There wasn’t only pain but embarrassment as well.
“If it’s about the bill, I’ll ask Papa to take care of it.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to cause trouble.”
“Why don’t you go to St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington? It’s a voluntary hospital. You won’t pay anything.”
“They take care only of the deserving poor, and I’m not. I would need someone who vouched for me.” His sense of defeat weighed heavily on my chest.
He had no faith in society or good people.
“I’ll vouch for you. We’ll go together.” Without Papa knowing it.
Surprise and shock sparked around his head with an orange and burgundy flash. “Would you do that for me?”
“Of course.”
“What about your father, miss?”
“Don’t worry about him. We’ll go tomorrow. If Jones doesn’t want to give you a few free hours, I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you.” He stared at me as if I were an odd creature.
Well, maybe I was.
“Do you have enough to eat at home?” I asked.
His orange surprise pricked my skin. “I do, miss.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you.”
He winced as a new pang sliced through his neck. Whatever they were, those wounds hurt a lot. “You didn’t.”
“You can tell me the truth.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I’m not used to someone worrying about me anymore.”
“I have the opposite problem. I wish Papa would worry less. If it were up to him, he would lock me up in the house forever.”
“I understand. People said horrible things about my sister’s seizures. She didn’t complain, but she was hurt.” His gazebecame distant as confusion dominated his feelings. “I spoke with someone about Odette…”
“Who?”
“A man visited me.” He shook himself as if waking up from a trance. “I’d better get back to work. And thank you again.”
The happiness spreading in a soft yellow glow around his head warmed me.
I’d found a friend.
7
THE HOSPITAL
Alex
After almost four years spent living on the streets, I’d learnt something about myself: I was a cold-hearted bastard, and I liked it.
Stealing wasn’t a problem for me. It didn’t cause any moral upset. Lying? A piece of cake. It came naturally to me. I lied even when I didn’t need to. Cheating? If it could save my neck, why not?
