The Shadow of Great Britain

136: Chapter 94: Birth of the Underground Queen 136: Chapter 94: Birth of the Underground Queen In the cells of the Greenwich police station, the sound of smacking the iron bars echoed, occasionally interrupted by a woman’s hoarse, raspy scream.

Tom and Tony, guarding outside the cell door, couldn’t help but shake their heads as they clasped their foreheads.

Tom complained, “It’s been a week now, why won’t she quiet down?”

Tony curled his lip, “Who knows what magic that opium sedative has, when we don’t give it to her, it’s like we’re taking her life.”

Tom helplessly said, “If it really comes to that, let’s just buy her a bottle.

She keeps making a fuss inside, and it’s driving me crazy.”

Tony glared at him, “Do you want to disobey Arthur’s orders?

Besides, didn’t Arthur explain clearly?

It’s called withdrawal reactions.

Once this period is over, she should start feeling better.”

Tom sighed, “This is the first time I’m grateful that I took Scotland Yard’s internal regulations seriously.

If I hadn’t stuck to the no drinking rule, I might have got hooked on that stuff too.”

Tony shrugged, “But come on, Arthur should just transfer this woman to the Magistrates’ Court.

She’s just a hooker who pulled a con, there’s no other case details that need further investigation.

Why keep her here?

Her screaming and shouting all day is killing everyone’s mood at work.”

As the two officers complained, they suddenly realized that it had gone quiet in the cell.

They turned their heads and looked into the cell through the iron window, only to exclaim, “Damn it!

Why has she hanged herself?

Where did she get the rope from?”

The two officers hastily opened the cell door and rushed in.

They grabbed Miss Fiona’s legs and lowered her from the rope.

Checking her breath by holding a finger under her nose, the officers breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from their foreheads, “Thank God, she’s still breathing.”

No sooner had they eased their minds when suddenly, two pale arms wrapped around the old officer’s neck.

Fiona, who was just at death’s door, leaned on Tom’s back and whispered into his ear, “Sir, please go buy me some opium sedative.

Just one bottle, no, even half a bottle will do.

Just give me that stuff, and you can play however you want…”

Tom chuckled awkwardly upon hearing this.

He raised his hands high, fearful of touching anything inappropriate, and recited, “That… that’s not possible.

I’m afraid… I’m afraid Arthur would tell my wife about my affair.”

Fiona, her eyes bloodshot, suddenly changed her expression upon hearing this.

Her arms tightened sharply around Tom’s neck, and then she fiercely choked him, screaming abuses.

“You really are spineless, just like your damn boss!

All you Scotland Yard cops are spineless!!”

Tom’s eyes rolled back as she choked him.

Tony, seeing this, quickly pulled out his baton and warned, “Lady!

Although I shouldn’t hit a woman, if you plan to continue, I’ll have no choice!”

But Fiona, far beyond heeding Tony’s warnings, cursed loudly, “Come on!

If you dare, hang me on the gallows!”

“Hey!

You foul bitch!” Tony, enraged by her words, drew his baton, about to teach her a lesson.

But just then, a hand wearing white gloves reached out from behind him, pressing on Fiona’s fingers around Tom’s neck.

Tony turned his head to see it was none other than Arthur Hastings, the newly appointed inspector of Scotland Yard’s East London division, adorned with a Crown epaulette.

Arthur methodically pried each finger from Tom’s neck as effortlessly as pulling freshly planted carrots from his own garden.

As he did so, he murmured, “Miss Fiona, such rude behavior is unbefitting of a lady.”

Fiona stubbornly gripped Tom’s neck, refusing to let go, but when she realized her resistance was futile, she simply let go and swung her palms toward Arthur’s face.

Yet she clearly underestimated Arthur’s agility and the counter-attack ability that even Fred found headache-inducing.

Arthur casually raised his right hand and caught her arm in a single motion, then with a slight flick of his wrist, Fiona, in her long dress, twirled around like a directionless butterfly before collapsing onto the straw heap on the ground.

Fiona’s face turned red with anger, but she also felt wronged.

Lying in the haystack, eyes reddened, she yelled, “I will sue you all for using violence!”

Arthur, loosening his tightened wrist, smiled with raised eyebrows, “I see, you know a bit of law?”

“Know a bit of law?” Fiona was both frantic and exasperated, but knowing she couldn’t beat Arthur, she simply grabbed a clump of dry straw and threw it at him.

“You think I’m like you officers who don’t understand gentlemanly etiquette?

If it weren’t for my gambling-addict father ruining us into bankruptcy, I would have made you see!”

Arthur squatted on the ground, smiled, and looked eye to eye with her, “I wouldn’t have guessed, you’re actually a wealthy girl.

That being said, you must have received a fair amount of education at home, so why don’t you find a normal job?

Why insist on doing this kind of business?”

“Normal job?

If you call working fifteen hours a day and earning seven to eight shillings a week as a textile worker a normal job, then I really don’t want to do it!”

Arthur shook his head, “No, I don’t mean that.

I know that the income of textile workers is low.

But aren’t you educated?

Find a job as a governess, it would not only solve your accommodation and food but should also pay much more than a textile worker, right?”

“Governess?”

Fiona couldn’t help but laugh out loud in irritation when she heard this word, and she reached out to pat Arthur’s cheek.

“My dear, don’t you, a wealthy young master, know what a governess actually does?

A normal wealthy family, if they want to hire a knowledgeable governess, would mostly hire a male.

If you find a female governess who earns a good income, there’s usually something fishy going on.

“That kind of governess, what difference does it have from the business I’m doing now?

At least I’m quite free now, can do business whenever I want, or just call someone if I don’t feel like it, without having to scheme against the lady of the house.

Living freely, it’s pretty good.”

“Is that so?” Arthur pinched his chin and pondered for a moment, muttering, “Is what Eld described really considered documentary literature?”

Seeing Arthur not responding for a long time, Fiona impatiently said, “Let’s be blunt, there’s no need to beat around the bush.

This time, my boys and I are admitting defeat.

What exactly do you want from me?

Money or my body?

It’s okay if you don’t like me, we have other girls here.

But I reckon if you don’t fancy me, you probably won’t fancy Hannie either.

Or maybe, you just don’t like women at all?

Never mind, I don’t care anymore, just let me out quickly, I can give you whatever I can.”

Upon hearing this, Arthur just smiled and sighed, “Miss Fiona, I mean, have you ever thought about being a good woman, or at least not being so utterly corrupt?”

“Huh?

Is that your condition?”

Upon hearing this, Fiona frowned her willow-shaped eyebrows and asked, “Why do you men always like doing this?

The world has forced me to sell my body out of necessity, and when I’ve grown used to such a life, you come to preach about turning over a new leaf.

Is there something wrong with your head?”

Arthur raising an eyebrow, smiled gently, “So, do you agree or not?”

Fiona snorted disdainfully, “To be a good woman, of course, I can.

If I had £5,000, I’d definitely behave more like a lady than any noblewoman in London.

So, can you come up with £5,000?”

Arthur, upon hearing this, turned and winked at Tom and Tony.

The two officers understood the unspoken signal, nodded silently, and then without a word, withdrew from the room and even closed the cell door behind them.

Seeing this scene, Fiona couldn’t help but give Arthur a disdainful glance, “I knew none of you were good.

In the end, it’s just because you’re afraid of being seen by others.

I knew it, no one can resist me.”

After speaking, she lay down on a pile of straw and casually pulled down her shoulder strap, “Come on, hurry up and finish, let me out.”

Seeing her deadpan expression, Arthur could not help but sigh.

Arthur said, “Miss Fiona, what are you thinking about?

I just wanted to give you a chance to earn £5,000.”

“Huh?” Fiona sat up from the straw pile, “Kid, are you serious?

You want to marry me?”

Arthur smiled, his eyes twinkling with a dim red glimmer, “Not that I want to marry you, but that I want to marry you off.”

Fiona, still somewhat dazed, “Who are you marrying me to?”

Arthur caressed her cheek, his smile bearing a deadly charm.

“To rule over ‘Cambridge’s little brother’ with a woman’s body alone, Fiona, that in itself shows your capability.

If you are willing to use your brain flexibly, from now on, you will never need to sell your body again.

I am willing to help you claim a throne that belongs to the East End of London, there, in the darkest, most lightless part of Tower Hamlets, lies a treasure once owned by Fred.

Go on and inherit that legacy.

I will clothe you in a scarlet pleated long skirt and crown you with a diadem adorned with beautiful gems.

Then, under the night sky full of stars, I will marry you off, marrying you to the vast East End of London, to that bloodiest, filthiest Hell.”

Fiona’s eyes gradually grew hazy, and beside the iron window above her head, stood Agares, smiling, amidst the complicated intertwinings of blood-red threads in the hands of the Red Devil, patiently playing with cat’s cradle.

Arthur pulled a brand-new pipe from his jacket pocket and gently placed it in Fiona’s hand.

He whispered in Fiona’s ear, “From now on, drink less laudanum, it dulls your keen nerves.

I would rather you become addicted to tobacco than that stuff.”