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She wasn’t aware of falling asleep, but she aith her neck aching and sunlight filtering into the roo?"

With a smile, she looked to the doorhere Mrs Prosser, the head"

Mrs Prosser gave a quick curtsy Frannie couldn’t convince her that she wasn’t deserving of one "I’entlerow Greystone had wasted no ti to reclaim his watch Perhaps he’d join her for a bit of breakfast But when she stepped into the foyer, it wasn’t Greystone aited for her, but a s pate that was only visible because he’d re it between his chapped hands

"May I help you, sir?" she asked

"I’m here to help you, ma’am I’m a cobbler His Grace, the Duke of Greystone, has hiredshoes"

Frannie felt the tears sting her eyes at yet another exaenerosity "He did, did he?"

"Yes, ma’am Whenever a lad needs new shoes, you just send word to me and I’ll be by to take measurements His Grace will pay for all the shoes you need"

"That’s very generous of hiht plenty of paper withtheir et to work back atup the boys, she returned to the bedroo to discover he wasn’t there

"Mrs Prosser?"

Mrs Prosser hurried into the roo here, did you do so with him? Send him for a bath perhaps?"

"No, "

Frannie was fairly certain it was futile, but she had everyone search the building and grounds for ly boy who answered to the name of Jimmy She felt that she’d not only let Ji in the darkened alleyway, Sterling reached into his waistcoat pocket for his watch before re that its absence was the very reason he was here now It was habit to take out his watch, flip it open, and look at the tih he’d not be able to see its face in the darkness He’d instructed his driver to park his coach on the street at the end of the alleyway If Swindler or Dodger was about, he didn’t want either of them to know that he was There was also the possibility that he’dof his watch Perhaps she intended to pawn it in order to acquire the few coins needed to feed the little urchin who’d stolen into his residence

Or as he hoped, perhaps it was an invitation He’d gone into Dodger’s briefly and cornered one of the lads who ran errands He’d confir to the books With any luck, she’d be finished shortly and Sterling would approach her and invite her to join hiht ride in his coach She’d initiated this encounter and he was content to let her dictate the pace of things Since Claybourne’s visit, Sterling wasn’t quite sure what he wanted of her any longer Considering her past, seducing her for his own pleasure see He couldn’t deny that he still wanted her, but he recognized that he wanted her for ht He wanted to undo the harshness of her past, he wanted to introduce her to the sensual pleasures that she should have known all along

He could et her out of Dodger’s For years They could find a satisfying happiness Yes, eventually he would have to hter, but he knew many s Of course, there was still the problee, which she deserved, and her own children, who deserved her No, o It was dreadfully selfish, and while he’d always seen to his own pleasures first, where she was concerned, he was more interested in hers

The back door opened and she stepped out onto the stoop After she locked the door, she brought the hood of her cloak up over her head A strange thing to do when her apartht, but…

She hurried down the alleyway, passing by the stairs that led up to her apart?

By nature he was not in the habit of sticking his nose where it didn’t belong But herto be discovered He told hi briskly yet quietly in her direction Coincidence, on his part His coach was just around the corner, after all

Frannie had finished with her books as quickly as possible She wanted to get to the rookeries while children were still out and about, while men were not completely foxed, while women hadn’t taken their last custo the area for Jiht Soan also haunted the streets If she could find him, she was fairly certain she could persuade hiht be bent with age now, but he was still clever

As she drew near the end of the alley, her heart picked up its tempo She would find a hansom--