Page 64 of The Duke of Pain

“What will it be? You have to order something or push off.”

“Steady on, Mike,” Mary said.

“Beef stew and bread for us both and for those ladies over at that table. Give them whatever they wish to drink.” Olivia reached in her reticule and laid a handful of shillings on the table. “We’ll have bitter. And be quick about it.”

The man touched his forelock and moved off. Olivia could hear him snort and mutter derisively under his breath. “Right. Serve the ladies. In a pig’s eye.”

“I didn’t think to see you so soon, love.”

Olivia smoothed her skirt. She wore a gray wool gown. Though she had a few fancier ones, they weren’t suitable for sitting in a pub.

“I am not one to lie about. I do feel better. Makeup helped to hide some of the uglier bruises.”

“Who were those shites, anyway?” Mary asked.

“Hired by an aristocrat to throw me out like yesterday’s rubbish.”

Mary sat back and nodded knowingly. “Got tired of you, did he? Bloody cheek. Those high in the instep lordlings can do as they like.”

Olivia nodded. She did not want to speak of Gideon as the hurt was still too raw. His cold rejection stung. The wound festered and would not likely heal anytime soon.

The man returned with glass mugs of bitter. Sitting them on the table, he headed back to the bar.

Mary picked up the mug and took a long swallow. “Ah, it’s good, that is. Thanks, love; I do enjoy a mug of cold beer, maybe a wee bit too much. Your man gave me two pounds. More than generous. Should keep us set up in decent rooms for a month at least.”

Olivia smiled. James had said a pound. Of course, he gave Mary more than one pound; it spoke of his generous nature.

“That’s why I am here, Mary. Pan is very kind and protective to his people. He said I can offer you a job. You’ll have your own room. A private place. He shares the profits and does not force you to do anything you don’t wish. It will be safe, a warm bed. Three hot meals a day.”

She clutched Mary’s arm. “The streets are not safe. Why ply your wares in a cold, dark alley when you can do the same under a safe roof? Pan keeps bully-boys to protect us.” She inclined her head toward Gordon. “Say you’ll come back with me, Mary.”

Mary lowered her head as if she were looking for guidance in the foam of the glass of bitter. She glanced back up.

“I thank you and Pan for the offer, but that kind of place is not for me, love. I worked at a pretty posh place in the West End some time back. No, I’ll go on as I have been. Besides, I can’t abandon my girls. They need me.”

Mary smiled wanly and drank down a few more swallows of the bitter. “The Ripper is gone these ten years; the streets are not so bad.”

“And who is to say that another murderer will take his place? And what of the gangs? It’s too dangerous.”

Olivia sighed as the man returned with the stew and bread. She couldn’t force Mary to return with her. Perhaps her motives were selfish to a degree. Olivia had hoped the woman would return with her so she would have a female friend. She had never befriended anyone else except for James.

Life was hard for a woman alone.

It easily could have been her sitting at that table with the other women. If James hadn’t found her, she knew she would have been selling herself in alleys for a few coins.

Mary patted her hand with firm reassurance. “There now, love. Get that worried look off your face. I’ll be fine.”

“The offer is open, anytime. Just ask for Pan, and say Olivia gave the okay.” Olivia picked up her spoon and took a bite of the thick stew.

“Very well, I’ll think on it, love.”

She really did hope all would be fine, for Mary’s sake.

Meanwhile, Olivia had her own life to sort out.

A small part of her still couldn’t believe Gideon was behind this. Not after all they had shared, physically and otherwise. Not after what they had revealed about their pasts.

But the cynical, hardened part of her whispered incessantly that he is a duke, a selfish peer who does as he pleases. One that uses people chews them up and spits them out.