Page 87 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“My Lord.”
Thomas jumped around to see Jeffries, eyebrows drawn together in concern.
“Are you all right, My Lord? You look awfully pale.”
“Yes, thank you,” Thomas said, scrunching his eyes up to force the thoughts away.
“His Grace is available to see you, if you’ll follow me to his study,” Jeffries said. “But he said he has very little time, so if you wish to come back tomorrow, that would be preferable.”
“Oh… er, well, actually, yes, tomorrow would be better,” Thomas said, stammering over his words. “Please give him my apologies for any disturbance.”
Jeffries blinked rapidly.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Thomas said, his tone firmer now. “Yes, quite sure. Thank you.”
And with that, he turned and fled the building.
* * *
“We really cannot thank you enough for taking us in, when you barely know us,” Jenny said, smiling at Mary White.
At first, they didn’t know where to go. Luke had thought of going to Lord Denninson, but he couldn’t face it. Not only would his pride not allow him, he worried for Thomas’ security, having to servants turn up at his door, claiming to be siblings. No, Lord Denninson’s was not an option. And then Luke hit upon the idea of Mrs. White, the kindly old woman who had been friends with their mother.
“I’d do anythin’ for the babes of our Lola,” Mary said. “Since I can’t do nothin’ for ‘er anymore.”
“Really though,” Luke added. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“Well,” Mary said, “good job you found me the other day then, ain’t it? Besides, with a piece of liver like that you brought, anyone would ‘ave been won over.”
Jenny smiled sadly as she stirred the meat in the pot, over the naked flame. Luke had thought it the least they could do, spend a little of their meager savings on some sort of gesture for the woman, and Jenny had readily agreed. Besides, they’d need a good meal in the bellies if they were to think of a way out of their situation.
“Now,” Mary said, “you gonna tell me what ‘appened, or you gonna leave me guessing?”
Luke groaned, letting his head rest in his hands. He sat at the small table in Mary’s one-roomed house, Mary sat opposite him as before. He was exhausted, so tired that he was unable to think straight, and his stomach burned with a mixture of fear and rage.
“Duke says we stole something of his,” Jenny said, adding the chopped liver to the sizzling onions. The scent filled the room, making Luke salivate even though he felt sick to his stomach.
“And did ya?” Mary asked.
Luke looked at her, mouth open in hurt that she should think that, even though they had only met once before. She held her hands up.
“No judgments ‘ere,” she added. “We’ve all been put in situations where we ‘ad to do things we didn’t like. But if I’m gonna put you up until you’re back on your feet, I want the whole truth.”
“No,” Luke said firmly, “neither of us stole anything.”
“So why does ‘e think so?” Mary asked, although it was not a loaded question, more a genuinely curious one.
“It was found,” Jenny said, her words slow and cautious, “in our hut.”
“I see,” Mary said, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s not what you think,” Luke said, pleading with her. “Really, it’s not.”
Jenny snorted, a loud and humorless laugh, mirthless and angry. “Why would we risk what we had when it was so good?” Jenny asked. “We had everything we wanted there.”
“Someone put it in our hut, I’m sure of it,” Luke said. His eyebrows met in the middle as his brow furrowed, desperately searching for some answer that he had sought for since they left the house.
