One Taste of Scandal by Heather Hiestand

Author:Heather Hiestand
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781601831125
Publisher: eKensington
Published: 2013-12-04T16:00:00+00:00

The next morning Judah walked up to Nelson’s Column, glad to see the end of the rain for now, but he wasn’t happy to see the state of his favorite newsboy. That the sun poked through the clouds now and then only illuminated the condition of Eddy Jackson’s face. He’d lost his cap again, and one arm of his jacket had been torn away from the shoulder. Judah noted a black eye, bruises on the young knuckles, and the way Eddy ran his tongue over his teeth indicated concern for a loose incisor.

Nonetheless, his smile was bright. “Paper for you, guv?”

“In another fight?” Judah said.

Eddy shrugged, but not without a wince of pain. “Knock, knock?”

Judah rolled his eyes. “Who is there?”

“Boo.”

Judah knew what was coming, but he appreciated the boy’s pluck. “Boo who?”

“Do not cry, guv, it’s only a joke.”

“Your face isn’t a joke, Eddy, particularly if you were hit hard enough to loosen teeth. Now I see your lip is cut and you’ve a mark on your jaw. Can’t you avoid these bruisers?”

“I live with ’em, guv.”

“Your father?”

“No, I ’aven’t one of those, nor a mam either, but I’ve got a roof over me ’ead, and food to eat.”

“Did these friends of yours steal your hat?”

Eddy touched his head. “Lost it somewhere, I expect.”

“Right.” Judah dug in his pocket, found three shillings. “Mind that you do not lose the money.”

“Ah, guv, you don’t need to pay for another.”

“It’s bad enough that you have to be out in bad weather. I won’t have my personal newsboy looking disreputable. Mind you sew up that jacket.” A shabby man brushed by him. Judah clapped his hand against his pocket, thinking the man might have seen the money and come to rob him, but the man stopped a couple of feet away at a milkwoman, a yoke over her shoulders holding her cans as an advertisement to passersby.

Eddy grinned and tossed him a paper as Miss Cross arrived. “Yes, guv.”

“Oh, Eddy, your face!” she cried.

Judah put a hand on her shoulder. “The lad is fine, and you are running late this morning, madam. Shall we go?”

She nodded at Eddy and walked beside Judah briskly as they left the Square. “Who did that to him?” she asked as they left Eddy’s earshot.

“Someone he lives with, apparently. I believe he’s an orphan.”

“Oh, dear. I wish there was something we could do for him.”

“Keep buying his papers is the best thing. Money gives a man options, and a lad too.”

“Yes, you are right about that.”

“Why were you late this morning?” He pulled her around a puddle.

“George didn’t come down at the usual time this morning, so I had to help give the boys their breakfast. It won’t happen again.”

“Is George ill?”

He noted that she hesitated before answering. “I think the boys should go away to school. The earl wrote a lovely note that came home with them, offering to pay their way at St. George’s School in Ascot.”

“That is a generous offer.”

“Yes. It will position them well in life if he is willing to pay for their education.

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