“True. The Garden did not seem dangerous when we went,” Lorelei agreed, “and I think we will be safe in the daytime in the St. Giles area, too, even though it is where a lot of poor people live. You know,” she said thoughtfully, “at first I wanted to go there just for the adventure, but I know we will encounter hungry children who live on the streets—”
“Like Spitalfields?”
“Probably worse.”
Fiona patted her pocket. “Which is why we brought so much small coin.”
The man at the bank had looked at them a bit oddly when they’d requested halfpennies and farthings, but Lorelei wasn’t sure how many children they’d encounter and she wanted to make sure each one would get something. At Spitalfields they’d had guineas and crowns, since they’d meant to buy silk. While that was a small fortune to the urchins, it hadn’t gone as far as smaller amounts would. “Unfortunately, Ian and Emily did not authorize unlimited funds for us.”
“At least, ’tis nae Alasdair who oversees our funds,” Fiona said with a huff. “Overbearing brute that he is, he’d be wanting an accounting for how we spend every penny.”
Lorelei had tried not to think about Alasdair since her dream. She’d even gone with Louisa to take care of Margaret’s toddler on Sunday afternoon so she wouldn’t be there when Alasdair came to call. Evidently, Fiona had not forgiven him yet. And, while she knew he wouldn’t object to giving coin to needy children, he woulddefinitelyobject to where they were going to do it.
“Good thing he will not find out then,” she said and switched the subject. “I know the actual sundials were pulled down by an angry mob two years ago, so it may not be quite as quiet as Spitalfields was.”
Fiona grinned. “Let’s find out, aye?”
The hack’s driver let them off on St. Martin’s just past Cranbourn so he’d have room to turn around. The street narrowed sharply as they walked past a small theater toward the circular space where seven roads converged and where now only the base of the original sundial column remained. The three- to four-story buildings around it were shaped triangularly, with the tip of each one pointing to where the dials had once stood.
“I feel like I am surrounded,” Fiona said as she looked around. “’Tis a good thing there are nae cannon pointed our way.”
The oddly shaped buildings were rather reminiscent of guns pointed at them. It was a bit unnerving as they seemed to loom over them, casting shadows even though it was only midafternoon. Not that Lorelei was going to admit that. Although there were a few people moving about, at least the pubs fronting each building were still closed.
“It seems quiet enough. Let’s walk and see if we can find those hungry urchins,” Lorelei said.
They hadn’t gone far past the circle when the streets narrowed into one close after another, each winding every which way. The houses here were much smaller and in much worse condition than the original buildings, too. They saw a curious face or two in the windows, but they didn’t encounter anyone who looked sinister.
“Mayhap we should just stand still and wait for the bairns to appear?”
“That might be a good idea.” Lorelei glanced around and pointed. “It looks like there is an open spot over there.”
When they got to it—a place that had a rickety bench next to a tree that looked oddly out of place—she saw a number of even more constricted pathways that spread out like a spider’s web in each direction…a labyrinth that would be easy to get lost in. “We can wait here for a bit.”
It was probably only a minute or so before the first child—perhaps five or six years old—appeared. Like at Spitalfields, the boy was filthy, his clothes ragged. He looked behind him and Lorelei saw movement in the shadows. Probably a lot of other children were lurking there, too.
“You can come out,” she called and reached into her pocket to withdraw several coins. “We have presents for you.”
The young child was nearly trampled as older ones emerged from what seemed everywhere at the sight of money. It took less than a minute for their pockets to empty. Both she and Fiona turned them inside out to indicate they had no more. Most of the urchins moved away at that although a couple of older girls remained.
One reached out to touch Fiona’s shawl. “Pretty.”
The other one looked longingly at Lorelei, who was wearing a pelisse. She exchanged a glance with Fiona and shrugged out of the light coat while Fiona pulled off her shawl. They held them out.
For a moment the girls looked astounded. Then they grabbed the gifts and ran.
“It looks like we may have to do some real shopping if we’re going to come back here,” Lorelei said as they started back to the circle.
“Aye, but let’s hope we are nae seen coming home half-dressed this time.”
“True. It will be hard to explain how we lost a coat and shawl.”
“Especially since the weather is cool today.” Fiona grimaced. “’Twould be our luck for Alasdair to be waiting when we get back.”
Lorelei felt a twinge of panic at that thought. She wasn’t ready to face him. Not yet. She had to give the dream time to fade away.
“We are meeting Louisa at the Pot and Pineapple. Mary will be there. Maybe we can send her back to the house with a message that we have decided to go to Hyde Park and not to expect us home too soon.” When Fiona gave her a quizzical look, she added, “Just in case your brother is there.”
Fiona studied her a moment longer, then she nodded. “Aye. Just in case.”
