the door. All the servants were dismissed from her service for she could ill afford them. Vicky rushed to the door when she finally realized there was no one else. When she reached the door she stiffened her spine and shoulders. Then she patted her hair and straightened her gown with her hands before reaching for the door.
“Yes, may I help you? I am afraid that the servants have all gone. I was just at my parents funeral.” Vicky wiped a tear away and averted her head to hide her swollen eyes and face. Her golden hair had slipped a few pins and a few silken stray strands covered her nape and around her too huge violet eyes. Her trim black bombazine dress made her look altogether too thin but accentuated her tiny waist and ample breasts.
The man looked uncomfortable and very small in his tailored suit. He swallowed hard and said, “I am, Mr. Rapene from The New Bank of London. I have come to impound this house and all the belongings held within as partial payment for your father’s debts.” He shuffled his feet and looked around the entrance to the house never meeting her eyes. Finally, flushing a scarlet color and hanging his head in shame, he cleared his throat and nodded to the young beautiful lady before him.
“Oh, my goodness. Everything? I can’t believe that includes my personal affects.”
“Yes, Miss Grace. It does. I will however, give you time to pack you clothes and leave. That is all I can do and I am not supposed to do that.”
“You can’t be serious, Mr. Rapene? It is three days before Christmas and I am to be on the street?” Tears started down Vicky’s cheeks in rivulets.
“I am sorry Miss Grace but please leave before I must take you into the courts for your father’s debts. I don’t want to do that but I must if you stay.”
“Goodness, I will pack immediately and leave.” Vicky rubbed at her eyes with the base of her hands and blew into a bedraggled handkerchief. Her hands shook with fright.
Vicky ran up the stairs and threw everything she could into her trunk and valise. She grabbed her mother’s pearls and put them into her pocket. She would not part with them and the locket with her parent’s painted likeness was hers alone to keep. She stuffed that into her pocket along with her grandmother’s ruby ring. They would have to kill her to take those few trinkets away. She had to find a way to survive and she would not be coming back. Her trunk was heavy but she hauled it into the entrance of the house. She had one pound and three sixpences to her name and she hid that too. She would have something to eat tonight.
Mr. Rapene shuffled his feet again and looked at the floor.
“I can take you to a hotel or relative’s home if you would like Miss Grace?” Vicky looked at the heavy trunk and decided that it would be best to have him load it for her and take her somewhere.
“Yes, that would be very kind of you, Mister Rapene. I will go to the George’s Hound. It is a decent place, is it not?”
“I believe it is adequate, Miss Grace.” He grabbed her trunk and valise and took it to his carriage then turned and locked the door to her house and took her keys.
Vicky let out a sob when the key turned and waited for him to help her into the carriage. He took her hand and helped her into his carriage for the ride to the hotel.
Vicky was glad that she had help with the large trunk. She settled into her room but realized she could only stay the night. Her money was almost gone. Her crying was heard all down the hall of the hotel.
Creighton Brewster, the sixth Earl of Brawley was meandering down the hall with a healthy barmaid on his arm when he heard the heartbreaking sobs. He took the girl’s arm off his sleeve and raised an exquisite black eyebrow at the barmaid. He knew she knew all
“Yes, may I help you? I am afraid that the servants have all gone. I was just at my parents funeral.” Vicky wiped a tear away and averted her head to hide her swollen eyes and face. Her golden hair had slipped a few pins and a few silken stray strands covered her nape and around her too huge violet eyes. Her trim black bombazine dress made her look altogether too thin but accentuated her tiny waist and ample breasts.
The man looked uncomfortable and very small in his tailored suit. He swallowed hard and said, “I am, Mr. Rapene from The New Bank of London. I have come to impound this house and all the belongings held within as partial payment for your father’s debts.” He shuffled his feet and looked around the entrance to the house never meeting her eyes. Finally, flushing a scarlet color and hanging his head in shame, he cleared his throat and nodded to the young beautiful lady before him.
“Oh, my goodness. Everything? I can’t believe that includes my personal affects.”
“Yes, Miss Grace. It does. I will however, give you time to pack you clothes and leave. That is all I can do and I am not supposed to do that.”
“You can’t be serious, Mr. Rapene? It is three days before Christmas and I am to be on the street?” Tears started down Vicky’s cheeks in rivulets.
“I am sorry Miss Grace but please leave before I must take you into the courts for your father’s debts. I don’t want to do that but I must if you stay.”
“Goodness, I will pack immediately and leave.” Vicky rubbed at her eyes with the base of her hands and blew into a bedraggled handkerchief. Her hands shook with fright.
Vicky ran up the stairs and threw everything she could into her trunk and valise. She grabbed her mother’s pearls and put them into her pocket. She would not part with them and the locket with her parent’s painted likeness was hers alone to keep. She stuffed that into her pocket along with her grandmother’s ruby ring. They would have to kill her to take those few trinkets away. She had to find a way to survive and she would not be coming back. Her trunk was heavy but she hauled it into the entrance of the house. She had one pound and three sixpences to her name and she hid that too. She would have something to eat tonight.
Mr. Rapene shuffled his feet again and looked at the floor.
“I can take you to a hotel or relative’s home if you would like Miss Grace?” Vicky looked at the heavy trunk and decided that it would be best to have him load it for her and take her somewhere.
“Yes, that would be very kind of you, Mister Rapene. I will go to the George’s Hound. It is a decent place, is it not?”
“I believe it is adequate, Miss Grace.” He grabbed her trunk and valise and took it to his carriage then turned and locked the door to her house and took her keys.
Vicky let out a sob when the key turned and waited for him to help her into the carriage. He took her hand and helped her into his carriage for the ride to the hotel.
Vicky was glad that she had help with the large trunk. She settled into her room but realized she could only stay the night. Her money was almost gone. Her crying was heard all down the hall of the hotel.
Creighton Brewster, the sixth Earl of Brawley was meandering down the hall with a healthy barmaid on his arm when he heard the heartbreaking sobs. He took the girl’s arm off his sleeve and raised an exquisite black eyebrow at the barmaid. He knew she knew all
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