Cruel and Unusual - serialised novel EXCLUSIVE to Steemit Part 5

Exclusive for Steemit - serialisation of Cruel and Unusual – my second novel

Episode 1 Here

Episode 2 Here

Episode 3 Here

Episode 4 Here

They walked towards the entrance and Stafford’s lodge. Jack knocked upon the door and Stafford opened it.

“By gum, lad, you’ve had a long day of it,” he said, opening the door a little wider. “Come in and take a look.”

Inside the small room was a wood-burning stove that had just been lit to stave off the evening chill. Beside the stove, in a sturdy wooden box were three small and fluffy grey shapes. Jack gasped in delight as they turned their heads towards him.

“Baby wolves!” the boy exclaimed. Jack’s excitement was evident in his voice and his eyes and although he was eager, he stayed at David’s side until he was given leave to move.

“They are called cubs, Jack,” David said.

Image from Pollyanna Pickering collection

Jack nodded that he had understood and asked to hold one.

“Yes lad, be gentle and watch they don’t bite, they have needles for teeth at the moment. They are just getting ready for their supper; would you like to help?”

“Oh I would! May we stay for a little while, Uncle David?”

“We cannot, Jack. I am afraid we will be very late as it is and your mother will be very worried about you. I do not want her to think that I have kidnapped you.”

Jack looked puzzled for a second but remembered the criminal slang and with reluctance, agreed with his uncle.

“I am sorry Mr Stafford, I cannot stay to help, but I would like to come back sometime, if I may?”

After extracting assurances from both adults that indeed he would be able to return - and soon - they left the Zoological Gardens for the carriage.

David expected Jack to be asleep within minutes, but he was wide awake and eager to learn more about wolves and criminal slang. So David continued.

“Let’s see. Canting is the criminal language I was using. When I told him that I tip the nod at more than one Arch rogue can you guess what that means?”

“An arch someone is a high-up chap, like an Arch Deacon in the church. So I would venture that would mean a king of thieves?”

“You are as smart as a whip!” David said, with evident delight.

“To tip the nod or tip the wink is to be on good terms with someone. And when I said to him here’s the grunt it means a similar phrase to a word in your ear do you understand?” David smiled as Jack nodded.

“I am known as a right Tarter in criminal terms because I would make a powerful and very dangerous enemy. My Bilboa …” again, David slipped the sheath down his cane a little way to show Jack the glistening steel, “Is my sword, or other sharp blade. No do not touch it Jack, it is razor sharp.” David pulled the cane-sword out of reach of the curious fingers.

“So you told him that you would stick him with that?”

“Yes Jack, but please remember this, if you offer a threat to someone, always be prepared to carry it out. Otherwise, don’t threaten. Do you understand me?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good lad. Now, to gammon someone is to lie to or deceive them and flippers - as when I said keep your flippers to yourself - are hands.”

“How odd.” Jack said.

He was leaning against David and slowly passing into slumber land and it was with some relief that David did not have to explain that a hempen widow was a hanged man’s wife, monkey up would be a violent temper enraged and the Resurrection me’ he had offered to hand the thief to before he was ready were body snatchers - robbers of freshly dead corpses the purpose of which was to sell to surgeons for their research.

It was long past dark when the carriage arrived back at Jack’s home. His mother was not unduly worried, but Jack did not know this because he was fast asleep. She put him to bed, kissed his forehead and closed the door quietly before returning downstairs to her guest.

“I have sent the carriage into town to await my return. I was being presumptuous this morning when I imagined that I would be welcome to stay this evening, but I cannot help it.” David took Amelia in his arms and kissed her with a passion.

She was flushed and panting as they parted but she held herself in restraint. “Of course you may stay the night David, my darling. But first we must have supper so that I can send the servants to their beds. I cannot afford a scandal amongst them; I need servants to keep this house, for I could not manage it alone.”

“I know, but it will be difficult to keep up the pretence throughout supper.”

“But as ever, you must – brother,” she laughed.

“One day, Amelia, one day soon, we shall be together without fear of scandal.”

“I know. Until then, we must snatch our pleasure when we may. God help me if your family ever found me.”

At her words, a dark shadow of sorrow passed over his eyes. “God help you, maybe, but there would be no help for poor little Jack.”

They ate supper and then made a show of David leaving by the front door, calling goodnight to the cook and Florence, the young maid.

“Will that be all ma’am?” Florence stifled a yawn as Amelia locked the front door.

“Oh yes, Florence, thank you. I am sorry that you have been kept up so late. You be off to bed too Mrs. Flint.”

“That’s all right ma’am. It’s my half day tomorrow, so I can have a bit of a lie-in at any rate.” Florence said.

Amelia nodded and said goodnight to them both.

David was already in her room as she arrived there. She was taken by surprise because she had not heard him.

“It is better that I immediately got back into the house so that Florence and Mrs. Flint did not hear me returning, especially without a very good reason.

“You seem to have a very good reason right here.” Amelia said as her hand strayed to David’s groin.

As they lay in the afterglow of love making, David beginning to doze, Amelia watched him fall asleep. Then she blew out the candle and went off to sleep herself, knowing he would be gone before she woke in the morning.

Images from Pixabay and the British Library Archives