Edith Layton by Gypsy Lover Read Free Book Online Page B

ale was thick as the air, which was heavy with coal and pipe smoke. There was only a handful of men left in the dim room—and three of them sat shoulder to shoulder at a table by the window. Meg straightened her own shoulders and advanced.
    She stopped when she got to their table and plucked up her courage. They were not the sort of men she was accustomed to speaking to.
    One was dark, but the darkness of that face wasn’t his natural complexion, the irregular streaks on it showed it came from grime. His hair wasn’t visible beneath his battered hat, but the calculation in his narrowed eyes was. The man in the middle was cleaner, or at least pink faced. He wore clothes that showed his attempt at playing the peacock, because he had a soiled red kerchief tied around his plump neck. The third man was thick, and looked thick-witted too, as he gave her a wide and broken-toothed smile that had no humor in it.
    “Gentlemen,” she said as calmly as she could. “I’ve been told you might know something about my cousin. She’s a very pretty blond, blue-eyed youngwoman who dresses like a lady.” She paused, because she realized she hated to so much as describe pretty Rosalind to this foul-looking trio. Still, not only in spite of, but because of the way they looked, she reasoned they must have their ears to the ground.
    Knowing that she had to, she added, “She speaks with a lisp, as well, and it’s unmistakable. I’ve reason to believe she’s traveling this road. I’m looking for her, and I’ve missed her at all turns. I—I’ll pay for information about her, if you have any.”
    The men gave each other significant looks. Then the plump one spoke up. “Might be we have, at that, little lady. Could be. What do you think, men?”
    “What?” the filthy one grunted. “How do we know she ain’t playing at something, eh? Got a man or two behind that there door, Missy? And him with an eye on robbing decent folk, someways?”
    The thickset man giggled.
    “Aye, right,” the plump one said. “She don’t look like she’s running a rig, but who knows? After all, there are dark forces afoot here, and don’t we know it?”
    “No, no one’s with me,” Meg said quickly. “I vow it. I was separated from my cousin, and that’s why I must find her.”
    “Well…” The grimy man looked at the others, and then they all stared at her.
    “Aye, she’ll do,” the plump one said. “But not here! Listen, Missy. What we say could get us in some trouble, y’see. So, best we don’t spill it herewhere anyone can overhear. Want us to come up to your room?”
    Meg took a step back. She didn’t even want to be in the same inn with them. She shook her head and managed to say, “No, that would be most improper!”
    The plump man grinned. “Aye, so it would. Where’s my head? We ain’t used to Quality like you, miss. Begging your pardon. So then, if not here or there, how about you meet us ’round back? It’s dark enough to cover us, and quiet enough so’s we can hear anyone coming. Just out back. You go now. We’ll meet you soon’s as we see the coast’s clear.”
    Meg hesitated.
    “Blimey!” the grimy man said. “Look, she’s scart to even talk to us. So then why did you come ’round bothering with us, Missy, eh?”
    “C’mon, miss,” the plump one said, with a smile. “You want to know about your cousin, right? Well, we know a thing or two. But we ain’t putting our necks on the line, not for any money. Though we do like money. And I hear you got some for us, in exchange for what we know. So meet us halfway, just ’round back.” He spread his hands wide. “Why not? What’s there? The stables. A Jericho. But leastways that way we can see anyone coming, and we can be gone if we do. What we have to say might make some folks mad at us, and that we don’t need. Y’see?”
    She nodded. But stayed where she was.
    “Well, then,” the plump one said with an elaborateshrug, “if you don’t care about your