Staghurst Noir
For Actes 5 and 6, we go back in time a bit before the ending of ACTE 4 with its startled Constable.
Acte 5: Devilishness
About 15 minutes before Reginald’s head meets a tyre iron, The Lord Edmund and The Mistress met with a bit of mis-adventure each of their own:
The wealthy couple from Staghurst slowly make their way down the long, dank, dark, fog filled alley way. Garbage bins, mostly full and foul smelling, line the cobblestone path. Occasionally rats are disturbed from their scavenging, scampering out of sight down holes. They had gone in about 50 feet in when The Mistress spies a movement in the shadows ahead!
Come along Edmund, The Mistress directs as she carefully makes her way along the littered path, I can see the tarts shadow just up ahead. She yells out( her voice echoes down the narrow alley), Don’t think I cannot see you cowering there by those cans you filthy thief, come out and give me back my bracelet! Sure enough, a shadow stirs and detaches itself from behind a trash bin, then a second shadow materializes from behind the first. The Lord and The Mistress are by this time close enough to discern that neither of the two shadowy figures are female.
Well, well Josey, looks like sum’un is out for a bit of trick an treating now, are they?, the first shadow states to his companion. Both step out fully from the shadows, and in the dim pool of light from the now visible full moon, their features now can be discerned. A pair of young men, both having the same slightly slanted eyes of the Gypsy girl. The first, slightly older lad of about 22, has a thin beard, dark brown eyes, and the frame of a person who has done some rather hard labor, with the tough expression on his face seeming to back up that assertion. He is wearing a brown turtleneck, black leather vest, and black canvas military style trousers. He pushes back a brown drivers cap that covers his longish, raggled black hair, and speaks directly to The Mistress, sorry mum, aint got nothing like treats, may have to do a trick on you instead. Aintint that right Josey, he looks back at the second youth.
The second youth, about 18 years, is dressed in the same type of clothes as the other, except he is wearing a black beret on his head, his hair hanging down in back in a long ponetail. He is shorter than the other, by a good head, which placed him at eye level with Edmund and The Mistress. Josey says nothing, but just stares up at The Mistress, her sparkling jewelry reflected in his dark eyes.
The Mistress finally finds her tongue, and begins to wield it in the only fashion she knows how. Look here you young scoundrels, I have no business with the likes of you, it’s the girl I want, and I want her in front of me right now! she stamps her foot in emphasis, so go get her, and be quick about it!
Weel now mum, the older one says, what you be wanting with this girl, then? She has me bracelet, The Mistress screeches, and I aim to have it back now! Is it really worth you bothering this girl over a bit of costume jewelry Mum, he asks, leering at The Mistress, and moves a good foot closer? That bracelet is valuable and worth a great deal young man, I’ll have you know! And know this also, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything rhinestone, she spits out the words in triumph tipping up her chin as she does so, her earrings swinging around expensively in sparkling arcs.
Well now mum, why dinja just say so, here, let me take you to her, she is just hiding her terrified little self-down here aways . He turns and begins to walk down deeper into the alley. Both The Mistress and Edmund start to follow. Josey, who has until now stood pat, holds up Edmund as he passes. Unhand me sir, Edmund sputters, and both The Mistress and the tall gypsy turn around to face them. Now Guvner, the older gypsy says, you had better wait her with Josey, if all off use come up on this girl you says has yer mums bracelet, she may be frightened off.
Stay Edmund, The mistress commands, sounding like she is ordering about one of the Manor’s dogs. We will be right back, she adds, never for a second thinking that she wasn’t going to have her way as usual. The Mistress and the older Gypsy in the brown cap turn and make their way up the alley. The Mistress, breathing heavily as she imagines what she will say and do to that young female tramp when she finds her, fails to hear the noises that come from where Edmund an Josey are standing, noises sound very much like someone’s voice being cut off and muffled.
Edmund watches the two disappear into the shadows, then turning to the one called Josey, he jumps, the youth had vanished. Say, where did he go , Edmund asks himself slowly, then, thinking he is free, Hesitates, it doesn’t feel right disobeying his wife’s order, then he shakes his head, balderdash he mumbles, and starts off after her.
But no sooner does her start off then a hand clamps an oily rag around his mouth. He struggles, trying to protest, but the youthful Josey is no match for Edmund, and he drags the Lord of Stag Hurst unceremoniously behind a dumpster.
Shoving the rag deeper into Edmunds mouth, Josey covers the gag with a strip of smelly cloth. Then, producing a long knife, holds it to his Lordships chin, while his other hand searches the tuxedos coat and pants pockets, removing their contents. Trying to protest through his gag, Josey whips off Edmund’s scarf, then the youth dart around him. And Edmund feels his tuxedo’s jacket being peeled off. The youth reappears, and using his knife, plucks off each of the onyx buttons off of Edmunds silken shirt, and removes his matching cufflinks, then, after removing the satin cummerbund, he takes his thin, extremely sharp knife, and cuts the suspenders Edmund is wearing, and lets the tux’s trousers fall to his Lordships’ feet.
Josey looks over his handwork, he grins up into the bulging eyes of the enraged Lord, and grins, then darts around back and Edmund feels his shirt pulled off, and the cool breeze against his bare chest. Suddenly he is grabbed from behind, Edmund is thrown onto a pile of old rags, smelling of rotten fish. Three rats scurry from the pile, running over his Lordships stomach. Thrashing about, Edmund feels his shoes and pants pulled off the rest of the way, as two more rats appear and run up his legs, over his stomach and landing on top of his face, finally scurry off.
At this, poor Edmund, who’s constitution is already fragile due to a week heart, faints dead away. His last, irrational thought, as he falls off into unconsciousness, is that he hopes his wife won’t be too hard on the Gypsy girl when she finds her…..
End of Acte 5, Watch for Acte 6 ( Retribution) coming soon
