Trifling Favors (Redcakes Book 7) by Heather Hiestand

Author:Heather Hiestand [Hiestand, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical, Romance, Victorian, historical fiction, British, Historical Romance
ISBN: 1616507977
Amazon: B0104FZETC
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2016-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Betsy felt she’d had a productive day on Saturday. While her mind had wandered to predictably sad places—namely, her departure from Greggory’s warm bed on Thursday, and the shameful journey upstairs less than fully dressed to her own cold bed—her feet had kept on walking to respectable boardinghouses not far from Redcake’s. She’d found a place, too. The owner had told her she could have the rooms if she returned Tuesday night to pay for the week because the rooms became available on Wednesday. She’d agreed to do so.

The other satisfactory item was her conduct at work on Friday. She’d behaved impeccably toward Greggory—that was, Mr. Redcake—extremely professionally. Not once had her eyes strayed from his nose when they had discussed work matters, nor had she allowed herself to think of anything but business. The strain had taken its toll and she’d had to go to bed with a sick headache the previous night, but thus were the wages of sin and their invariably uncomfortable aftermath.

Now, more discomfort awaited her, as she had to explain to her father what she was doing. Mrs. Roach let her in the front door of the house, and after a brief exchange, Betsy went upstairs, finding her father in the sitting room where he slept, repairing the rolled edge of a blanket.

“Busy day at Redcake’s?” he inquired. “I went in this morning, but it was a quiet day despite the season. I should say smooth-running, rather than quiet. The new delivery manager is very efficient.”

“I’d had the impression that Simon Hellman was good at his job.”

“He wasn’t bad, but this new lad is better. You will have to meet him.”

She shuddered. The last thing she needed right now was a suitor. “No, thank you. Papa, I need to speak to you about something important.”

“Yes, I imagine you do. Has Mr. Redcake spoken to you?” He poked his needle into the blanket and set it aside.

“No, this is not about work. This is about lodgings.”

“Oh, yes. I told him if we pooled both of our earnings for this week we should be able to afford someplace acceptable, but he insisted we stay for now. Why don’t you give me your pay and I’ll tuck it away?” He held out his hand.

She folded her arms across her chest. “And let you run into a priest with his begging bowl at the ready? I think not. I’ve learned my lesson, Ralph Popham. I honor and respect you as my father, but I need to honor and respect myself as well.”

His eyebrows lifted. “What is all this?”

“I’ve found lodgings for myself. Respectable ones. I’m going to try living alone. I make as good money as a decent working man, and I don’t have a family to support. I can live in some comfort, and save a bit besides. You earn more than me. If you spend your money on yourself, you have no need of mine. With Violet working and Victor a criminal, you’ve no need to support anyone else.

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