Chapter 159:
Ready to See
“Escape?” Lennie sniffed.
“Sure,” Violet replied. “Don’t ya want to get out of here?”
“And go where?” Lennie asked.
“Home.” Charles answered.
“Where might that be?” Lennie sighed.
“You gotta have a home.” Violet exclaimed impatiently. “Everyone has a home.”
“Violet…” Charles whispered.
“Well, Charles.” Vi snapped.
“She doesn’t have a home.” Charles said softly.
“What about your father’s house?” Violet asked.
“We lost it when he died.” Lennie explained. “By the time Orpha…or Ellen…forced me to come to Scotland, I’d lost Father’s house. I had no income. When Father died, the money stopped. I suspect for years we’d been living off of an annuity of some sort from the Duchess of Fallbridge. After we’d learned that she was killed, times were lean indeed, but once Father was gone…”
“Didn’t you work? You said you worked?”
“For what?” Lennie asked. “Board and food. Miss, I’d guess you’re a maid. Do you have vast savings?”
“No.” Violet replied. “But, I’m not the sister of a Duke.”
“It’s true.” Charles spoke up. “The Duke of Fallbridge will help you and protect you. When he learns what this Orpha Polk has done to you and realizes that you—not she—is his sister, he’ll do whatever he can to give you a comfortable life.”
“Of course he will.” Violet nodded. “His Grace is a fine man.”
“Isn’t he mad?” Lennie asked cautiously. “I’ve heard he’s quite mad.”
Violet and Charles exchanged glances.
“I see.” Lennie sighed.
“No, no, Miss.” Violet said quickly. “I worked for the Duke for some time now and I ain’t never seen any sign of madness. He’s funny, yes. But, he’s very kind. Sure, I’ve heard what people say about him, but I never saw nothin’ what would make me think he’s a bad man. He’s very generous and gentle. Well…Charles, you’re his man…you tell her.”
“I know why people say the Duke is mad.” Charles answered slowly. “But, I’ve worked for him long enough to know that he’s the kindest man you’ll ever meet.”
“Sure,” Violet said. “His Grace and Charles—they’re friends. It ain’t just that Charles is the Duke’s valet. The Duke treats Charles like he’s an equal.”
“Is that so?” Lennie asked.
“It is.” Charles nodded.
“Still…” Lennie began.
“What other choice have you got, Miss?” Violet interrupted. “You can stay here and rot. You can come with us and go see the Duke. Seems to me that it’s a simple choice.”
“I don’t know that I’m ready to see him.” Lennie answered softly.
“So you’d rather stay here in this cellar and die?” Violet spat. “Well, I’m not gonna. Sure, maybe they took my hair, but they’re not takin’ my life! I’m young. I got livin’ to do. We’re leavin’. You can come if you want.”
“Violet,” Charles warned. “Don’t forget, this woman is the Duke’s sister.”
“She could be, if she wants. But, it don’t seem to me that she wants to be. So, right now, she’s a block in the road. She’s what’s keepin’ me from life!”
“I don’t mean to.” Lennie began to cry.
“Violet…” Charles clucked his tongue. “Look what you did.”
“Well, then, Charles, if you’re such a gentleman, you talk to her.”
“Miss,” Charles began. “If you don’t care to see the Duke, you don’t have to. However, Violet and I must free ourselves from here. We have responsibilities. Not just for our own survival, but to the masters and to our friends.”
“I don’t wish to delay you.” Lennie sniffed.
“Perhaps you can go to one of your other brothers.”
“They’re not my brothers.”
“Well, your cousins, then.” Charles nodded.
“They’ve their own lives. They never wished to bother with me.”
“Then, stay here and rot!” Violet shouted. “Charles, help me up on that trunk!”
Charles didn’t move.
“Fine, then.” Violet grumbled, scrambling up on the trunk which they’d pulled toward the high window. She grunted and turned to Charles. “You’re gonna have to help me. I still can’t reach it.”
“Go on,” Lennie nodded. “The two of you should escape. I’ll be fine.”
“We can’t leave you here, Miss. Johnny Donnan will return shortly, I’m sure of it.”
“My true father…” Lennie muttered.
“He doesn’t know you’re his daughter. He thinks that Ellen…Orpha…is.” Charles argued. “Tell him who you are.”
“Leave her be, Charles!” Violet shouted. “She don’t want savin’.”
“We can’t just leave her here.” Charles replied.
The three of them paused as they heard footsteps on the floor above them.
“Now, you’ve done it.” Violet hissed as she hopped down from the trunk. “We’re dead now.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-158 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 160.
“Sure,” Violet replied. “Don’t ya want to get out of here?”
“And go where?” Lennie asked.
“Home.” Charles answered.
“Where might that be?” Lennie sighed.
“You gotta have a home.” Violet exclaimed impatiently. “Everyone has a home.”
“Violet…” Charles whispered.
“Well, Charles.” Vi snapped.
“She doesn’t have a home.” Charles said softly.
“What about your father’s house?” Violet asked.
“We lost it when he died.” Lennie explained. “By the time Orpha…or Ellen…forced me to come to Scotland, I’d lost Father’s house. I had no income. When Father died, the money stopped. I suspect for years we’d been living off of an annuity of some sort from the Duchess of Fallbridge. After we’d learned that she was killed, times were lean indeed, but once Father was gone…”
“Didn’t you work? You said you worked?”
“For what?” Lennie asked. “Board and food. Miss, I’d guess you’re a maid. Do you have vast savings?”
“No.” Violet replied. “But, I’m not the sister of a Duke.”
“It’s true.” Charles spoke up. “The Duke of Fallbridge will help you and protect you. When he learns what this Orpha Polk has done to you and realizes that you—not she—is his sister, he’ll do whatever he can to give you a comfortable life.”
“Of course he will.” Violet nodded. “His Grace is a fine man.”
“Isn’t he mad?” Lennie asked cautiously. “I’ve heard he’s quite mad.”
Violet and Charles exchanged glances.
“I see.” Lennie sighed.
“No, no, Miss.” Violet said quickly. “I worked for the Duke for some time now and I ain’t never seen any sign of madness. He’s funny, yes. But, he’s very kind. Sure, I’ve heard what people say about him, but I never saw nothin’ what would make me think he’s a bad man. He’s very generous and gentle. Well…Charles, you’re his man…you tell her.”
“I know why people say the Duke is mad.” Charles answered slowly. “But, I’ve worked for him long enough to know that he’s the kindest man you’ll ever meet.”
“Sure,” Violet said. “His Grace and Charles—they’re friends. It ain’t just that Charles is the Duke’s valet. The Duke treats Charles like he’s an equal.”
“Is that so?” Lennie asked.
“It is.” Charles nodded.
“Still…” Lennie began.
“What other choice have you got, Miss?” Violet interrupted. “You can stay here and rot. You can come with us and go see the Duke. Seems to me that it’s a simple choice.”
“I don’t know that I’m ready to see him.” Lennie answered softly.
“So you’d rather stay here in this cellar and die?” Violet spat. “Well, I’m not gonna. Sure, maybe they took my hair, but they’re not takin’ my life! I’m young. I got livin’ to do. We’re leavin’. You can come if you want.”
“Violet,” Charles warned. “Don’t forget, this woman is the Duke’s sister.”
“She could be, if she wants. But, it don’t seem to me that she wants to be. So, right now, she’s a block in the road. She’s what’s keepin’ me from life!”
“I don’t mean to.” Lennie began to cry.
“Violet…” Charles clucked his tongue. “Look what you did.”
“Well, then, Charles, if you’re such a gentleman, you talk to her.”
“Miss,” Charles began. “If you don’t care to see the Duke, you don’t have to. However, Violet and I must free ourselves from here. We have responsibilities. Not just for our own survival, but to the masters and to our friends.”
“I don’t wish to delay you.” Lennie sniffed.
“Perhaps you can go to one of your other brothers.”
“They’re not my brothers.”
“Well, your cousins, then.” Charles nodded.
“They’ve their own lives. They never wished to bother with me.”
“Then, stay here and rot!” Violet shouted. “Charles, help me up on that trunk!”
Charles didn’t move.
“Fine, then.” Violet grumbled, scrambling up on the trunk which they’d pulled toward the high window. She grunted and turned to Charles. “You’re gonna have to help me. I still can’t reach it.”
“Go on,” Lennie nodded. “The two of you should escape. I’ll be fine.”
“We can’t leave you here, Miss. Johnny Donnan will return shortly, I’m sure of it.”
“My true father…” Lennie muttered.
“He doesn’t know you’re his daughter. He thinks that Ellen…Orpha…is.” Charles argued. “Tell him who you are.”
“Leave her be, Charles!” Violet shouted. “She don’t want savin’.”
“We can’t just leave her here.” Charles replied.
The three of them paused as they heard footsteps on the floor above them.
“Now, you’ve done it.” Violet hissed as she hopped down from the trunk. “We’re dead now.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-158 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 160.
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