Lord Day and Lady Night

37. Freshly Fabricated Relatives

"What da 'ell did ye think ye were doing? Do ye 'ave any idea 'ow stupid and dangerous dat was? What if some carriage 'ad rammed inta ye from be'ind? What if ye'd fallen out onto da road? Ye're never, ever ever gonna do somethin' like dat again, do ye understand?"

"Aye, Mum," Flo told her with a smirk.

Amy felt her face flush. And it's not 'cause I'm 'appy about what dat little brat just said! No, definitely not! I'm pissed off! Really pissed off! And 'er callin' me mum definitely doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy inside!

"I should make ye stand in da corner of da room for da next five hours! Or spank ye until yer butt's raw!"

"And what next?" Flo raised an eyebrow. "Some light bondage? A little fir—mmmmmph!"

"Ye!" Covering the little girl's mouth, Amy felt her face flaming, this time for an entirely different reason. "Ye've been listenin' to dose despicable people again!"

Slipping out of her grip, Flo batted her eyelashes up at her. "Ye mean yer friends?"

"Ah...ehem, dat ain't da point!"

"Ye look like ye need a smoke." Reaching into her pocket, Flo held something familiar out to her. "Wanna buy a box of matches? It's on sale today, only thruppen—"

"No, I don't want a box of matches! I wanna know what ye're doing 'ere! Don't ye know what we came 'ere for?"

The cheeky grin abruptly vanished from Flo's face, and she met Amy's eyes. "Aye. We do."

"We," Aggy said, stroking one finger down the knife she was hugging like her favorite toy, "came ta 'elp."

"'ow? By stabbin' people ta death?"

"Ye know," Leona said, exchanging glances with the other girls, "that does sound like a spiffin' idea."

"And ye?" Amy whirled to the remaining two girls. "Did ye come ta ''elp' as well?"

"Did ye really think I'd leave me younger sister be'ind?" Flo shot back, slinging an arm around Jo's shoulders.

Amy's gaze fell on the last one.

"Well..." Nibbling on her lower lip, Grace looked down. "Ye came 'ere. If...if I'd stayed in London, ye'd be so far away. What if dose men came again? What if...if..."

Abruptly, Amy felt her heart soften. Kneeling down, she slid her arms around the girl and squeezed tight.

"Don't ye worry, girl. Ye're safe 'ere. I won't let nothin' 'appen ta ye."

"Does dat mean we can 'elp?" Aggy asked, an eager glint in her eyes, reflected in the blade of her knife.

"No! And stop smilin' at dat knife like some creepy baby vamp from a penny dreadful!"

"But—"

"That's enough." That voice...she knew it. A moment later, Patrick's solid, broad-shouldered figure stepped in between her and the children. His face grim, he knelt down on the ground until he was on eye-level with them. "You might not want to hear it, but Miss Amy is correct. What we are here to do is incredibly dangerous. This is no place for children."

"Neither," Leona said, her voice low and far too somber for a child, "was dat dungeon."

Amy opened her mouth—then realized that she had no rebuttal for that.

Luckily, she didn't have to.

"Weeeheheheh!"

A horse cantered into the courtyard pulling a chaise in which sat a familiar figure in clergy-black.