"The Widow" Bertha

Things like gossip are always spread the fastest.

On weekdays, there is a serious news that needs to be told down layer by layer, but Mrs. Thames and her long-lost lover met again, and after a night, almost everyone in the office knew about it.

When Bertha came over early in the morning, she saw Lyanna Byrne and little Alex, who was just four years old, jumping towards Ned Morrison.

Lyanna crossed her hips aggressively: "Back back, hurry back!"

It's a pity that she is only 14 years old this year, no matter how much she imitates Bertha's appearance and makes a domineering appearance, she will still show the cuteness of an adolescent girl.Ned, the little accountant, helped the frame of the mirror and said helplessly, "I don't have time to mess around with you."

Lyanna: "Who is messing around? Last time that guy sent something over, Madam said to take it back."

Bertha: "Send back what?"

As soon as she heard Bertha's voice, Lyanna immediately turned her head, and the little girl had a complaining face: "The Italians sent over again!"

Bertha: "..."

She looked over Lyanna at Ned, and the little accountant threw up his hands in surrender.

"What did you give?" Bertha stepped forward and asked curiously, "to make Lyanna so angry?"

"Uh……"

Ned was very embarrassed when he heard the words: "Madam, just look for yourself."

Bertha was not polite either, and bent down to open the box herself.

This time it's not about arms and smuggled goods. There are five or six sets of... clothing neatly packed in the huge black leather box.

There are men's clothing and women's clothing. You don't need to take them out just to see the fabric material. It is the most popular high-end customization in London at present.Bertha picked up a dark red dress, the same color as Mrs. Thames's boys wore scarves and gloves.

She raised her eyebrows: the last time we met, Bertha's tailor was not good, so this time I just sent the clothes directly.

"His aesthetics is good," Bertha joked, "I like it."

Lyanna was very surprised: "Just, just accept it like this?!"

In the Victorian era, a single man who gave a single woman clothes—including undergarments and figured out their clothing sizes—was tantamount to hooliganism.

Moreover, Marco Esposito gave it publicly, which is equivalent to playing hooligans in public.

So while Bertha didn't take offense, she could also understand Lyanna's urgency to let Thomas know he had to smash the box in the Italian's face.

"Don't be angry," said Bertha reassuringly, "Ned, put your things upstairs first."

"Yes."

"Ma'am!" Lyanna became anxious immediately.

"Lyanna," Bertha joked, "the girl is not very big, but she has a lot of temper. What are you so angry about?"

"me……"

When Bertha asked such a rhetorical question, it seemed that Lyanna was overreacting.She was angry for a long time, but she couldn't explain why, and finally she just said angrily: "They, they all said that Italians want to marry you."

"A marriage is a marriage."

Seeing that her little face was flushed, Bertha had some stubborn thoughts in her heart, and said deliberately: "You know I chose you for marriage."

"That madam is useless to marry me."

"Because you're too young," she said slowly, "but aren't the Italians and I the right age?"

"He deserves it too?!"

Lyanna was so anxious that she wanted to stamp her feet on the spot. Although the little Alex who was following her didn't know what happened, she also yelled in a childlike voice: "He deserves him, he deserves him, too!"

Bertha: "..."

Good guy, a small firecracker with a small repeater, it seems that in the future, gang disputes will not need to be fought by adults, and these two minors can be killed by throwing these two minors out.

"You don't think him worthy," laughed Bertha, "and who do you think worthy?"

"Madam, isn't Madam on good terms with Mr. Holmes' elder brother?"

"Have you seen him?"

"No," Lyanna said confidently, "but I heard from them that Mr. Holmes is a very decent gentleman."

A 14-year-old girl, no matter how smart she is, is always delusional.Although Lyanna has never met Mr. Mycroft Holmes, in her eyes, the beautiful Mrs. Thames should fall in love with a decent and noble gentleman instead of accepting an almost offensive gift from the gang leader.

Lyanna was really worried that Bertha would be tempted: "Charley said that Mr. Holmes is very concerned about you, ma'am, he is also a respectful and good man, completely different from the Italians. You return the things, Mr. Holmes knows that How sad are you?"

Bertha: "You haven't seen him."

Lyanna swears: "But Charlie Berry did things for him, I believe Charlie."

Little Alex beside him echoed: "I believe it too!"

As if one big and one small were singing a double reed, Bertha couldn't help laughing: "Return things, I guess I won't be able to return them this time."

Lyanna's eyes widened: "Why?"

Bertha just laughed, but made no answer.

The little girl of the Bourne family immediately realized: This is the lady who wants to think for herself.

She thought about what had happened recently for a long time, and finally said tentatively: "Because... because we are doing things with the Italians, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Bertha nodded encouragingly: "I persuaded Marco to give me face, opened the door of the textile factory to investigate the case, and counted that I owe him a favor."

Before returning the arms sent by the Italians, it was very difficult for the other party to step down; this time, the two sides have cooperated, and returning it is not as simple as losing face.

Besides, it is not illegal to send clothes, and Bertha has no legitimate reason to return them.

only……

"Then, do you accept it like this?"

Lyanna said unwillingly: "Why should he send clothes to Madam? Mr. Holmes has never given any!"

Bertha: "..."

Little Alex didn't act as a repeater this time, he tugged at the corner of Lianna's skirt: "Why?"

Bertha curled her lips, "Because someone knows what to do and what not to do."

Marco Esposito's trick is really annoying.

Firstly, Bertha could not return the gift, and secondly, the matter of giving clothes is really intimate.Everyone in the Thames Office knew that Bertha had no interest in Marco, but what about outside the Whitechapel?

With so many underground forces in London, more people can only see the surface: the Italians and Mrs. Thames in Whitechapel are so intimate that they give away underwear!

The point is, not only can Bertha not go back, she has to return it out of politeness.

The most suitable and the least wrong thing is that what Marco gives, Bertha will return whatever - but it's a good idea, and you still want her to send clothes? !

Looking at Lyanna who was still angry, Bertha smiled and patted her head: "Don't worry, Mr. Holmes, who is on the left and right for you, won't let the Italians take advantage of me."

Lyanna was relieved to hear that.

Sure enough, Mrs. Thames has a way!The little girl asked curiously, "Then what are you going to do, madam?"

Bertha: "Call Katie and Nancy over here for me."

***

After half an hour.

"Leave it to me."

After hearing Bertha's report, Katie flicked her hair, and simply said, "When will you be there?"

—Marco Esposito gave her underwear?Never mind that she was more generous than the Italians, Mrs Thames sent him women straight away.

"I wouldn't make you do that, Katie."

Bertha was not as relaxed as Katie showed, she put away the casual look on her face: "You don't have to do it to please me."

Katie: "But if it wasn't the best way, you wouldn't come to me."

The girl sitting on the opposite side of the sofa was wearing a clean light-colored dress, her beautiful long hair was tied behind her ears, and she looked more dignified than any lady.

In fact, Katie is doing well now.

Mrs. Raton, the bustard, is backed by the Bourne family. Now that Lambert Bourne is gone, Mrs. Raton will naturally lose the confidence to be a domineering man.But Katie has done a great job for Mrs. Thames.

You must know that the Red Light District is under the name of Bertha.

Although Mrs. Raton still runs her own brothel, it is actually Katie who has the right to speak.

"I have my concerns too."

Bertha said frankly: "I'm afraid the Italians will hurt you."

"Mark won't touch me," Katie said confidently, "no matter what the Italians are up to, since he wants to please you, he has to treat me as their Italian ancestor, not a woman sent over. "

"I didn't mean on the bed." Bertha said lightly.

"I know."

Katie smiled sweetly. Compared with the slightly heavy Bertha, the girls in the red-light district seemed completely indifferent: "Believe me, ma'am, I've seen any kind of injury whether I'm in bed or not."

Bertha said nothing.

"The worst thing is that the two armies turned against each other and I became a hostage," she said, "but if I didn't want to, I wouldn't have followed Lyanna here today."

Katie stood up.

"Ma'am, you are not from Whitechapel, and you even come from a good background, so you may feel guilty about doing this." She tilted her head sideways, "Actually, you don't have to be guilty. The office is located in a slum, and this kind of thing will happen sooner or later. come."

"Even if you send ten women to the Italians, it's justified."

After speaking, Katie slapped her head: "Ah, right! I should change my accessories, how about a red silk scarf?"

Seeing the beautiful smiling face of the young girl, Bertha let out a long sigh of relief.

She also smiled: "That suits you, dear."

Katie: "You can't lose to the boys, right? It's just over there in the red-light district. You need someone to watch. I'm afraid Mrs. Latton will be a moth."

That's why Bertha asked Lyanna to bring Nancy along.

But when it was said that Mrs. Thames was looking for Nancy, Bill Sykes immediately rushed back to the office from nowhere.

"You let my woman show you a brothel!?"

Sikes yelled as soon as he entered the door: "Madam, you are going too far, we are born innocent!"

What is your woman, Nancy, has she no name!

This attitude of Sikes irritated Bertha whenever it came up with Nancy.She glared at Sykes: "Why, you came from a clean background, you stopped going to brothels?"

Sykes: "..."

Bertha didn't even want to talk to him, and turned to look at Nancy: "I didn't let you live in the red light district, Nancy, but now Katie has the intelligence lines and resources over there. She is not here, and I need someone to replace her." .If you don't agree, I'll go find someone else."

Nancy lowered her head, avoiding Bertha's gaze.

"I'll take it as your consent if you don't speak," said Bertha.

Bertha waited for a long time, and finally waited for Nancy's response. The girl who had been silent all this time raised her eyes slightly: "I am willing to do it."

Sykes' veins popped out: "You fucking—"

Bertha interrupted him coldly: "Who are you scolding?"

He shut up immediately.

"Since you agreed," Bertha smiled at Nancy, "then let's do this. Once Katie leaves, you accept it. Let some boy who can't be caught follow you to do things."

It was mainly used to tip off the news, and Bertha was worried that Sykes would look back at Nancy.

Of course, he still didn't dare.

Seeing that Bertha was treated differently, Bill Sykes put his hands in his trouser pockets and couldn't help muttering: "It's not enough for me to work for you, and you want my woman to work for you. You are simply a slave owner."

"You just know?"

Bertha raised her eyebrows: "The deed of prostitution has been signed. Not only will I order Nancy today, but I will also order you. Come with me to see Holmes."

Sikes: "Can't he come?"

Bertha: "You let him bring those strange dead animals to the office?"

Sherlock Holmes did not mind, but Bertha would have thrown him out if he had done it.

This time Bertha must find out what these animals were.