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Shewould need to find another position.

Dismaybubbled behind her breastbone.

Itwould not be easy.

Notin a city whose streets teemed with beggars.

Neithercould Siobhan take the children and return to Ireland.

Besideshaving no funds for the journey or relatives to rely upon once they arrived in their homeland, her gentle farmer father had confided that it wouldn’t be safe. Something had happened to cause Da and Maura to pack their essential belongings, leave Ireland in the dead of night without looking back, and journey to London.

Whatthat was, Siobhan did not know for certain.

Shesuspected it had something to do with the unsavory man who’d shown up on their doorstep several times. Da always refused him entry and ordered him from the property.

Fletcheralso made a point of dropping in daily—supposedly to check on her wellbeing.

Shesnorted.

Asif he truly cared.

Eachtime, he questioned her as if she were a notorious villain. No matter what she said, she could see the doubt shadowing his green eyes. His distrust distressed Siobhan, and she despised herself for caring about what he thought of her.

Untila week ago, she had admired FletcherWestbrook.

Hetreated his employees with respect, paid fair wages, and worked hard. She’d never heard him raise his voice, he didn’t drink to excess, and he enforced strict ethical protocols at his club. His one glaring fault was his reputation as a rake—one she’d come to suspect might be exaggerated.

Truthbe told, she had wrongly believed him an honorable man.

However, after a week of being treated like London’s most nefarious criminal, her estimation of him had dropped to somewhere between maggot and manure.

No, maggots in manure.

Theimagery caused the merest upward sweep of her mouth.

Yesterday, desperate for a change of scenery, Siobhan had draped a blanket around her shoulders—her boy’s clothing had mysteriously gone missing—and opened the door intending to see her brother and sister and perhaps borrow a book from Fletcher’s library. Not that skulking around in nothing but a nightgown and blanket was the height of propriety, but on this side of De la Chance, midday, she mightn’t even encounter another employee.

Fletcherhad driven her to take dire actions.

However, Saul, the kindly guard assigned to ensure she remained inside her chamber, took his duties seriously. Compassion etched his face, but he’d shaken his head.

“Mr. Westbrook says you’re not to leave your bedchamber, MissKenney.”

Ithad been all Siobhan could do not to give into her pique and slam the door in his sympathetic face. She hadn’t even tried to leave her chamber today.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

She’dconsidered escaping out the window, but up three stories and without a balcony or anything to hang onto, she’d likely fall to her death.

Thenwhat would happen to Kimber and Paddy?

Releasingan annoyed huff, she paced to the door and pressed her ear against the panel.

Rustlingand low voices outside the chamber almost sent her hurtling back beneath the bedcovers, but she’d had enough. Tilting her chin upward in defiance, she backed away until she stood in the room’s center and faced the door.

Nomatter what happened, she would remain calm and poised.

Easiersaid than done when one stood in one’s nightclothes.