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Valoree accepted thatsilently "Haveyou seen your sister since returning? "
"I haveseen her fro said carefully "I had intendedto avoidany functions it was likely she wouldattend, and - "
Valoree waved her to silence"We shall deal with this problem if andwhen it arises How did you endup as you hen Bull found you? "
Meg gavea dispiritedsigh "I was robbedI had hired a hackat thedocks to takemeto one whenI spotteda shop I wished to look in I hadhim stop, went in totake alook around, and when I cas" She shook her head with disgustat the eI should have just waited until Iarrived at the inn - "
"Most likely you never would have arrived, " Valoree interrupted quietly "It was probably lucky foryou that yougot out You have tobe carefulabout things like that Thereare alone I heard a story of a similarincidentthe day we arrived in London A well-bred woman arrived on aship, hired a hack totake herand herservant toa relative’s, and they never- dead Alltheir belongingshadbeen taken, eventheclothes offtheir back"
Meg paled, her eyes going round with horror Toput her at ease, Valoree quickly asked, "So you were left without your thingsHowdidyour dress getruined and - "
"Oh, " Meg interrupted irritably "I Well, I just started to walk I did notknohatto do I was flustered by the fix I found h attention towhere I was headedBy the timeI did, it was tofind that Ihad rimaced and nodded at Valoree’s shake of thehead"Aye, Iknoasfoolish of me The area was horribly run-down The shed"Well, I realized my folly at once, and turnedto head backthe wayI had cohtthere, in broad daylight, two youngruffians grabbed me into an alleyI screamed, and they koshed one: my jewelry, my cape,in a pileof filth I stank and oas ripped and filthy Ioozyand weakI could not see any injuries, butI could feel alarge buhtened as I was to leave the relative safety of the abandonedalley where I hadbeen left, my head ached horribly and I feared if I allowed et to myfeet, butthe worldsee ht by then andthestreets werenored htI was justwhat I lookedlike: afallen wo nodcocks, as you would call the, and they assumed I was drunkas well When Iraised a handtoward theht it was a drink I wanted They hadso aton
"The next person tocowas Bull, " she finished quietly
"Bythatti, but hestopped and seemed to look me over, thennodded to hiirl? ’ he asked When I nodded du me in hisarms as he told me what he was about ’We need ye fer a job, a respectable-type job - chaperoningour captain If youdoit allrightand proper, there’s food, clothes, aplace to stay, and a cottageof yer own at the end of it Thinkyou could playa lady? ’ "
She laughed with real amusementnow andshook herhead"I am not evensure ifI et away froy, , while you and the dressmaker’s wife bathed, dressed, and , when I awokeon the ship, I thought it through I had no e ofmy own onan estate faraway from court, with thebeautyand peace of the country, seee"
"Aye, Isuppose it is, " Valoree said, hed Here was another burden for her conscience, another soul whose future it seemednow depended onher
"If I have answered all your questions, " Meg said, standing suddenly, "I thinkI shalljust - "
"Go ahead"Valoree sat back inher chair with afrownas Meg left the rooet Henryhis roses, Pete hisown big kitchen, and Meg a home in which to settle They alldepended on her Herher best hope She sihtresult in another debacle regarding her ht-out callsent through thegossipsdid not work well, she , Valoree Your face is looking abit better"
Valoree gruntedin response to Meg’s coroom She knew by the expressions on her men’s faces, and bywhat she had seen for herself upon awakening, that the woh herladylike teeth No doubt she was just tryingto make Valoreefeel better, but Valoree didn’t much care how she looked;she had noballs to attendtoday She was just relieved thattheirritation had gone away
"Well, eat upquick there, Captain, girl, and we shall head out nice and earlyto the shops, " Henry suggested with bluff good cheer
Turningasuspicious glareon the man, Valoreedropped into the seat atthe head of the tablePeteioodsthatwe o totheshops for? "
Her quarter to Bull and One-Eye, who sat on either side of her When the two ement, heclearedhis throatand continued, "Well, yecan’t bewearingthat slopye wore lastnightagain, so we’ll have to go find you sorowl, rising to her feet
"There will be nothing h"
"Now Captain, girl, " Henrytried"Iknow - "
"Ho!" No-Nosehurried intothe roo his eyes"There’s threefellers at the door, allof’eaveout her hand for the cards he held Squirunderheruse of his real na with everyone else as she perused them
"Lord Chaddesley, Lord Alcock, and Lord Heck-ford, " she ainstone hand
"What isit about? " Henry asked, frowning as he moved to standbehind herand peer downover her shoulder
"I donot knowLady Thurborne was talking about these three last nightTheyare all friends who gadabout together Theyare alsosecond sons - they will notinherit and are in need of wives who are wealthy"
Relief flowingthrough her, Valoree chuckled When everyone turned toher, she shrugged "I would say they arehere to offer the’s littlechatwith the gossips lastnight looked takenaback"Oh, my, ofcourse"Sheturned to No-Nose "You shall haveto tell them thatLady Valoree is not available today, and to trybacktomorrow We - "