Chapter 263
Motherhood
“Marduk’s hungry!” Orpha howled from the front bedroom. “Bring him their breakfast!”
“We caught all we had,” Hortence frowned, shambling down the hallway.
She could barely see since Orpha attacked her on the night that Jenny was killed. Only through one eye could Hortence see shapes and shadows...all of them still blurry. She squinted as she walked.
“Then, go and find some more.” Orpha snarled.
"How'm I to do that?" She moaned. "With you leavin' me like I am, all I can do is feel around the rubbish."
"The price one must pay to feed the master." Orpha smiled.
“Last few bit me.” Hortence snapped. “Can’t the thing drink milk like any other baby?”
“No!” Orpha bellowed. “He’s not any other baby! They’re special.”
“I should say so.” Hortence smirked.
Her smirk, however, was short-lived—wiped away by a sharp slap across the face with the back of Orpha’s hand as she lunged through the doorway.
“Never speak of them again.” Orpha shouted. “Now, go and get my child the rats that they like so.”
Hortence thought of shoving Orpha against the wall, but decided against it, knowing that the woman was unhinged and strong as an ox. Furthermore, being mostly blind, Hortence couldn't tell if she's even reach Orpha. She nodded obediently.
“Where’s Eudora?” Orpha growled.
“Feeding the others.” Hortence whimpered.
“Is that Constance woman still here?”
“No, Miss.” Hortence replied softly.
“Good.” Orpha nodded. “Go about your work.”
Hortence began to retreat.
“And be quick about it!” Orpha shouted. Suddenly, she had a thought. “Wait!”
“What do ya want me to do, Miss? Get the two-headed master his feed or stand here?”
“Don’t start your insolence again. Before you go out, send Fern to me. She can amuse them until his breakfast arrives.”
“As you wish.” Hortence replied, just happy to be away from Orpha. She scuttled through the parlor into the dank kitchen, feeling her way.
Eudora looked up. “Quite a blot risin’ on your cheek. She hit ya again.”
“She did, the bitch.” Hortence whispered. "Weren't it bad 'nough to take me sight?"
“You get along well enough. What’s she shoutin’ ‘bout?” Eudora asked, not looking up from her task of shoveling some sort of mush into the mouth of her youngest child.
“Wants breakfast for it.” Hortence shivered.
“We’re out.” Eudora shrugged. “It’s gonna have to eat what the rest of us do.”
“No, no, the thing is special, says the cow. He needs his fresh meat. She wants me to go catch more.”
“Foul thing.”
“Which one.”
“Both o’ ‘em.” Eudora grumbled.
“You’re the one what brought her to us.”
“She came to me!” Eudora spat. “And, now’s not the time to start pointin’ fingers.” She sighed. “You’d best go ‘bout your huntin’, then.”
“I’ve a task first.” Hortence muttered. “She wants Fern to come and entertain it.”
“Fern?” Eudora looked up.
“Yeah…Fern.” Hortence nodded firmly.
“Fern…ain’t…”
“Where is she?” Hortence asked, looking around the kitchen. She tried to take inventory of the other small, dirty faces which looked up at her, but she couldn't tell one from another--they were all just dim silhouettes--some of them Eudora's, and two of them belonging to Lady Lensdown.
Eudora was silent.
“Don’t tell me…” Hortence began.
Eudora blinked.
“You didn’t let her mother take her, did ya?” Hortence rasped. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“I didn’t know nothin’ bout it.” Eudora lied.
“Oh, yes you did.” Hortence snapped.
“What if I did?” Eudora replied defensively.
“She’ll kill ya, Orpha will!” Hortence exclaimed. “And, then, she’ll kill me! You see what she's already done to me!”
“Keep your voice down, will ya!”
“You saw what she done to that girl…Jenny.” Hortence sniffed. "And, me eyes...me poor eyes. They still bleed, Eudora. They still burn. But, I wager I'm lucky...Jenny...gone now. Gone."
“I know.”
“That’s gonna be us.” Hortence whined. “You know that she thinks the monster likes Fern.”
“I know, I know.” Eudora mumbled.
“She sittin’ in there waitin’ for the girl. What am I to tell ‘er.”
Eudroa shook her head. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought of it yet.”
“No?” Hortence barked. “You let Constance take the girl, but you didn’t think ‘bout after.”
“Listen, you.” Eudora warned. “I…I did what was best. You don’t have no babies. You don’t know what it’s like to…well, I just couldn’t let the woman leave without her girl. Motherhood, Hortence…”
“That don’t help us any.” Hortence sighed.
“Hortence!” Orpha’s voice could be heard from the front of the house.
“She’s gettin’ impatient.” Hortence trembled.
“Go get the rats, I’ll talk with ‘er.” Eudora said quickly.
“What’ll you tell ‘er?”
“I don’t know yet.” Eudora mumbled. “I’ll think o’ somethin’. Best you’re not here though. Just go.”
“She’ll kill ya.” Hortence shook her head. She looked up and squinted. “Someone’s knockin’ on the door.”
“I’ll wager it’s that ginger giant.” Eudora nodded.
“Who is she, anyway? That American…”
“Whoever she is, she’s gonna help us bide our time. You can count on it.” Eudora answered.
Did you miss Chapters 1-262? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 264 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
“Marduk’s hungry!” Orpha howled from the front bedroom. “Bring him their breakfast!”
“We caught all we had,” Hortence frowned, shambling down the hallway.
She could barely see since Orpha attacked her on the night that Jenny was killed. Only through one eye could Hortence see shapes and shadows...all of them still blurry. She squinted as she walked.
“Then, go and find some more.” Orpha snarled.
"How'm I to do that?" She moaned. "With you leavin' me like I am, all I can do is feel around the rubbish."
"The price one must pay to feed the master." Orpha smiled.
“Last few bit me.” Hortence snapped. “Can’t the thing drink milk like any other baby?”
“No!” Orpha bellowed. “He’s not any other baby! They’re special.”
“I should say so.” Hortence smirked.
Her smirk, however, was short-lived—wiped away by a sharp slap across the face with the back of Orpha’s hand as she lunged through the doorway.
“Never speak of them again.” Orpha shouted. “Now, go and get my child the rats that they like so.”
Hortence thought of shoving Orpha against the wall, but decided against it, knowing that the woman was unhinged and strong as an ox. Furthermore, being mostly blind, Hortence couldn't tell if she's even reach Orpha. She nodded obediently.
“Where’s Eudora?” Orpha growled.
“Feeding the others.” Hortence whimpered.
“Is that Constance woman still here?”
“No, Miss.” Hortence replied softly.
“Good.” Orpha nodded. “Go about your work.”
Hortence began to retreat.
“And be quick about it!” Orpha shouted. Suddenly, she had a thought. “Wait!”
“What do ya want me to do, Miss? Get the two-headed master his feed or stand here?”
“Don’t start your insolence again. Before you go out, send Fern to me. She can amuse them until his breakfast arrives.”
“As you wish.” Hortence replied, just happy to be away from Orpha. She scuttled through the parlor into the dank kitchen, feeling her way.
Eudora looked up. “Quite a blot risin’ on your cheek. She hit ya again.”
“She did, the bitch.” Hortence whispered. "Weren't it bad 'nough to take me sight?"
“You get along well enough. What’s she shoutin’ ‘bout?” Eudora asked, not looking up from her task of shoveling some sort of mush into the mouth of her youngest child.
“Wants breakfast for it.” Hortence shivered.
“We’re out.” Eudora shrugged. “It’s gonna have to eat what the rest of us do.”
“No, no, the thing is special, says the cow. He needs his fresh meat. She wants me to go catch more.”
“Foul thing.”
“Which one.”
“Both o’ ‘em.” Eudora grumbled.
“You’re the one what brought her to us.”
“She came to me!” Eudora spat. “And, now’s not the time to start pointin’ fingers.” She sighed. “You’d best go ‘bout your huntin’, then.”
“I’ve a task first.” Hortence muttered. “She wants Fern to come and entertain it.”
“Fern?” Eudora looked up.
“Yeah…Fern.” Hortence nodded firmly.
“Fern…ain’t…”
“Where is she?” Hortence asked, looking around the kitchen. She tried to take inventory of the other small, dirty faces which looked up at her, but she couldn't tell one from another--they were all just dim silhouettes--some of them Eudora's, and two of them belonging to Lady Lensdown.
Eudora was silent.
“Don’t tell me…” Hortence began.
Eudora blinked.
“You didn’t let her mother take her, did ya?” Hortence rasped. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“I didn’t know nothin’ bout it.” Eudora lied.
“Oh, yes you did.” Hortence snapped.
“What if I did?” Eudora replied defensively.
“She’ll kill ya, Orpha will!” Hortence exclaimed. “And, then, she’ll kill me! You see what she's already done to me!”
“Keep your voice down, will ya!”
“You saw what she done to that girl…Jenny.” Hortence sniffed. "And, me eyes...me poor eyes. They still bleed, Eudora. They still burn. But, I wager I'm lucky...Jenny...gone now. Gone."
“I know.”
“That’s gonna be us.” Hortence whined. “You know that she thinks the monster likes Fern.”
“I know, I know.” Eudora mumbled.
“She sittin’ in there waitin’ for the girl. What am I to tell ‘er.”
Eudroa shook her head. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought of it yet.”
“No?” Hortence barked. “You let Constance take the girl, but you didn’t think ‘bout after.”
“Listen, you.” Eudora warned. “I…I did what was best. You don’t have no babies. You don’t know what it’s like to…well, I just couldn’t let the woman leave without her girl. Motherhood, Hortence…”
“That don’t help us any.” Hortence sighed.
“Hortence!” Orpha’s voice could be heard from the front of the house.
“She’s gettin’ impatient.” Hortence trembled.
“Go get the rats, I’ll talk with ‘er.” Eudora said quickly.
“What’ll you tell ‘er?”
“I don’t know yet.” Eudora mumbled. “I’ll think o’ somethin’. Best you’re not here though. Just go.”
“She’ll kill ya.” Hortence shook her head. She looked up and squinted. “Someone’s knockin’ on the door.”
“I’ll wager it’s that ginger giant.” Eudora nodded.
“Who is she, anyway? That American…”
“Whoever she is, she’s gonna help us bide our time. You can count on it.” Eudora answered.
Did you miss Chapters 1-262? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 264 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
