Page 29 of The Shadow of Breninsol
“She’s not the first,” Iris added dryly.
The guards both shifted and exchanged glances. There was something else there. “We’ve been…hearing things, unusual things. Just stay in at night and be careful, will you?” Ryland finished and nodded as both soldiers made their leave.
“Of course,flowers.” Iris replied.
Eleanor noticed a change in their stance, indicating something was amiss. She asked in a voice laced with concern. “Do you know anything? So we can keep our girls safe?”
Becker moved to follow his partner, but leaned closer to her, as if what he was telling her was for her ears only. “We heard the last client she saw was some toff from the Centre, a right richguy. Rumour is, it might even be a noble, from the way those girls talk.”
Eleanor gazed into his sincere eyes. “What makes you say that?”
“Rumours,” Becker said, but even from the look on his face said he didn’t fully believe what he was saying.
Becker looked at Ryland, who quickly answered. “Madam Joanna still had the gifts from the client. They were right, fine pieces, too fine and fancy. A few of the lads in the guard had been stationed at the palace and they thought of them as being the types that the aristos wear in court. You know the kind, too fine for outside the party palace.”
Eleanor understood what he was saying. The intricate delicate designs of the jewellery worn at the palace sparkled brilliantly with clarity. It was hard to forget the jewellery once you had seen it. The jewellery in the Cloth and Flea paled in comparison.
“That old bat only kept them as she’s having issues pawning them,” Iris scoffed.
Eleanor ignored Iris’s comment. “Why would an aristo bother coming all the way to the Barrow?” she asked, seeing the warning in Ryland’s eyes with the unspoken urge for her to keep her wits about her.
“Like we say, rumours is all,” Becker said, a bit louder. “Better to stay in at night, otherwise the Witch Queen’s shadow-beast will be dragging you back to her.” He chuckled, thinking what he’d said was a funny joke.
They thanked Ryland and Becker and showed them out the back door, then Iris and Eleanor swiftly closed it to shut out the cold. Julia caught their attention as she tried to creep off the stool slowly.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Iris admonished, making the girl backtrack and resume her perch on the stool. “Well? You’re lucky the oldbat is out right now. Imagine if she’d come in here and seen the city guard in here.”
Julia gulped and her eyes told Eleanor that the girl hadn’t considered the fallout of her actions, nor the implication of Madam Grace being around.
“Exactly.” Iris crossed her arms and looked at Julia with the look of a scolding mother.
Eleanor was keenly aware that she was missing out on what would happen next in her book, and thought she was no longer needed, but the tension from Julia told her otherwise. “I thought we talked about stealing,” Eleanor said, trying to detract from Iris’s hard glare.
Julia flashed her a grin, remembering their conversation from the last time. “Don’t get caught.”
Eleanor raised her brow, not needing to add words to her look ofand you got caught.
Iris rolled her eyes. “…or just don’t do it.”
“I needed the coin,” Julia protested.
Eleanor wanted to say, “don’t we all,” but kept silent, hoping that whatever this was would resolve itself so she could return to her book…with some wine. She was certain that there were still a couple of bottles under her floorboards.
“Money. You needed the money,” Iris corrected, maintaining the disapproving mother stance with her arms folded. “Go on, we’re listening.”
“Lauressa needs a healer,” Julia mumbled.
Eleanor frowned, thinking that she hadn’t heard anything on their floor to suggest that someone was ill. None of the despairing low moans or tiresome high-pitched wails that came with the injured and sick, nor the near constant rushing to and hogging the bathing room from the Bella’s and their monthlies. But then again, if Madam Grace found out one of her ladies was sick enough, she might call a healer and add it to their debt.She was more likely to double the cost with interest, and it was something none of them in this house needed. Each of them was indebted enough to that underhanded woman.
Julia sighed, having fully given into Iris’s glare. “She got in a fight with the Bellas and the old bat saw.”
“Show us,” Iris said, shooing the girl towards the kitchen door.
Eleanor let out a heavy sigh, knowing that she wasn’t getting back to her book any time soon, and followed Iris and Julia up the stairs. Ignoring the voice that saiddon’t get involved, remember?
“I really didn’t mean to,” Julia said over her shoulder as they climbed the stairs. “It was for a good reason, promise.”
“It doesn’t matter the reason. The action speaks for itself.” Iris replied.
