By The Begonia- Book 4

Chapter 4

Hey everyone- a few surprise appearances from some characters you have met before and some you haven't met yet. Enjoy

Chapter 4

“Scott!” Ellis hollered from his study, a couple of minutes after hearing the door bell ring.

“I’m here Dexter, no need to shout. Besides how did you know it was me in the house?” Scott replied curiously from his position lent in the doorway of Ellis’s study.

“Simple Scott, you should know this by now and I heard the bell and the only one I’m expecting is you.”

“I’m honoured,” Scott replied sarcastically a cheeky grin on his face, one of his eyebrow’s, with a white scar dividing it in two, raised. “Besides how can I stay away when you send me such intriguing letters? A girl? I would never have suspected you to take an interest in a woman. I must say though Dexter you couldn’t have found a more interesting one.”

“Tell me.” Ellis commanded, turning to face him. Scott did not rush to do as he was told; he held no fear of Ellis Dexter.

“I’ll just sit down shall I, while you pour me a drink my, wonderfully hospitable host?” Ellis scowled at the man but without any real anger and snapped,

“Pour it yourself. Now tell me the information I paid you for.”

“Paid! Ha, I wish!” Scott laughed, but it held malice. Ellis had done more than enough for him over the years to merit no payment. Ellis’s eyes twinkled slightly with a disguised smile Scott noticed but did not mention it, just letting it add to his own broad smile.

“Well…” he pondered where to start, settling back in his chair with his freshly poured glass in one hand. “Miss Madeline East seemed fairly normal to start with; not overly beautiful, few  friends, of high enough class to just about be acceptable in society, not rich that was easy enough to tell. Then, we get to her family and it gets more interesting.

She has one brother – who I will tell you more about later and they both live under the roof of their god mother a Lady Lucinda Mumford, the widow of some Lord or other. This is obviously not normal so I found out why and prepare yourself for a shock.” He paused dramatically but Ellis ruined it.

“Nothing shocks me,” he stated dryly. Scott grumbled something quietly about Ellis and the words conceited, bastard, ruined, and surprise. Ellis scowled yet again as he caught this insult. “I may be conceited. But bastard, not as far as I know and your knowledge is still a surprise just not a shocking one. Now continue.”

Scott mumbled something else under his breathe, which Ellis could not hear and chose to ignore, before he continued.

“Both their parents are dead. I know, I know that doesn’t sound every interesting I mean everyone’s parents die, but not like this. Miss East’s mother was murdered.” Scott watched with satisfaction as Ellis’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“By her husband no less!” he continued not stopping to hear Ellis’s reaction and ignoring him as he spluttered on his drink. “He was an absolute bastard of a man from what I found out; a gambler, a bad drinker and it was common knowledge he regularly beat his wife. He even made her parade around in public despite obvious injuries and took sick pleasure in seeing her squirm under everyone’s pitying gaze. He eventually beat her to death.

Their son was present through it all but he seems fine from it so far. Madeline found her brother huddled over their mother’s body later that night. The father died not much longer after that fortunately –a hunting accident I believe. But, the boy and the girl were left with nothing but gambling debts and bad memories.