Page 74 of Beyond the Grave
There was no opportunity to question him further. The small crowd gathered around our horses and coach looked angry. Sleeves had been rolled up to reveal strong forearms, and one or two men danced on light feet, fists raised in Gus's direction. He stood between Seth and the horses and looked very relieved to see Lincoln.
"What's going on?" Lincoln growled, finally letting me go with a little shove in the direction of the children who stood out of the way.
"Bloody Gus thought it would be a good idea to take up the challenge of a dice game with these…fellows," Seth said. "He lost."
"They cheated!" Gus cried.
"You didn't have to accuse them! Now you've offended their honor or something."
"But they cheated!"
"Shut it," Seth hissed.
Lincoln reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a small pouch filled with coin. The gypsy men lowered their fists and one snatched at the pouch.
I bent down to the little boy next to me, the same one who'd tried to pick my pocket. "What doesfara scaparemean?" I whispered in an accent I hoped was close to Lela's.
The boy wrinkled his face and I worried that his Romany might not be very good or that my accent was atrocious. "No escape," he said after a moment then held out his hand for a coin.
I turned out my empty pocket to show him that I had nothing to give. His face fell. I bent closer to his ear. "Allow me to pass on something I learned when I was only a little older than you."
He looked at me dubiously, perhaps regretting that he hadn't asked to see a coin first before translating.
"When picking a woman's skirt pocket," I said, "move with the breeze, not against it."
"Charlie!" Seth shouted. "Hurry up."
I kissed the top of the boy's greasy head then took the hand that Lincoln held out for me and climbed into the cabin.
No escape.
Chapter 13
To my dismay, two of my least favorite people were waiting for us upon our return to Lichfield. I groaned as I recognized General Eastbrooke and Lord Gillingham's coaches and horses.
"What are they doing here?"
"Either Julia or Harcourt has informed them that we've made progress in our search for Buchanan," Lincoln said.
"But why do they need to come here to discuss it?"
"Perhaps they're not here to discuss the developments, but my methods."
I frowned at him until it dawned on me what he meant. "Oh. You mean my involvement."
"I'll tell them it was necessary for you to summon Buchanan's spirit as a test. They'll see reason."
"I doubt it," I muttered.
The coach slowed at the top of the drive instead of taking us around the back as Lincoln usually preferred. He rarely stood on ceremony, but his visitors would expect him to heed propriety and enter through the front door.
"I should come with you and talk to them, since it involves me," I said.
"That may not be wise."
"No, but it's cowardly for me not to."
He leveled his gaze on me. "You are not a coward, Charlie."
