Page 98 of My Gentleman Spy
The climb up the long, thin staircase of the slum house in Plumtree Street was never easy. Entire families lived on the landings of each floor. Their meagre possessions only allowing a small gap in which a visitor could pass by on their way up to the next floor. Annie ran ahead of Hattie and knocked on the door of her family’slodging.
Joshua opened the door. Seeing Hattie, he stepped out onto the landing and checked to see if anyone had noticed her arrival. He closed the door quickly behind him once he wasdone.
“You took a huge risk coming here Hattie. But I am grateful. Mama does not have long for thisworld.”
When she looked at him, Hattie felt nothing but pity. He had aged in the short time he and Baylee had been members of the Belton Street gang. Gone were the youthful looks of his mere sixteen years. In their place was a grey pallor and bloodshoteyes.
“Oh Joshua. What have they done toyou?”
He laughed. “Nothing, I’m fine. Baylee and I are having a whale of a time. It’s great to be out with the lads everyday.”
His gaze fixed on little Annie and his mother both seated on the bed in the corner. Hattie took the subtle hint. They did not need to know of all the terrible things which the boys were forced to be involved in when out with thegang.
Taking her cue from Joshua, she opened the small sack she had brought with her and placed the handful of apples on the table. Upon seeing the apples Baylee swiftly snatched one up. Hattie laughed as he bit into the apple with unrestrainedrelish.
Hattie then went and sat with Annie and her mother. Mrs. Mayford managed a weak smile. From the tired look on her face and her labored efforts to breathe, Hattie knew it would not be long until she wasgone.
“Could you please tell us another of your travel stories Miss Hattie?” askedAnnie.
The youngest of the Mayford children delighted in Hattie’s tales of her adventures in Spain. She especially loved hearing about the tall, dark stranger who had helped to rescue Hattie from thesea.
She had just begun to tell Annie about the wonderous cave of St. Michael when there was a loud rap on the door of the lodging. A booming voice came from outside on thelanding.
“Openup!”
“It’s Tom, my boss!” whisperedJoshua.
Hattie went cold with fear. Finding her at the Mayford home for a second time would not go down well with the gang leader. He had warned her that the next time he caught her in Plumtree Street he would do much worse than give her a beating. He had boasted of tossing her into the Thames and holding her under until shedrowned.
Hattie silently rued her stubborn nature. Will would be livid if he knew where she was right now and the danger she had placed herself in. It would be cold comfort for him to know that he had been right about Yvette and herself not taking their own safety as seriously as he did. And especially not when there was a good chance she was about to share Yvette’sfate.
“What are we going to do? Tom will find you here. He thinks some of the lads are holding onto stolen goods and not giving him his cut. He will check both rooms in case we’re hiding stuff from him,” saidJoshua.
Hattie took a deep breath, and tried to calm her mind. She remembered how Will had checked their surroundings when they were being threatened by the market crowd in Gibraltar. She now did thesame.
“Can you climb safely down to the ground from here?” sheasked.
When Joshua went to argue, she took a firm hold of hisarm.
“Listen to me Joshua. You are the only one who can help me right now. There is nothing we can do to stop Tom and the gang coming through the door and taking me. I need you to go to my old house in Newport Street and find William Saunders. You remember him, you met him the night you brought me home. Tell him where they will have takenme.”
There was a second and more violent bang on thedoor.
“Oy! Open upinside!”
Joshua raced to the window and clambered out onto the tiny ledge before disappearing. Hattie gave a silent prayer of thanks for the fact that the family lived on the secondfloor.
Turning to the others, she held a finger to herlips.
“Not a word any of you about Joshua. Don’t even look at thewindow.”
She took a deep breath and opened thedoor.
