cried. “I never authorized such a sale.”
“He had all the correct documents. Both myself and the constable checked them.”
Addicock shifted behind his desk. Now that he was into his performance, he seemed to be moving more securely. His acting skills improved and Penny could almost believe he was outraged on her behalf. “Well, false documents can be hard to spot unless one is well trained. Bloody hell!” he cursed, then immediately looked up with a perfectly done rueful look. “Pardon me, miss. I am certain that everything can be sorted out right and tight and that villain Cordwain tossed in jail.”
Samuel nodded. “And what, may I inquire, can you do against a man like Cordwain?”
“Oh, many things, many things! Documents to file. Notices to be served. That sort of thing. All legal things, you understand. Never you fear, Miss Shoemaker. I’ll sort things out right away.”
She had to force herself to nod. She recognized a man who was lying through his teeth. Especially since he wasn’t doing anything with the papers on his desk but rearranging them. And surprise of surprises, one glance at Ned’s troubled face told her that he suspected something amiss as well.
“How?” she pressed, knowing that details were the best way to catch a liar. “How exactly, Mr. Addicock? And don’t say legal things. I need to know. That was my home!”
“Of course, of course,” Mr. Addicock soothed. “Of course you are upset. Ned, get the lady some water.”
Ned leaped up to do just that, but Penny kept her eyes trained on the solicitor. She wanted him to know she would not be distracted by a glass of water.
In the end, he sighed. “You see, Miss Shoemaker, the thing is that Mr. Cordwain may be our villain. Or he may have been duped by a canny thief who pretended to be me. It’s all very havy cavy, but I assure you, I shall sort it out.”
Samuel leaned forward. “And while you are sorting things out, you will need to provide funds for your charge to survive. Without their home, Tommy and Miss Shoemaker are on the streets.”
“Wot?” gaped Addicock.
“As Tommy’s legal guardian, you must provide for his well-being. I assure you, sleeping on the streets is not being well.”
“But there was no money in the estate. Only the shop and the like. And Cordwain stole that.” He turned to Penny. “Haven’t you a place to stay? A, um, gentleman’s home?” he asked as he glanced significantly at Samuel. “Just until things get sorted out.”
Penny stiffened. “What kind of woman do you take me for?”
Addicock gave her a sad look, as if he were a disappointed father. “My dear, I know all the details from your father. Perhaps you could stay with Tommy’s father?”
“Bloody hell,” she cursed as she pushed to her feet, but Samuel grabbed her hand to hold her still. And when he spoke, it was with freezing accents.
“Mr. Shoemaker was Tommy’s father.”
“Yes, yes, we all know he claimed that. Adopted his wife’s sister’s son, and no husband to be found. But…” His eyes slid to Penny. “The boy’s true parentage—”
“Is my aunt and her husband,” Penny snapped.
Addicock didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to, especially as Ned had returned and pressed a glass of water into her hand. Penny glanced up to thank him, only to have the words die in her throat. Even the boy had changed how he looked at her. No more worship or sweet blushes. His gaze had turned almost dirty somehow because he assumed she was a tart.
It was all she could do not to throw the water back in his face. She sure as hell wasn’t going to drink it. So she set it back down—forcefully—on the desk. Then she pushed to her feet.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, Mr. Addicock,” she said in freezing accents.
Samuel was on his feet as well, pushing forward to cut off her words. “You’re going to give her a hundred pounds to get through the month—”
“A hundred pounds! The devil—”
“And then
“He had all the correct documents. Both myself and the constable checked them.”
Addicock shifted behind his desk. Now that he was into his performance, he seemed to be moving more securely. His acting skills improved and Penny could almost believe he was outraged on her behalf. “Well, false documents can be hard to spot unless one is well trained. Bloody hell!” he cursed, then immediately looked up with a perfectly done rueful look. “Pardon me, miss. I am certain that everything can be sorted out right and tight and that villain Cordwain tossed in jail.”
Samuel nodded. “And what, may I inquire, can you do against a man like Cordwain?”
“Oh, many things, many things! Documents to file. Notices to be served. That sort of thing. All legal things, you understand. Never you fear, Miss Shoemaker. I’ll sort things out right away.”
She had to force herself to nod. She recognized a man who was lying through his teeth. Especially since he wasn’t doing anything with the papers on his desk but rearranging them. And surprise of surprises, one glance at Ned’s troubled face told her that he suspected something amiss as well.
“How?” she pressed, knowing that details were the best way to catch a liar. “How exactly, Mr. Addicock? And don’t say legal things. I need to know. That was my home!”
“Of course, of course,” Mr. Addicock soothed. “Of course you are upset. Ned, get the lady some water.”
Ned leaped up to do just that, but Penny kept her eyes trained on the solicitor. She wanted him to know she would not be distracted by a glass of water.
In the end, he sighed. “You see, Miss Shoemaker, the thing is that Mr. Cordwain may be our villain. Or he may have been duped by a canny thief who pretended to be me. It’s all very havy cavy, but I assure you, I shall sort it out.”
Samuel leaned forward. “And while you are sorting things out, you will need to provide funds for your charge to survive. Without their home, Tommy and Miss Shoemaker are on the streets.”
“Wot?” gaped Addicock.
“As Tommy’s legal guardian, you must provide for his well-being. I assure you, sleeping on the streets is not being well.”
“But there was no money in the estate. Only the shop and the like. And Cordwain stole that.” He turned to Penny. “Haven’t you a place to stay? A, um, gentleman’s home?” he asked as he glanced significantly at Samuel. “Just until things get sorted out.”
Penny stiffened. “What kind of woman do you take me for?”
Addicock gave her a sad look, as if he were a disappointed father. “My dear, I know all the details from your father. Perhaps you could stay with Tommy’s father?”
“Bloody hell,” she cursed as she pushed to her feet, but Samuel grabbed her hand to hold her still. And when he spoke, it was with freezing accents.
“Mr. Shoemaker was Tommy’s father.”
“Yes, yes, we all know he claimed that. Adopted his wife’s sister’s son, and no husband to be found. But…” His eyes slid to Penny. “The boy’s true parentage—”
“Is my aunt and her husband,” Penny snapped.
Addicock didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to, especially as Ned had returned and pressed a glass of water into her hand. Penny glanced up to thank him, only to have the words die in her throat. Even the boy had changed how he looked at her. No more worship or sweet blushes. His gaze had turned almost dirty somehow because he assumed she was a tart.
It was all she could do not to throw the water back in his face. She sure as hell wasn’t going to drink it. So she set it back down—forcefully—on the desk. Then she pushed to her feet.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, Mr. Addicock,” she said in freezing accents.
Samuel was on his feet as well, pushing forward to cut off her words. “You’re going to give her a hundred pounds to get through the month—”
“A hundred pounds! The devil—”
“And then
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