Don't own.blablabla.my grammar and vocabulary.blablabla.well, you know! If
not read the former chapters!
Feel free to review.
Enjoy.
~*~
*It was around 12 when Pete Cunnings arrived. And at once Maureen had no good feeling about him, although he was surely fair to look upon: tall and slender, with slightly curly brown hair and blue-green eyes. His face was fine featured but Maureen could feel a malicious glance on it.
He had suddenly bursted into the room and hugged Jane a bit violently giving her a kiss on the cheek. Now he noticed Maureen sitting on her straw- sac. He shot an asking glare to Jane and then looked suspiciously at Maureen who shrinked and dearly wished just to vanish. Jane took Pete's arm making him jump.
"This is Ryan Pickle. He's new in London. No family, no friends but us. Understand?"
"Yeah, I see." He turned to her "You expect me to go and find labour for a filthy stranger fled from the country, don't you?" Again Maureen was painfully reminded that her clothes weren't very helpful in the city. Meanwhile Jane had answered Pete:
"Oh hell, Pete!" -Maureen winced at that curse- "It isn't the first time, is it?"
"No, but the last time it had been your cousin. And you knew what happened! He gave me away to the sheriff and I had to hide the last two weeks!"
"I know! And your men finished him off for that." she had a sad glance in her eyes "But Ryan isn't Bert. You could find him a different hiring. And nothing'll happen."
Maureen felt more and more uncomfortable. What was going on here? Again she wished she had never come to London. It seemed not to be that anonymus she had thought in the first place.
Suddenly there seemed to be a change in Pete's mind.
"All right. I give in! I'll go and see Harry. We'll probably have a use for the lad. But mind Jane - you vouch for him!"
Maureen didn't know if she should feel reliefed or not. What about that Bert? And the next thing Jane said really wasn't suitable to cheer her up:
"Harry? Oh no - Pete, no! I really didn't mean that sort of hiring. It's . too dangerous. He's so . innocent!"
"The better" Pete grinned.
They spoke as if Maureen wouldn't sit directly next to them. Suddenly she was in the centre of attention again. Pete scanned her from head to toe.
"He needs some new clothes. Buy him trousers and a shirt. Larger than he needs - it gives a better look. Bertha will have something suitable. The money'll be taken off his wage."
Jane nodded devotely.
"And he could use a washing. We're not noble but we aren't filthy either. You know where to go. And you" he turned directly to Maureen "go down and leave us alone! I wanto to . speak with Jane. I haven't SPOKEN to her for ages if you know what I mean." He looked into Maureen's innocent - and kind of naive - face. "No, you don't. Anyways - leave now! And don't dare coming back until I'm gone."
Maureen stood up and slowly went out of the room. When she closed the door she could see Pete turn to Jane with a strange glance in his eyes. But she couldn't think about the topic they might be discussing now - she was much too concerned with the thought of the bath. Everything would be discovered. She thought about leaving London forever and the possible consequences of this as she reached the bottom of the staircase. On the doorstep there was sitting a small boy, about six years old, playing with two wooden sticks. He looked up to her with big grey eyes.
"You're the boy living at Jane's now, right? Ryan, right? D'you get work from Pete?"
What about the anonymity of the city? It was almost worse than in her village.
"Yes, you're right. With everything. So, what's YOUR name?" Maureen sat down next to him.
"I'm Jaques. That's a French name. My grandfather was French. Do you have a French grandfather, too?"
"Heavens, no!" Maureen blurted out, not knowing if that had been a curse. The boy frowned. He couldn't know that Maureen had a natural dislike against the French. Her father had always fussed about this "mangy, rude and backward people". So Maureen thought them mangy, rude and backward, too. Jaques was smiling again, anyways.
"D'you want to play with me?" he asked holding one of the sticks under her nose. Maureen took it hesitatingly, not knowing what to do with a longish piece of dirty wood. So she dared to ask
"So . what to do with these sticks?"
The round eyes of the boy became even bigger.
"Ditcha just say 'sticks'? These are lances! Just like the jousting ones but smaller. You can use'em like swords, see? Trying to get points in nearly the same way the jousters get, see?" he enthusiastically explained.
"Moment please! Lances? Joust? Points? What are you on about?" Maureen was highly confused.
Jaques couldn't believe these questions.
"You don't know what I'm speaking about? Geez, where are you from? Never been at a tournament?"
Maureen had to say no and the boy began an emotional speech about the nature of the tournament. It was something highly confusing with knights, nobles, lances, swords, bows and much more Maureen didn't understand. In Corton she never had heard about something like this. Worst of the tournemant things were the big threatening horses (the boy called them "impressing steeds").
Jaques explained the way you get points at his little street game: 1 for hitting legs or feet, 2 for hitting arms or the upper body (except the head) and three for making the opponent fall. It seemed to Maureen that it was quite a violent game. How violent must have been the tournament itself? But she wanted to do Jaques a favour and played with him. After about 30 minutes - the points were 25 to 1 with Jaques in advantage - Pete came down the stairs and at once Jaques and Maureen stopped dead. Pete gave Maureen a grunt sounding like "Being back later." Then went on to the lively streets of London. When he was out of earshot Jaques turned to Maureen and whispered
"He's evil!"
Maureen automatically nodded. She didn't know Pete as long as Jaques did but she had just the same feeling around him.
Then suddenly five boys appeared looking just as ragged and famished as Jaques. He asked Maureen to go with them but she wanted to go up to Jane. So Jaques asked her to greet Jane and then disappeared with the boys.
Maureen got up to the room, knocked and antered.
"Greetings from Jaques . what are you doing there?"
Jane wore another dress - with a very low neck. At the moment she was dressing herself with too much of the cheap jewellery.
"I'll go working. Pete said I'd been too idle while he was away. He's just going to get me a client at Harry's. I have to hurry up and follow him."
"Are you selling the jewellery?" Maureen asked.
"What? - Oh!" she smiled "Erm, yes, somehow . don't bother." She turned to a small dirty mirror and began putting coloured powder on her face.
"Ladys shouldn't use make-up!" Maureen called
"'F course not, my dear! But I'm no lady so it's all right. Could you help me with my hair, please?" Jane said leniently as if explaining something very evident to a child.
"You ARE a lady." Maureen insisted and began to brush Jane's hair.
"If you think so. Hey Ryan, where did you learn brushing so gently? Very exceptional for a tough young man."
"Erm.I had sisters."
"Oh . I see."
"Jane?" Maureen asked while Jane was making her hair.
"Mhm?" - she had hairpins between the teeth.
"What . What's so dangerous about the work Pete will give me?"
Jane had finished and now examined her work in the mirror. She turned to Maureen looking at her fondly.
"Little nitwit! Why should Pete give you a dangerous task?"
"But you said it yourself!" insisted Maureen
"Oh! Did I?" -Maureen nodded- "It's just because, well, it surely'll be a delivery-job. And you don't know London at all. But Pete convinced me. He . he promised you'll get some extra money at the beginning. To pay a guide. You can hire one of the street urchins. For a half-penny they'll lead you everywhere. So don't matter. Everything'll be all right. Have to go now. There's some bread and cheese left for you. B..."
"Can't I go with you?" Maureen asked, suddenly anxious to be alone.
"Oh no!" Jane answered a bit too fast. "Harry shan't see you before you're washed and everything. Bye." And with that she was out of the door and away.*
Feel free to review.
Enjoy.
~*~
*It was around 12 when Pete Cunnings arrived. And at once Maureen had no good feeling about him, although he was surely fair to look upon: tall and slender, with slightly curly brown hair and blue-green eyes. His face was fine featured but Maureen could feel a malicious glance on it.
He had suddenly bursted into the room and hugged Jane a bit violently giving her a kiss on the cheek. Now he noticed Maureen sitting on her straw- sac. He shot an asking glare to Jane and then looked suspiciously at Maureen who shrinked and dearly wished just to vanish. Jane took Pete's arm making him jump.
"This is Ryan Pickle. He's new in London. No family, no friends but us. Understand?"
"Yeah, I see." He turned to her "You expect me to go and find labour for a filthy stranger fled from the country, don't you?" Again Maureen was painfully reminded that her clothes weren't very helpful in the city. Meanwhile Jane had answered Pete:
"Oh hell, Pete!" -Maureen winced at that curse- "It isn't the first time, is it?"
"No, but the last time it had been your cousin. And you knew what happened! He gave me away to the sheriff and I had to hide the last two weeks!"
"I know! And your men finished him off for that." she had a sad glance in her eyes "But Ryan isn't Bert. You could find him a different hiring. And nothing'll happen."
Maureen felt more and more uncomfortable. What was going on here? Again she wished she had never come to London. It seemed not to be that anonymus she had thought in the first place.
Suddenly there seemed to be a change in Pete's mind.
"All right. I give in! I'll go and see Harry. We'll probably have a use for the lad. But mind Jane - you vouch for him!"
Maureen didn't know if she should feel reliefed or not. What about that Bert? And the next thing Jane said really wasn't suitable to cheer her up:
"Harry? Oh no - Pete, no! I really didn't mean that sort of hiring. It's . too dangerous. He's so . innocent!"
"The better" Pete grinned.
They spoke as if Maureen wouldn't sit directly next to them. Suddenly she was in the centre of attention again. Pete scanned her from head to toe.
"He needs some new clothes. Buy him trousers and a shirt. Larger than he needs - it gives a better look. Bertha will have something suitable. The money'll be taken off his wage."
Jane nodded devotely.
"And he could use a washing. We're not noble but we aren't filthy either. You know where to go. And you" he turned directly to Maureen "go down and leave us alone! I wanto to . speak with Jane. I haven't SPOKEN to her for ages if you know what I mean." He looked into Maureen's innocent - and kind of naive - face. "No, you don't. Anyways - leave now! And don't dare coming back until I'm gone."
Maureen stood up and slowly went out of the room. When she closed the door she could see Pete turn to Jane with a strange glance in his eyes. But she couldn't think about the topic they might be discussing now - she was much too concerned with the thought of the bath. Everything would be discovered. She thought about leaving London forever and the possible consequences of this as she reached the bottom of the staircase. On the doorstep there was sitting a small boy, about six years old, playing with two wooden sticks. He looked up to her with big grey eyes.
"You're the boy living at Jane's now, right? Ryan, right? D'you get work from Pete?"
What about the anonymity of the city? It was almost worse than in her village.
"Yes, you're right. With everything. So, what's YOUR name?" Maureen sat down next to him.
"I'm Jaques. That's a French name. My grandfather was French. Do you have a French grandfather, too?"
"Heavens, no!" Maureen blurted out, not knowing if that had been a curse. The boy frowned. He couldn't know that Maureen had a natural dislike against the French. Her father had always fussed about this "mangy, rude and backward people". So Maureen thought them mangy, rude and backward, too. Jaques was smiling again, anyways.
"D'you want to play with me?" he asked holding one of the sticks under her nose. Maureen took it hesitatingly, not knowing what to do with a longish piece of dirty wood. So she dared to ask
"So . what to do with these sticks?"
The round eyes of the boy became even bigger.
"Ditcha just say 'sticks'? These are lances! Just like the jousting ones but smaller. You can use'em like swords, see? Trying to get points in nearly the same way the jousters get, see?" he enthusiastically explained.
"Moment please! Lances? Joust? Points? What are you on about?" Maureen was highly confused.
Jaques couldn't believe these questions.
"You don't know what I'm speaking about? Geez, where are you from? Never been at a tournament?"
Maureen had to say no and the boy began an emotional speech about the nature of the tournament. It was something highly confusing with knights, nobles, lances, swords, bows and much more Maureen didn't understand. In Corton she never had heard about something like this. Worst of the tournemant things were the big threatening horses (the boy called them "impressing steeds").
Jaques explained the way you get points at his little street game: 1 for hitting legs or feet, 2 for hitting arms or the upper body (except the head) and three for making the opponent fall. It seemed to Maureen that it was quite a violent game. How violent must have been the tournament itself? But she wanted to do Jaques a favour and played with him. After about 30 minutes - the points were 25 to 1 with Jaques in advantage - Pete came down the stairs and at once Jaques and Maureen stopped dead. Pete gave Maureen a grunt sounding like "Being back later." Then went on to the lively streets of London. When he was out of earshot Jaques turned to Maureen and whispered
"He's evil!"
Maureen automatically nodded. She didn't know Pete as long as Jaques did but she had just the same feeling around him.
Then suddenly five boys appeared looking just as ragged and famished as Jaques. He asked Maureen to go with them but she wanted to go up to Jane. So Jaques asked her to greet Jane and then disappeared with the boys.
Maureen got up to the room, knocked and antered.
"Greetings from Jaques . what are you doing there?"
Jane wore another dress - with a very low neck. At the moment she was dressing herself with too much of the cheap jewellery.
"I'll go working. Pete said I'd been too idle while he was away. He's just going to get me a client at Harry's. I have to hurry up and follow him."
"Are you selling the jewellery?" Maureen asked.
"What? - Oh!" she smiled "Erm, yes, somehow . don't bother." She turned to a small dirty mirror and began putting coloured powder on her face.
"Ladys shouldn't use make-up!" Maureen called
"'F course not, my dear! But I'm no lady so it's all right. Could you help me with my hair, please?" Jane said leniently as if explaining something very evident to a child.
"You ARE a lady." Maureen insisted and began to brush Jane's hair.
"If you think so. Hey Ryan, where did you learn brushing so gently? Very exceptional for a tough young man."
"Erm.I had sisters."
"Oh . I see."
"Jane?" Maureen asked while Jane was making her hair.
"Mhm?" - she had hairpins between the teeth.
"What . What's so dangerous about the work Pete will give me?"
Jane had finished and now examined her work in the mirror. She turned to Maureen looking at her fondly.
"Little nitwit! Why should Pete give you a dangerous task?"
"But you said it yourself!" insisted Maureen
"Oh! Did I?" -Maureen nodded- "It's just because, well, it surely'll be a delivery-job. And you don't know London at all. But Pete convinced me. He . he promised you'll get some extra money at the beginning. To pay a guide. You can hire one of the street urchins. For a half-penny they'll lead you everywhere. So don't matter. Everything'll be all right. Have to go now. There's some bread and cheese left for you. B..."
"Can't I go with you?" Maureen asked, suddenly anxious to be alone.
"Oh no!" Jane answered a bit too fast. "Harry shan't see you before you're washed and everything. Bye." And with that she was out of the door and away.*
