Chapter 116:
In the Details
Ethel and Jenny giggled loudly as they spun around to the pipers' music. Linking arms with Georgie Pepper, the girls whooped as the sound of the bagpipes grew louder and faster. When the music stopped, the three of them teetered off to the long tables of gleaming silver trays and gilt-tiered stand which held the opulent food which the Duke had brought in for the event.
“I never been so hungry,” Ethel laughed.
“You never moved ‘bout so much.” Jenny teased.
“Come on, then, Jenny.” Georgie interrupted. “Our Ethel is a very active girl. Just before we left for Scotland, I saw her climbin’ up and down the service stairs.”
“That’s right.” Ethel nodded her head emphatically.
“Course, she were stoppin’ for a wedge of cheese each time she passed through the kitchen, so she’d have somethin’ savory with all them chocolates what she nicked from the Duke.”
“I never.” Ethel pouted, feigning offense.
“Never stopped eatin.” Georgie grinned proudly.
“I don’t see you starvin’ yourself, George Pepper.” Jenny chimed in.
“I’m a man.” Georgie winked.
“No, you ain’t.” Ethel laughed. “You’re a boy.”
“I’m older than you.” George laughed.
“You’re an old boy, then.” Ethel smiled.
“Cor,” Jenny put her hand to her forehead and giggled. “Me head’s spinnin’.”
“How much wine have ya had?” Ethel whispered.
“Not any. Honest.” Jenny mumbled.
“Ha!” Georgie shook his head.
“Don’t go listenin’ to private conversations.” Ethel said firmly.
“What’s so private ‘bout it? You think you’re whisperin’, only you’re so drunk you’re shoutin’.”
“I ain’t never been drunk, Georgie Pepper.” Jenny replied.
“Me neither.” Ethel nodded.
“Nah—and I ain’t never eaten a whole chicken in one sittin’.”
“You’re disgustin’.” Jenny laughed.
“Least I ain’t drunk.” George grinned.
“I ain’t. I only had four cups.” Jenny snapped.
George laughed. “Thought you ain’t had any.”
“Well…” Jenny blushed. “Maybe a little.”
“I had five.” Ethel sighed.
“Seven.” Georgie chuckled.
“No, only five.”
“I’m talkin’ ‘bout me.” George howled. “I had seven.”
“Figures.” Jenny clucked her tongue. “I’ve a mind to tell your mum.”
“Who do ya think gave me the wine?” George winked.
The three laughed loudly.
“I say, but didn’t your mum make a good cake?” Ethel said finally. “It were like heaven. She’s…what ya call ‘em? One of them…”
“Cooks?” George asked.
“No.” Ethel shook her head. “Genius. That’s it. She’s a genius. Ain’t no one can make a cake like your ma.”
“Here, I helped her. She didn’t do it all on her own.”
“What’d you do? Break some eggs? And, not even when you was s’posed to.” Ethel teased.
“Only which of us broke the big brown bowl when she was washin’ it with her fat fingers?”
“My fingers ain’t fat!” Ethel laughed. “And, Mrs. North didn’t care none when I told her.”
“Mr. Speaight weren’t so pleased.” Jenny shook her head.
“Ain’t his bowl to fuss ‘bout.” Ethel tittered. “Mrs. North and Mrs. Pepper both told me not to worry one tick ‘bout it.”
“Sure,” Jenny looked up. “They’re so nice. You’re all such fine folk. Ain’t never knew such fine folk.”
“Me neither.” Ethel nodded. “We ought to make a toast to ourselves like the Duke done. See, we can toast that we’re friends forever. The three of us. Whew, Georgie—what’d we ever do ‘fore you came? That Tom were a pain, he were. But, you—you’re right nice. Gotta nice face, too.”
“You ain’t so bad neither.” Georgie raised one eyebrow.
“What ‘bout me?” Jenny asked.
“You ain’t bad yourself.” Georgie nodded.
“She’s pretty Our Jenny is. Ain’t she?”
“You both are.”
“I’ll toast to that, too.” Ethel chirped.
“I’ll get us some cups.” Georgie nodded.
“Hold on,” A voice came up from behind them. They turned to see a make figure dressed as the Devil.
Ethel gasped.
“Come on, it’s just Finlay.” Georgie laughed.
“Oh. Cor!” Ethel sighed.
“Look at our Finlay!” Jenny giggled. “He’s a proper devil! Are ya that wicked, Finlay?”
“I am.” Finlay grinned.
“What you after Finlay?” Georgie said protectively. “These ladies is with me.”
“You think I’m after your girls, Pepper?” Finlay laughed.
“Oh…right.” George blushed.
“I heard ya want a toast, then?” Finlay grinned.
“Maybe we do.” Ethel nodded.
“We’ll get our own wine,” George replied.
“I’m not suggestin’ wine, lad. You and your lasses deserve somethin’ stronger.” Finlay answered.
“What you thinkin’ of?” Jenny asked.
“I got some whiskey out in the Servants’ Hall.” Finlay nodded. “Come with me.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-115? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 117 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
Ethel and Jenny giggled loudly as they spun around to the pipers' music. Linking arms with Georgie Pepper, the girls whooped as the sound of the bagpipes grew louder and faster. When the music stopped, the three of them teetered off to the long tables of gleaming silver trays and gilt-tiered stand which held the opulent food which the Duke had brought in for the event.
“I never been so hungry,” Ethel laughed.
“You never moved ‘bout so much.” Jenny teased.
“Come on, then, Jenny.” Georgie interrupted. “Our Ethel is a very active girl. Just before we left for Scotland, I saw her climbin’ up and down the service stairs.”
“That’s right.” Ethel nodded her head emphatically.
“Course, she were stoppin’ for a wedge of cheese each time she passed through the kitchen, so she’d have somethin’ savory with all them chocolates what she nicked from the Duke.”
“I never.” Ethel pouted, feigning offense.
“Never stopped eatin.” Georgie grinned proudly.
“I don’t see you starvin’ yourself, George Pepper.” Jenny chimed in.
“I’m a man.” Georgie winked.
“No, you ain’t.” Ethel laughed. “You’re a boy.”
“I’m older than you.” George laughed.
“You’re an old boy, then.” Ethel smiled.
“Cor,” Jenny put her hand to her forehead and giggled. “Me head’s spinnin’.”
“How much wine have ya had?” Ethel whispered.
“Not any. Honest.” Jenny mumbled.
“Ha!” Georgie shook his head.
“Don’t go listenin’ to private conversations.” Ethel said firmly.
“What’s so private ‘bout it? You think you’re whisperin’, only you’re so drunk you’re shoutin’.”
“I ain’t never been drunk, Georgie Pepper.” Jenny replied.
“Me neither.” Ethel nodded.
“Nah—and I ain’t never eaten a whole chicken in one sittin’.”
“You’re disgustin’.” Jenny laughed.
“Least I ain’t drunk.” George grinned.
“I ain’t. I only had four cups.” Jenny snapped.
George laughed. “Thought you ain’t had any.”
“Well…” Jenny blushed. “Maybe a little.”
“I had five.” Ethel sighed.
“Seven.” Georgie chuckled.
“No, only five.”
“I’m talkin’ ‘bout me.” George howled. “I had seven.”
“Figures.” Jenny clucked her tongue. “I’ve a mind to tell your mum.”
“Who do ya think gave me the wine?” George winked.
The three laughed loudly.
“I say, but didn’t your mum make a good cake?” Ethel said finally. “It were like heaven. She’s…what ya call ‘em? One of them…”
“Cooks?” George asked.
“No.” Ethel shook her head. “Genius. That’s it. She’s a genius. Ain’t no one can make a cake like your ma.”
“Here, I helped her. She didn’t do it all on her own.”
“What’d you do? Break some eggs? And, not even when you was s’posed to.” Ethel teased.
“Only which of us broke the big brown bowl when she was washin’ it with her fat fingers?”
“My fingers ain’t fat!” Ethel laughed. “And, Mrs. North didn’t care none when I told her.”
“Mr. Speaight weren’t so pleased.” Jenny shook her head.
“Ain’t his bowl to fuss ‘bout.” Ethel tittered. “Mrs. North and Mrs. Pepper both told me not to worry one tick ‘bout it.”
“Sure,” Jenny looked up. “They’re so nice. You’re all such fine folk. Ain’t never knew such fine folk.”
“Me neither.” Ethel nodded. “We ought to make a toast to ourselves like the Duke done. See, we can toast that we’re friends forever. The three of us. Whew, Georgie—what’d we ever do ‘fore you came? That Tom were a pain, he were. But, you—you’re right nice. Gotta nice face, too.”
“You ain’t so bad neither.” Georgie raised one eyebrow.
“What ‘bout me?” Jenny asked.
“You ain’t bad yourself.” Georgie nodded.
“She’s pretty Our Jenny is. Ain’t she?”
“You both are.”
“I’ll toast to that, too.” Ethel chirped.
“I’ll get us some cups.” Georgie nodded.
“Hold on,” A voice came up from behind them. They turned to see a make figure dressed as the Devil.
Ethel gasped.
“Come on, it’s just Finlay.” Georgie laughed.
“Oh. Cor!” Ethel sighed.
“Look at our Finlay!” Jenny giggled. “He’s a proper devil! Are ya that wicked, Finlay?”
“I am.” Finlay grinned.
“What you after Finlay?” Georgie said protectively. “These ladies is with me.”
“You think I’m after your girls, Pepper?” Finlay laughed.
“Oh…right.” George blushed.
“I heard ya want a toast, then?” Finlay grinned.
“Maybe we do.” Ethel nodded.
“We’ll get our own wine,” George replied.
“I’m not suggestin’ wine, lad. You and your lasses deserve somethin’ stronger.” Finlay answered.
“What you thinkin’ of?” Jenny asked.
“I got some whiskey out in the Servants’ Hall.” Finlay nodded. “Come with me.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-115? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 117 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
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