Chapter 149:
The Lass
Finlay scowled into the darkness and shivered slightly.
“Oh,” Ellen frowned. “You needn’t continue pouting.”
“Ya just had to go and get yourself caught.” Finlay snarled. “Now, everyone knows everything.”
“Finlay, they’d already worked it out for themselves anyway. It was just a matter of time. Don’t let it bother you.”
“Sure,” Finlay nodded. “Why would I let it worry me?”
‘There’s no need for you to take that tone with me, Finlay.”
“And, why not? Just now, that scullery maid is up there.” He pointed toward Grange Molliner. “Tellin’ your brother, the lunatic Duke, all about how you’re his sister and how we are terrible murderers.”
“They can’t prove that we killed their Mrs. North, and they certainly can’t prove that we had anything to do with the murder of William Stover.”
“I…” Finlay said firmly, “I had nothing to do with the latter, lassie. That was you, all alone.”
“Well,” Ellen shrugged. “We each had one of our own, then.”
“Pardon me?” Finlay asked.
“I killed William. You killed the Countess.”
“I certainly didn’t.”
“She was killed with a knife—that’s your preferred method, Finlay.”
“Maybe so, but not in this case. I didn’t do it.” Finlay shook his head. “I thought it was you.”
“No.” Ellen chuckled. “Are you sure?”
“Well, I think I’d know if I killed a woman.” Finlay clucked his tongue.
“You do become intoxicated quite a lot. Perhaps it has affected your memory.” Ellen teased.
“Not in this instance, lass.” Finlay shook his head again. “Are you sure it weren’t you?”
“Positive.” Ellen nodded seriously. “I was still holding the baby when the Countess was murdered. I didn’t go down there until the doctor and Gerard went to investigate.”
“That’s when I went down, too.” Finlay exclaimed. “I was just following orders. I knew Gerard and the Doctor were in there and I went to stab him like you told me. So, I did. I slipped the jewels in his pocket and cut him just enough to put him down for awhile.”
“You’re not lying to me?” Ellen asked.
“No.”
“Well, then.” Ellen nodded. “If I didn’t kill the Countess and you didn’t…who, then?”
“Victor?”
“Couldn’t have been. The Baron Lensdown was still waiting on the turret when the old woman was killed.”
“Huh.” Finlay nodded.
“This is all just a terrible mess.” Ellen snapped.
“And you tell me I was poutin’.” Finlay grinned wickedly. “By now the Duke has been told that you’re his kin. Wonder what he’ll do next.”
“If I know the fool, he’ll search me out and embrace me, welcoming me to the family.”
“And, you’ll thank him by robbing him blind.”
“Maybe not.” Ellen sniffed. “Perhaps I’ll just make him suffer for awhile.”
“Sure.” Finlay smirked. “Did ya ever think that maybe he’d call for the beadle and have you put away?”
“Honestly?” Ellen scoffed. “Don’t forget all of the horrors he suffered from his legitimate sister, Lady Barbara. And, after all of it, the Duke adopts her bastard son and, as I understand it from the African, even offered to make sure that she had a safe and comfortable life.”
“Lady Barbara never killed no one.”
Ellen shrugged. “We don’t know that.”
“Well, lassie,” Finlay sighed. “I hope it all works out for us. That’s all I can wish.”
“Is that all, Finlay?” a gruff, hard voice called from behind them.
“Pa!” Finlay’s back stiffened when he caught sight of their father coming upon them.
“So,” Johnny Donnan growled. “You’re the lass?”
“Yes.” Ellen smiled.
Johnny nodded.
And, then, without warning he raised his hand and struck Ellen across the face with the back of it.
Ellen yelped.
“You’re a filthy sow, lass!” Johnny spat. “I’m ashamed!”
Did you miss Chapters 1-148 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 150.
Finlay scowled into the darkness and shivered slightly.
“Oh,” Ellen frowned. “You needn’t continue pouting.”
“Ya just had to go and get yourself caught.” Finlay snarled. “Now, everyone knows everything.”
“Finlay, they’d already worked it out for themselves anyway. It was just a matter of time. Don’t let it bother you.”
“Sure,” Finlay nodded. “Why would I let it worry me?”
‘There’s no need for you to take that tone with me, Finlay.”
“And, why not? Just now, that scullery maid is up there.” He pointed toward Grange Molliner. “Tellin’ your brother, the lunatic Duke, all about how you’re his sister and how we are terrible murderers.”
“They can’t prove that we killed their Mrs. North, and they certainly can’t prove that we had anything to do with the murder of William Stover.”
“I…” Finlay said firmly, “I had nothing to do with the latter, lassie. That was you, all alone.”
“Well,” Ellen shrugged. “We each had one of our own, then.”
“Pardon me?” Finlay asked.
“I killed William. You killed the Countess.”
“I certainly didn’t.”
“She was killed with a knife—that’s your preferred method, Finlay.”
“Maybe so, but not in this case. I didn’t do it.” Finlay shook his head. “I thought it was you.”
“No.” Ellen chuckled. “Are you sure?”
“Well, I think I’d know if I killed a woman.” Finlay clucked his tongue.
“You do become intoxicated quite a lot. Perhaps it has affected your memory.” Ellen teased.
“Not in this instance, lass.” Finlay shook his head again. “Are you sure it weren’t you?”
“Positive.” Ellen nodded seriously. “I was still holding the baby when the Countess was murdered. I didn’t go down there until the doctor and Gerard went to investigate.”
“That’s when I went down, too.” Finlay exclaimed. “I was just following orders. I knew Gerard and the Doctor were in there and I went to stab him like you told me. So, I did. I slipped the jewels in his pocket and cut him just enough to put him down for awhile.”
“You’re not lying to me?” Ellen asked.
“No.”
“Well, then.” Ellen nodded. “If I didn’t kill the Countess and you didn’t…who, then?”
“Victor?”
“Couldn’t have been. The Baron Lensdown was still waiting on the turret when the old woman was killed.”
“Huh.” Finlay nodded.
“This is all just a terrible mess.” Ellen snapped.
“And you tell me I was poutin’.” Finlay grinned wickedly. “By now the Duke has been told that you’re his kin. Wonder what he’ll do next.”
“If I know the fool, he’ll search me out and embrace me, welcoming me to the family.”
“And, you’ll thank him by robbing him blind.”
“Maybe not.” Ellen sniffed. “Perhaps I’ll just make him suffer for awhile.”
“Sure.” Finlay smirked. “Did ya ever think that maybe he’d call for the beadle and have you put away?”
“Honestly?” Ellen scoffed. “Don’t forget all of the horrors he suffered from his legitimate sister, Lady Barbara. And, after all of it, the Duke adopts her bastard son and, as I understand it from the African, even offered to make sure that she had a safe and comfortable life.”
“Lady Barbara never killed no one.”
Ellen shrugged. “We don’t know that.”
“Well, lassie,” Finlay sighed. “I hope it all works out for us. That’s all I can wish.”
“Is that all, Finlay?” a gruff, hard voice called from behind them.
“Pa!” Finlay’s back stiffened when he caught sight of their father coming upon them.
“So,” Johnny Donnan growled. “You’re the lass?”
“Yes.” Ellen smiled.
Johnny nodded.
And, then, without warning he raised his hand and struck Ellen across the face with the back of it.
Ellen yelped.
“You’re a filthy sow, lass!” Johnny spat. “I’m ashamed!”
Did you miss Chapters 1-148 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 150.
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