glowered down at him. “I’m the Earl of
Saxton. Anything I want is my business.” With his bare chest and
naked feet, Saxton looked less like an earl and more like a warrior
of old.
Mr. Reddy struggled to his feet with a nasty
grin. “I can call the magistrate, if you prefer. ’E’ll just cart
her arse to Newgate.”
“No,” Mrs. Reddy croaked.
“Can you pay him?” Saxton asked, his eyes
glacial.
Mrs. Reddy shook her head, defeat dropping
her already listless shoulders.
The earl frowned, lines furrowing his wide
forehead. “I presume Mrs. Reddy has your direction. I’ll send
payment in the morning.”
Mrs. Reddy straightened and looked up in
surprise.
Olivia did the same. “You’re going to pay her
debt?”
Saxton glanced toward them. “Yes, but now
she’s in debt to me.” He looked back to Mr. Reddy. “Take yourself
off. You’ll get what you’re owed in the morning.”
Mr. Reddy massaged his jaw. “You’ve a mean
’ook, my lord.”
Saxton’s hands fisted again, and Olivia
wondered if he was even aware of it. “Be happy I went easy on
you.”
Mr. Reddy nodded and left.
The tension coiling Olivia’s muscles
dissipated. She helped Mrs. Reddy to a nearby chair. Scanning the
apartment, Olivia found a bit of toweling and handed it to the
battered woman.
Saxton came to stand before the landlady.
“How did you come to owe him so much coin?” He sniffed, likely
believing the answer was buried in the telltale reek of gin. What
else could it be?
Mrs. Reddy put the cloth to her nose and
tipped her head back to look up at Saxton. “I gave most of it to me
sister. Her husband died, and she’s got a son to feed.”
He massaged his right hand with his left.
“Your brother-in-law seems to think you’re buying gin with the
money that’s owed to him.”
Despite her bruised countenance, a flush was
discernible on her skin. “Aye, I’ve a bit of a thirst, but I
provide for me sister.”
“Why not tell him the truth?” Saxton
asked.
“I tried to ask him for money once. Wouldn’t
even part with a shilling. At first I just told him the tenants
were shorting me, but he figured things out a few weeks ago.”
This must have been why she’d repeatedly
increased the rent. Olivia pitied the poor woman’s sister and her
fatherless child. She stared at her defeated landlady and suffered
a stab of shame for judging Mrs. Reddy as ignorantly as others had
judged her.
At length, Saxton folded his arms over his
chest. His knuckles were reddened, and a few of them bled. “I’ll
pay your debt, but I expect you to work it off.” He sounded
dispassionate, but not judgmental. Olivia couldn’t help but respect
what he was offering Mrs. Reddy. Which only served to make her
attempted swindle all the more distasteful.
Mrs. Reddy blinked with her one good eye; the
other had swollen shut. She smiled, revealing blackened gaps in the
sides of her mouth. “Won’t mind that at all.”
Saxton’s lip curled. “At one of my estates.
In the scullery or wherever your…talents might be best
utilized.”
Mrs. Reddy sobered. “I don’t want to leave me
house.”
Olivia couldn’t believe the landlady’s
foolishness. “It isn’t your house. It’s Mr. Reddy’s. And if you
don’t leave he’ll return and likely use you as a sparring partner
again.”
She looked to Olivia, adjusting the cloth
over her nose. “Not if I pay him, and Lord Saxton said he’d settle
it.”
“Not without something in return,” he said
smoothly, his eyes chilling to ice. “My charity only extends to
those willing to work to better themselves.” It was a fair
expectation from a seemingly benevolent man.
Mrs. Reddy contemplated her lap. When she
looked up again, tears leaked from her eyes. “I don’t know if I’m
equal to the task, my lord.”
“You’d prefer to risk Mr. Reddy’s violence
than do honest work that would help both you and your sister?”
Saxton’s tone now matched the frigidity of his eyes.
Mrs. Reddy
Saxton. Anything I want is my business.” With his bare chest and
naked feet, Saxton looked less like an earl and more like a warrior
of old.
Mr. Reddy struggled to his feet with a nasty
grin. “I can call the magistrate, if you prefer. ’E’ll just cart
her arse to Newgate.”
“No,” Mrs. Reddy croaked.
“Can you pay him?” Saxton asked, his eyes
glacial.
Mrs. Reddy shook her head, defeat dropping
her already listless shoulders.
The earl frowned, lines furrowing his wide
forehead. “I presume Mrs. Reddy has your direction. I’ll send
payment in the morning.”
Mrs. Reddy straightened and looked up in
surprise.
Olivia did the same. “You’re going to pay her
debt?”
Saxton glanced toward them. “Yes, but now
she’s in debt to me.” He looked back to Mr. Reddy. “Take yourself
off. You’ll get what you’re owed in the morning.”
Mr. Reddy massaged his jaw. “You’ve a mean
’ook, my lord.”
Saxton’s hands fisted again, and Olivia
wondered if he was even aware of it. “Be happy I went easy on
you.”
Mr. Reddy nodded and left.
The tension coiling Olivia’s muscles
dissipated. She helped Mrs. Reddy to a nearby chair. Scanning the
apartment, Olivia found a bit of toweling and handed it to the
battered woman.
Saxton came to stand before the landlady.
“How did you come to owe him so much coin?” He sniffed, likely
believing the answer was buried in the telltale reek of gin. What
else could it be?
Mrs. Reddy put the cloth to her nose and
tipped her head back to look up at Saxton. “I gave most of it to me
sister. Her husband died, and she’s got a son to feed.”
He massaged his right hand with his left.
“Your brother-in-law seems to think you’re buying gin with the
money that’s owed to him.”
Despite her bruised countenance, a flush was
discernible on her skin. “Aye, I’ve a bit of a thirst, but I
provide for me sister.”
“Why not tell him the truth?” Saxton
asked.
“I tried to ask him for money once. Wouldn’t
even part with a shilling. At first I just told him the tenants
were shorting me, but he figured things out a few weeks ago.”
This must have been why she’d repeatedly
increased the rent. Olivia pitied the poor woman’s sister and her
fatherless child. She stared at her defeated landlady and suffered
a stab of shame for judging Mrs. Reddy as ignorantly as others had
judged her.
At length, Saxton folded his arms over his
chest. His knuckles were reddened, and a few of them bled. “I’ll
pay your debt, but I expect you to work it off.” He sounded
dispassionate, but not judgmental. Olivia couldn’t help but respect
what he was offering Mrs. Reddy. Which only served to make her
attempted swindle all the more distasteful.
Mrs. Reddy blinked with her one good eye; the
other had swollen shut. She smiled, revealing blackened gaps in the
sides of her mouth. “Won’t mind that at all.”
Saxton’s lip curled. “At one of my estates.
In the scullery or wherever your…talents might be best
utilized.”
Mrs. Reddy sobered. “I don’t want to leave me
house.”
Olivia couldn’t believe the landlady’s
foolishness. “It isn’t your house. It’s Mr. Reddy’s. And if you
don’t leave he’ll return and likely use you as a sparring partner
again.”
She looked to Olivia, adjusting the cloth
over her nose. “Not if I pay him, and Lord Saxton said he’d settle
it.”
“Not without something in return,” he said
smoothly, his eyes chilling to ice. “My charity only extends to
those willing to work to better themselves.” It was a fair
expectation from a seemingly benevolent man.
Mrs. Reddy contemplated her lap. When she
looked up again, tears leaked from her eyes. “I don’t know if I’m
equal to the task, my lord.”
“You’d prefer to risk Mr. Reddy’s violence
than do honest work that would help both you and your sister?”
Saxton’s tone now matched the frigidity of his eyes.
Mrs. Reddy
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