Chapter 89:
Ample Opportunity
“How could you leave me?” Ellen hissed when Finlay entered her room the following morning.
“What would you have me do, lass?” Finlay snorted. “What was I to do? Should I have said, ‘Sorry, Your Grace, but I’m going to need to get my half-sister, oh, and she’s yours, too, Sir, out of here because she’s hiding behind the screen’?” He frowned. “Or perhaps I could have just refused to leave when the doctor ordered me out of the room.”
Ellen scowled. “Do you know how long I waited?”
“Does it matter?” Finlay squinted. “Obviously ya got out, Ellen.”
“Four hours.” Ellen continued. “It took four hours for both of them to fall asleep. I could hear the lunatic Duke in there chattering to himself while the other one snored. Finally, I thought the two of them and the dog were asleep. Had they not been, they’re sure to have seen me.”
“If I recall, lass, it was your idea to go into the nursery last night anyway. Not as if you didn’t know the Duke’s room adjoined the nursery and that we were likely to be noticed. I warned ya. But, no, you couldn’t wait.”
“Wait?” Ellen snarled. “What good is there in waiting? The whole point was to listen to their insipid conversation.”
“And, did ya learn what ya wanted, Ellen?” Finlay chuckled. “All I learned is that the Duke still defends you and that he worries too much about his companion.”
“We heard him say in his own words that he was a dangerous lunatic.”
“No, lass.” Finlay shook his head. “We heard him say that when the two of ‘em met that he was wild, but that the doctor loved him anyway.”
“Hitting people with sticks. Throwing bodies into the sea.” Ellen said firmly. “That’s what he stated.”
“Well, we already knew that.” Finlay replied with exasperation.
“But, now we’ve heard him admit it himself.” Ellen smirked.
“And?”
“And,” Ellen grunted. “Now, it’s time to make the Duke into a wild man again.”
“Only he ain’t.” Finlay raised his eyebrows.
“Maybe not.” Ellen shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean that others know it. Let’s not forget, Finlay, before His Grace traveled to Aberdeenshire, he confessed to a murder.”
“A murder which he didn’t commit.” Finlay shook his head.
“Not proven.”
“But, true.” Finlay smiled. “You know all too well how true. And furthermore, Her Majesty knows that he didn’t kill that bloke. She sent word to Whitehall and made the whole affair disappear.”
“Officially.” Ellen frowned. “But, it’s still in the mind of the people. Adding fuel to the fire of rumors that the man is mad. And those who think he didn’t kill William Stover believe he lied to protect the doctor.”
“How long did it take ya to get that man’s blood from beneath your nails, Ellen?” Finlay grinned.
“Hush.” Ellen snapped. “Too long. This time, I won’t have to.”
“This time?”
“Yes, Finlay. It’s time for another mysterious death at one of the Duke’s residences.”
“Aye? Is it, then?”
“Yes.”
“Who’d ya have in mind? Charles? Gerard?”
“No.” Ellen smiled. “Closer to the family. Ha! Charles and Gerard! You’d never be able to overtake either of them.”
“I?”
“Oh, yes.” Ellen nodded. “I’ve done my piece. It’s your try now.”
“You didn’t say nothin’ ‘bout murder, lass.” Finlay shook his head. “Tryin’ to catch the eye of those two handsome blokes is one thing. That’s easy enough. Helpin’ you with your little tasks—that’s fine. But, I don’t aim to get blood on my hands.”
“You’ll do this, brother dear.”
“Will I, then?”
“I believe you will.”
“Is that so?” Finlay smiled. “How can you be sure?”
“You have no choice.”
“Don’t I?” Finlay smiled. “Do ya know who I saw when I went into the village this mornin’?”
“Don’t try to distract me.”
“I just thought you might be interested is all. Met my friend from one of the nearby estates.”
“A young footman no doubt.”
“No.” Finlay grinned. “A maid. Stupid girl and ugly as a rock, but she talks. Oh, how she talks. She was very happy to tell me how their household is at sixes and sevens preparing for the arrival of their master and mistress.”
“What’s it to me?” Ellen scowled. “What has any of this to do with your responsibility to me?”
“Not much.” Finlay shrugged. “I thought maybe my friend’s master might like to know you’re here.”
“Why?” Ellen narrowed her yes.
“Dunno.” Finlay chuckled. “It’s just that maybe the Castle Lensdown might need a governess if you decide to leave the Duke.”
“Lensdown?” Ellen’s eyes widened.
“Sure.” Finlay winked. “Oh, but you already worked for the Baron, didn’t ya? For…with…under…”
“He’s coming here?” Ellen sputtered.
“And what’s more, I mentioned it to the Duke’s favorite--Charles.” Finlay grinned. “I think he intends to tell the Duke. You know how these aristocrats are. They got a code. It would be terrible if the Duke didn’t invite the Baron and Baroness Lensdown to the Servants’ Ball.”
“How…how could you do that to me?” Ellen growled. “You know…you know what he’ll do if he sees me!”
“I know, Ellen.” Finlay barked. “So don’t be getting’ so high and mighty, dearie. You’d best remember that I’m older and smarter than you. Maybe I aon’t so educated as you, but I’m smart in my own way. I can make the invitation disappear before it’s ever written—as long as you treat me right, lass. But, if you continue to forget that we’re partners in this, I’ll open the door for the Baron, take his coat and lead him right to you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Shall we find out?” Finlay laughed. “Now, what were you sayin’ to me ‘bout murder? Surely you weren’t suggestin’ that I’d commit such a sin.”
“But, Finlay…” Ellen smiled. “This is a sin you’re sure to enjoy.”
“Oh?”
Ellen nodded. “I know you’ve been wanting to get your hands on this particular gent. What I am proposing would give you ample opportunity to fulfill your fondest fantasies.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-88 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 90.
“How could you leave me?” Ellen hissed when Finlay entered her room the following morning.
“What would you have me do, lass?” Finlay snorted. “What was I to do? Should I have said, ‘Sorry, Your Grace, but I’m going to need to get my half-sister, oh, and she’s yours, too, Sir, out of here because she’s hiding behind the screen’?” He frowned. “Or perhaps I could have just refused to leave when the doctor ordered me out of the room.”
Ellen scowled. “Do you know how long I waited?”
“Does it matter?” Finlay squinted. “Obviously ya got out, Ellen.”
“Four hours.” Ellen continued. “It took four hours for both of them to fall asleep. I could hear the lunatic Duke in there chattering to himself while the other one snored. Finally, I thought the two of them and the dog were asleep. Had they not been, they’re sure to have seen me.”
“If I recall, lass, it was your idea to go into the nursery last night anyway. Not as if you didn’t know the Duke’s room adjoined the nursery and that we were likely to be noticed. I warned ya. But, no, you couldn’t wait.”
“Wait?” Ellen snarled. “What good is there in waiting? The whole point was to listen to their insipid conversation.”
“And, did ya learn what ya wanted, Ellen?” Finlay chuckled. “All I learned is that the Duke still defends you and that he worries too much about his companion.”
“We heard him say in his own words that he was a dangerous lunatic.”
“No, lass.” Finlay shook his head. “We heard him say that when the two of ‘em met that he was wild, but that the doctor loved him anyway.”
“Hitting people with sticks. Throwing bodies into the sea.” Ellen said firmly. “That’s what he stated.”
“Well, we already knew that.” Finlay replied with exasperation.
“But, now we’ve heard him admit it himself.” Ellen smirked.
“And?”
“And,” Ellen grunted. “Now, it’s time to make the Duke into a wild man again.”
“Only he ain’t.” Finlay raised his eyebrows.
“Maybe not.” Ellen shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean that others know it. Let’s not forget, Finlay, before His Grace traveled to Aberdeenshire, he confessed to a murder.”
“A murder which he didn’t commit.” Finlay shook his head.
“Not proven.”
“But, true.” Finlay smiled. “You know all too well how true. And furthermore, Her Majesty knows that he didn’t kill that bloke. She sent word to Whitehall and made the whole affair disappear.”
“Officially.” Ellen frowned. “But, it’s still in the mind of the people. Adding fuel to the fire of rumors that the man is mad. And those who think he didn’t kill William Stover believe he lied to protect the doctor.”
“How long did it take ya to get that man’s blood from beneath your nails, Ellen?” Finlay grinned.
“Hush.” Ellen snapped. “Too long. This time, I won’t have to.”
“This time?”
“Yes, Finlay. It’s time for another mysterious death at one of the Duke’s residences.”
“Aye? Is it, then?”
“Yes.”
“Who’d ya have in mind? Charles? Gerard?”
“No.” Ellen smiled. “Closer to the family. Ha! Charles and Gerard! You’d never be able to overtake either of them.”
“I?”
“Oh, yes.” Ellen nodded. “I’ve done my piece. It’s your try now.”
“You didn’t say nothin’ ‘bout murder, lass.” Finlay shook his head. “Tryin’ to catch the eye of those two handsome blokes is one thing. That’s easy enough. Helpin’ you with your little tasks—that’s fine. But, I don’t aim to get blood on my hands.”
“You’ll do this, brother dear.”
“Will I, then?”
“I believe you will.”
“Is that so?” Finlay smiled. “How can you be sure?”
“You have no choice.”
“Don’t I?” Finlay smiled. “Do ya know who I saw when I went into the village this mornin’?”
“Don’t try to distract me.”
“I just thought you might be interested is all. Met my friend from one of the nearby estates.”
“A young footman no doubt.”
“No.” Finlay grinned. “A maid. Stupid girl and ugly as a rock, but she talks. Oh, how she talks. She was very happy to tell me how their household is at sixes and sevens preparing for the arrival of their master and mistress.”
“What’s it to me?” Ellen scowled. “What has any of this to do with your responsibility to me?”
“Not much.” Finlay shrugged. “I thought maybe my friend’s master might like to know you’re here.”
“Why?” Ellen narrowed her yes.
“Dunno.” Finlay chuckled. “It’s just that maybe the Castle Lensdown might need a governess if you decide to leave the Duke.”
“Lensdown?” Ellen’s eyes widened.
“Sure.” Finlay winked. “Oh, but you already worked for the Baron, didn’t ya? For…with…under…”
“He’s coming here?” Ellen sputtered.
“And what’s more, I mentioned it to the Duke’s favorite--Charles.” Finlay grinned. “I think he intends to tell the Duke. You know how these aristocrats are. They got a code. It would be terrible if the Duke didn’t invite the Baron and Baroness Lensdown to the Servants’ Ball.”
“How…how could you do that to me?” Ellen growled. “You know…you know what he’ll do if he sees me!”
“I know, Ellen.” Finlay barked. “So don’t be getting’ so high and mighty, dearie. You’d best remember that I’m older and smarter than you. Maybe I aon’t so educated as you, but I’m smart in my own way. I can make the invitation disappear before it’s ever written—as long as you treat me right, lass. But, if you continue to forget that we’re partners in this, I’ll open the door for the Baron, take his coat and lead him right to you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Shall we find out?” Finlay laughed. “Now, what were you sayin’ to me ‘bout murder? Surely you weren’t suggestin’ that I’d commit such a sin.”
“But, Finlay…” Ellen smiled. “This is a sin you’re sure to enjoy.”
“Oh?”
Ellen nodded. “I know you’ve been wanting to get your hands on this particular gent. What I am proposing would give you ample opportunity to fulfill your fondest fantasies.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-88 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 90.
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