“You earned your living on the streets?” Georgie asked, fascinated. “What did you do?”
The girl glowered. “Never you mind, miss. Rafferty warned me to watch out for you and your questions. There are some things you’re better off not knowing about.”
But Georgie was possessed of a lively curiosity. “Did you sell your body? Not that I’d blame you. I’d sell my body for food any day.”
Jane recognized a sympathetic ear and her reservations fled. She shook her head. “Sometimes it’s just to get off your feet for a few minutes. The ones I hates is when you’re down on your knees on cobblestones. Good thing they don’t last long.”
“Why would you be down on your knees?” Georgie said, mystified.
“Uh...no reason, miss,” Jane said hurriedly. “This is hard work, but the grub is good. And we’d do anything for Rafferty, me and Betsey both.”
She felt a sudden, niggling sting of jealousy. “Are you in love with him?”
Jane grinned. “Who ain’t? Not for the likes of us, though, unless we fancy a one-nighter. Rafferty’s hard to pin down.”
“Where is he now?”
“Don’t know, miss. I can get you anything you want,” Jane said helpfully.
Can you get me Rafferty? she thought with a pang. “When you see him, would you ask him to come to my room?”
“Sure thing, Miss Georgiana.” Jane took a couple of steps closer, peering at Georgie. “You’re not in love with him, are you, Miss? Coz that would be a big mistake. If he’s not for the likes of us, then he’s certainly no good for a real lady.”
Georgie let out a convincing laugh. “No, of course not. I merely want to find out how his first day went.”
Jane gave her a suspicious glance. “I’ll tell him, miss. If I see him.”
He didn’t come. She’d waited, determined to still be abed when he came to her room. He could sit on her bed while she lay beneath the covers and tell her all about his day, and he would make her laugh, and he might even touch her, a casual touch. She could tell him her feet still hurt and maybe he’d rub them again, but no, that was a terrible idea, because it felt too good and surely something that felt that good must be sinful.
Not that she was overly concerned with sin. Despite the vicar’s hell and damnation sermons, Georgie had a different view of God as someone forgiving of even the most stubborn sinner, someone who found her amusing, not wicked. It was much more comfortable that way. Her God hadn’t gifted her with beauty like Norah, but he’d given her a strong back and an optimistic heart. She knew that however her life turned out, she could be happy.
And she knew she certainly didn’t love Rafferty. She might, just possibly, have the tiniest bit of a crush on him, but that was all. Nothing to worry about.
She heard the light tap on her door and a little thrill ran through her. She sat up, a bright smile on her face, when Jane opened the door carrying a brown paper-wrapped parcel.
“What’s this?”
“Dunno, miss. It just arrived,” Jane replied, moving to the fire to sweep up the ashes.
Georgie reached for it. It was heavy, and she looked for a message, any kind of hint as to where it had come from. The paper was plain brown and the string unremarkable, but for some reason she wasn’t going to open it while Jane was bustling around.
It seemed to take her forever, though in fact it couldn’t have been any longer than five minutes to lay a new fire, scoop up the dirty dishes, and depart in a whirl of skirts. Only then did Georgie address the package on her lap, tearing off the wrappings.
It was the most beautiful pair of walking shoes that she’d ever seen in her life. Made of soft brown leather with blue leather trim, they were beautifully shaped, and she knew if she didn’t fit them, she’d still wear them and suffer the consequences. But they would fit her perfectly, because Rafferty had provided them, though she had no idea how he managed in such a short time.
She slipped one on, and it was soft and buttery, like a glove, hugging her foot gently. With silk stockings, it would fit perfectly, and she sighed in utter delight, hugging the shoes to her breast.
Maybe she was in love with him after all.
Chapter Seven
Rafferty, however, was proving surprisingly elusive. Once she was dressed in one of her shabby day dresses, she went straight to the kitchen in search of her prey.
“He’s gone out,” Bertha said.
“Where?”
“Never you mind, Miss Georgie. He’s the butler, and he’s got all sorts of things to do. Everything’s gone to rack and ruin in the last few months, and he’s got more than enough things to do without you bothering him as well.”
