Chapter 217
“Where you been?” Hortence snapped as Orpha let herself into Eudora’s musky parlor.
“You’re hardly in a position to be questioning me,” Orpha replied casually.
“Now, you listen to me,” Hortence growled. “Maybe at the Duke’s house we was in different classes, but here, you ain’t no governess and I ain’t no chamber maid. You was a poor workhouse girl and I had me a family. So, maybe it’s me what should be talkin’ down to you.”
“I beg your pardon, my Lady.” Orpha smirked, bowing theatrically.
“What’s all this, then?” Eudora sniffed, coming into the parlor as she scratched herself. “Why are the two of you always squabbling?”
“It’s our deep love for one another.” Orpha laughed.
“Ellen, you been gone a long time. We got a lot to talk over.” Eudora grimaced.
“My name is not Ellen!” Orpha snapped.
“Well, dearie,” Eudora shrugged, “you spent so much time tryin’ to convince us that you was Ellen, you can’t fault us for not remembering what name you’re usin’ now.”
“I suppose that’s flattering.” Orpha replied.
“Ask her where she’s been, Eudora.” Hortence snarled.
“She’ll tell us by and by.” Eudora yawned.
“I shall indeed.” Orpha smiled.
“Well, wherever you was,” Hortence began, “you sure weren’t helpin’ us. Old Hutch got hisself taken away by the Queen’s guards.”
“You could have guessed that since the Duke and his companion were going to the palace that they’d report what had happened here to Her Majesty.” Orpha answered airily.
“After all we told ‘im?”
“Please, Hortence, you really didn’t expect that we’d intimidate the Duke of Fallbridge?”
“Didn’t we?” Hortence frowned. She looked at Eudora.
Eudora put her hands on her hips. “I thought we did.”
“You’re both so delightful.” Orpha grinned. “But, no, this has played out exactly as I had anticipated.”
“You gonna share with us?” Eudora smirked. “Last I heard, we was tryin’ to get some gold off of the loony Duke.”
“And, we shall.”
“Not now he’s got the Queen’s special men standin’ outside the ‘ouse, we ain’t.” Hortence barked. “We told him that if he didn’t do what we said, we’d tell the world that his precious boy is his sister’s bastard, and what’s more, we’d take that boy from his arms. We can’t get to the little brat now!”
“We don’t need to.” Orpha laughed.
“Why not?” Hortence asked.
“Eudora,” Orpha ignored Hortence, “have you room for three more children here?”
“I ain’t got room for me own brood, let ‘lone any more. Why?”
“I’ve brought three little visitors with me.” Orpha winked. She walked across the parlor and opened the front door, ushering in three children.
Little Fern wrinkled her nose as she walked in—the foul smell of the place overwhelming her.
“What’re these?” Hortence squawked.
“These, dear, dear Hortence,” Orpha smiled. “Are our key to the Duke’s coffers as well as a knife in the throat of the man who made me what I am.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-216 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 218.
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