Page 65 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“Oh yeah,” Walter said, nodding his head. “I remember. Mouth like a sailor, she had. But lovely girl, all the same. Lovely.”
“Know where I can find her?” Luke asked.
“Ain’t seen her around these parts for a while, Son,” Walter replied with a shrug. “Whatcha want with ‘er, any’ow?”
“Family matters,” Luke said, not wanting to give too much away.
“Dunno what became of ‘er,” Ollie said with an unsteady attempt at a shrug. “But she lived down on Forest Street, not far from ‘ere. Might ‘ave a bit of luck there, Son.”
“Thank you,” Luke said. He smiled and turned to leave.
“’Ere,” Walter said, his voice laced with something new—something harsher. “’Ain’t that information worth some’in’ to ya?”
Luke turned back, still smiling, and flicked a farthing onto the counter before walking out, pleased he would never have to face them again.
The drunk was right when he said Forest Street was not far away. It took Luke less than five minutes to find and he stood at the end of the row of tiny brick terraced houses, looking at them sadly. It was a dirty place, the muddy ground trampled on by urchins with dirty faces and divots in the earth filled with mucky puddles.
I was once one of them. Luke sighed at the thought.
Mothers stood in doorways, shouting at their little ones, or scrubbing their front steps. Luke could see the pride in these women, who had next to nothing but looked after what they did have. It warmed his heart to see, and he wondered if that was where his own pride had come from. It didn’t matter if you were rich or poor, as long as you worked hard and were grateful for what you had.
“Excuse me,” he said, and a boy of about ten swung around in surprise.
“What d’ya want, Mister?”
“I’m looking for Lola Reynolds,” Luke said. “I was led to believe she lives here.”
“It’ll cost ya,” the boy said. “I don’t tell for nothin’.”
Luke rolled his eyes and took another farthing out his pocket. The boy snatched at it quickly and then smirked.
“Well?” Luke asked.
“Never ‘eard of ‘er,” the boy said, and then darted away before Luke could clip him around the ear.
He shook his head, impressed at the enterprising nature of the boy but irritated by his lack of knowledge.
“What do you want with our Lola?”
Luke jumped around to see a plump old lady, rag in hand, looking intently at him. She leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed beneath her ample bosom.
“I—” he trailed off, his brow creased as he looked at this stranger.
He considered lying for a moment. He had no idea who this woman was, after all. But he thought better of it. She didn’t seem like the type to take kindly to liars, and he could already feel her eyes boring into him.
“I believe she is my mother.”
The woman sighed and looked at him with such intense sympathy that Luke worried for a moment that she would break.
“Is… is she here?” he asked.
“You’d better come in, Lad,” she said.
She turned and went through her front door, seemingly certain he would follow without question. He did.
