"Get up vermin, were having visitors"

Susan the witch stood at the doorway.

"Come one I need you both washed and dressed. I don't want my cousin thinking I mistreat you"

Spot and I scrambled up from the mattress that lay on the floor and shot for the door.

"Gustave is waiting for you down stairs Spot, go on"

As soon as Spot left, I shrunk in my skin. Spot didn't let her touch me, Gustave made him pay for it later, though.

"Relax, I can't hit you today. My cousin is coming, he is a big mobster around here. His wife is such a lovely woman, I'm hoping she comes but he keeps her so under wraps, I rarely see her"

She unlocked the door to the washroom.

"Wash your self, put that dress on and come downstairs. They'll be here in an hour"

My stomach grumbled at the food in front of me.

The gong rang. I glanced at Spot, he nodded his head, urging me forward. I pushed the door open and entered the glittering dining room.

Through my lashes, I saw four adults sitting around large oval table. Laughing and conversing. All dressed in sparkling clothes.

I knew the drill. Gustave had stood in the kitchen and went over it at the top of his lungs,

I served the new comer and his wife, who indeed had shown up, first. Spot would follow with the wine.

I felt stupid every time I did this. I could feel their snotty eyes looking down on me.

"Violet, more crab"

Biting back a retort, I spun away from Gustave and quickly made my way back to the evil mistress.

A commotion started at the end of the table.

The woman, was bouncing in her seat, hysterical. Her husband tried to calm her, as Spot watched the scene before him.

"But Quinn…I-I…Quinn…No we can't do this" The woman had started to cry.

"Shhh its okay. It's not him, he's dead. Aideen, he died." The man who I assumed was Quinn, held his wives shoulders and tried to push her down in her seat. He didn't have to struggle for long. She passed out in her chair.

Susan hissed and pinched my arm.

I set the tray down and rushed to the woman. I found this terribly ridiculous.

"Get some water" I told Spot.

He stood and looked at the woman.

"Spot!"

He seemed to snap out of his daze. He raced back to the kitchen. I started to wave my hand over her face too see if she would respond.

"What's wrong with her?" Gustave asked from his end of the table. Slicing and placing the crab in his mouth.

"She has this spells every time she see's someone that resembles our Finn" The husband helped me wave air on her face.

"That was so tragic" I could hear Susan chewing "I can't believe the police didn't find him. They can't do anything right"

Spot walked back in with a glass of water, he set it on the table. Or slammed it.

I grabbed the cotton napkin off her lap and dunked it inside. I placed it on her forehead, when she didn't respond I grabbed the glass and dunked it over her red wig.

Her eyes opened right up.

"Violet!" Susan screeched and then continued to chew on her lobster.

"My Finn!" That sounded funny "Oh my boy! I missed you!" The chubby lady stood and trapped Spot by the neck.

His eyes pleaded with me. I just shrugged, life had turned me cynical.

She kissed his cheeks and continued to hug him.

"Quinn! It's him! I told you he was alive, and look! My poor child" She touched his black eye "Who did this to you?!"

Spot saw a chance and he took it "Gustave"

The woman gasped and turned towards the French man. A lobster leg hung from his mouth.

"Quinn we must leave now! My boy cannot spend another moment in these walls" She grabbed Spots hand and began to drag him towards the door.

They can't take Spot!

"Honey, you can't take him! Finn died in New York" The man, Quinn said.

"Finn got lost in New York! Finn tell your father!"

Spot stayed quiet, his eyes flashed from person to person, his eyes lingered on mine longer.

"Tell your father your last name Finn!"

"No" Finn or Spot said "I have something better"

Spot tore his hand from his mother's hand and left the room through the servant's hall.

"Violet fill me up with some wine" It was Gustave

"Me too"

Did these two not care about anyone beside themselves? Obviously not.

I took the jug Spot had left on the table and filled up their cups with the red liquid.

Spots presumed mother might be his ticket out not mine.

"This is going to be such a great story to tell at the next gathering" Susan said, sipping from her goblet.

The door flew open to reveal a huffing Spot.

He held a key chain in his hand.

"On my fifth birthday, you told me that this key would set me apart from anyone else in New York. As long as I had it, people would respect me"

He placed the key on the mantle.

I had seen it around his neck at night. He clutched it and held my hand when it got too much for him to handle on his own.

"He probably nicked it off the actual Finn" Susan said and wiped her mouth with a white napkin.

"No it's mine" Spot hissed and glared at the hellish woman.

"Oh, Really? Tell me, what's your grandmother's name?" Susan challenged, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Which one?" Spot countered, he seemed rather confident of what he was doing.

I didn't know what to think of this all. It was…all very peculiar.

"Both" Susan said, and met each finger on her hand with its partner on her opposite hand.

"I can't" Spot said.

"You can't?" Susan repeated.

"Nope, because both of my parents are orphans, just like I was or at least thought I was"

"Finn?" The shocked voice came from the man who had kept quiet all this time.

"Father" Spot answered.

I found this a little hard to believe. Something was off.

"I knew it was you! Oh my boy" Spots mother once again latched onto his neck and peppered him with kisses.

"Susan, Gustave. Thank you for the lovely meal but my wife and…child must be going"

This was odd indeed.

"But he's my …"

Mr. Conlon raised his eyebrows and shut Susan up.

"We can't leave without Violet" Spot interrupted.

Hallelujah!

"No, you're not taking her" Susan said and stood from her chair.

"Well she can't stay here" Spot replied.

"She's my property" Susan shot back, slamming her hands on the table.

"Slavery is illegal" He rebutted.

"So is transporting opium" Susan snapped, but she wasn't talking to Spot anymore.

"Susan…" Gustave warned.

"No, Gustave. Cousin Quinn has things he would like to hide too"

"You can talk to the chief tomorrow Susan. He's coming for tea. Violet, was it?" Mr. Conlon said.

I nodded.

Susan twitched and gasped.

"I need my cane Mother. Gustave took it" Spot said, he sounded like a child.

"Quinn" Was the only thing Mrs. Conlon said.

"Susan"

"Gustave"

The latter stood from the table and slipped out of his belt loop Spots shiny cane. He passed it over to Susan who gave it to Quinn who gave it to Aideen who handed it to Spot. He slipped it through his own belt loop before speaking.

"Mother, Violet and I don't really want to stay here any longer" Spot said, picking up his chain and putting it on.

This was probably the worst moment to admit this. But I found Spot terribly attractive when he had that cane on him.

"Yes my child" Aideen squished Spot's cheeks before turning towards the door

It was terribly sickening and adorable.

"Let's go Violet" Mr. Conlon said urging me forward.

Was I really going to get away that easy? In all of my other escapes someone was at least severely injured, including me.

I followed Spot out the door. I wasn't comfortable calling him Finn yet.

"Looks like you got a break" Spot said nudging my arm with his elbow.

"For now. My Aunt's going to kill me when she sees me"