“What?” Beatrice demanded. “Those despicable rodents.”
“Scoundrel,” Violet hissed.
“They are diabolical fiends,” Beatrice added dramatically. “I blame her, of course. That woman thinks she is above us all.”
The Amble sisters had a large and diverse vocabulary of insults that, apparently, they’d received at family occasions when their great-aunt Lisa was there.
“Rat poison!” Violet said. “We will make him pay with rat poison.”
“But how will we get it into his food?” Beatrice asked, sounding far too calm considering they were plotting Mr. Robins’s demise.
“We are not poisoning anyone.” Ruby wondered who they’d used rat poison on before and thought better of asking. She had no wish to know.
A knock had Violet hurrying to answer. Soon all the other residents of 11 Nobby Lane were seated around the small room.
Mrs. Chen was Chinese and lived alone, as her husband had died in an accident at the docks many years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Zwart were Dutch. Mr. Winston was of Indian descent. Miss Kent was last in the room. Small, birdlike, with round glasses, she did not speak a great deal, but she had saved Ruby and Adam from the fate that awaited them if they’d stayed with their family.
The occupations of those present ranged from factory workers to gardeners and street vendors. Each eked out a meager existence and only just kept a roof over their heads. Age was slowing them down also. Younger, more eager men were taking their places.
“How is Adam, Miss Knight? He seemed unsettled when I saw him earlier.”
“He is better, thank you, Mr. Winston. I secured the position teaching the child of a Mr. Howarth, so he is feeling calmer.”
“I sat with him today. He did seem low in spirits,” Miss Kent said. “But I am so pleased for you, Ruby. You will be an excellent tutor with the knowledge you have.”
Age undetermined, Miss Kent had come to her father’s house to watch over Adam when the agency he had approached had suggested she would be perfect. She’d been sent there to keep him quiet and in his room. She had done neither. She’d educated him and challenged him to use his mind. Both Ruby and her brother loved her very much.
She did not know much of Miss Kent’s life before she came to them, but knew it was turbulent and had scarred the timid woman.
The day their father had chanced upon her reading to Adam from a book on the history of the Russian Empire, he’d been horrified and dismissed her instantly, stating clearly that his son was useless and needed no education.
A letter had arrived for Ruby via the only footman she liked three weeks later. It had said she hoped all was well with both Ruby and Adam, and that she was now settled comfortably in London at 11 Nobby Lane.
It had been there they’d run when circumstances had forced them from their family home.
“Tell them what Mr. Robins has done, Ruby,” Beatrice said.
She relayed the message of the rent increase.
“I will make him some herbs that will explode his bowels,” Mrs. Chen said in stilted English they all now understood. It seemed she had spent far too long in the company of the Amble sisters.
“You will not do that,” Mr. Zwart said, also in broken English.
The others nodded.
“Then we will have to do something else to get the money, and I have an idea,” Beatrice said.
The look in her eyes had Ruby feeling nervous. The Amble sisters could be a trifle impetuous.
“My worthless nephew lives in the house here in London that we, Violet and I, spent many years of our life in. It is filled with treasures, and we know which ones are the most valuable. I have had word that this year he is not coming for the season due to ill health. The house will stay closed up with only a couple of staff to watch over it.”
“Oh yes, Beatrice, that is an excellent idea.” Violet clapped her hands together, cackling.
“What exactly is an excellent idea?” Ruby asked.
“We’ll steal from him and then sell what we take and have enough money for all of us,” Violet said. She clapped again, clearly excited by her sister’s plan.
“No.” Ruby shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
