Page 34 of The King and Vi


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“I told King we’d gather coal this morning, maybe some straw too.”

“Don’t steal anything, no thimblerig, and be back by noon.” He made a face at her, but she ignored his disappointment. “I thought I’d ask Mrs. Littman if we can borrow an extra table and chairs. I’ll need your help to carry them over.”

“I wanted to visit Mrs. Archie and see if Mr. Archie is improved.”

She’d wanted to do that as well. “We’ll go together after we move the table and chairs. It will have to be a short visit, as we must open tonight, even if our patrons sit on the floor.” She would take Georgie this morning and buy spirits and what furniture she could afford with the money she had from King. Peggy could finish mopping behind the bar, and with any luck, people would hear about the new publican at the Silver Unicornand stop in. She’d make enough tonight and tomorrow to pay Ferryman his taxes.

If not…well, she wouldn’t think of that.

“I’ll see you at noon, Vi,” Joshua said, ducking out of sight.

“Be careful! And, er, Joshua?”

His head appeared from behind a sheet again.

“I love you.”

His face brightened at the unexpected words. “I love you too, Vi.”

She listened as he opened the door and took the stairs to the back room. She heard him speaking softly to King, and King’s deep voice in reply. It sounded as though the marquess was none too happy at having been woken at such an early hour. For some reason, thinking of him grumpy made her smile.

She lay in bed a little longer, listening as Joshua cajoled the marquess up and out of bed. Strange and oddly comforting to hear his deep baritone voice drifting upstairs. It had been years since she’d lived with a man—since her father died—but she hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be taken care of, to know that if there were a crisis, she would not have to face it alone. King’s deep voice reminded her of that time.

She pushed out of bed and pushed the memories away too. No point in dwelling on the past. She had too much to do in the present. She washed and donned her second-best dress—of two—then pinned her hair up and out of her face and pulled a cap over it. Taking her apron from its hook, she tied that on and tiptoed downstairs, leaving Georgie sleeping.

The back room was in disarray with King’s fine clothing strewn about, water on the floor, and her basin tipped over. She straightened everything then opened the back door and found two full pails of water waiting for her. Violet smiled. Joshua must have shown their guest where the well was and brought the pails back.

She carried one upstairs and set it inside the flat, then took the other to begin mopping behind the bar. By the time Peggy showed up with another pail of water, Violet had made good progress. The two finished cleaning then moved the still-intact tables and chairs back into place. She’d had eight tables, and five were too badly damaged to use. She and Peggy moved those to the back room, as well as the chairs that were broken. Violet then sought out a carpenter, persuaded him to come back to the tavern, and asked him to repair what he could and chop the rest into kindling.

She also hired him to make her a new table and set of chairs, though she didn’t yet know how she would pay for it.

She went out again and used the last of her coin to buy several bottles of gin, one of brandy, one of sherry, and one of whiskey. These were sold by a member of Ferryman’s gang, which Violet found unforgiveable. Not only did she have to pay Ferryman taxes, she lined his pocket by being forced to buy spirits from his men.

When she returned to the tavern, she and Peggy set up the bar, rolling out casks of wine and ale and placing the spirits safely away from reaching hands of patrons.

Peggy went out to draw more water from the well so they could have water for tea and coffee, and Violet went back to check on the carpenter. He’d chopped up a couple of chairs, repaired others as well as a table, and told her he would come back the next day with the tools and materials he needed to repair the other furnishings, in so much as it was possible. He’d done all he could with what he had.

He left, and Violet muttered, “That’s why I didn’t pay you in advance.”

She could hear Georgie’s footsteps in the flat. He was awake and probably playing. She’d go up and see him after she carried the repaired chairs into the tavern. She lifted the first and hauledit through the door. She set it down to survey the area and determine where to place it, then let out a squeal of fright.

An old woman with long white hair, almost to her knees, stood in the center of the tavern. She was thin and bony, dressed in clothing that might have once been colorful but had now been washed so much it was devoid of color. Her dress swept the floor, the tattered hem floating when she turned to look at Violet.

Violet glanced at the tavern door. She’d barred it when Peggy left, and she’d been in the back room. The bar was still on the door, and no one had come in through the back. “How did you get in here?”

The woman’s green eyes crinkled as she smiled, showing a full set of teeth inside her thin, cracked lips. “Are ye the owner of this establishment?” she asked, her accent heavily Scottish.

“I am. I’m Violet Baker. Who are you?”

“Miss Baker,” the woman said, moving closer to Violet. She had the urge to shrink away but gripped the back of the chair. This woman was no threat to her. Violet could knock her over with a puff of breath. “I am a friend of Lord Kingston.”

Violet’s eyes widened.

“Ye have been kind tae him.”

Violet wouldn’t have put it that way. “He owes me money.”

“I believe it,” the old woman said. Violet wondered how old she was—seventy? Eighty? Older? “The lad has heavy debts, and ye’re nae the only one he owes.”