42 – The Gambler, Watson (3)
Even before Moriarty could say or do anything, Jane Watson was already approaching her brother.
Moriarty did not follow immediately, observing the situation for a while. There was no need to intervene right now.
Henry Watson was a young-looking man; although he did seem to have a significant age difference from his sister, he appeared older than Moriarty himself.
He had just grown yellowish moustache. Half-drunk, he was unable to properly wear his Domino mask. He was the epitome of a wastrel.
His shaking hands suggested he was at the early stage of alcohol addiction. He was wasteful, an absolute waste of space.
Henry Watson, who had joyfully greeted his sister who had come to stop him, further established his wastefulness with his following words.
“Oh, Jane! Our lovely sister, wha…what are you doing here? No…I mean, good. Mr Quelp, this girl here is Jane, my lovely sister. And yes, a witch indeed. She doesn’t usually show her magic for some reason though.”
“Brother, are you getting drunk again in broad daylight? I’ve come to take you home. We’re out of money at home, you need to stop wasting ……”
Henry Watson, of course, was focusing only on the dwarf he had brought with him, lightly dismissing his sister’s words.
It was clear to anyone that their relationship was that of a debtor wishing to borrow money and a creditor.
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“Ah, indeed, Henry, you do have a good sister, as you say. And soon, she’ll be working under me and assisting her brother.”
“Of… course! Our Jane, she’s smart and preparing for medical school, so she’ll be useful for making money in several ways!”
“W…what? What are you talking about, brother?”
Confused by her brother’s words which she didn’t want to understand, Watson gazed alternately at her brother and the dwarf, her voice trembling.
Of course, when she looked at the grotesque dwarf, she couldn’t hide her look of disgust. Perhaps it was even stronger due to the sinister gaze of her counterpart.
Moriarty knew very well who Henry was with.
Daniel Quilp, often referred to as the “half-nicknamed dwarf” in this place.
As mentioned earlier, he operated the gambling house and had personal ties to various politicians and entrepreneurs.
Given the times, people often had prejudices against those born with disabilities, and the existence of inevitable restrictions made most lives unfortunate.
However, Daniel Quilp’s talent, evidenced by his administration of such a large gambling den, had to be recognized.
Of course, he was repulsive to anyone who saw him. Not simply because he was a dwarf.
Quilp, who was unattractive just by his face, added wickedness and malevolence to it, making anyone, however good and devoid of prejudice, involuntarily frown at him.
However, many people couldn’t do that in front of Quilp. Because Quilp’s means of making money was the pawnbrokering business, one of the oldest roles in human history.
Quilp was notorious for rolling over debts by virtually selling off families. Apparently, the scumbag Henry had half-sold Watson for the sake of borrowing money.
Daniel Quilp, with a lewd smile on his face, pulled out a certificate from his pocket and began to taunt Watson.
“Ah, I’ve heard a lot. As you can see, your brother Henry just borrowed 3,000 pounds from me a while ago. Jane Watson, right? You must become a surety since you’re Henry’s bloodline. Your legal guardian, Henry agreed.”
“Wh…what are you talking about! B…brother, have you gone mad?”
The sum and the interest, and her position as a guarantor without her consent – once Watson confirmed this, she glared at her brother with an unthinkable, almost crazed look.
There was no telling if it was because a sliver of conscience remained; or it remained in spite of being such a scumbag that he virtually sold his sister. Henry sat silently ignoring his sister’s gaze.
Watson, realizing there was no use talking to her brother anymore, grabbed his collar and shouted at Quilp.
“W…wait a minute, the money… it’s still there, right? Brother, you didn’t spend it all already, did you? Where’s the money! Return it immediately! This… this cannot be, cancellation, I’m going to cancel this, I’ll return the money!”
“Ah, the contract is already made, Ms. Watson. Here, there is a contract, isn’t there? You’re young and ignorant of the ways of the world. As long as this contract exists, everything is valid. Now, now, there are many eyes around, so calm down a bit. Or else, I can call someone to escort you out properly.
“Ahh…!”
From the point where he knew about the witch, Daniel Quilp wouldn’t let go of a fish once he caught it. Seeing the Watson despair, Moriarty quietly moved toward them.
“Calm down, Ms. Watson.”
“Ah… Pro…professor, what should I do, I… I’m finished!”
“Hmm, ah, this, nice to see you, professor. hehehehe, I’ll take my leave, so enjoy.”
Recognizing Moriarty, Quilp fled the scene with a feigned pleasant smile. Naturally, Henry went off with him.
Moriarty knew that he’d retreated deep into the building, into his room. Everything had gone as anticipated, so Moriarty helped the half-collapsed Watson up off the floor and offered words of consolation.
“That’s… unfortunate, Ms. Watson. Quilp isn’t wrong. That’s how the law is, once the contract exists… it’s not easy to nullify.”
“Ahh!”
“Now, now, screaming here won’t bring any solutions, let’s first cool our heads down.”
Maybe assuming that everything was over, Watson obediently followed Moriarty. For now, they returned to the whist gaming table, sitting down without a word as the players’ focus was still set on the game.
Due to the recent ruckus, the people at the casino had temporarily halted all actions to witness the tragic scene, but after sure it wasn’t their business, they returned their focus back to their games.
However, the gentleman at Moriarty’s and Watson’s table hesitated briefly, then offered words of comfort just like Moriarty.
“It’s really… mundane and regrettable, Hamish.”
“Just call me Watson… anyway, you’ve heard it all… Ah…”
“If you ever need help… I can lend you that much money.”
“…No thank you.”
Moriarty could not help but be surprised by the man’s proposal. Just like Moriarty, he was a stranger to Watson but he had freely offered to lend her three thousand pounds and its corresponding interest.
Of course, it could have been a suspicious proposition. Watson did not give away any hint of wariness, but that could have been why she politely declined.
However, Moriarty had an intuition that the man sincerely proposed to help the distressed girl out of goodwill.
Silently, the gentleman began to shuffle the cards as Watson continued her refusal.
Watson, who initially seemed dispirited, seemed to regain her spirits little by little as the cards were dealt.
“From now on… what should I do….”
“It is regrettable to suggest this, but your brother seems to be in an abnormal state. We should probably get him declared incompetent.”
“That bastard! After consuming all the household wealth, he sold off my younger brother, despite me doing everything to protect this watch, my father’s relic!”
Watson, slightly tipsy from quietly gulping down a glass or two of the alcohol on the table, vehemently agreed with Moriarty’s opinion, while pulling out the fancy watch she had seen at the Clerkenwell workshop.
“I can personally help with that part, Ms. Watson. If we just cater to the lawyers and the public, we might even be able to confine him in a mental hospital.”
“Why would you… go this far to help me… Professor? Oh, I’m not…trying to suspect you….”
Watson, snapping back to her senses at Moriarty’s proposal, studied the other party’s gaze with a flushed face.
Of course, even behind his shaded eyes, he was a really handsome and stylish man. It was as if a romantic romantic male figure the still young girl often dreamt about had appeared in reality.
However, Watson, who had practically been sold due to her closest brother, couldn’t accept the goodwill. It was all too fairy tale-like.
The image of Professor Moriarty willing to assist a damsel in distress just like a prince from a fairy tale was so cool that it raised suspicion.
There had to be no handicap so that it’s easier to handle later. Also, to someday become Holmes’s assistant.
Moriarty responded internally.
“Do you necessarily need a reason to help someone in crisis?”
Moriarty replied verbally.
At that moment, the gentleman next to them who was shuffling the cards, added, clapping his hands.
“What a wonderful thing to say, a true gentleman indeed the Professor is.”
Of course, it was a speech adequate enough to move Watson, who was still a girl. The compliment he made, on top of his appearance that suited her taste, had some magical power to move a corner of a girl’s heart.
It seemed as if he had cast some magic spell on her.
Of course, Watson soon remembered the ominous reality.
“One problem is my brother… but the debt that needs to be addressed immediately. Ah…. I’m very grateful for your offer to help…. But….”
“Don’t worry too much now, when a big problem arises, sometimes you need time to organize your thoughts.”
As if calming Watson down, Moriarty opened his mouth, patting her on the shoulder.
At the same time as him, as if it was planned, a desperate outcry came from the deepest part of the gambling house.
“Fire!”
