Answer (Episode 14 - The Further Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid))

Continued from Episode 13 - Clue

The story so far:  Gwladys and Aefelthrith have started a new life running a pawn shop, formerly owned by 'Anty Marj', having discovered the shop when they attempted to pawn Aefelthrith's ring, and Anty Marj suddently vanished before the deal was completed.  Finding her lifeless body in the Stock Room, Aeflethrith decided this was a sign that they should take over the business.  With Anty Marj safely stowed in an outhouse, Gwladys and Aefelthrith set about managing the pawn shop and all seemed to be going reasonably well, until  Anty Marj's body vanished and an officer of the Watch, appeared.  When the Watch produced a confused Anty Marj, wondering why someone else was in her shop, Gwladys managed to convince her that she had sold the shop to them, palming Aefelthrith's ring into her pocket to demonstrate payment.  A suddenly hugely enriched Anty Marj went away a happy woman and the Watch withdrew, satisfied.  Meanwhile, Gwladys engaged a young urchin, 'Arry, to help clear the back garden of weeds, as a means of giving him a bit of income to support his poorly mother and avoid him either going down the pit or up the chimney, much to Aefelthrith's displeasure. The following morning, 'Arry set about his task bright and early and all was well, until he produced a skull from his digging.  Gwladys swore him to secrecy and quiickly buried the evidence, which gave them a breathing space, but then Sergeant Argent of the Watch appeared in the shop.  Fortunately, he was not pursuing his enquiries but was, to her extreme shock and horror, pursuing Aefelthrith, who promptly decided to run away before she had to give him an answer but was crestfallen when she realised the Gwladys was not prepared to come with her.  After a heated exchange of views, an uneasy peace was declared over a bowl of stew!  The next day, 'Arry turned up for work and told them that his Mam said the place had always been a shop BUT Anty Marj had originally had a partner, thought to be her sister, whose name was Sarah, and who had disappeared.  Coincidentally, Sarah was the name that Gwladys had told Anty Marj was the name of their shared relative.  With this news, Gwladys tried even harder to persuade Aefelthrith to go out with Sergeant Argent so that they could find out more:

 

Aefelthrith was seated at the kitchen table, with a face that was as miserable as sin and not nearly as much fun.

“He’s due here today, you know?”  She announced to the room at large, in a despondent tone.

“Aye, I know” Gwladys was rummaging amongst the shelves of pawned items.

“He will expect an answer” Aefelthrith continued, in the same tone.

“Aye, I know that an’ all” Gwladys muttered, “Ah, there it is!  Knew it was somewhere in ‘ere”

“What is it you are searching for?” Aefelthrith frowned.

“Brolly” Gwladys said triumphantly, holding the object up for inspection.

“An umbrella?  Why?  Is it raining?”

“Nah, I thought it would go a treat with yer best oufit, when yer out walkin’ with ‘is nibs” Gwladys explained.

“You still expect me to accede to his wishes, then?”

“Look, luvvie,” Gwladys put the brolly on the table and sat down opposite her companion, “who’s it gonna ‘urt, eh?”

“Me!” Aefelthrith said, miserably.

“I’ve told yer afore, yer don’t ‘ave to do nowt else but walk out with ‘im.  It would be damn useful to ‘ave an Officer of the Watch on our side PLUS we might be able to find out a bit more about Anty Marj and this ‘sister’ of her’n, this Sarah what ‘Arry’s mam reckons used to be ‘ere”

“And, for this, you expect me to prostitute myself!” Aefelthrith sniffed.

“No, I dunner expect yer to do nowt of the sort” Gwladys shook her head, “Just be nice to ‘im, that’s what I’m sayin’!  ‘E’s not a bad bloke, when all’s said an’ done.  Strewth, ‘e must be keen, on account of ‘ow ‘e’s walked past this shop time an’ again over the past few days.  We must be the best guarded shop in the whole town!”

Aefelthrith sighed, deeply and stared, vacantly, into space.

“Where is your protégé, today?”  She asked, eventually.

“Me what?” Gwlaldys blew some dust from the brolly.

“Your boy!”

“Oh,, ‘Arry?  ‘E’s gotta ‘elp ‘is Mam, today”

“So, our garden can go to waste, can it?” Aefelthrith snapped.

“OUR garden?  Since when ‘as it been OUR garden?” Gwladys glared at her companion, with both hands on her hips, “Yer’ve never shown the slightest bit of interest in it since we’ve been ‘ere!  What’s more, yer know ‘is Mam takes badly”

“At least it stops him digging up more of the deceased”

“ONE skull!” Gwladys snapped back, “’E’s dug up ONE skull”

The shop door-bell rang, at that moment.

“I suppose this will be my putative beau” Aefelthrith said, miserably.

“I’ll go an’ take a look, shall I?” Gwladys frowned at her and got up from her seat.  Aefelthrith shrugged.

Sure enough, Sergeant Argent was in the centre of the shop floor, easing himself up on his toes and back again, as he tried (and failed) to look nonchalant.  Skulking by the door, as if ready to make a quick getaway, was Constable John.

“Ah, madam!  How nice to see you once more” Sergeant Argent bowed slightly, “I trust I find you well?  I wonder if I might be afforded an audience with your colleague?”

“’Ang on” Gwladys nodded, “ETHEL!” She bellowed, through the curtain that separated the shop from the living quarters.

“Ethel?” The Sergeant looked perplexed, “I understood her to be properly known as…”

“Pet name for ‘er” Gwladys explained.

Aefelthrith strode through the curtains and looked daggers at Gwladys.

“My dear Sergeant,” She curtseyed, “How kind of you to call”

“Ma’am” Sergeant Argent blushed deeply and bowed.

“I imagine you have come for my response to your kind invitation?”

“That is correct, ma’am” The Sergeant nodded, still blushing, “if you would be so kind”

“Then I must tell you that my answer is…”  She paused, and you could almost hear the heartbeats of those present, filling the room.  “…in the affirmative”

The Sergeant let out an audible sigh of relief.

“There is, however, a condition…” Aefelthrith added.

“A condition, ma’am?” Sergeant Argent looked puzzled, but recovered well, “Of course, ma’am, whatever you say”

“Thank you, Sergeant” Aefelthrith nodded, “the condition is that I must be accompanied by a chaperone at all times”

“A chap…well, if you insist ma’am” The Sergeant looked less than pleased.

“It is a family tradition” Aefelthrith said, firmly.

“I have a great deal of respect for tradition, ma’am” Sergeant Argent bowed, again, “and for the concept of the family.  Might I enquire who your chaperone would be?”

“Why, my trusted colleague and dearest friend” Aefelthrith motioned toward Gwladys, “Glad!”

“Me?” Gwladys, who had been idly day-dreaming whilst this romantic jousting was taking place, suddenly found herself at the centre of attention.

“Who else?” Aefelthrith turned to her and smirked.

“I can come along as your’n, if yer want, Sergeant” Constable John stepped forward, from the shadows, and leered in Gwladys’s direction.

“That will NOT be necessary, Constable!” Sergeant Argent snapped.

“Just tryin’ to ‘elp.  Keep yer ‘air on!” Constable John complained, and shuffled back to his place by the door.

“I look forward to the absolute privilege of being afforded the chance of walking out with, not one, but two charming ladies” Sergeant Argent beamed, “May I suggest that we could take the air this evening, before my nightly rounds?  If I called at six o’ clock, would that be acceptable?”

“That would be entirely acceptable, Sergeant” Aefelthrith nodded, “Until six, then?”

“Until six” Sergeant Argent grinning like the proverbial cat, dashed off a salute, turned smartly on his heel and marched out of the shop, closely followed by Constable John, at a slightly accelerated shuffle.

As soon as the shop door closed behind them, Gwladys turned on Aefelthrith with a face like thunder.

“What the ‘ell didjer do that for?”

“I would have thought that was perfectly obvious” Aefelthrith sailed past her, through the curtaining and into the kitchen beyond.

“I were lookin’ forward to a bit of time to meself, while you were swannin’ around with ‘im” Gwladys complained.

“I am a Young Lady” Aefelthrith said, grandly, “it would not be proper for me to be seen without a chaperone”

“First I’ve ‘eard of it” Gwladys stomped into the kitchen, “’Ell fire, yer only goin’ fer a walk!”

“There is a proper way of doing things…” Aefelthrith began.

“Yeah, an’ then there’s your way” Gwladys snapped and marched out into the garden.

You can find the previous adventures of Gwladys and Aefelthrith in both Kindle and paperback formats at The Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid (link is external)