Page 17 of A Dream of Redemption
The young urchin said, “She’s right. It’s the first rule of the hovels. Don’t touch the gentry. They don’t care if we kill ourselves but hurt a lord or lady and they come after us like a hungry wolf chasing a lamb.”
Boon looked torn as he eyed her warily. “He would still tan my hide.”
She smiled at the boy. “Not if I ordered you to. You would not be able to defy my request.”
“Nope, he’d still tan my hide. Why do you want to go out? Especially on these streets? Mr. Homeward knows how to live on these streets, he can take care of himself.”
“I promised Anne I’d find Claire. I can’t do that if Mr. Homeward is injured or killed.”
“You can’t do that if you’re dead on the street or worse still, taken too.”
This was getting more than irritating. What would Marisa do? After a moment she said with a sly smile, “I’ll pay you.”
Interest perked in Boon’s eyes. “How much?”
Helen knew she had him. “One pound.”
“Blimey, he can thrash me all he likes for that.” He grinned. “You’d best get a cloak, it’s cold out. Pip, can you slip out and try to find Richard and warn him?”
She grinned back; adrenaline fluttered through her body like a trapped moth. “Let’s hurry.”
“Mr. Homeward can take care of himself. It’s you he’ll worry about. Maybe this is not such a good idea.”
Clary would be furious but Helen could not bear the idea of him being out there alone, not knowing he might be ambushed. She’d be safe with Boon. She knew Glover’s men would think twice at attacking a lady. “But you’ll take care of me. Just get me to Mr. Homeward. You can do that, can’t you?”
“For one pound I can.” Boon’s chest puffed out. “Besides, no one knows these streets like me.”
Left on her own to collect her cloak, Helen’s fear of the unknown grew but all she kept seeing was Anne’s face stained with tears from the knowledge that her friend was missing. All Helen could see was Claire being sold, and she no longer cared about her own safety. Most of London’s inhabitants faced worse every day. She’d be safe with Boon and Clary—she prayed.
“How do we get past the men at the door?”
“Come with me.”
It took less than a minute to get past the men guarding the building. Boon led her to the attic and they clambered over the roof and down an old fire escape.
—
Clary hugged the shadows on Salter Road down near the river. He was bone tired, sick of watching the building across the road, yet anger kept him there. To take his mind off the horror that was the life these parentless children were sold into, he would risk a glance across the river toward the Isle of Dogs—the place he’d been born.
The smells of the streets ate at his soul, bringing back the memories of the day his mother had left them on a street corner promising she’d be back soon. He’d never seen her again.
He couldn’t remember his father. He must have had one but the only person he’d known was his mother.
He had nothing to compare her to, but she’d been loving. Cuddles abounded and he still remembered how it felt to be folded within her arms. He knew they were poor because they had often gone hungry but he’d always felt wanted—loved even.
To this day Clary believed that something had happened to his mother. He refused to believe that she would have abandoned them. Simon, on the other hand, could not remember her and therefore held no such illusions. Simon believed she’d left them there so she could survive. She could feed herself but not two young boys.
Clary shrugged the thought away. He knew how tough life could be and a part of him did not blame her if she had left them. Everyone looked out for themselves. That’s what life taught him until he’d met Her Grace.
It was the sound of footsteps that made him focus back on the task at hand. He pressed deeper into the shadows, hoping whoever was coming his way would go past. The last thing he needed was to have anyone draw attention to his position. No such luck. The footsteps stopped near where he hoped the dark hid him.
Before anyone spoke he smelled her lilac scent. Lady Helen. The blood roared in his head. What the hell was she doing here? Almost speechless with rage he reached out and dragged two people into the shadows with him.
“What the hell, Boon. What is she doing here?”
“It’s not his fault. I made him bring me.”
He had to shut his mouth before he said things he’d later regret. He punched Boon’s arm. “I’ll deal with you later.” Then he turned them both around and pushed. “Now, get her back to the orphanage.”
