"Extry! Extry! Infamous Charles Duff steals from de Stock Mawket!"
"Who's Charles Duff?"
"Gots ta buy da pape ta find out sir!"
"I'll take one."
A young redheaded lady came up behind the newsie and threw her arms around his waist. "I'll take one too.."
The newsie turned around suddenly, "Me God Sadie! Ya scared me shitless!"
"Ah… yer a big boy, Mush. Gimme a paper," she said as she grabbed a newspaper from his hand.
"Ya seem back ta yer old self…" Mush muttered as he stuck his tongue out at her.
Sadie flipped through the pages. "Don't stick it out unless ya plan on use'n it…" Mush raised an eyebrow. "Hey… I know this…I KNOW this!"
"What do ya know?" Mush asked, confused.
"I know who Charles Duff is, or are, or whatever."
"Huh?"
"This newspaper headline, it says Charles Duff stole money from the stock market. Charles Duff isn't a person though! He's two blokes!"
"Okay," Mush started, "Yer sayin dat ya know who stole all dis money?"
"Yes!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Race was in a slightly better mood since he really made out on the day's papes. He promised himself he would not let Opie go to this party on her own though. He knew her, and he knew how she attracted trouble. And now with her new habit of flashing her breasts for money….someone's got to keep track of her.
So, he waited outside her boarding house until she appeared, just as he figured, sneaking out without a chaperone. She is so predictable, he thought. He stayed in the shadows and followed her to the count's house.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As Ophelia stepped up to the front door, she realized she was noticeably shaking. Would they let her in? What if they sent her away? Who would she talk to? Would the count remember her?
To her relief, the butler stepped aside and took her coat.
She was in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sir, the girl….er….lady is here," the butler said, and quickly took his leave.
Jacob looked around. He spotted her walking shyly into the hall, looking around, but seemingly afraid to touch anything. How pitiful she seemed. How pitifully cute. He would most certainly have to put her under his wing.
He pushed his towards her. "Madamoiselle, may I offer you some champagne?"
"Oh yes! Thank you!"
"I must admit, I never was aware of your name…." Jacob smiled.
"It is Ophelia, sir," she nearly whispered. She seemed quite like she might faint.
"Are you alright? Would you like to sit down?"
"I'm fine, sir, just fine, thank you." Her face turned pink and her eyes moved away from his.
"Please don't call me sir. Call me Jacob."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie entered the party on Timmy Michelson's arm. Not a bad place to be, she soon found out. He seemed to know everyone in this town, although she sensed that their respect for him stemmed from fear.
She was extremely nervous upon returning to her old residence, especially if someone were to recognize her. She wondered if the count had sent the baby Anna home to her mother or if she was upstairs. He most certainly could not have sent her to a boarding school like he had her brother.
Sadie saw a chance to get away for a second while Timmy was immersed in conversation, and she quickly disappeared up the steps to the third floor. She walked slowly to her old room, wondering if someone else lived there now… She opened the door, and the room looked just as it had when she left. No doubt someone new was living here now, but the setup was the same nonetheless.
She thought about that night, something she didn't often let herself do. She remembered when the count barged into her room while she was dressing, how she told him to leave, how that seemed to just turn him on more… She shivered. He had grabbed her wrist forcing her to drop her clothes and stand there in her underwear. She remembered how scared she was. She wondered about what could have happened had Christian not entered the room, drowsy from a nightmare, and seen his father pushing Sadie up against the wall. Sadie remembered the child screaming, "Father, please don't hurt 'er!" And then she found herself on the floor, and Christian on his father's back, biting him. The count screamed, and flung the child at her. Luckily for both of them, she had caught him. Lord knows she'd never forgive herself if Christian was hurt…
She was startled to hear the door opening. A flashback of the count made her jump and hold her shawl up to her chest. It was only a servant who entered, and she was stunned too, to see a lady all dressed up for the party in this small servant's quarters. Sadie apologized and quickly ran out of the room and back to the safety of the crowd downstairs.
"Who's Charles Duff?"
"Gots ta buy da pape ta find out sir!"
"I'll take one."
A young redheaded lady came up behind the newsie and threw her arms around his waist. "I'll take one too.."
The newsie turned around suddenly, "Me God Sadie! Ya scared me shitless!"
"Ah… yer a big boy, Mush. Gimme a paper," she said as she grabbed a newspaper from his hand.
"Ya seem back ta yer old self…" Mush muttered as he stuck his tongue out at her.
Sadie flipped through the pages. "Don't stick it out unless ya plan on use'n it…" Mush raised an eyebrow. "Hey… I know this…I KNOW this!"
"What do ya know?" Mush asked, confused.
"I know who Charles Duff is, or are, or whatever."
"Huh?"
"This newspaper headline, it says Charles Duff stole money from the stock market. Charles Duff isn't a person though! He's two blokes!"
"Okay," Mush started, "Yer sayin dat ya know who stole all dis money?"
"Yes!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Race was in a slightly better mood since he really made out on the day's papes. He promised himself he would not let Opie go to this party on her own though. He knew her, and he knew how she attracted trouble. And now with her new habit of flashing her breasts for money….someone's got to keep track of her.
So, he waited outside her boarding house until she appeared, just as he figured, sneaking out without a chaperone. She is so predictable, he thought. He stayed in the shadows and followed her to the count's house.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As Ophelia stepped up to the front door, she realized she was noticeably shaking. Would they let her in? What if they sent her away? Who would she talk to? Would the count remember her?
To her relief, the butler stepped aside and took her coat.
She was in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sir, the girl….er….lady is here," the butler said, and quickly took his leave.
Jacob looked around. He spotted her walking shyly into the hall, looking around, but seemingly afraid to touch anything. How pitiful she seemed. How pitifully cute. He would most certainly have to put her under his wing.
He pushed his towards her. "Madamoiselle, may I offer you some champagne?"
"Oh yes! Thank you!"
"I must admit, I never was aware of your name…." Jacob smiled.
"It is Ophelia, sir," she nearly whispered. She seemed quite like she might faint.
"Are you alright? Would you like to sit down?"
"I'm fine, sir, just fine, thank you." Her face turned pink and her eyes moved away from his.
"Please don't call me sir. Call me Jacob."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie entered the party on Timmy Michelson's arm. Not a bad place to be, she soon found out. He seemed to know everyone in this town, although she sensed that their respect for him stemmed from fear.
She was extremely nervous upon returning to her old residence, especially if someone were to recognize her. She wondered if the count had sent the baby Anna home to her mother or if she was upstairs. He most certainly could not have sent her to a boarding school like he had her brother.
Sadie saw a chance to get away for a second while Timmy was immersed in conversation, and she quickly disappeared up the steps to the third floor. She walked slowly to her old room, wondering if someone else lived there now… She opened the door, and the room looked just as it had when she left. No doubt someone new was living here now, but the setup was the same nonetheless.
She thought about that night, something she didn't often let herself do. She remembered when the count barged into her room while she was dressing, how she told him to leave, how that seemed to just turn him on more… She shivered. He had grabbed her wrist forcing her to drop her clothes and stand there in her underwear. She remembered how scared she was. She wondered about what could have happened had Christian not entered the room, drowsy from a nightmare, and seen his father pushing Sadie up against the wall. Sadie remembered the child screaming, "Father, please don't hurt 'er!" And then she found herself on the floor, and Christian on his father's back, biting him. The count screamed, and flung the child at her. Luckily for both of them, she had caught him. Lord knows she'd never forgive herself if Christian was hurt…
She was startled to hear the door opening. A flashback of the count made her jump and hold her shawl up to her chest. It was only a servant who entered, and she was stunned too, to see a lady all dressed up for the party in this small servant's quarters. Sadie apologized and quickly ran out of the room and back to the safety of the crowd downstairs.