touching you. Sounds dirty? Believe me, it is.”
Pointing at Robinson’s face and then sweeping a forefinger over to where Georgia lingered, Matthew tossed out, “Now, whatever the hell this is that is going on between the two of you, I don’t want to know. But despite my letting the two of you play, don’t think that you can dirk this girl’s heart, Mr. Crusoe. Because if you do, I’ll not only gouge out both of your eyes with my own thumbs, but I’ll hand you over to the boys for a very long night that will only end when the last drop of your blood streams its way into the gutter. Do you understand?”
Robinson held up both hands. “Blind. Blood. Dead. I understand. There won’t be any dirking of her heart. I wasn’t planning on it.”
Matthew smirked. “He’s a smart one, this one.”
Georgia crossed her arms. “Certainly smarter than you.”
Matthew grudgingly angled back toward Robinson. “Seeing Georgia is getting a full six for putting a roof over your head, I’m asking for an even six myself that will assure you live. Anything less than six would be insulting considering what I’m offering.”
Robinson reached into the inner pocket of his coat. “After I give Georgia her due six, I’ll give you half of everything I have left. Will that do?”
Georgia gasped and grabbed hold of Robinson’s coat from behind, frantically jerking on it. “Don’t you be up and givin’ him half! You haven’t even counted it!”
Robinson glanced back at her from over his broad shoulder and said in an unusually cool tone, “It’s only money, Georgia. Now let go of my coat.”
She released him and huffed out a breath. “Robinson — ”
“Enough.” He glared at her and pulled out the leather satchel. “I’m not as mindless as I appear.”
Saint Peter save them all. She anxiously rounded him and grabbed hold of Matthew’s forearm, shaking it. “Matthew. You shouldn’t take half. ’Tis all he has and I’ve no idea when his family will come.”
Matthew held up a hand. “He’s the one offering.”
“Yes, I know, but he’s not in his right mind.” She shook her head and glared at Robinson. “Don’t give him a penny over six. He’s a thief who deserves to be hanged, not coddled.”
Robinson ignored her, loosening the string on the leather satchel. He turned toward the table and dumped its contents. A brass fob clattered onto the whitened wood, along with a leather pocketbook. He shook the satchel again, forcing out a folded wad of large paper notes that fluttered out, landing primly atop the pocketbook.
Seeing all that money on her table was like seeing a mythical creature in the flesh.
Matthew let out a low whistle and veered toward the table.
Robinson spread out all the money with a single sweep of his large hand, pushing aside the fob and the empty pocketbook toward the satchel he’d tossed onto the table.
Leaning against the table, Matthew angled himself toward the pile. “Is this all you have?”
Georgia reached out and punched his arm. “ What? This isn’t enough?”
Robinson lifted the fob and dangled it, letting it sway from side to side on its chain. “’Tis all I have. Not that I can even remember how any of this came to be in my pocket.” Using his other hand, he draped it over his palm, letting the chain unravel over his hand and sway. He fingered the glass front of the watch.
Matthew leaned in with an ear to it. “Do you have a key to wind it?”
“No.” Robinson’s brows came together as he separated the glass and the watch itself from the gold casing. He brought it closer. “’Tis numbered 365 and reads… Thomas Hawkins, London .” He glanced up. “London. That must be where I’m from.”
Matthew jabbed him. “You think?” Leaning in to better scrutinize the watch, Matthew paused and then reached out, digging the tip of his nail into the metal. He glanced up at Robinson, eyes widening. “Shite. This here isn’t painted brass. ’Tis gold. Who the blazes are you? A wealthy
Pointing at Robinson’s face and then sweeping a forefinger over to where Georgia lingered, Matthew tossed out, “Now, whatever the hell this is that is going on between the two of you, I don’t want to know. But despite my letting the two of you play, don’t think that you can dirk this girl’s heart, Mr. Crusoe. Because if you do, I’ll not only gouge out both of your eyes with my own thumbs, but I’ll hand you over to the boys for a very long night that will only end when the last drop of your blood streams its way into the gutter. Do you understand?”
Robinson held up both hands. “Blind. Blood. Dead. I understand. There won’t be any dirking of her heart. I wasn’t planning on it.”
Matthew smirked. “He’s a smart one, this one.”
Georgia crossed her arms. “Certainly smarter than you.”
Matthew grudgingly angled back toward Robinson. “Seeing Georgia is getting a full six for putting a roof over your head, I’m asking for an even six myself that will assure you live. Anything less than six would be insulting considering what I’m offering.”
Robinson reached into the inner pocket of his coat. “After I give Georgia her due six, I’ll give you half of everything I have left. Will that do?”
Georgia gasped and grabbed hold of Robinson’s coat from behind, frantically jerking on it. “Don’t you be up and givin’ him half! You haven’t even counted it!”
Robinson glanced back at her from over his broad shoulder and said in an unusually cool tone, “It’s only money, Georgia. Now let go of my coat.”
She released him and huffed out a breath. “Robinson — ”
“Enough.” He glared at her and pulled out the leather satchel. “I’m not as mindless as I appear.”
Saint Peter save them all. She anxiously rounded him and grabbed hold of Matthew’s forearm, shaking it. “Matthew. You shouldn’t take half. ’Tis all he has and I’ve no idea when his family will come.”
Matthew held up a hand. “He’s the one offering.”
“Yes, I know, but he’s not in his right mind.” She shook her head and glared at Robinson. “Don’t give him a penny over six. He’s a thief who deserves to be hanged, not coddled.”
Robinson ignored her, loosening the string on the leather satchel. He turned toward the table and dumped its contents. A brass fob clattered onto the whitened wood, along with a leather pocketbook. He shook the satchel again, forcing out a folded wad of large paper notes that fluttered out, landing primly atop the pocketbook.
Seeing all that money on her table was like seeing a mythical creature in the flesh.
Matthew let out a low whistle and veered toward the table.
Robinson spread out all the money with a single sweep of his large hand, pushing aside the fob and the empty pocketbook toward the satchel he’d tossed onto the table.
Leaning against the table, Matthew angled himself toward the pile. “Is this all you have?”
Georgia reached out and punched his arm. “ What? This isn’t enough?”
Robinson lifted the fob and dangled it, letting it sway from side to side on its chain. “’Tis all I have. Not that I can even remember how any of this came to be in my pocket.” Using his other hand, he draped it over his palm, letting the chain unravel over his hand and sway. He fingered the glass front of the watch.
Matthew leaned in with an ear to it. “Do you have a key to wind it?”
“No.” Robinson’s brows came together as he separated the glass and the watch itself from the gold casing. He brought it closer. “’Tis numbered 365 and reads… Thomas Hawkins, London .” He glanced up. “London. That must be where I’m from.”
Matthew jabbed him. “You think?” Leaning in to better scrutinize the watch, Matthew paused and then reached out, digging the tip of his nail into the metal. He glanced up at Robinson, eyes widening. “Shite. This here isn’t painted brass. ’Tis gold. Who the blazes are you? A wealthy
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