Peaches and the Queen by Edith Layton

Author:Edith Layton [Layton, Edith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Published: 2015-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

“He said he’s going to get Peaches back for me,” Theo said stubbornly—worry that he’d done a very wrong thing making him brusque.

“And what does he want in return, if he does do it?” she breathed.

“Just my friendship.”

His sister sank into the room’s only chair. “Oh, Theo,” she whispered. “Oh, Theo! What have you done?”

* * *

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Sunshine,” Elizabeth said again, nervously but emphatically. “My aunt is very ill and I cannot in all conscience not visit her this morning. I’ll be back by noon and will work all the harder for my absence, but how can I celebrate Christmas without knowing how my only remaining aunt is faring?”

She waited, silently praying. If her employer said no, she’d go anyway. But if she went, she’d be out of work, and good jobs were rare. She didn’t want to be a servant, and couldn’t leave Theo to go as a governess or a lady’s companion. This position was everything to her. Staying out of the clutches of Thomas Farrow was everything else. If she owed him anything he’d have a hold on her. He was handsome and clever, but utterly without morals. Since her father had left her destitute she’d seen a part of the world she’d never known existed, and had also seen what happened to young women who fell in with men like Thomas Farrow. She’d beg for alms before she’d be indebted to the likes of him.

“Very well,” Mrs. Sunshine sniffed, after a pause to make Elizabeth realize how great a favor she was granting. “Go. But be back by noon, or I will find someone who appreciates her job.”

Elizabeth thanked her, and left the little shop. She headed toward the palace. She’d seen it once, years past, in better times, when her parents had taken her for a Sunday outing. Theo had been a baby then. But she could never forget the sight of the place. White and sprawling, ringed by gates, guarded by soldiers, vast enough for three streets full of houses, with more rooms than she had hairs on her head, she was told. Hysterical laughter rose in her throat. She throttled it back.

But how was she supposed to get a word out of anyone connected with the palace, much less get her hands on the Queen of England’s cat?

* * *

After Elizabeth left for her shop, Theo did his usual chores before he set out for work. He walked Nibs, brought him home, waited until the old dog had again circled the room, sniffing the floor and blinking its bleary eyes looking for Peaches. The weary animal took only a few laps of water, turned his nose up at any offer of food, then collapsed into its bed. Theo petted him, then left and shut the door tight behind himself. He set a brisk pace as he headed out. Today he wouldn’t be working for coins.

He’d seen Elizabeth’s face last night, her absolute shock and terror. He didn’t know what she was afraid of, but thinking about it, he could guess more than she’d guess he could.

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