“And it is.”
She shuffled a worn shoe against the cobblestone and then turned to the urchins who were turning away. “Do ya no say thanks?”
There was a chorus of “thank ya” as the urchins scampered away. Emma caught a small straggler by the collar. “This one is me brother. I had best take him home before he spends his coin.”
The lad clenched his fist around his coin. “Mine.”
She frowned at him. “Ya would keep it when our mum needs it?”
His lower lip protruded in a pout for a moment and then he unclenched his hand and held it out. “Mum needs it more than me.”
Lorelei felt tears spring up in her eyes and didn’t dare look at Fiona. How blessed they were and how needy these children were. She thought back to the day they’d visited Covent Garden and seen the young courtesan with her child. Did these mothers have to carry out the same trade?
“We will be back next week,” she said. “Maybe your mother could come meet us?”
The girl’s eyes widened. “Ya want to meet me mum?”
“Aye,” Fiona said. “Why nae?”
She looked from one to the other of them like they were speaking a completely foreign language. And, in a sense, Lorelei supposed they were. “We would very much like to meet her.” She remembered her handkerchiefs and pulled one out. “Here. For your mother.”
Emma’s eyes went round again as she took the piece of linen. “Me mum has ner’ had something so fine. Thank ya.”
They watched as she led her brother away and then turned back toward the Dials. “There has to be more we can do.”
“Aye. Let’s ask Louisa about it.”
They were just past the door of the first pub when its door burst open and four rough-looking men came out. Lorelei instinctively swept her skirts back as she sidestepped around them.
“Well, ain’t that a fancy one?” one of the men said.
Another one laughed. “Yep. And she matches the description.”
Fiona frowned at them. “What—?”
“This one matches the description, too,” the third one said to the fourth.
“What are you talking—”
“Enough nattering,” the first one said.
Dear Lord. Were they being robbed? “We do not have any coin. We gave it to the children.” She took a step forward. “If you will excuse—”
Before Lorelei could finish the sentence, one of the men grabbed her arm. “Just come with us, nice and quiet, and nobody gets hurt.”
She pulled back, but his grip was too strong. “Let go of me!”
“Can’t.” A second man grabbed her other arm.
The other two made a lunge for Fiona, but she had leaped back and was now brandishing her knife. “Ye heard my friend. Let her go.”
The two men stopped, eyes on her knife. Then one of them laughed. “Do ya know how to use that?”
“Would ye like to find out?”
“Ya can no’ get us both.” They separated, one going to each side. “Now, do no’ make us hurt ya.”
“Ye might say the same for yourself.” Fiona moved swiftly, swinging her knife sideways and cutting a gash in one of the men’s arms before leaping out of reach.
