Page 63 of Speculations in Sin

The lads, who barely glanced at me and Grace, nodded and charged off in Jarrett’s wake. Grubby legs, red with cold,flashed between knickers and boots. Their footsteps soon receded, the boys gone.

“They’ll keep him in their sights,” Grimes promised. “Danny and me will find out what he’s up to.”

As would I, I promised silently. It would be good to know exactly where Mr. Zachary, with his prominent set of keys, had been while Mr. Stockley was getting himself murdered. Mr. Zachary, who could go anywhere in the bank he liked, also could easily walk into the junior clerks’ room and slide incriminating keys beneath the top of Sam’s desk.

“Thank you, Mr. Grimes,” I said. “Your intervention was most welcome.”

“Danny told me to look after you, didn’t he?” Mr. Grimes beamed at me, pulling off his cap, though the wind was cold in this passage. He made a bow to Grace. “Good afternoon, Miss Holloway.”

I did not correct the last name—Grace’s recorded legal name was Bristow, which I’d given the parish registrant when she was born. I’d believed that Joe Bristow, now deceased, had truly been my husband.

“This is Grace,” I said, unable to mask my pride. “My daughter.”

“As pretty as your mum,” Mr. Grimes said, his smile doting. Unlike when Jarrett had looked at Grace with cunning, Mr. Grimes exuded only friendliness and a fatherly air.

“Thank you, sir,” Grace said. “How did you learn to whistle like that?”

Grimes’s brows went up, then he grinned. “Years of practice, lass. Tell you what—I’ll teach you one day. Well, if your mum allows it.”

“I doubt I could stop her, Mr. Grimes,” I said with a smile. Iturned to Grace. “As long as you don’t terrify Joanna with such noises.”

“Mum will want to learn as well,” Grace said with confidence. She was right, the scamp.

“Where are you off to now, Mrs. Holloway?” Grimes asked. “I’ll tramp along with you, if you don’t mind, see you there safe. In case the blister or his confederates come at you again.”

“That would be welcome, Mr. Grimes. Grace and I are headed to tea.”

“Ooh, sounds nice, that does. Shall we, loves?”

“Do you want to come to tea with us, Mr. Grimes?” Grace asked as she fell into step next to the lumbering man. For all his size, Mr. Grimes was a likable fellow and good to Daniel. Grace had sensed that right away.

“Naw, they won’t let the likes of me into a fine tea shop. Besides, I just had a luncheon of a large hunk of bread and butter and a nice slice of leftover roast besides. Mrs. Millburn’s cook is fair handed with the food.”

“She is,” Grace said. She skipped along a few steps, then remembered she was a grown-up young lady of twelve and slowed to a more sedate pace.

We walked companionably from St. Anne’s Lane to Foster Lane, passing the bulk of Goldsmiths’ Hall, which had been the source of much interest this past autumn. Its imposing entrance was even bleaker in midwinter, and I turned from it quickly.

Our favorite tea shop in Cheapside was near the Millburns’ home, which was why I’d chosen it today. We’d fill ourselves up with cakes and scones and then have only a short way to walk Grace to the safety of the house.

Outside the tea shop, which exuded good smells when anexiting patron opened the door, Mr. Grimes halted and tugged off his cap again.

“I’ll be about,” he promised. “Just wave when ye come out, and I’ll walk with you home.”

“Thank you, Mr. Grimes,” I said with warmth. “You are too kind.”

“You’re a friend of Danny’s, which means you’re my friend too. You too, young lady…Oi. Look at this.” He dove for the ground before I realized what he was doing and straightened again, holding a copper coin. “Someone must have dropped it,” Mr. Grimes said. “Ah well. They’ll be long gone now, I reckon. It’s good luck to find a penny. How about you take it, Miss Holloway? Have some good luck today.”

Mr. Grimes held the penny out to Grace. I frowned at him, but I was secretly pleased at his kindness. He’d not found that penny on the ground—any glint of coin would be pounced upon by any street lad for whom a penny was great wealth. But he’d not wanted to hurt Grace’s pride by simply giving her a coin.

“Perhaps we should try to find the person who lost it,” Grace suggested. Her eyes were on the penny, she not being so angelic that she’d shun it.

Mr. Grimes laughed. “If someone can afford to drop a penny and not scour the ground for it right away, they won’t miss it. Besides, it’s grimy. Been here for a while, I’d guess.” He rubbed away dirt with his gloved hands, revealing a penny far too shiny to have lain on the ground any length of time.

“Then you should keep it,” Grace said. “You can buy plenty of rolls for a penny. You found it after all.”

“Ain’t ye kind, lass.” Mr. Grimes’s face softened. “But I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I didn’t give all I had to a lady.”

His words, in his rough, gravelly voice, made Grace laugh. She must realize she’d hurt his feelings if she didn’t take the offered gift, and reached for the coin.

---