Read Online The Emperor's Conspiracy by Michelle Diener - Free Book Online
Authors: Michelle Diener
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you?”
He looked like he was going to spit in her face, and she raised an eyebrow.
“No one.” It was a feral snarl.
Her heart hurt, looking at him. What was Luke about? This wasn’t how this child should be. He’d promised her.Promised! Every child who worked for him would have a better life.
“Luke sending balmy brats to do his dirty work? I am disappointed.” She kept her voice cool. Emotion would be just another weapon to use as far as this boy was concerned.
“Wha-?” He was still a child, beneath the grime and the hard-edged layer of fury. He couldn’t help show his confusion.
“That horse ever do you harm?” She tightened her grip.
The lad shook his head, his eyes narrow.
“Funny, looked like you was trying to cripple it, ’n’ all. Do it down and have it sent to the knackers.” She gave her tongue full rein and felt a twinge of regret she couldn’t speak like this more often. She forgot she could, sometimes. “Luke’s policy’s always been hurt those what needs hurtin’ an’ not a poor sod more.”
She leaned back a little, took the measure of him. “An’ if you were here as a nose, to watch the house, the jig’s up cos o’ that stunt.”
He said nothing and turned his head away, looking down the street, to where Edward had already turned the corner, oblivious to the near miss of his prize horseflesh. “Sometimes I can’t ’elp it.” His words were calm. Way too mature and measured for his age. “I look up at a carriage like that, nags like those, and wouldn’t the sale of all of tha’ set me up for life, an’ all? Just want to break it all, I do. Just smash it. Cos no matter what, I can’t ’ave it, can I? Why should anyone else?”
“Look at me.” She held him even tighter, until he winced, and she loosened her hold a little, waited for him to turn toher again. “If you’re working for Luke, you should know there’s a chance. And a better than average one, if you’re with him.”
He shook his head. “Don’t know who you’re talking about, Miss ’igh an’ Mighty.”
“Luke didn’t send you?” She blinked, and loosened her hold just a fraction too much.
He was out of her grasp and running before she could so much as shout.
“Who did send you, then?” She called after him, and he stopped, far enough away he knew she wouldn’t catch him, even if she tried. He cocked his head, rubbed finger and thumb together.
Charlotte dug into the reticule hanging from her wrist and withdrew a shilling. Far too much, but it was all she had. She threw it, and watched the way his eyes tracked it as it bounced and rolled toward him, veering left as it hit a cobblestone, and spinning until it stopped, halfway between them.
He darted forward, grabbed it up, and backed away.
She waited. He was either considering legging it, or he was teasing her that he would, but he eventually stopped at his old spot. “Rum ol’ gaffer sent me. Gave me a farthing to watch for that carriage.”
“And if you saw it? Where were you to go?”
He looked at her. Considering.
“That was all the money in my reticule,” she said shortly.
“Tol’ me ta go round back o’ his club, report to ’is coachman.” He danced a little farther back.
“What club? How would you know his coach? What is hiscrest?” Charlotte tried to keep the desperation from her voice. He was going to run without talking. She forced herself to accept it.
“Same crest as the one I was ’sposed to watch for.”
His words were nearly drowned out by the clatter of a carriage passing nearby, but she heard them. Frowned.
“Nothing like family spying on family, eh?” And with that he ran. He shouted one last thing, most likely the name of the club, but she didn’t hear him over the traffic this time.
Charlotte stared after him, standing in the street, until Kit came out from the yard and shifted from side to side, unsure what to do.
“Does Luke pay you extra, Kit? For watching me?” She turned to him, and
He looked like he was going to spit in her face, and she raised an eyebrow.
“No one.” It was a feral snarl.
Her heart hurt, looking at him. What was Luke about? This wasn’t how this child should be. He’d promised her.Promised! Every child who worked for him would have a better life.
“Luke sending balmy brats to do his dirty work? I am disappointed.” She kept her voice cool. Emotion would be just another weapon to use as far as this boy was concerned.
“Wha-?” He was still a child, beneath the grime and the hard-edged layer of fury. He couldn’t help show his confusion.
“That horse ever do you harm?” She tightened her grip.
The lad shook his head, his eyes narrow.
“Funny, looked like you was trying to cripple it, ’n’ all. Do it down and have it sent to the knackers.” She gave her tongue full rein and felt a twinge of regret she couldn’t speak like this more often. She forgot she could, sometimes. “Luke’s policy’s always been hurt those what needs hurtin’ an’ not a poor sod more.”
She leaned back a little, took the measure of him. “An’ if you were here as a nose, to watch the house, the jig’s up cos o’ that stunt.”
He said nothing and turned his head away, looking down the street, to where Edward had already turned the corner, oblivious to the near miss of his prize horseflesh. “Sometimes I can’t ’elp it.” His words were calm. Way too mature and measured for his age. “I look up at a carriage like that, nags like those, and wouldn’t the sale of all of tha’ set me up for life, an’ all? Just want to break it all, I do. Just smash it. Cos no matter what, I can’t ’ave it, can I? Why should anyone else?”
“Look at me.” She held him even tighter, until he winced, and she loosened her hold a little, waited for him to turn toher again. “If you’re working for Luke, you should know there’s a chance. And a better than average one, if you’re with him.”
He shook his head. “Don’t know who you’re talking about, Miss ’igh an’ Mighty.”
“Luke didn’t send you?” She blinked, and loosened her hold just a fraction too much.
He was out of her grasp and running before she could so much as shout.
“Who did send you, then?” She called after him, and he stopped, far enough away he knew she wouldn’t catch him, even if she tried. He cocked his head, rubbed finger and thumb together.
Charlotte dug into the reticule hanging from her wrist and withdrew a shilling. Far too much, but it was all she had. She threw it, and watched the way his eyes tracked it as it bounced and rolled toward him, veering left as it hit a cobblestone, and spinning until it stopped, halfway between them.
He darted forward, grabbed it up, and backed away.
She waited. He was either considering legging it, or he was teasing her that he would, but he eventually stopped at his old spot. “Rum ol’ gaffer sent me. Gave me a farthing to watch for that carriage.”
“And if you saw it? Where were you to go?”
He looked at her. Considering.
“That was all the money in my reticule,” she said shortly.
“Tol’ me ta go round back o’ his club, report to ’is coachman.” He danced a little farther back.
“What club? How would you know his coach? What is hiscrest?” Charlotte tried to keep the desperation from her voice. He was going to run without talking. She forced herself to accept it.
“Same crest as the one I was ’sposed to watch for.”
His words were nearly drowned out by the clatter of a carriage passing nearby, but she heard them. Frowned.
“Nothing like family spying on family, eh?” And with that he ran. He shouted one last thing, most likely the name of the club, but she didn’t hear him over the traffic this time.
Charlotte stared after him, standing in the street, until Kit came out from the yard and shifted from side to side, unsure what to do.
“Does Luke pay you extra, Kit? For watching me?” She turned to him, and
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