Page 52 of Doxy for the Ton
After Mimi escorted her friend outside, she rang the bell for Mrs. Hodge.
She might never be able to change the entire world—but she could make a difference for one person in her little corner of it.
Chapter Thirteen
After glancing overher shoulder to ensure she was alone, and unobserved, Mimi approached the tiny house and knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a thin woman with jet-black hair peppered with gray. Her wrinkled face creased into a gap-toothed smile.
“Oh, Mimi darlin’, you don’t know how wonderful it is to see you again!” She pulled Mimi into an embrace, then ushered her inside. “I was worried something had happened to you. Not that we always expect you to come—we’re right grateful for anything you do for us.”
“Forgive me for not coming sooner, Mrs. Briggs,” Mimi said. The other woman arched an eyebrow, and Mimi bit her lip, cursing her lapse in accent. Since she’d moved into Grosvenor Square, she had accustomed herself to speaking in the accent she’d grown up with, and the accent of the slums—the harsh, flat vowels of the street whore—were all but forgotten.
“You sound different, love,” Mrs. Briggs said. “What’s happened?” She gestured toward Mimi’s cloak. “I’ve not seen anything that fine on you before. Got yerself a protector? I thought you’d sworn never to depend on a man again.” Then she shook her head. “I always knew you weren’t what you seemed. It was the way you carried yerself. I said to myself, you’re no ordinary whore.”
“But I’m a whore nonetheless,” Mimi said.
“Only if you let yerself be defined by how you earn a living.” Mrs. Briggs pressed her hand to her chest. “It’s what’s insideherethat defines what you are. I hope yer protector treats you like a lady.”
“I have no protector, Mrs. Briggs,” Mimi said. “But my fortunes have taken a turn for the better.”
Mrs. Briggs shook her head. “Many a young woman in your position has said the same.”
“But theyhave,” Mimi said, taking Mrs. Briggs’s hand. “I’ve secured a small stipend for the next six months, with a cash sum at the end. It’ll be enough to set me up so that I never have to sell my body again.”
Mrs. Briggs tutted. “And you’ve fallen for it? Girl, I thought you were smarter than that. If a man pays you a stipend, then you’re his mistress.”
“We’ve agreed to part company next summer,” Mimi said. “As to the payment, he showed me a letter that his banker has signed as guarantor. Do you know what that means?”
Mrs. Briggs shook her head.
“It means I can give you more than I ever have before,” Mimi said. “I can buy a house, away from London—in the country, where the air is clean. Think of that!”
“Mimi, darlin’, you can’t rely on this man—whoever he is.”
“I don’t intend torelyon him, Mrs. Briggs—that’s the point. When our business is concluded, I’ll be free. There should be enough for me to find somewhere for you—and for the girls here.”
“Mimi, darlin’, there’s no need.”
“There’s every need,” Mimi said. “You took me in when I had nowhere to go.”
“You’ve paid me back a hundredfold with everything you’ve done for us. We’re content with what we have—we’re luckier than some.”
“But what if I found you a home in the country?” Mimi asked. “Somewhere for you and the women here? I could set up a school—teach the girls skills so they can find employment. Maybe even a spot of land, so you can grow your own food.”
“You’re a kind girl, that’s for certain,” Mrs. Briggs said. “You indulge your dreams if they make you happy. Now, why don’t we have some tea? Anna’s put the pot on to boil.”
She led Mimi along the narrow corridor and into the parlor at the back, where a young woman sat in the corner, leaning back, her eyes closed, while a child crawled on the floor at her feet.
As Mimi entered, the woman opened her eyes and sat upright. She picked up the child and embraced it, her eyes widening.
“Lily, darlin’, this is Mimi,” Mrs. Briggs said. “Remember, I told you about Mimi? She’ll not hurt you.”
The woman rose to her feet and turned toward the window, and Mimi’s heart ached as she noticed a darkening bruise on Lily’s cheek. Her body shook with fragility and the child in her arms wailed and struggled.
Mimi stepped toward her. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
Lily glanced toward Mrs. Briggs, and her trembling increased.
