tattered
woolen scarf away from the bodice of her faded gown. The front of the dress did not quite cover her
painted nipples.
"Care to sample the wares, m1ord? I'm a bit younger than those old relics in Sibson's shop. And a good
bit livelier too, I'll wager."
She was young, though not as young as some. They aged quickly on the streets, Leo thought. "No, thank
you." He took a few coins out of his pocket and dropped them into her hand as he made to walk past
her doorway. "Go get yourself something to eat."
She glanced at the coins, briefly baffled. Then her fingers closed convulsively around the money. She
searched his face. "Are ye certain ye won't have a quick toss? No need to use the doorway. I've got me
own room upstairs."
"I'm rather pressed for time at the moment."
"Pity." She. gave him a hopeful look. "Maybe another day?"
"I don't believe that will be possible," he said gently.
"Oh." She sighed with disappointment but she did not look surprised. "Expect yer accustomed to the
fancier sort, eh?"
"As I said, I'm in a hurry. Good day to you, madam." Leo started to move past her.
His politeness made her giggle. The youthful laughter reminded him of how young she was. "Such a
gentleman ye are, sir. Not like the other gentry coves what came to Cunning Lane to visit Sibson's shop.
Most of 'em look at me as if I was a pile o' rubbish in the doorway, they do."
Leo stopped. He turned slowly back to look at her. "Do you work in this doorway every day?"
"Every day for the past three years." She brightened. "But I won't be here forever. I'm savin' me money.
Tom over there at the Drunken Cat wants to retire. He says he'll sell me his tavern business if I can come
up with the blunt."
Leo glanced down the street and saw the establishment. The sign over the door was painted with a blue
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
cat. Then he looked back at the antiquities shop. "You must see everyone who comes and goes from
Sibson's place of business."
"That I do." She wrinkled her nose. "But most of 'em pretend they don't see me. They take their trade to
expensive little ballet dancers and houses where the girls get to work inside all the time and never have to
stand in doorways." "What is your name?"
"Clarinda, m'lord."
"You are obviously a woman who understands the ways of business, Clarinda."
She smiled proudly. "Old Tom's been teachin' me about shopkeeping in exchange for me services. I'm
learnin' everything I need to know to operate the Drunken Cat. Tom says I have a talent for handling
money and customers."
"I'm in the market for information. If you wish to sell it, I will pay well."
She tipped her head to one side. "What sort of information?"
"Most of the patrons of Sibson's shop are regulars, are they not?"
"Aye. For the most part." She squinted at him. "I never noticed you before."
"I haven't paid a visit to Sibson's in a long while. I don't think you were here the last time I stopped by to
see his wares."
She shrugged. "Mayhap I was upstairs with a customer."
"Perhaps." Leo took more coins out of his pocket. He had stirred Sibson's pot. It would be interesting to
know if anything bubbled to the surface. "Has Sibson acquired any new customers recently?"
"Just the regulars. With the exception of yerself, sir." "I would like you to keep an eye on his shop. Make
a note of any unusual activity you see. Also, I would very much appreciate it if you would pay special
attention to any new customers who visit him. Or any of his regulars who appear to stop by more often
than they customarily do, for that matter."
A flicker of something that could have been hunger or hope lit her eyes. "Ye've got a bargain, m'lord."
"Make certain that no one observes you watching the place."
"Not bloody likely that any of the fancy would take a second look at me, sir." Her mouth curved bitterly.
"Yer the only one who's noticed me in months."
"I'll come by for a report in
woolen scarf away from the bodice of her faded gown. The front of the dress did not quite cover her
painted nipples.
"Care to sample the wares, m1ord? I'm a bit younger than those old relics in Sibson's shop. And a good
bit livelier too, I'll wager."
She was young, though not as young as some. They aged quickly on the streets, Leo thought. "No, thank
you." He took a few coins out of his pocket and dropped them into her hand as he made to walk past
her doorway. "Go get yourself something to eat."
She glanced at the coins, briefly baffled. Then her fingers closed convulsively around the money. She
searched his face. "Are ye certain ye won't have a quick toss? No need to use the doorway. I've got me
own room upstairs."
"I'm rather pressed for time at the moment."
"Pity." She. gave him a hopeful look. "Maybe another day?"
"I don't believe that will be possible," he said gently.
"Oh." She sighed with disappointment but she did not look surprised. "Expect yer accustomed to the
fancier sort, eh?"
"As I said, I'm in a hurry. Good day to you, madam." Leo started to move past her.
His politeness made her giggle. The youthful laughter reminded him of how young she was. "Such a
gentleman ye are, sir. Not like the other gentry coves what came to Cunning Lane to visit Sibson's shop.
Most of 'em look at me as if I was a pile o' rubbish in the doorway, they do."
Leo stopped. He turned slowly back to look at her. "Do you work in this doorway every day?"
"Every day for the past three years." She brightened. "But I won't be here forever. I'm savin' me money.
Tom over there at the Drunken Cat wants to retire. He says he'll sell me his tavern business if I can come
up with the blunt."
Leo glanced down the street and saw the establishment. The sign over the door was painted with a blue
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
cat. Then he looked back at the antiquities shop. "You must see everyone who comes and goes from
Sibson's place of business."
"That I do." She wrinkled her nose. "But most of 'em pretend they don't see me. They take their trade to
expensive little ballet dancers and houses where the girls get to work inside all the time and never have to
stand in doorways." "What is your name?"
"Clarinda, m'lord."
"You are obviously a woman who understands the ways of business, Clarinda."
She smiled proudly. "Old Tom's been teachin' me about shopkeeping in exchange for me services. I'm
learnin' everything I need to know to operate the Drunken Cat. Tom says I have a talent for handling
money and customers."
"I'm in the market for information. If you wish to sell it, I will pay well."
She tipped her head to one side. "What sort of information?"
"Most of the patrons of Sibson's shop are regulars, are they not?"
"Aye. For the most part." She squinted at him. "I never noticed you before."
"I haven't paid a visit to Sibson's in a long while. I don't think you were here the last time I stopped by to
see his wares."
She shrugged. "Mayhap I was upstairs with a customer."
"Perhaps." Leo took more coins out of his pocket. He had stirred Sibson's pot. It would be interesting to
know if anything bubbled to the surface. "Has Sibson acquired any new customers recently?"
"Just the regulars. With the exception of yerself, sir." "I would like you to keep an eye on his shop. Make
a note of any unusual activity you see. Also, I would very much appreciate it if you would pay special
attention to any new customers who visit him. Or any of his regulars who appear to stop by more often
than they customarily do, for that matter."
A flicker of something that could have been hunger or hope lit her eyes. "Ye've got a bargain, m'lord."
"Make certain that no one observes you watching the place."
"Not bloody likely that any of the fancy would take a second look at me, sir." Her mouth curved bitterly.
"Yer the only one who's noticed me in months."
"I'll come by for a report in
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