“I can’t say I’m surprised. I suppose you’ve come to collect what he owes you?” Violet didn’t wait for a reply. “Unfortunately, his luck has taken a turn for the worse, and he is without funds right now. He’s working to pay what he owes me.”
“Oh, I imagine the lad’s luck has turned. That’s why I’m here.”
Violet frowned, her gaze flicking to the barred door again. How had this woman gained entrance? “You’ve come to help him?”
“Mayhap. Would ye be so kind as tae give him this for me?” The woman held out a bony hand with what looked like an ancient scrap of paper between two gnarled fingers. Violet did not want to move closer to the old woman, but she swallowed and stepped forward, taking the paper. It was dry and felt almost brittle. Hastily, she tucked it in her apron pocket.
“I’ll give it to him. Is there anything else I can do for you? Would you like a drink?”
“Oh, nae. That’s verra kind of ye, lass. I’ll come back another time when Kingston is here. He owes me a whiskey.” The old woman started for the door, and Violet hurried ahead of her, pushing the heavy bar back and opening the door. The day was foggy and gray, but warmer than the spring had been of late.
“Good day, then, er—” Violet realized she still hadn’t been given the woman’s name. “I’m so sorry. What was your name again?”
But the woman only waved distractedly and stepped into the fog, soon disappearing into the gray shroud.
Violet blew out a shaky breath. “That was odd.”
“What was odd?” came a small voice behind her. She turned to see Georgie, dressed and looking at her expectantly.
“And good morning to you,” she said, ruffling his hair. “I imagine you are hungry.”
“Starving, Vi.”
She patted her pockets and realized she had nothing left to purchase anything to eat. She’d figure something out. “We’ll eat soon.”
“Where’s Joshua and Pa—I mean, King?”
Violet gave him a sidelong look. “They went out early this morning. I imagine they will be back shortly. Here—help me with this chair and the table in the back.”
Just as they had the public room arranged as best as they could, Violet heard the back door open. “Peggy?” she called.
“It’s Joshua, Vi! We have coal and straw and bread.”
“Bread!” Georgie squealed, and ran back to greet them.
Violet sat down at one of the tables and tried to tidy her hair. Then she realized what she was doing and made herself stop. The door opened again, and she expected to see Georgie, but King walked through. He wore tight buff breeches and a dark blue coat with a blue waistcoat and limp neckcloth. His coat and breeches were dusted with coal, and he had bits of straw in his dark hair—and yet he looked every inch the gentleman. And a breathtaking one at that.
Violet swallowed, ignoring the flutters in her belly. She was hungry. That was why her belly flipped when she saw him.
“That was the worst day of my life,” he said, taking a seat beside her. “Well, the second worst. Do you know what I had to do?”
Violet bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Gather coal?”
“We chased after delivery carts and picked coal up from the ground. Tiny pieces.” He showed her with his finger and thumb, which, she couldn’t help but notice, were blackened. “And there were others doing this as well. I had to fight them off for a piece of coal the size of my thumbnail!”
“You fought women and children for coal?”
“No!” Joshua said, coming through the door to the back room with Georgie right behind him. Georgie held a piece of bread and was chewing. “We would have been back sooner, but he kept giving coal to women and children.” Joshua sent a withering look at King.
“I didn’t give it to them.”
“I didn’t see that piece, Master Joshua,” Joshua said, mimicking King’s upper-class accent.
“Am I supposed to grab the coal from under their fingertips?” King demanded. “It’s unseemly.”
“See how unseemly it feels when you’re shivering again tonight,” Violet said.
“Luckily, he hadmethere with him,” Joshua said. “I managed to gather almost a half bucket.”
