Chapter 241
The Man in the Moon
“Mrs. Pepper would skin us like chickens.” Jenny whispered as she and Ethel paused at the padded, fabric-covered swinging door which separated them from the gleaming splendor of the foyer of No. 65 Belgrave Square.
“She ain’t never gonna know.” Ethel responded softly. “What’re you like? Are ya too scared to even open the door.”
“I don’t see you pushin’ it open.” Jenny smiled.
“There.” Ethel smirked, gently giving the door a shove.
Both sets of eyes widened as they glanced at the opulent entry hall. Even in the dark—with just the moonlight streaming through the glass dome which surmounted the four arcs of the central staircase, the fanlight above the door to the vestibule and the windows which flanked the front door--the room glittered and shone.
“Cor!” Ethel sighed as she led Jenny by the hand into the room. “I know I seen it a few times before, but, I can’t get it in me head that this is our house.”
“It ain’t, that’s why.” Jenny replied quietly.
“Sure it is. We live here, don’t we?”
“We work underneath it and we sleep above it.” Jenny shrugged. “And, even that ain’t ours.”
“The Duke said we should consider this our home, too. This and the Hall in Yorkshire and that castle on the moors.” Ethel frowned.
“Then, why ain’t we allowed in here nor any of the reception rooms?” Jenny smiled.
“That ain’t the Duke’s doin’. That’s Mr. Speaight and Mrs. Pepper what won’t let us come here. Remember, the Duke and Dr. Halifax ‘ave asked us to come upstairs ‘fore.”
“Yeah.” Jenny nodded. “They ‘ave. Us. A kitchen maid and a scullery.” She shook her head. “Even let us wear his mama’s jewels at the ball.”
“That’s why we gotta do this.” Ethel answered.
They both paused, frozen in place, as they heard a noise above them.
Slowly, the two looked up, their gazes caressing the ovoid spiral of the stairs, looking past the glimmer of the chandeliers—dripping with prisms—and up to the glass dome. Ethel blinked. She could see the moon. She could see the moon from inside the house! Simply by looking up at the ceiling. She’d never been to the palace, like the Duke and the doctor had, but she imagined that even that wasn’t as grand as their very own home.
“It were nothin’” Jenny said with relief. “Just a noise. Maybe Gamilla walking the baby to sleep up in the nursery.”
“I think it were the Man in the Moon.” Ethel smiled, still looking up. “He’s watchin’ us.”
“You’re daft.” Jenny shook her head. “Now, come on. You know Charles ain’t gonna be up with Gerard all night. Remember? The Duke told him when he finished up chattin’ with Gerry, he’s to come down and watch the ‘all.”
“I know it.” Ethel replied irritably.
“Where’s the mornin’ room? You said that’s where the garden door is.”
“It’s this one.” Ethel pointed to a tall, gilt-mahogany door, shadowed by the curve of the balcony.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Ethel nodded. “Once when Vi was havin’…when Vi couldn’t work…Mr. Speaight sent me up to do the grates.”
“Right.”
They tiptoed to the door and Ethel gently opened it.
“Say…” Jenny hissed in awe.
“This is where they take breakfast.”
“I know it,” Jenny nodded, she turned in place to examine the dim room.
“Come on, we ain’t on the grand tour.” Ethel snorted. “There’s the garden door.”
“Ethel,” Jenny took her friend’s arm. “Are you sure ‘bout this?”
“We ain’t gonna talk ‘bout it all ‘gain, are we?”
“No…it’s just. I don’t even know where to go once we get outta the garden.”
“I do.” Ethel said. “Just follow me.”
“But, it’s…” Jenny began.
“You can stay here, Jenny. If you wanna be a coward.”
“I ain’t a coward. But, it ain’t no place for girls like us—the night.”
“Nothin’s gonna happen.” Ethel smiled softly.
“How can you be sure?”
“We got the Man in the Moon watchin’ us.” Ethel repeated.
Did you miss Chapters 1-240 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 242.
“Mrs. Pepper would skin us like chickens.” Jenny whispered as she and Ethel paused at the padded, fabric-covered swinging door which separated them from the gleaming splendor of the foyer of No. 65 Belgrave Square.
“She ain’t never gonna know.” Ethel responded softly. “What’re you like? Are ya too scared to even open the door.”
“I don’t see you pushin’ it open.” Jenny smiled.
“There.” Ethel smirked, gently giving the door a shove.
Both sets of eyes widened as they glanced at the opulent entry hall. Even in the dark—with just the moonlight streaming through the glass dome which surmounted the four arcs of the central staircase, the fanlight above the door to the vestibule and the windows which flanked the front door--the room glittered and shone.
“Cor!” Ethel sighed as she led Jenny by the hand into the room. “I know I seen it a few times before, but, I can’t get it in me head that this is our house.”
“It ain’t, that’s why.” Jenny replied quietly.
“Sure it is. We live here, don’t we?”
“We work underneath it and we sleep above it.” Jenny shrugged. “And, even that ain’t ours.”
“The Duke said we should consider this our home, too. This and the Hall in Yorkshire and that castle on the moors.” Ethel frowned.
“Then, why ain’t we allowed in here nor any of the reception rooms?” Jenny smiled.
“That ain’t the Duke’s doin’. That’s Mr. Speaight and Mrs. Pepper what won’t let us come here. Remember, the Duke and Dr. Halifax ‘ave asked us to come upstairs ‘fore.”
“Yeah.” Jenny nodded. “They ‘ave. Us. A kitchen maid and a scullery.” She shook her head. “Even let us wear his mama’s jewels at the ball.”
“That’s why we gotta do this.” Ethel answered.
They both paused, frozen in place, as they heard a noise above them.
Slowly, the two looked up, their gazes caressing the ovoid spiral of the stairs, looking past the glimmer of the chandeliers—dripping with prisms—and up to the glass dome. Ethel blinked. She could see the moon. She could see the moon from inside the house! Simply by looking up at the ceiling. She’d never been to the palace, like the Duke and the doctor had, but she imagined that even that wasn’t as grand as their very own home.
“It were nothin’” Jenny said with relief. “Just a noise. Maybe Gamilla walking the baby to sleep up in the nursery.”
“I think it were the Man in the Moon.” Ethel smiled, still looking up. “He’s watchin’ us.”
“You’re daft.” Jenny shook her head. “Now, come on. You know Charles ain’t gonna be up with Gerard all night. Remember? The Duke told him when he finished up chattin’ with Gerry, he’s to come down and watch the ‘all.”
“I know it.” Ethel replied irritably.
“Where’s the mornin’ room? You said that’s where the garden door is.”
“It’s this one.” Ethel pointed to a tall, gilt-mahogany door, shadowed by the curve of the balcony.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Ethel nodded. “Once when Vi was havin’…when Vi couldn’t work…Mr. Speaight sent me up to do the grates.”
“Right.”
They tiptoed to the door and Ethel gently opened it.
“Say…” Jenny hissed in awe.
“This is where they take breakfast.”
“I know it,” Jenny nodded, she turned in place to examine the dim room.
“Come on, we ain’t on the grand tour.” Ethel snorted. “There’s the garden door.”
“Ethel,” Jenny took her friend’s arm. “Are you sure ‘bout this?”
“We ain’t gonna talk ‘bout it all ‘gain, are we?”
“No…it’s just. I don’t even know where to go once we get outta the garden.”
“I do.” Ethel said. “Just follow me.”
“But, it’s…” Jenny began.
“You can stay here, Jenny. If you wanna be a coward.”
“I ain’t a coward. But, it ain’t no place for girls like us—the night.”
“Nothin’s gonna happen.” Ethel smiled softly.
“How can you be sure?”
“We got the Man in the Moon watchin’ us.” Ethel repeated.
Did you miss Chapters 1-240 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 242.
