The other man glanced at Jessica. She offered him a respectful nod, then sent as friendly a smile as she could toward his wife, who came forward. The woman continued to hold the babe, while the smaller child shyly slipped his hand into the older girl’s. This close, the lines around the woman’s mouth became more visible, and her freckles stood out in pale gold flecks against her fair skin.
She offered a cautious smile in return, but it grew when she turned to Tej, Rhys, and Ezra.
“As fair a flower as ever, Iris.” Tej stepped to her and took her free hand, which he pressed to his lips.
Iris flushed but didn’t snatch her hand away.
“I never know whether to welcome your visits,” Daniel said, as he wryly watched this scene, “or chase you off.”
He brandished his axe, yet there was humor in his eyes.
“No rudeness to Mr. Mehta,” Iris admonished. “Nor to Mr. Brody or Mr. Davis.”
It was only then that Jessica realized she hadn’t learned Tej and Rhys’s surnames until now. Strange, that, especially after they had both witnessed her fuck Ezra, and frigged themselves as they’d watched.
Jessica shook her loose hair into her face. Hopefully it would curtain her cheeks so no one could see them turn red.
“There are oatcakes,” Iris said, “and a bit of tea left. I’m afraid you’ll find our hospitality lacking at the moment.”
“No one can fault your hospitality,” Ezra replied firmly. “And we’ve eaten amply, so there’s no need to concern yourself with filling our bellies.”
Their simple meal in the forest had been hours ago, and not especially satisfying, but that was something Iris and Daniel didn’t need to know.
“The soggy spring has made for a poor harvest,” Daniel said with a grimace. “Never enough sun to dry the crops out properly.”
“Try telling that to Mr. Frears.” Iris scowled. “He’ll have our full rent regardless of what we can harvest. We say to him, tell your master that the earth will only yield what it yields, but that matters little to him or the lord he serves.”
“His daughter must have her London season.” Bitterness corroded Daniel’s words. “Never mind that my daughter owns not a single pair of shoes.”
The girl in question, who still held her brother’s hand, pinkened. Yet she didn’t say anything.
“Perhaps this will ensure Jeannie has something to protect her tender little feet.” Ezra pulled several gold coins from the pouch at his waist and held them out to Daniel.
The farmer’s eyes widened, but he kept his hand at his side. His wife did the same, eyeing the money yet clutching the babe tighter to her, rather than take what Ezra offered.
The tiny child stirred fitfully in his mother’s arms before subsiding. His eyes were glassy.
“That’s too much,” Daniel murmured.
“It’s enough to cover a year’s rent,” Rhys said evenly. “And keep you in shoes.”
“And ensure you have more to eat than just oatcakes,” Tej added.
Still, Daniel didn’t move.
“You don’t know me,” Jessica said into the silence, “but you’d be doing me a great favor if you accepted what Mr. Brody is happily giving you.”
“A favor, madam?” Iris looked doubtful.
“The aristocrat who provided the funds,” Jessica explained, “isn’t a good man. In fact, he’s atrocious. He’d be extremely unhappy to know that his ill-gotten wealth was given to people who deserve it.”
“How is that a favor to you, madam?” Daniel asked.
“Like it or not, I helped in a small way to keep men like him in power. Seeing your family given a bit of comfort and security at his expense gives balance to the world. Not fully, but it provides me a sliver of ease. Please,” she added, when both Daniel and Iris continued to hold back, “take the money.”
“Well…” Daniel scratched his chin. “If it helps you…”
“It does,” Jessica said firmly.
