"The Widow" Bertha

On the first day of moving in as Mrs. Smith, basically nothing happened-it wasn't the first time the two of them shared the same bed, anyway, Bertha had a good night's sleep, and Mycroft didn't know it.

When she came to the office early the next morning, Ned Morrison, the little accountant who always settled accounts, went out, and Thomas Thames, who was so busy that he never touched the ground after taking over the old Jessie's place, was at home.

As soon as Bertha opened the door, she saw a young man in a beige coat holding her little brother Alex, who was only three years old, in one hand, and handing the alcohol in his hand to the cursing Sykes with the other, with a blank expression on his face at the end He said quietly: "Keep your mouth clean, there are still children here."

Sykes seemed to have had a fight with someone, his stubble was covered with blood, he glared at the young man when he heard what Thomas said: "This kid is about to take out the pistol you don't have, do you have the heart to tell me? "

"Really," Thomas smiled instead, "It seems that our little Alex is very talented in shooting."

"..."

Shooting talent is okay.

Bertha couldn't help laughing: Thomas and Sykes didn't get along with each other, and it wasn't just a matter of a day or two. Now it's just choking each other, which is nothing.

"what happened."

Bertha smiled and took a step forward: "Sikes, are you drinking and fighting with someone again?"

As soon as she spoke, the young people in the entire office stood up one after another.

Only Sykes wiped the wound on his face with alcohol, and shouted dissatisfiedly: "Why can't you think of me because I drank too much, ma'am?!"

After speaking, he pointed to his face.

"See, it's disfigured," Sikes yelled, "I'm injured at work!"

Thomas sneered when he heard the words: "Don't do this, you deserve it."

Sex suddenly became anxious: "Thames, how can you bear being provoked to your ass?! That's a member of the White Pigeon Gang."

Bertha said lightly: "Of course Thames can't bear it."

Sykes: "..."

Seeing Bertha's instantly cold expression, Sykes immediately chose to shut up - he was used to talking to Thomas, but he forgot that this room was all Thames people.

Even he himself is now a member of "The Thames". In a word, Sykes even scolded himself.

Seeing his sullen expression, Bertha didn't pursue it, but focused on the key point: "You said it was the people from the White Pigeon Gang who beat you."

"I swear to God, ma'am!"

Sykes, who knew that he had made a slip of the tongue, hurriedly changed the subject: "I was drinking my own wine at the street bar this morning, and the White Pigeon Gang came directly to three or four people. I know each of them. The first one is the cousin of his boss. , I recognize him even when he turned into ashes! That kid came up and fought with me without saying a word. It would be great if I came back alive alone, okay?! This guy also said that I deserve it, but you should talk about it, ma'am , do I deserve it?"

Go drinking in broad daylight, you really deserve it.

But Sykes deserves what he deserves, but... the bar on the street is the territory of Thames.

Thomas had explained to Bertha in detail the composition of the forces in the Whitechapel district before, such as the Irish, the Gypsies, and even the Scots. They all had gathering places in the Whitechapel district. These forces known as ethnic groups never easily participated Struggles with street gangs can be regarded as incompatible with them.

The two real gangs in Whitechapel are the Jesse Gang and the White Dove Gang.Now that the Jessie Gang has been replaced by Mrs. Thames' forces, the White Pigeon Gang came to provoke... it's a bit of a slap in the face.

"Don't you go to see a doctor knowing you're disfigured?" Bertha pretended to blame, and gave Sykes a step down.

"Poor," snorted Sikes.

"...It's really you," Bertha laughed out loud, and she turned her head and nodded to a young man casually, "You, go and take the guy to see a doctor first, keep the account first, and tell Ned later."

"Yes, ma'am."

The young man in Deling helped to set up Sykes who was beaten. The latter groaned and seemed to be seriously injured even though his flesh was wounded, and let a few younger brothers drag him out.

When he left, Bertha held back a smile and turned to look at Thomas: "We agreed to live in peace with him, huh?"

Thomas twitched the corner of his mouth, and just about to speak, Alex in his arms took a step forward and stretched out his hands towards Bertha.

"Husband, madam," the three-year-old boy muttered inarticulately, "hug!"

"What are you hugging!"

Thomas didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Don't make trouble—madam wait a moment, I'll send him upstairs right now."

"It's okay."

Little Alex was yellow and thin half a year ago, and half a year later he was raised by Thomas to be a white and fat little dumpling. Who can refuse the love of a young child?

Seeing little Alex's shining eyes, Bertha frowned.

She took the little Alex in Thomas's arms: "My brother wants to be hugged by me, what's the problem, you say yes, Alex?"

"No, no problem!" Alex yelled.

Seeing this, Thomas had no choice but to give up: "Since you like it, madam."

It sounded like he was respecting Bertha's order, but the young man's handsome face softened uncontrollably.

He cared about these brothers and sisters very much, and Bertha knew it well.Therefore, even if she is not the kind of person who is full of motherhood, she is happy to get close to these little Thames who are orphans and have a rough life experience.

"No fight with Sikes," Thomas promised, "and I'm not going to fight him, it's just bickering now."

"The one who beat him was indeed a member of the White Pigeon Gang?"

"It's him who owes the beating."

The last sentence was still trying to be objective. When Bertha asked, Thomas still couldn't restrain himself, and said disdainfully: "It's one thing for others to find fault, but he is alone. It's another thing to take the initiative."

Bertha: "..."

Still take the initiative to do it, it is really not wrong for Sykes to be beaten.

Logically speaking, people from other gangs came to find fault. As the "big red man" around Mrs. Thames, it was only natural for Sykes to take the initiative to defend his own territory.But the truth is the truth, how it comes about depends on the actual situation.Four people beat one person, no matter how powerful you are, you can still take advantage of it.

Can't beat it and run back to the office to call for help!What a hero to be so close.

only……

For no reason, how could people from the White Pigeon Gang come to find fault?

Bertha thought for a while and asked, "You said that the boss of the White Pigeon Gang is called Lambert, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How was his relationship with old Jesse in the past?"

"It's not very good. Old Jesse is a gambler and lustful man, and Lambert is muscular. Both of them are not very good, but they are also self-righteous."

Understood, the king will not see the king.

Perhaps because of this, the Jesse Gang and the White Pigeon Gang have been able to live in peace after so many years: they both regard themselves as personalities too much, so they also regard their opponents of comparable power as personalities.

They have been jealous of each other for many years, but a balance has been formed.

But Mrs. Thames, an outsider, broke this balance overnight.Lambert of the White Dove Gang instantly understood: Old Jessie, whom he regarded as his number one opponent, was actually nothing. The new Mrs. Thames was incomprehensible and easy to mess with, let alone her attitude towards him.

"So," concluded Bertha, "the man who struck Sikes was sent by Lambert to test me."

"This should be."

Thomas nodded: "Lambert shouldn't have any malicious intentions. He just sent someone to test your attitude, ma'am. But there are many thugs in the White Pigeon Gang, and they are used to socializing with their fists."

It's okay to socialize with fists, Bertha can't laugh or cry.

"They should be glad they were hitting Sykes," Bertha curled her lips, "If it were you, I would have used my fists to socialize back."

"That's not so."

Thomas smiled gratefully at Bertha's words, but persuaded him sincerely: "It's just a small friction. Take a few people to question face to face, and Lambert will definitely say that it was a misunderstanding, and maybe he will blame you for being stingy, madam. "

"You mean get on good terms with them."

"The less trouble, the better."

Bertha also felt that it was better to have a good relationship, but not because of less trouble.

Of course, Thomas had a point.Right now they are just getting started, and the Truth Society is watching from the shadows.It's best not to take any chances until this big problem is sorted out.But there was an even more important reason for Bertha's preference for good relations: an unwarranted favor to a wise man made them wary, and a favor to a thug they took for granted.

The latter's trust is easier to come by.

"Arrange it," Bertha ordered. "As you said, take a few people to seek an explanation. Sikes has done a lot for me anyway, and I can't trample on his face."

"Of course."

Thomas nodded: "I don't mention the personal grievances between Sykes and I, but if an outsider slaps him in the face, it is tantamount to slapping me in the face."

Bertha: "I want to see Lambert in person."

Thomas asked in surprise, "You saw it in person?"

"What?" Bertha raised her eyebrows, "Is there a problem?"

"Not really," Thomas said, "I'm just afraid...you know, ma'am, most of the guys in Whitechapel are thugs and hooligans. They all have, uh, eyeballs on the soles of their shoes. I'm afraid that Lambert will treat you Disrespectful words."

To beat around the bush for so long is really to say that Lambert looks down on women.

And now each of their boys who claimed to be Mrs. Thames was tantamount to a woman.No wonder Lambert's people dared to rush to their own territory to provoke. They probably think that men who work for women are not worth mentioning.

Bertha smiled instead: "What are you afraid of? He looks down on women, does he think up on the queen?"

Thomas was confused: "What does Ma'am mean?"

Bertha: "There's always a woman he can look up to."

After she finished speaking, she raised a nasty smile, and said with great anticipation: "It's been a long time since I put on a show to 'entertain' others."

Thomas understood immediately.

Everyone knows how Bertha "entertained" Sikes.Although Sykes has gained a lot of benefits from Bertha now, and he is willing to do things for her, but he is still muttering about the curse of the female ghost.

"Should I call Maria over?" Thomas asked.

To pretend to be a ghost, it is natural to ask the gypsies for help, as it has been the past few times.

But this time Bertha thought for a moment and had a new idea.

"No," Bertha said, "I remember Irish people have a Church of Our Lady?"

"……lady!"

"Where are you going?" Bertha couldn't laugh or cry, "I didn't say that I played a ghost in Notre Dame Church to scare Lambert."

The Irish were Catholic, and so was this Thomas Thames in front of him.Doing this in front of other people's beliefs, Bertha might not want to hang out in Whitechapel.

"Don't worry, I'm just borrowing a place to talk to Lambert," Bertha reassured, "I won't mess around."

Of course, there is still the formation that should be there. Bertha has a wonderful way to make Lambert, who is disdainful or otherwise thinking, take it seriously on the spot.

"Then I'll inform Jason."

Thomas hesitated for a moment, but still decided to trust Bertha.

"I'll go right away, and, madam..."

"how?"

"Lambert, ahem, we have a good relationship with Mrs. Latton," Thomas wondered, "Should we still have some leeway?"

Bertha's expression suddenly became very strange: "So what's the matter if you have a good relationship with Mrs. Raton? Tell the truth, do you really have a crush on Katie?!"

"Who is Thomas looking at, looking at?" Little Alex in Bertha's arms asked loudly, "Is he, is he going to marry a wife?"

"I don't! Ma'am, I really don't!"

Thomas really couldn't explain it, he obviously didn't do anything, why in the eyes of the wife, the image of this heartbroken and prodigal son can't be cleared! !