve stolen and some more I might write it off… for now.”
“Very good, ma’am. Let’s get you down there then.” Mr Washington said, and they turned back to the opening of the pit, and Anne without any scruples went down the pit to see with her own eyes Rawson’s men working their way through her upper bed. And she did, sparing no time to venture into Halifax to have a word with Mr. Rawson.
Anne stormed into the bank, covered in soot and coaldust, looking quite terrifying if one were to be honest. Her eyes found Mr. Rawson’s secretary, and he paled at the sight of her,
“Mr. Johnson, I would like a word with Mr. Rawson about him stealing my coal.” Anne exclaimed loudly and eyes shot her way from across the bank and whispers began.
“Miss Lister, ma’am, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Mr. Johnson stuttered, blocking her way with his own meek body, trying his best to deter her though he was trembling like a leaf. Anne eyed him up and down with an annoyed look, tapping her foot impatiently, twirling her cane in her hand,
“Why shouldn’t I? Hm?”
“Because, Miss Lister, Mr. Rawson’s vicious, he would twist it… no man has ever gone in there and made it out in one piece!” Mr. Johnson’s brow shone brightly, and he dabbed it nervously with his handkerchief, still standing in her way – Miss Lister might unnerve him but unlike Christopher Rawson – she would never leave her morals completely and kill him.
Anne huffed, and a small, dangerous smile crept onto her features,
“It’s a good thing I’m not a man then!”
Anne pushed past Mr. Johnson, accidently bumping into his shoulder and he turned after her crying fearfully but in vain, as she had already bust the door open,
“Miss Lister!”
“Hello, Christopher.” Anne barked as she came inside Christopher’s office, and he looked up fuming and she closed the door behind her without turning her back to him.
“What are you doing here, Anne!?”
Anne couldn’t help the smug smirk that settled on her face as she looked at him, knowing he had lost the game,
“I’m here to talk about the coal.”
“Ah, not this again!” Christopher sighed infuriated sitting back in his chair,
“I really have no time for your paranoid nonsense, Miss Lister.” Christopher hissed standing up from his chair to force her out of his office, but Anne stood her ground, still wearing a smug smile,
“Mm, I think you will find time, Rawson. I have just been down to check on my upper bed. Funny that I should find your men there, loosening heaps of coal from it. Upon asking, they revealed they had been told to do so by you and your brother – and apparently they have been at it for months on end.”
Christopher seemed stunned to silence for a second, he had not been aware that Miss Lister had sunk a pit above it. His stance wavered for a moment but then he turned bright red with anger – possibly already a bit in his cups Anne thought regarding the brandy glass and half-empty bottle on his desk with a look of mild disgust on her face. Anne’s eyes returned to his,
“You see-“
“You’re bluffing!” Christopher interrupted her, looking fearsome but it didn’t move Anne at all, she merely dried the spit off her cheek calmly, creating lines in the coaldust that covered her face.
“Mm, I’m not, and I have more than a handful of people who will testify against you.”
“You bitch!” Christopher bit and Anne nodded, leaning closer to his face,
“That I might be, but at least I’m not a thief!” Anne’s voice had become low but still held all the authority and danger that her whole person radiated. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and she backed away a step, letting it sink in – he did not look happy.
“I’m not someone to be messed with, Miss Lister.” Christopher finally found his words again and he spoke slowly and eyed her with a murderous look. The problem for him was that Anne wasn’t frightened by his threats. She could hold her own pretty well.
“Neither am I, Mr Rawson. I will press charges and I fully intend to win – I will win. Even if I have to involve the head magistrate in York and Leeds.”
“It’s your words against mine!” Christopher clenched his fists and Anne watched him carefully, he wouldn’t be able to pull any tricks on her,
“Mm, right you are. You are known to be a cheat, liar and to withhold promises whereas I’m known as quite the opposite in terms of business. I do wonder who they’ll chose to believe.” Anne told him sardonically, making him if possible, even angrier with her.
“I should have let that thug kill you when I had the chance.” He blurted out in a fit of anger and Anne merely raised an eyebrow and exclaimed in a deeply patronising voice;
“Oh, goodie! - So, you do admit that you sent that thug to beat me up – well done! You are making such good progress on being honest.”
“It’ll ruin your reputation with the people in Halifax if you do press charges – I will blacken your name until you cannot show your face outside again.” Christopher threatened, taking his brandy glass and swallowing the contents swiftly without taking his eyes of his enemy.
“You think you can threaten me with that? Oh please, Christopher – you’ve gone soft. I know what you all say about me behind my back. My reputation is already stained with the gossip you and your family amongst others have been running for years.” Anne almost laughed at him; he was being an idiot.
“I know you’re merely trying to scare me off, but I won’t be bullied into anything, Rawson. I will make you one deal though if you are interested.” Anne offered seriously, keeping a careful watch on his hands lest he take to violence. He huffed and puffed out his chest,
“I’d rather make a deal with the devil!”
“That’s entirely up to you.” Anne made a gesture with her hands, seeming to be at ease, which annoyed Christopher even more.
“To show good faith to an old acquaintance, I will refrain from pressing charges, charges which might cost you all your fortune and entail a possible imprisonment, if you and your brother pay me for the coal you’ve stolen fairly adding ten pounds to every square yard of coal you’ve stolen.” Anne met his infuriated, red face with all the gravitas she owned.
“You are insane and unreasonable Miss Lister!” Christopher roared, possibly disturbing the people outside, but Anne remained unmoved,
“Quite possibly insane. However, not unreasonable… I gave you, time and time again a chance to pay for what you’d stolen fairly without outing you and your brother as thieves, and you chose to deny the whole thing. Only think if you hadn’t been so greedy and inept, you might’ve avoided this whole business. But here we are.”
His eyes became cold as he eyed her with deep hatred, lifting his fists threatening,
“You have no idea who I am, do you?”
“I’d say it was the opposite – I do know exactly who you are – that’s why I know that you are mostly all pants and no trousers. Try me, I dare you – but I shan’t be responsible for the damage done to you.” Anne kept her eyes on his fists whilst she spoke so he couldn’t surprise her. Anne glanced briefly up at his small, mean eyes, crossing her arms aloof, striking an image as being rather indifferent to his visual threats.
“Will you take my offer, hm? I want an answer now. Or my next stop is with the magistrate.”
“God damn you, Anne!” Christopher hissed but he did move to sit down in his chair again, defeated and Anne smiled small but remained standing, towering over him as he brought out a pen to calculate the money, he now owed her. There couldn’t have been a better outcome, Anne thought proudly, she would gain a sizable profit from it and they had to admit their trespass to her. This was by far more profitable for her than time consuming trials and the outcome of that. Mind that it might be just a little bit sad not to send him off to prison but, on the whole – a great outcome she had had. Christmas had come early this year for Anne, but it seemed that Christopher would from now on forever be on Santa’s naughty list.