Page 46 of The Unfortunate Debutante
“No, sir, I don’t get that close to the rookeries,” the driver declared. “I can drop you off at Busby Street.”
“That will do,” Simeon answered, turning to assist her into the hackney. Before he climbed in next to her, his eyes scanned the street until he gave a curt nod.
Once he sat next to her, Emma murmured, “Why is another Bow Street Runner following us?”
He looked at her in surprise. “How did you know that?”
“I’m basically a spy,” she joked. “I can scale walls, I’m good at defending myself, and I am quite intuitive.”
“What do you know about spies?” he asked cautiously.
She put her hand next to her mouth as she shared, “I am wise enough to know that Jonathon, Benedict, and Adrien are agents of the Crown.”
“Do you now?”
“I do.” She lowered her hand. “Anyway, do you think it is wise to include another Bow Street Runner?”
He nodded. “Pembrooke is one of the best. I sent him a missive, asking him to trail us to the meeting. I haven’t yet spoken to him about Peter Lockhart, but I intend to shortly.” He gave her a pointed look. “You can trust Pembrooke.”
“I suppose I’ll give Pembrooke a chance.”
Turning her head towards the street, Emma watched as the vendors closed their stands, and hungry children eyed the remaining food with longing.
“That’s awful,” she murmured to herself.
“What’s awful?”
Shifting on the bench towards him, she answered, “All the children that are starving and no one is helping them.”
“It’s the parents’ job to feed their children.”
Emma furrowed her brows. “And if the parents don’t have money to pay for the high price of bread?”
“I can’t answer that,” he replied with a slight wince.
Her eyes shifted back towards the street, and she watched women carrying baskets as they scurried along. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying. If Luke and Rachel hadn’t rescued her when they did, this could have been her life. Who knows where she would have ended up?
Simeon’s voice broke through her musings. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she replied. “Just anxious, I suppose.”
Thankfully, Simeon left it at that, since the hackney jerked to a stop. They quickly walked the distance towards The Tubby Wench pub. Once they stepped inside, Emma waded through the large group of patrons as she headed towards the stairs. A lone door was at the top of the stairs, and she knocked loudly.
The door opened, and a short man with long hair stared back at her. “How can I help you?”
“I’m a friend of Jerome’s,” she revealed, raising her voice so she could be heard over the crowd downstairs.
He nodded, opened the door wide and waved them through.
Inside the small, crowded hall, a rectangular table sat in the middle, and a large group of people congregated on both sides. The table held multiple sheets of paper. Men and women approached and signed their names.
Stepping closer, Emma asked a petite, blonde-haired young woman who was standing near her, “What is everyone signing?”
“We’re signing a petition for Parliament to overturn the Corn Laws,” she explained. “The more signatures we have, the more likely we can affect change.”
“Indeed,” Emma responded.
The woman looked at her, glancing down at her brown gown. “You’re new here. My name’s Janet.”
