own futures.”
“They would have been happy enough in America if I could only have found us the means to get there.”
“Then perhaps they might be happy there still. But it would be best, even in America, if they might learn how to maintain themselves without breaking the law. Could you offer them that?”
Temperance did not deign to respond.
“And it would help you to do the same.” Her Ladyship put down her pen. “You have a decision to make, Temperance. There’s no point in your staying here at the Refuge if you won’t take advantage of the help we offer. There are too many other girls who might benefit if they had your place. I will let you stay here a few more days while you make up your mind. But after that, unless you are willing to give me a chance to help you, as much as I might regret it, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
N ow that it was only a matter of days until Lady Hartwood turfed her out, Temperance had no alternative but to head back to the old neighborhood to find some way to maintain herself when she was back on her own. She’d forgotten how quickly the smells changed as you left behind the cool white mansions of the rich. Had there always been so many dead cats in the gutters? Had the stench of rotting cabbage always been so strong? She fought against the nausea that rose in response to the filth, thoroughly disgusted with herself.
She’d been away for only three short days, and already she was turning back into a spoiled miss. If she didn’t watch it, she’d end up as soft as she’d been when she’d first come to London. How Randall had laughed at her ladylike airs and her almost insurmountable horror of dirt. Well, she’d soon have a chance to toughen up. She’d be back on these streets soon enough.
She made a beeline for Danny the sweeper, whom she found at the corner he’d made his own. She’d saved him a big chunk of meat and some thick rolls from the rich meals served at the Refuge. Even when surrounded by so much indulgence, she hadn’t forgotten who her true friends were. After she handed him the food, she asked him what he’d heard. Was the watch looking for her? Had the shoemaker lodged a complaint?
“Not that I’ve heard,” he said, leaning on his broom. “Though I did hear tell Mother B was fuming when she heard you’d found another protector. She thought for sure that when they tore down the snug, you’d have to go in with her. But I knew all along, you were too fly for that.”
“Damn right.”
“But there is a gentleman as is looking for you, Tem.”
She froze. “What’s he look like?” Was he a tall man dressed in cavalryman’s blue, with a scar above his lip—that scar she kept seeing in her dreams?
“He was a short cove with ginger hair. Didn’t give no name or nuth’n. Might have been a gentleman’s servant. Hard to say.”
Not him . She cursed herself for the disappointment that swept over her.
“The cove said as how his master’s got something for you.”
Her locket? Again, that disturbing lift of the heart. But there were any number of other men who might want to see her again. Men were always after her. And as to what this one might have for her, it might just be a bob or two—if she would go back to his lodgings with him.
“Was it anyone you knew?”
“Never saw him before. But he gave me a shilling. That made me remember him, it did. Told me there’d be another if I told you something else.”
“What’s that?”
“The gentleman wot’s lookin’ for you—he’ll be at the masquerade at the Opera House, Thursday at midnight. Show up and he’ll give you wot you lost.”
Her heartbeat quickened. It was the officer, and he had found her locket. It would be so good to get it back, so she could look upon Randall’s face once more. But, of course, the man was using it as a lure. He wanted another go at her. Which wouldn’t have been a problem except that she couldn’t trust herself not to want the same
“They would have been happy enough in America if I could only have found us the means to get there.”
“Then perhaps they might be happy there still. But it would be best, even in America, if they might learn how to maintain themselves without breaking the law. Could you offer them that?”
Temperance did not deign to respond.
“And it would help you to do the same.” Her Ladyship put down her pen. “You have a decision to make, Temperance. There’s no point in your staying here at the Refuge if you won’t take advantage of the help we offer. There are too many other girls who might benefit if they had your place. I will let you stay here a few more days while you make up your mind. But after that, unless you are willing to give me a chance to help you, as much as I might regret it, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
N ow that it was only a matter of days until Lady Hartwood turfed her out, Temperance had no alternative but to head back to the old neighborhood to find some way to maintain herself when she was back on her own. She’d forgotten how quickly the smells changed as you left behind the cool white mansions of the rich. Had there always been so many dead cats in the gutters? Had the stench of rotting cabbage always been so strong? She fought against the nausea that rose in response to the filth, thoroughly disgusted with herself.
She’d been away for only three short days, and already she was turning back into a spoiled miss. If she didn’t watch it, she’d end up as soft as she’d been when she’d first come to London. How Randall had laughed at her ladylike airs and her almost insurmountable horror of dirt. Well, she’d soon have a chance to toughen up. She’d be back on these streets soon enough.
She made a beeline for Danny the sweeper, whom she found at the corner he’d made his own. She’d saved him a big chunk of meat and some thick rolls from the rich meals served at the Refuge. Even when surrounded by so much indulgence, she hadn’t forgotten who her true friends were. After she handed him the food, she asked him what he’d heard. Was the watch looking for her? Had the shoemaker lodged a complaint?
“Not that I’ve heard,” he said, leaning on his broom. “Though I did hear tell Mother B was fuming when she heard you’d found another protector. She thought for sure that when they tore down the snug, you’d have to go in with her. But I knew all along, you were too fly for that.”
“Damn right.”
“But there is a gentleman as is looking for you, Tem.”
She froze. “What’s he look like?” Was he a tall man dressed in cavalryman’s blue, with a scar above his lip—that scar she kept seeing in her dreams?
“He was a short cove with ginger hair. Didn’t give no name or nuth’n. Might have been a gentleman’s servant. Hard to say.”
Not him . She cursed herself for the disappointment that swept over her.
“The cove said as how his master’s got something for you.”
Her locket? Again, that disturbing lift of the heart. But there were any number of other men who might want to see her again. Men were always after her. And as to what this one might have for her, it might just be a bob or two—if she would go back to his lodgings with him.
“Was it anyone you knew?”
“Never saw him before. But he gave me a shilling. That made me remember him, it did. Told me there’d be another if I told you something else.”
“What’s that?”
“The gentleman wot’s lookin’ for you—he’ll be at the masquerade at the Opera House, Thursday at midnight. Show up and he’ll give you wot you lost.”
Her heartbeat quickened. It was the officer, and he had found her locket. It would be so good to get it back, so she could look upon Randall’s face once more. But, of course, the man was using it as a lure. He wanted another go at her. Which wouldn’t have been a problem except that she couldn’t trust herself not to want the same
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