"The Widow" Bertha

Although the White Horse Hotel is good, it is not its own territory after all.

After tossing back and forth for so long, Bertha finally moved into her house - No. 23 South Bank Street.

The finished house was clean and tidy, but it seemed a bit empty.Thomas helped to hire a maid-cook, a coachman, and Grace Poole, which for the time being was enough to run the basics of the large mansion.

After all, there are only two residents in the house, Bertha and Jane.

"The renovation of the bar next door will take some time," Thomas said standing in the lobby of the Thames House, "but I will urge them as soon as possible."

"Don't worry," said Bertha.

"That's—Miss Eyre! I'll help you."

Halfway through Thomas's speech, seeing Miss Jane Eyre walking in with her luggage was a big deal.

In the eyes of Thomas Thames, Miss Jane Eyre and Mrs. Bertha Thames lived and ate together, and they were very close boudoir friends.Gangsters always look at relationships rather than social class, so even if she is just a female school teacher, Miss Jane Eyre's status is quite high.

"I'll do it myself." Jane shook her head and declined Thomas's help.

"I'll come, or I'll come, how can I let the lady carry the luggage alone."

Thomas couldn't help but grab the suitcase and put it on his shoulder, then "peddled" up to the second floor.

Seeing this, Bertha laughed and said, "Just let him move. Your room is next to my bedroom, facing the north window. It's not bad. From now on, you can call the coachman at home as you like, and he will take you to school every day." of."

Anyway, it was only a matter of morning and night, and it did not delay Bertha's use of the carriage.

"Thank you, Bertha," Jane said sincerely. "I have asked Mrs. Fisher to advance a part of my salary, and she has agreed. When I get my salary, please allow me to give you the rent and living expenses first." .”

"it is good."

Bertha nodded: "How about paying half a year's fee first?"

Jane: "No problem."

In fact, Bertha really does not lack Jane's money.How much a single girl can eat and drink, rent plus carriage and food expenses, is only twenty or thirty pounds a year. Is Bertha short of these tens of pounds?

But she knew that if the rent was not collected, Jane would not live here. This has nothing to do with the amount of money, but with dignity.

Bertha was, of course, willing to respect the dignity of Miss Jane Eyre.

"Okay, I'm waiting to collect the money."

So Bertha clapped her hands enthusiastically: "Today we move to a new house, we must celebrate. Thomas don't leave, let's stay and have dinner together!"

After eating hotel meals for several months, Bertha hadn't tasted private dishes for a long time.

Fortunately, the cook Minnie hired by Thomas was pretty good, and she even knew a few French dishes.Tonight's beef stew in red wine was sweet and soft, which comforted Bertha's stomach after eating British food for a long time.

At the dinner table, they chatted about some irrelevant topics. After that, Jane was still thinking about tomorrow's class, and went back to the bedroom to prepare for the class. Only Bertha and Thomas were left in the living room.

Bertha lazily leaned back on the sofa, pointed to the seat opposite: "Sit down, and talk to me about Ireland."

Thomas: "..."

I knew that it would not be as simple as having a meal to keep him. When did Mrs. Thames find him with something to do?It's just that Thomas is willing to run errands, whether it's for money or to avenge his brother Connor Thames.

"With all due respect, ma'am," Thomas said in confusion, "why do you value that man's advice so much?"

"Because what he said was true."

"That's all?"

"Are you jealous?"

Thomas couldn't help but shook his head.

Bertha found out that this kid never took his flirting and jokes seriously - this is a very smart choice, many men always pretend to be affectionate, and will regard the advances of their female bosses as being attracted by their own charm.But Thomas never thought about it that way, as if he really became Bertha's younger brother when Bertha said "you and I are a family" on the first day.

He drew this line very clearly. Bertha liked people with boundaries.

"Not only that," she said in a good mood, willing to tell the truth to Thomas, "but also because his surname is Holmes."

"Madam mean...?"

"He's the brother of my old lover, don't you understand?"

"..."

not understand well!

Thomas recalled the well-dressed appearance of Mycroft Holmes, and thought about the young man dressed as a beggar in the dock area that night. He really couldn't figure out why a gentleman's brother would go to the dock area to stay.

But Bertha had no intention of explaining, and Thomas couldn't continue to ask questions, and mentioning the "lover" issue, this was Bertha's private matter.

"Let's talk about the Irish, ma'am," he took the initiative to get into the topic, "There is indeed an Irish residential area in the Whitechapel district. They all work in nearby factories, about 100 people, and live on the two adjacent streets. If you really want to deal with them, I will ask someone to contact you and ask them to come out."

"Come out please?"

"A gathering place for the Irish..."

Thomas hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth: "It's not decent."

Bertha sneered.

Of course she didn't care about decency, and now she was wearing a clean and decent dress, but Bertha had only lived the life of a lady for so many months.As a reporter before time-traveling, she naturally got the news wherever she got it. As for the original Bertha Mason?A lunatic may not live as decently as a slum dweller.

But Thomas's wording caught Bertha's attention: "You don't know them?"

Thomas: "I don't know."

"why?"

"If my name was still Tierna Thames, I would get to know them. But I am Thomas Thames now, and I have abandoned my own name. What am I in their eyes?"

Thomas who said these words was very calm, but his palm subconsciously touched his chest—just as Sherlock Holmes said, he hung the cross under the scarf.

Bertha probably understood.

"Like your hidden cross?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Thomas smiled wryly, "Even if I declare myself rashly, I'm nothing more than a traitor in their eyes."

Bertha was silent.

How should I put it... In fact, she can understand Thomas' mood very well.Strictly speaking, Bertha is also a "traitor".

He was born in Ireland, but he abandoned his Irish identity. Otherwise, Thomas Thames would not have been able to become the right-hand man of the Jesse Gang. The reason why he lived a better life than his compatriots was because he lived like a British.

But even if he lived like a British, Thomas did not completely forget his identity. If he did, he would not believe in Catholicism.

Was it not the case with Bertha?She's Jamaican, she's not British, she's not even Caucasian.

Thomas Thames still had the same face as an Englishman, but Bertha Mason had dark skin and light eyes. At a glance, everyone knew that she had alien blood.

Under such circumstances, Bertha really did not feel that she was qualified to advise Thomas to "recognize his ancestors and return to his ancestors".

She sighed: "You have to think about this matter, Thomas, I will not force you. If you don't want to win them over as an Irishman, just meet them as Thames."

"Ma'am, I also advise you to think twice."

Thomas cleared his throat and said seriously, "I have no objection to attracting Gypsies. Even if it succeeds, others will just say that Mrs. Thames started off with witches and vagabonds. But if you attract Irishmen, you may be punished by Scotland." People in the field are watching, if there is even a slight misunderstanding, it will be troublesome."

Bertha was taken aback for a moment, and then realized what Thomas was worried about.

Why are Irish people discriminated against in the UK?

Not only because they are poor and ruled, but also because they are almost synonymous with "rebellion" since ancient times!

Britain in the [-]th century suffered from uprisings and rebellions in Ireland, and although the notorious Irish Volunteers in the future have not yet been established, they are currently causing a lot of trouble for Britain.

Sherlock Holmes thinks from the perspective of the overall situation, and Bertha also believes that relying on his IQ, the great detective can definitely take care of everything.But can she?

A mistake in an order or a half of public opinion may cause troubles from the police station or even the army, and the loss outweighs the gain.

A compromise has to be found.

After much deliberation, Bertha finally came up with a rough plan: "If there is a Thames-Gypsy-Irish alliance, do you think it is feasible?"

"alliance?"

"Like the United States, we can temporarily pull a 'Whitechapel Commonwealth' composed of Thames, Gypsies and Irish," Bertha said metaphorically, "Maria agreed to sign a contract with me, as long as the Irish are dealt with, It's not a problem."

"But madam, including you and my sisters and brothers, how many Thames are there?"

Thomas couldn't laugh or cry: "We have too few people, and sooner or later we will be emptied if we go on like this."

Bertha spread her hands: "You are right, it is necessary to develop one's own people. But don't forget that besides Thames, we also have Bill Sykes."

Thomas: "..."

Bertha raised her eyebrows: "What?"

The young man showed a look of reluctance. He tugged at his beige coat and said sullenly, "Okay, okay, I'll go...beg Sykes."

Bertha: It's hard to die for you!

Those who didn't know this look thought Bertha wanted him to be hanged.

Before, she kept saying that she would not let the conflict between herself and Sykes affect her work. It seemed that Bertha made the right choice to keep him and Sykes busy.This meeting must be fought within three sentences.

"Don't worry about it," Bertha said with a smile, "go get in touch with the Irish, and ask them if anyone has accepted the Jessie gang's invitation to test drugs. They won't kick you out for anything related to your interests. Yes. I'll take care of it on Sykes' side."

After ordering many things, it was almost midnight when Thomas left No. 23 South Bank Street.

It was not until the next afternoon that Bertha found a newsboy in the street and told him to call Sikes over.

23 South Shore Street had been a haunted house when Sykes had last broken into it, and Bertha had cleaned it up and happily moved in a few weeks later.

She even specially received Sykes in her bedroom - once the door is closed, no one can see, Bertha doesn't care about women's immorality, Mrs Thames is a widow, so what if she "receives" men in the bedroom ?

But this is a big deal to Sikes: you know that the bedroom where Bertha Thames lives now is the same one where the walls were covered with blood last time!

This woman actually lived directly in the haunted house, and didn't even take the scene of the crime seriously? !

Even if he was a gangster who murdered and robbed him, he was not so bold. Just walking into 23 South Bank Street, Sykes' legs were weak, let alone Bertha received him in the bedroom. At this time, Sykes felt that the lazy woman in front of him Worse than a robber murderer.

"You, you just lived in like this?" Sykes was dumbfounded.

"Ah? Oh, I made an agreement with Maria," Bertha said frankly, "She said that as long as there are no men in this house, it will be fine."

"Everything is all about you—"

"So I live under the same roof with a female ghost, what's the matter? We get along very well," Bertha waved her hand impatiently, as if this had become Sikes' fuss, "I have something to ask you .”

Sykes couldn't speak well: "You, your wife, you speak."

Bertha rolled her eyes secretly.

"I just want to ask you," she said, "if I want to gain a firm foothold in the Whitechapel District and win the respect of many forces, what should I do?"

This can be asked about Sykes' "professional knowledge".

He may not be able to do other things, but he is very good at this.

"Knock it out," Sikes replied, "Jessie's Gang, Pigeon Gang, whatever they want to be their boss."

Bertha pondered: "Then it's okay for me to overthrow one of the gangs directly?"

Sykes: "...do you have enough men, ma'am?"

Bertha smiled: "Borrow."

With the help of the gypsies and the Irish, go and abolish the white pigeons, and then there will naturally be countless people from the original gang.

Bertha didn't think gangsters were so loyal, and it's not like she had never been in contact with street gangsters. Joining a gang to do things was nothing more than giving more benefits and getting more protection.When the tree falls and the hozen disperses, the members who have no affiliation will naturally be absorbed by the new gang.

In this way, the Thames Gang will be staffed.

As for whether the Irishman can be won...it depends on Thomas Thames.

The author has something to say:

#今日麦哥Has gone out yet, not yet#

Maggie: Let me go first...

Ginger Flower:……

Brother Mai: ...Why didn't you rush.

Jiang Hua: Can I push me? [Give up the struggle.jpg]