drop that,” she said as she sailed inside. “They’re precious, you know.”
“They’re heavy,” he answered, though she already knew that.
“Set them over there,” she said, waving to an open spot on the floor. “And mind you, bend your knees as you squat down. Don’t lean over. My uncle threw out his back thinking he was stronger than he was. But then that’s the way with all men, isn’t it?”
He glanced back at her, wondering if she truly expected an answer. Apparently not, because a moment later, she was shooing him back out the door. And if he didn’t step quickly, she was right there on his heels to keep him going back to the cart.
“There’s more out there, you know. Don’t dawdle. And what did you say you hired Penny for? New shoes? Must say yours could do with a good polishing if nothing else.”
He didn’t have the luxury of looking at his footwear because she was already at her cart and dropping bolts into his arms. These were lighter than the buttons, thank God, but still heavy enough.
“She hired me, ma’am,” he answered, as she no doubt already knew. But he was being tested and he wondered why. “Do you think I am a spy or something? For another mantua maker?” The idea was somewhat ludicrous, but then again, he wasn’t exactly sure how cutthroat the dressmaking business was.
“Hmm? Of course not,” she said, lying. Then her eyes scanned about the street on both sides. He followed her gaze and immediately spotted what had her worried. A fellow of rather large size strolling casually down the street, whistling as he moved.
“The big one isn’t your worry,” he said. “Whistling draws attention and brutes as a rule don’t like doing that unless they’re about to attack.” He carefully set the bolts back down into her cart. “The boy over there, on the other hand, seems to be keenly interested in you.”
She spun around with a gasp, being absolutely idiotic for a smart woman. The moment she turned in the boy’s direction, the child took off. Samuel had no choice but to give chase. It would save him from hauling more fabric, for one. And besides, his curiosity wanted to know why someone was following a buyer for a dress shop.
Sadly, he was so intent on the boy, he completely missed another thug. This one wasn’t whistling, though he did have a fist of iron, which landed right on Samuel’s temple. And that was the last he knew for quite some time.
Chapter 5
Penny felt her hackles rise as a wave of equal parts panic and fury burned through her. Where had he gone? She needed him! She walked as quickly as she could throughout the shop. She wouldn’t run. She wouldn’t betray to everyone here just how terrified she was at the idea of his absence. It didn’t really make sense to her. After all, wasn’t she always on her own? Didn’t everyone leave her eventually?
On her third pass through the shop, Irene Knopp came trembling into the back room. She was pale, her hands were shaking, and she looked terrified. The sight was so unusual in the normally self-possessed woman that Penny drew up short.
“What happened?” she asked though part of her kept screaming that she had no interest in what was happening to someone else when she had her own crisis to deal with. But Irene was the shop purchaser and a good woman. Perhaps even a friend. And she was obviously distressed.
Irene pulled herself together. She spoke haltingly at first but with growing strength. “There was…I have…Lately I have thought I was being watched. I hear about a new attack every day. London has become very dangerous, and I felt it today. Then there was this man who was whistling, but it wasn’t him. It was this boy, and your man chased him for me. I waited but they haven’t come back. I’m not sure what to do. Do I go look? I thought if we could go together…” She bit her lip. “I don’t like being so afraid, but it has been happening for a while. It’s…unnerving.”
By this
“They’re heavy,” he answered, though she already knew that.
“Set them over there,” she said, waving to an open spot on the floor. “And mind you, bend your knees as you squat down. Don’t lean over. My uncle threw out his back thinking he was stronger than he was. But then that’s the way with all men, isn’t it?”
He glanced back at her, wondering if she truly expected an answer. Apparently not, because a moment later, she was shooing him back out the door. And if he didn’t step quickly, she was right there on his heels to keep him going back to the cart.
“There’s more out there, you know. Don’t dawdle. And what did you say you hired Penny for? New shoes? Must say yours could do with a good polishing if nothing else.”
He didn’t have the luxury of looking at his footwear because she was already at her cart and dropping bolts into his arms. These were lighter than the buttons, thank God, but still heavy enough.
“She hired me, ma’am,” he answered, as she no doubt already knew. But he was being tested and he wondered why. “Do you think I am a spy or something? For another mantua maker?” The idea was somewhat ludicrous, but then again, he wasn’t exactly sure how cutthroat the dressmaking business was.
“Hmm? Of course not,” she said, lying. Then her eyes scanned about the street on both sides. He followed her gaze and immediately spotted what had her worried. A fellow of rather large size strolling casually down the street, whistling as he moved.
“The big one isn’t your worry,” he said. “Whistling draws attention and brutes as a rule don’t like doing that unless they’re about to attack.” He carefully set the bolts back down into her cart. “The boy over there, on the other hand, seems to be keenly interested in you.”
She spun around with a gasp, being absolutely idiotic for a smart woman. The moment she turned in the boy’s direction, the child took off. Samuel had no choice but to give chase. It would save him from hauling more fabric, for one. And besides, his curiosity wanted to know why someone was following a buyer for a dress shop.
Sadly, he was so intent on the boy, he completely missed another thug. This one wasn’t whistling, though he did have a fist of iron, which landed right on Samuel’s temple. And that was the last he knew for quite some time.
Chapter 5
Penny felt her hackles rise as a wave of equal parts panic and fury burned through her. Where had he gone? She needed him! She walked as quickly as she could throughout the shop. She wouldn’t run. She wouldn’t betray to everyone here just how terrified she was at the idea of his absence. It didn’t really make sense to her. After all, wasn’t she always on her own? Didn’t everyone leave her eventually?
On her third pass through the shop, Irene Knopp came trembling into the back room. She was pale, her hands were shaking, and she looked terrified. The sight was so unusual in the normally self-possessed woman that Penny drew up short.
“What happened?” she asked though part of her kept screaming that she had no interest in what was happening to someone else when she had her own crisis to deal with. But Irene was the shop purchaser and a good woman. Perhaps even a friend. And she was obviously distressed.
Irene pulled herself together. She spoke haltingly at first but with growing strength. “There was…I have…Lately I have thought I was being watched. I hear about a new attack every day. London has become very dangerous, and I felt it today. Then there was this man who was whistling, but it wasn’t him. It was this boy, and your man chased him for me. I waited but they haven’t come back. I’m not sure what to do. Do I go look? I thought if we could go together…” She bit her lip. “I don’t like being so afraid, but it has been happening for a while. It’s…unnerving.”
By this
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