He would have succeeded if Jeremy wasn’t so agile.
The boy was skin and bones, his trousers too small, his shirt filthy, and his jacket at least three sizes too large.
Her grim-looking companion dangled the poor thing by his collar.
“Going somewhere?” He lowered the child so his feet touched the pavement again but didn’t loosen his hold. “I believe you have something that belongs to this lady.”
The boy squirmed. He couldn’t be much older than five or six and looked as though he hadn’t eaten a full meal in weeks. He had full lips and a face that resembled those in paintings. But his eyes… they were a violet color, almost too large for his face, set wide and fringed with thick, dark lashes.
Rather than childlike innocence, however, suspicion and contempt lurked in them.
“Le’ me go, Mister! Your ‘urtin’ me!” He twisted his little mouth, and a deep scowl etched on his forehead, barely visible behind shaggy black strands of hair.
Lydia couldn’t help but notice that his fingernails were overly long and terribly dirty.
“You’ll do well to hand over the lady’s reticule, first.”
The child’s struggling stopped, and he frowned. “’Ere ya go.” He held out her reticule, and Lydia cautiously took it from him.
“And your other hand.” Jeremy jerked the boy, who whipped his face around to stare up at him in surprise.
“I don’t ‘ave nuthin’ else?—”
Jeremy jerked him again, and the boy turned back, opening his other hand to reveal the small coin purse that had been in her reticule.
Lydia took it but then promptly loosened the strings and opened it. “A reward for finding this for me.” She placed a coin into the boy’s hand.
“Oh, for God’s sake, Lydia!” Jeremy dropped his head back, rolling his eyes. “Areward?”
She ignored him in favor of the boy. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
Those violet eyes narrowed. “Wot do ya need wif me name?”
“My name is Lydia. I’m purchasing the Tuesday Warehouse to open an orphanage. I simply wanted to know to whom I might extend a personal invitation.”
“I don’ loike orphanages.”
“But there will be plenty of food for children like you, and toys, and a warm bed. I just thought I’d let you know. There will be dozens of builders fixing it up over the next several weeks. And when it’s finished, you are welcome to come take a look. Even before it’s finished, if you like. Just ask for me.”
“Liddy?”
“Sure,” she agreed with a little laugh. It was close enough. “And your name is…?”
“Me name is Ollie.”
“An apology for Lady Lydia, Ollie,” Jeremy said.
Lydia could see that Jeremy’s hold was beginning to loosen. A gust of very cold wind chose that moment to rush down the street, and even as she longed for the comfort of a warm fire and a hot cup of tea, her heart ached knowing that this child wouldn’t have either.
“I apologize, M’ Lydy.” Ollie shivered, and Lydia glanced at Jeremy with a wince.
A carriage pulled up beside them, but it wasn’t one of her brother’s. “Hold this.” Jeremy slid Ollie’s collar into her hand. “Don’t let him get away.” Lydia obeyed even though she did not really believe that the child would run from her, not anymore.
Jeremy shot a warning glance in Ollie’s direction before greeting the driver.
Hisdriver.
Opening the door, he reached inside and went rummaging through the box beneath the bench seat. While trying to see what Jeremy was up to, Lydia clung to Ollie, not because she wanted to imprison him so much as she wasn’t willing to watch him disappear into the cold to God only knew where.
