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Chapter One

Eliza yawned and absently swiped an errant curl fro Bernard’s surly glare, she unceremoniously slapped several tankards of ale onto the rickety wooden table, ignoring the loud protests of the patrons as they were splattered with the foul brew With a snarl of warning, she snatched up the coins fro hands off her botto back to the battle-scarred plank of wood that posed as a bar

She had learnt that if she walked fast enough she could get across the packed roo propositioned or mauled too much For the several months she had worked at the run-down inn, she had been known to issue patrons a healthy whack upside the head for getting too alared at one unfortunate man as too faht of the tankard h to rope, and sullenly return to his drink

Eliza shot a quick glance at Bernard who had been watching her closely all night, and returned his warning look, her lip curling with conteave her the sack She was sick and tired of spending her nights being groped by drunks who thought they were funny Horrible, lecherous ht it was hilarious to openly make coarse comments about her sexual prowess in bed, and the voluptuous nature of her body

If it wasn’t for the need to be near her sister Jemima, then she would be far away from this ramshackle little tavern she currently called home

She hadn’t told Jemima that the inn also operated as a bawdy house Of late, her sister see; at least she had been teeks ago when Eliza had seen her last

Briefly she wondered if they were going to be ain She didn’t want to burden her older sister with her own problems any further than was necessary, but kneas only a matter of time before she had toforced into spending her nights as one of the working girls upstairs If Bernard had his way, she would be up there right now, being serviced by the lecherous customers for pittance a turn

So far, Eliza hadwhere she would have to make the decision to leave and take her chances elsewhere It didn’tto turn herself into a whore for any man

If only she could get Bernard to pay her the money she ed

Swiping the bothersorabbed several tankards and began to weave her way through the crush of bodies

The main body of the inn consisted of onetables and stools with a smaller apex to one side that was reserved for the quieter and generally older clientele Eliza didn’t knohich orse The heavy crush of sweat-laden bodies of the rope, or the cloying smoke-laden side rooloomy air to it

A small round table and solitary stool sat near the entrance to the apex which was usually kept aside for the patrons aiting for their turn upstairs Eliza shuddered with revulsion as she eyed the lank, unwashed hair of the es on his face, it was clear he hadn’t washed for sonored the steady odour of sweat and other things she would rather not identify e bed partner

She watched as one client ran down the stairs, a wide grin of satisfaction on his face as he rejoined his table Within an to weave his drunken way upstairs for his turn It was a constant procession of men ere prepared to frequent the htly, and drink the foul brew the innkeeper called ale in order to take their turn upstairs for a few pennies a time

Depositing her burden on a wobbly table, she turned to collectin conterabbed her wrist in a painful hold Immediately she twisted and prised her ar her bruised flesh as she scowled up at hi for his inevitable lecture

“Deal with ‘im” Bernard nodded to the darkest corner of the side roo into the shadows in the far corner warily, a worried frown on his face Flicking Eliza one last look, he took the empty tankards off her and turned away