AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Carrying the books, she once again knocked and, without looking anywhere but at the desk when she was bade enter back in, she placed them down and left. Fyre was determined not to notice that Mrs. Collier was now bent over the back of the settee, her skirts rucked up around her waist, and that she was being fucked.
Hard.
From the noises she made, Fyre could only assume she was enjoying herself.
“See you in two weeks, Miss Gwen.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied, shutting the door behind her.
Being done early gave her some time to go see how Albie would make her pay to adjust the time. Her hope had been that Phillip would agree to adjusting, but as he’d refused, she had to broach it with Albie. One of them had to make a change. As she walked over to Albie’s business, a heavy weight settled on her chest. She didn’t like the position she was about to put herself in.
Not that there was much of a choice.
“Gwen!”
She turned toward the sound of her name and immediately bit back a groan of frustration. Cara.
Her sister-in-law flounced across the street to her, face pinched in displeasure.
“Cara.”
“Where is our money?”
The question wasn’t loud, and it came out of her mouth like a hiss, but the cold reality of it jarred Fyre.
“What money?”
“The money you gave us before. We need that to survive.”
“I gave you money because I was living there, and because of that, I was helping out. Now I do not live there and am no longer eating your food or sleeping under your roof. You do not get my money.”
Cara narrowed her eyes and Fyre lifted her chin, waiting. The smack of Cara’s palm came without warning, making tears blur Fyre’s eyes.
“I never liked you, Gwen. You have grown snobbish ever since you decided to take that job away from your brother, lowering his earnings. He has a family to care for. No matter how often you lie on your back for the earl it doesn’t make you a better person even if you are finally out of our house.”
So much to address and she didn’t want to focus on any of it. Not even a tiny bit. Yet, she did. “What job did I take from him?”
“The one with the earl.”
“Is that what he told you? That I took that job from him?”
“We know it is true and now my children will be hungry because you wanted to spread your legs for—”
Crack!
Cara gasped and placed her hand on her cheek. Fyre had smacked her across the face.
“Everyone knows it is true. That is why you are there so much of the time.”
So many things dangled from the tip of Fyre’s tongue, just longing to be freed. She swallowed them back and, ignoring the tears in her eyes for the second time in one day, she turned and continued on her way.
“Are you okay, Fyre?” A boy glanced up at her as she passed, a worried expression on his face, even as he glanced behind her where she assumed Clara still shot daggers at her.
“Sure, James. Fine.” She tried to smile at him as she walked along. The boy had been popping up around her more and more lately. Not that she minded, he was a good child.
Albie waited for her and stepped outside into the sun when she approached.
“Are you okay?” He moved closer. “Gwen? Come on inside.”
“No, I think I would prefer to stay out in the sun.”
She was so cold on the inside. Was that truly what everyone thought of her?
Chapter Nine
Phillip lifted his head to peer at the sun pushing through the thick leaves of the trees he was under. He sat at a table, a tall glass of cold lemonade before him and another in front of the young child who was there with him.
James.
He was currently on his second glass. His entire face had lit up when he’d drunk the first one, so Phillip had seen no harm in letting him enjoy another.
It was nice, actually, sitting there outside. Nothing on his plate at the moment to do. The day, while sunny, had not gotten as hot as previous ones.
Phillip sighed. Fyre was acting different.
He couldn’t put his finger on it, but at their last three meetings, she had been off. That was the main reason this child was before him. James had been doing an excellent job keeping him updated on everything. The sad part was, even he had mentioned how sad she appeared.
“People are mean to her.”
James’ blurted statement pulled him back from not-so-appropriate thoughts of the woman they were discussing.
“Who is being mean to her?”
Sure, he’d been a dick, but dammit, he’d been under the impression she would have dumped that fucker Albie to keep him happy.
I seem to be learning a lot about this woman. She does not follow the norms. Then again, she never has, and the moment I learned she was the one who had been doing my books, I should have known she was never going to be what society considers normal.
