Chapter 243
Our Thoughts to Jenny
“Oh, my Jenny!” Mrs. Pepper wailed from within, cutting through the pained silence which had shrouded the servants’ hall.
Punch could feel his hands curl into tight balls. He hadn’t remembered doing it purposely. It was as if something from within had wished the fists to form. He shuddered and released his fingers, reaching for Robert’s arm.
“We must do something,” Lennie whispered from behind the two men.
“Ethel!” Punch groaned. “What’s…what…?”
“Ethel, come in.” Robert gulped.
“Yes, we’ll help you…and Jenny.” Lennie added softly.
“She won’t do it.” Georgie shook his head, calling to the masters’ from the hall. “We tried. Mum even tried to take Jenny from her arms. She won’t move and she won’t speak.”
“Where’s Speaight?” Robert called to Georgie.
“Gone to fetch the beadle.” Georgie replied. “Charles went to check the mews.”
“Ethel, you must come in,” Punch said softly. “We must let Jenny rest.”
Ethel did not respond. In fact, she showed no sign of understanding.
“The poor girl is shocked.” Lennie said softly.
“Can you tell us what happened, Ethel?” Punch tried again.
Still, Ethel did not speak, nor, even, blink.
“Jenny! Jenny!” Mrs. Pepper moaned.
“Georgie,” Robert called. “Go and fetch Violet, will you. Together you and she can take your mother to her room.”
“I’ll be all right, Sir.” Mrs. Pepper replied, using her apron to wipe her face. “It’s just…she was like my own girl. Gave me the fright of…” She began to sob again.
“In fact,” Robert shook his head. “Georgie, just help your mother upstairs. If you see Violet, send her down, please.”
“Yes, Doctor.” Georgie replied. Helping his mother to her feet.
“I should stay, Sir. I can help. I owe the poor girl. I wasn’t always as kind as…”
“It might be best,” Lennie walked over to Mrs. Pepper, “if we were alone with Ethel for awhile. We’ll call you when we’ve brought Jenny upstairs.”
“Whatever could have happened, Miss?” Mrs. Pepper asked as Lennie and George guided her to the stairs.
“We’ll soon know. Now, please, you must take care of yourself.” Lennie replied gently.
Throughout, Punch never took his eyes off of Ethel. Once Georgie had gotten Mrs. Pepper up the stairs, he smiled at Ethel softly.
“Don’t ya think you’d best come inside now?” Punch began. “It’s quiet in here. Quiet and safe.”
Ethel stood as still as a pillar.
“Ethel, your arms must be tired.” Robert tried. “You don’t want to drop your friend.”
Yet, Ethel remained in the doorway.
Lennie stepped forward and approached Ethel who, finally, displayed a different expression as she cringed slightly backward.
“Ethel, dear Ethel…” Lennie whispered. “I understand.”
Ethel’s eyes began to fill with tears.
“Surely you wish for Jenny to be at peace now?” Lennie continued.
“Don’t take her, Miss.” Ethel rasped.
“We shan’t take her far. Only to her room so she may…”
“Rest.” Robert said. “In her own bed.”
“They’ll take her away, Miss.” Ethel hissed. “They’ll take her and put her in the ground, Miss.”
“Not now.” Lennie shook her head.
“They’ll take her like they done Granny.” Ethel shook, tears rolling down her cheeks. “And, me baby sister. And, Mrs. North! Oh…poor…poor…sad…Jenny don’t like bein’ cold.”
“Bring her in, Ethel, where it’s warm.” Lennie answered softly. “Bring her in so that the Duke and Dr. Halifax may see to it that she’s treated with the dignity she deserves.”
Ethel nodded stepping forward a bit.
“Will you let me carry Jenny?” Punch asked.
“You won’t take her away, Your Grace?”
“Only to her bed.” Punch shook her head. “You may come, too. Dr. Halifax will hold your hand and all as we climb the stairs.”
Ethel nodded again.
The wretched girl released a pained shriek as Punch gingerly lifted Jenny from Ethel’s arms.
“Jenny’s gone, Sir!” Ethel howled.
“I know, Ethel.” Punch whispered. “Now, we shall see that she is given the best…the…the…most peaceful…”
“Yes, Sir.” Ethel gulped.
“Take my hand, Ethel.” Robert offered his hand. “And, Miss Molliner will put her arm around your shoulders as we follow His Grace and Jenny.”
Ethel nodded, taking Robert’s hand.
“She’s gone, Dr. Halifax.” Ethel began to weep. “My friend. My truest friend. She told me…she told me…it was…I only…”
“No, no.” Lennie put her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “You mustn’t. We have time enough to speak of it all. Let’s, just now, give our thoughts to Jenny.”
“Yes, Miss.” Ethel sniffed. “All our thoughts.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-242 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 244.
“Oh, my Jenny!” Mrs. Pepper wailed from within, cutting through the pained silence which had shrouded the servants’ hall.
Punch could feel his hands curl into tight balls. He hadn’t remembered doing it purposely. It was as if something from within had wished the fists to form. He shuddered and released his fingers, reaching for Robert’s arm.
“We must do something,” Lennie whispered from behind the two men.
“Ethel!” Punch groaned. “What’s…what…?”
“Ethel, come in.” Robert gulped.
“Yes, we’ll help you…and Jenny.” Lennie added softly.
“She won’t do it.” Georgie shook his head, calling to the masters’ from the hall. “We tried. Mum even tried to take Jenny from her arms. She won’t move and she won’t speak.”
“Where’s Speaight?” Robert called to Georgie.
“Gone to fetch the beadle.” Georgie replied. “Charles went to check the mews.”
“Ethel, you must come in,” Punch said softly. “We must let Jenny rest.”
Ethel did not respond. In fact, she showed no sign of understanding.
“The poor girl is shocked.” Lennie said softly.
“Can you tell us what happened, Ethel?” Punch tried again.
Still, Ethel did not speak, nor, even, blink.
“Jenny! Jenny!” Mrs. Pepper moaned.
“Georgie,” Robert called. “Go and fetch Violet, will you. Together you and she can take your mother to her room.”
“I’ll be all right, Sir.” Mrs. Pepper replied, using her apron to wipe her face. “It’s just…she was like my own girl. Gave me the fright of…” She began to sob again.
“In fact,” Robert shook his head. “Georgie, just help your mother upstairs. If you see Violet, send her down, please.”
“Yes, Doctor.” Georgie replied. Helping his mother to her feet.
“I should stay, Sir. I can help. I owe the poor girl. I wasn’t always as kind as…”
“It might be best,” Lennie walked over to Mrs. Pepper, “if we were alone with Ethel for awhile. We’ll call you when we’ve brought Jenny upstairs.”
“Whatever could have happened, Miss?” Mrs. Pepper asked as Lennie and George guided her to the stairs.
“We’ll soon know. Now, please, you must take care of yourself.” Lennie replied gently.
Throughout, Punch never took his eyes off of Ethel. Once Georgie had gotten Mrs. Pepper up the stairs, he smiled at Ethel softly.
“Don’t ya think you’d best come inside now?” Punch began. “It’s quiet in here. Quiet and safe.”
Ethel stood as still as a pillar.
“Ethel, your arms must be tired.” Robert tried. “You don’t want to drop your friend.”
Yet, Ethel remained in the doorway.
Lennie stepped forward and approached Ethel who, finally, displayed a different expression as she cringed slightly backward.
“Ethel, dear Ethel…” Lennie whispered. “I understand.”
Ethel’s eyes began to fill with tears.
“Surely you wish for Jenny to be at peace now?” Lennie continued.
“Don’t take her, Miss.” Ethel rasped.
“We shan’t take her far. Only to her room so she may…”
“Rest.” Robert said. “In her own bed.”
“They’ll take her away, Miss.” Ethel hissed. “They’ll take her and put her in the ground, Miss.”
“Not now.” Lennie shook her head.
“They’ll take her like they done Granny.” Ethel shook, tears rolling down her cheeks. “And, me baby sister. And, Mrs. North! Oh…poor…poor…sad…Jenny don’t like bein’ cold.”
“Bring her in, Ethel, where it’s warm.” Lennie answered softly. “Bring her in so that the Duke and Dr. Halifax may see to it that she’s treated with the dignity she deserves.”
Ethel nodded stepping forward a bit.
“Will you let me carry Jenny?” Punch asked.
“You won’t take her away, Your Grace?”
“Only to her bed.” Punch shook her head. “You may come, too. Dr. Halifax will hold your hand and all as we climb the stairs.”
Ethel nodded again.
The wretched girl released a pained shriek as Punch gingerly lifted Jenny from Ethel’s arms.
“Jenny’s gone, Sir!” Ethel howled.
“I know, Ethel.” Punch whispered. “Now, we shall see that she is given the best…the…the…most peaceful…”
“Yes, Sir.” Ethel gulped.
“Take my hand, Ethel.” Robert offered his hand. “And, Miss Molliner will put her arm around your shoulders as we follow His Grace and Jenny.”
Ethel nodded, taking Robert’s hand.
“She’s gone, Dr. Halifax.” Ethel began to weep. “My friend. My truest friend. She told me…she told me…it was…I only…”
“No, no.” Lennie put her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “You mustn’t. We have time enough to speak of it all. Let’s, just now, give our thoughts to Jenny.”
“Yes, Miss.” Ethel sniffed. “All our thoughts.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-242 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 244.
5 comments:
Too heartbreaking!!
Thank you and sorry.
Beautifully written. You can feel the heartbreak that has engulfed the whole group living at 65 Belgrave Square.
Their compassion for Ethel.
Their sadness at Jenny's death and their resoluteness in honoring her memory.
Thank you, Darcy. This was rather daunting to write.
Tragic! Very well written.
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