her sisters what she’d learned.
When they reached the shop, she practically leapt from the curricle.
She turned to run into the shop when she remembered the boy. Good grief! How could she forget him ?
She turned back. “Well, what are you waiting for? Come along, Fenwick.”
He eyed the shop warily, but he started to climb down.
“No, you don’t,” Longmore said.
The boy paused, looking from her to him.
“You’ll come along with me,” Longmore said. “I’ll see that you get fed and find a berth. There’s a fine pie shop over—”
“Absolutely not,” Sophy said. “I was the one who made the promise.”
“She did, yer highness,” Fenwick said.
“Would you trust her before you’d trust me?” Longmore said. “You know what that is?” He nodded toward Maison Noirot. “A dressmaker’s shop. All women .”
“Maybe I better stay with him, miss,” said Fenwick. “He’s bigger than you.”
“No, you won’t,” she said. “I found you first.” She strode toward the curricle. The boy drew back to the far corner of the seat.
“No offense, miss, but he saved me from being drug to the workhouse,” said Fenwick. “Not to mention he could squash me like a bug if he took it into his head.”
“ I saved your life by pulling you out of that fight before one of them accidentally stepped on you,” Sophy said. “And if his lordship was meaning to squash you, he would have done it right after you tried to rob him. Now come along, and stop being ridiculous.”
She reached up to grab Fenwick’s arm. He shrank back.
“I don’t have time for this nonsense,” Longmore said. “Good day, Miss Noirot.”
Then she had to back away because he signaled the horses and they started eagerly.
He drove away. Hands clenched, she watched him go.
L ongmore knew it wasn’t a good idea to leave her fuming on the pavement. It was a far worse idea, though, to let her harbor young felons. Who knew who the boy’s confederates were? Who knew how hardened in crime he was? Hardened or not, he could be intimidated by more calloused individuals, and unlock the shop’s back door to a gang of thieves and cutthroats.
After a moment, Fenwick spoke. “I thought her name was Gladys.”
“She has a hundred names, as suits her convenience,” Longmore said. “Don’t try to keep track of them. You’ll only hurt your head.”
He heard a high-pitched cry.
He looked in that direction. Sophy/Gladys was trotting alongside the vehicle. “You give that boy back!” she cried.
“Go home!” he shouted.
She let out an unearthly shriek. Then she swayed and sank into a heap on the pavement.
Instantly, people hurried to the spot.
Longmore stopped the carriage, threw the reins to Fenwick, and thrust through the rapidly gathering crowd. “Get out of the way, confound you! Are you trying to trample her?”
He scooped her up. She lay completely limp in his arms.
He told himself not to panic. Women always fainted. They were used to it. It hardly ever killed them.
Yet he knew she worked long hours, and she’d been in a fight only a short time ago—a fight that had left him winded. She’d thrown herself into the fray and she’d done splendidly, demonstrating unusually quick thinking, especially for a female.
His conscience smote him. As smitings go, it wasn’t much, his conscience being in poor fighting condition.
“Damn me, damn me, damn me,” he muttered.
He carried her down St. James’s Street, a small parade following, and turned into Bennet Street. At that point he looked over his shoulder at the gawkers. “Be off,” he said.
The parade melted away.
He carried her into the narrow court and kicked the private door.
O ne minute.
All Sophy had needed was one more minute, and she would have been able to get Fenwick away. As soon as she shrieked, people got interested. The onlookers would have taken her side because she’d play the helpless mother whose child had been torn from her. And she could make
When they reached the shop, she practically leapt from the curricle.
She turned to run into the shop when she remembered the boy. Good grief! How could she forget him ?
She turned back. “Well, what are you waiting for? Come along, Fenwick.”
He eyed the shop warily, but he started to climb down.
“No, you don’t,” Longmore said.
The boy paused, looking from her to him.
“You’ll come along with me,” Longmore said. “I’ll see that you get fed and find a berth. There’s a fine pie shop over—”
“Absolutely not,” Sophy said. “I was the one who made the promise.”
“She did, yer highness,” Fenwick said.
“Would you trust her before you’d trust me?” Longmore said. “You know what that is?” He nodded toward Maison Noirot. “A dressmaker’s shop. All women .”
“Maybe I better stay with him, miss,” said Fenwick. “He’s bigger than you.”
“No, you won’t,” she said. “I found you first.” She strode toward the curricle. The boy drew back to the far corner of the seat.
“No offense, miss, but he saved me from being drug to the workhouse,” said Fenwick. “Not to mention he could squash me like a bug if he took it into his head.”
“ I saved your life by pulling you out of that fight before one of them accidentally stepped on you,” Sophy said. “And if his lordship was meaning to squash you, he would have done it right after you tried to rob him. Now come along, and stop being ridiculous.”
She reached up to grab Fenwick’s arm. He shrank back.
“I don’t have time for this nonsense,” Longmore said. “Good day, Miss Noirot.”
Then she had to back away because he signaled the horses and they started eagerly.
He drove away. Hands clenched, she watched him go.
L ongmore knew it wasn’t a good idea to leave her fuming on the pavement. It was a far worse idea, though, to let her harbor young felons. Who knew who the boy’s confederates were? Who knew how hardened in crime he was? Hardened or not, he could be intimidated by more calloused individuals, and unlock the shop’s back door to a gang of thieves and cutthroats.
After a moment, Fenwick spoke. “I thought her name was Gladys.”
“She has a hundred names, as suits her convenience,” Longmore said. “Don’t try to keep track of them. You’ll only hurt your head.”
He heard a high-pitched cry.
He looked in that direction. Sophy/Gladys was trotting alongside the vehicle. “You give that boy back!” she cried.
“Go home!” he shouted.
She let out an unearthly shriek. Then she swayed and sank into a heap on the pavement.
Instantly, people hurried to the spot.
Longmore stopped the carriage, threw the reins to Fenwick, and thrust through the rapidly gathering crowd. “Get out of the way, confound you! Are you trying to trample her?”
He scooped her up. She lay completely limp in his arms.
He told himself not to panic. Women always fainted. They were used to it. It hardly ever killed them.
Yet he knew she worked long hours, and she’d been in a fight only a short time ago—a fight that had left him winded. She’d thrown herself into the fray and she’d done splendidly, demonstrating unusually quick thinking, especially for a female.
His conscience smote him. As smitings go, it wasn’t much, his conscience being in poor fighting condition.
“Damn me, damn me, damn me,” he muttered.
He carried her down St. James’s Street, a small parade following, and turned into Bennet Street. At that point he looked over his shoulder at the gawkers. “Be off,” he said.
The parade melted away.
He carried her into the narrow court and kicked the private door.
O ne minute.
All Sophy had needed was one more minute, and she would have been able to get Fenwick away. As soon as she shrieked, people got interested. The onlookers would have taken her side because she’d play the helpless mother whose child had been torn from her. And she could make