Mara: A Georgian Romance

Chapter 1

Jacob Abbot ran hard through the streets of London as fast as his legs would carry him. Just a few minutes earlier, he succeeded in stealing a melon from a street vendor, but the man spotted Jake as he made a hasty exit. He dropped the precious but heavy fruit in order to keep one step ahead of his pursuer.

Jake hated stealing food, but he and the other boys did it often. It was either steal or die of starvation. Not much of a choice. That bloody orphanage didn’t provide enough food to keep a mouse alive, let alone boys in the middle of growth spurts.

His orphan buddies, Luke Holloway, Alvin Bitters, and Pete Smithers, scouted out different food stands to rob. They were all to meet later with their contraband at their hideout under the back stairs of the brothel. It wasn’t the most desirable place for a hideout, but no one had ever discovered them there, so it served its purpose.

Jake, at thirteen, was the oldest of the four boys, and the ringleader of the small gang. His gangly long legs and too long arms told of a future as a tall man, if he ever made it to manhood. He already stood a half a head taller than the overbearing director of the orphanage, Sir Percy Snellings.

God, how Jake hated that man! Snellings was cruel, malicious, and repulsive—the last man on earth who should have been running an orphanage. He regularly beat the orphans and kept for himself most of the food donated by the queen’s kitchens.

Jake hadn’t always been an orphan. His parents, Charles and Gloria Abbot, had died five years earlier, in 1791, during an influenza epidemic that swept through London. Charles, the vicar of a small parish on the outskirts of London, had been tending to his congregation and contracted the horrible malady, bringing it home to his family. Gloria, Charles, and Jake’s little sister, Mary, all succumbed to the deadly disease, leaving eight-year-old Jake to fend for himself. Neighbors packed him off to the Queen’s Children’s Home immediately after his family’s burial in the small cemetery attached to the chapel, as no one in the borough could afford yet another mouth to feed.

From that moment, Jake’s life rapidly descended into hell. Snellings couldn’t stand Jake, for he was not a typical street urchin. The boy could read, write, and do rudimentary mathematics. He spoke with a softer accent, and used proper language. Snellings saw Jake as a threat, and went out of his way to make the boy’s life miserable.

So here Jake was, on the street, becoming that very street urchin, forced to steal to live, and now running for his freedom. He was so malnourished he couldn’t run as fast as he used to. He knew he had to hide, and soon. He turned the corner and saw a high wall across the street with a border of bushes. There it was, the perfect hiding place—a break in the bushes, just large enough for him to squeeze through. He quickly dodged the horses and carriages and other pedestrians, hoping that zigzagging through them would hide his movements enough so he could reach the bushes unnoticed. Jake nearly crashed into a trotting horse, and received a tongue lashing from the rider. He paid no attention, as he ran headlong into the break in the bushes and crouched down behind the thick branches. A few seconds later he heard footsteps near his hiding place, and a man’s voice emitting curses.

Where’d you go, you bloody little thief? You can’t get away from me! Jake peered out through the thick leaves at a pair of filthy boots and brown pant legs. He held his breath, and tried not to make a sound.

Please go away. Move it, move it! he thought, as he drew a small slow breath and held it again. Go. Go. Go. GO!

After what seemed like an eternity, the man in the dirty boots moved back across the street and disappeared from sight. Jake took a deep breath, happy to have escaped capture and punishment this time. One of these days his luck would run out, and he would be caught.

Now that the danger had passed, Jake took a moment to examine his hiding place more closely. Looking up ahead, he saw that the bushes were far enough away from the wall that he could crawl on his hands and knees between them for quite a ways. He couldn’t stand up because the branches above him pressed up against the wall, but he was perfectly content to crawl along the ground to see what lay ahead.

He moved forward, praying for another break in the bushes, his hands and knees beginning to feel the pain of the rocks and dirt under them. The pain in his empty stomach was far worse, however, so he brushed aside the stinging in his palms. He’d probably ruin the knees of his britches, but they were already in sorry shape. He was about to turn back when he noticed a pile of rubble up ahead. Crawling a little faster, he came upon what looked like an old gate or entry way that had been poorly filled in, and part of it crumbled away.

After moving some of the rock debris out of the way, Jake found that the hole was just big enough for him to squeeze through. However, once through the hole, the boy found himself in the same predicament—smashed between the wall and another length of bushes, with only room to move near the roots. He sighed and continued to crawl, wondering where this would possibly lead him.

Chapter 2

The copse was very quiet on this fine spring day, as ten-year-old Mara Markham sat on the stone bench, reading. Her nanny, Cecilia, had sewn a pillow set for her many years ago to rest upon the stone and keep her comfortable as she read in her favorite spot. Mara read voraciously, much to her mother’s dismay. Lady Maureen, daughter of a baron and wife to Lord Evelyn Markham, wanted Mara to learn the genteel ways of a woman and keep her nose out of books. Fortunately, Mara did not have to endure her mother’s criticisms often, for Maureen paid more attention to Mara’s brothers, Edwin and Bertram, and left her daughter to her own devices. This pleased Mara to no end. She hated being around her family members, who always seemed to make her self-conscious about her extra-large size. She avoided them as much as possible, and hiding in the gardens suited her requirement just fine. Cecilia, who felt more like mother to the child, ensured that Mara had as many peaceful moments as possible away from the cruel taunts of her brothers and thoughtless comments from her parents.

This morning, however, a strange rustling in the bushes along the outer wall disturbed Mara’s reading. She peered through the trellis of clematis, and stared in the direction of the noise for a few moments. Suddenly, she saw a figure in the shadows moving on hands and knees through the underside of the brush. And not very quietly, either. It appeared to be a boy. He paused, moved a bit, paused, and then moved a bit again. He acted as if he listened to see if he could hear anyone the other side.

Surprised that someone would invade the garden, Mara quietly stood up and tiptoed around the end of the trellis, across the lawn, and toward the end of the bush line where she knew the intruder would eventually have to emerge. She waited, prepared to use the heavy book she carried as a weapon, if necessary.

Jake crawled almost to the end of the bushes when he noticed a pair of shoes and what looked like the hem of a yellow dress near the place he had planned to emerge. Blimey, he thought. Now what? Should he crawl back, or take his chances with the woman? He stopped and looked for more shoes, legs, hems, or other evidence of additional people he might have to face. Seeing none, he decided to take his chances. He popped out of the bushes, rolled forward, jumped up, and faced the woman with one hand cocked behind him, ready to strike.

Mara and Jake stared at each other in surprise. Jake never expected a fat little girl with the curliest red hair and greenest eyes he’d ever seen, holding a book over her shoulder, ready to hit him back.

Mara never expected a tall, dirty, emaciated boy with long, blondish, unkempt hair, holding his fist over his shoulder to defend himself. After staring at each other for a minute, she lowered her book and stood awkwardly, not sure what to do next.

Jake followed suit and dropped his hand to his side. Uhhh, he started, Queen Charlotte, I presume?

Mara burst into giggles. Of all the things she supposed the boy would say, that didn’t even come close! She liked him instantly, and decided he wasn’t a threat after all.

The girl had a contagious giggle, and Jake found himself giggling, too. What started as a dangerous encounter ended with him enjoying the best laugh he’d had in years. He felt relieved the girl didn’t find a reason to smack him with that very heavy book.

Jake bowed deeply. I am honored to meet you, m’lady. Jacob Abbot, at your service.

She held out her hand, backside up, and gave a deep courtesy. The pleasure is all mine, Sir Abbot. I am Mistress Mara Markham. He took her hand, kissed it in a gentlemanly fashion, and then straightened back up.

Introductions over, they again stared at one another. Jake noticed Mara had a little space between her two front teeth, which gave her a waifish look.

Umm, I have a bit of lunch in the basket, Sir Abbot. Would you care to join me?

Food! She offered him food! He melted. YES! he exclaimed, a little too loudly, causing Mara to flinch. I mean, yes, m’lady, Jake replied, much softer this time. A spot of lunch would be marvelous.

Mara looked at Jake appraisingly. Due to his incredible thinness and his reaction to her offer of food, she had the distinct impression he didn’t eat very often. Suddenly, she became very self-conscious about the extra stones she carried due to the copious amounts of food she consumed. Jake didn’t sound like a commoner; he spoke like her, with a soft manner and an educated verbiage. However, the rags he wore made him look like he lived on the streets. Enough with the appraisal, she thought. I have a guest to feed. Gently, she took Jake’s dirty hand in hers and led him back around the end of the trellis into her special copse in the garden. She motioned for him to sit down on her favorite bench, pulled the basket out from under it, and placed it next to him.

Please, Sir Abbot, partake of anything you wish. Mara laid the red and white tablecloth on the ground. She then pulled the food from the picnic basket, and arranged it around the tablecloth.

Jake could only gape at the display of food this one young girl spread out before him. The spread consisted of fruit, bread, cheese, cider, sweets, and MEAT! Oh, my God! She had chicken. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had chicken. He looked up from the repast in front of him, and his eyes met Mara’s. She immediately saw the awe, as well as the hunger in his eyes, and at once knew she would never allow him to go hungry again. She quickly looked away and picked up a baguette, broke off a large chunk, and handed it to him.

Jake took the bread and devoured it. Mara had never before seen anyone eat so fast. She handed him a chunk of cheese that disappeared as fast as the bread, followed by a cup of the cider, more bread, and two chicken legs. Mara nibbled on some bread and cheese, allowing Jake to eat as much as his stomach could hold.

Jake ate like a condemned man. He showed no manners, shoveling the food into his mouth, as he filled a belly that had gone too long without good, nutritious food. A part of his brain told him to slow down, that he would make himself sick, but he couldn’t stop himself, and only halted when he had eaten everything. Then, with a great belch of satisfaction, he put his hands on his belly, laid down on the pillows, and stared at the flowered canopy above him with a huge smile on his face.

I think I made a pig of myself, m’lady, and I must apologize for my behavior, he said to the air above him. A shadow moved over him, and he looked up into Mara’s concerned, pudgy face. Why are you so hungry? she asked. Doesn’t your family have any food?

He closed his eyes and frowned, embarrassed. He generally didn’t talk about his life to others. The people on the street didn’t want to know anyway. His appearance screamed no-good street urchin. But after having devoured Mara’s lunch, he probably owed her some sort of explanation for his gluttony. Flinging his arm over his face so he couldn’t see the scorn in her eyes, he started to tell his tale.

I have no family; at least I haven’t for a very long time. I was born on the Grafton side of London, where I lived with my family until about five years ago, when they all died of the influenza. I now live in the Queen’s Children’s Home, a fancy name for an orphanage, where they starve us and beat us and sell us to the highest bidder. I roam the streets during the day to look for food to steal.

His voice became softer, more distant. I hate doing it, but it is the only way to survive from day to day. So many children at the orphanage don’t survive. So if we don’t want to die we have to forage for food. Sometimes, we can find it in the garbage bins, but most of the time we have to filch it.

He slowly pulled his arm to his forehead and cautiously opened one eye. Mara still bent over him, staring down at his face. He grimaced a little, expecting her to be appalled at his statements. But instead, her brows were furrowed in even deeper concern, her mouth open slightly.

Jake pulled himself up into a sitting position, and Mara sat next to him. My friends and I were at the fruit stands today, and a man caught me snitching a melon. I ran, hid in the bushes on the outside of your wall, and then found my way into your garden, where you caught me. He hung his head in shame.

Mara dropped her jaw, aghast. Not at his stealing, but at his need to steal. She had no idea people outside the four walls that protected her family home were in such dire straits. This boy and others like him were starving to death, blocks away from her house of plenty! How could that be? Her ten-year-old mind couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

You can come here and eat any time you want.

Jake looked at her, surprised. You want me to come back?

Yes. Her simple statement told the truth. Tears stung the backs of his eyes at the straightforward invitation. He blinked back the wetness and started giggling again, which also sent Mara into a fit of giggles. Pretty soon, he laughed so hard he had a stomachache.

Then they talked. She told him all about her life, and he told her all about his. He talked about the years before he lost his parents, the vicarage, and the people he remembered in the congregation. He told her about Luke, Alvin, and Pete, and their escapades and escapes. He left out the darker details to protect himself from answering the hard questions he she could ask.

Mara told him about her brothers, and how malevolent they were to her. She told of her cousins, and how nasty they were to her. She told of her parents, and how disinterested they were in her life. Mara talked to Jake about the people who served her family, and how they cared for her and she cared for them, and about the house and her room and her dolls and the books she read.

Jake picked up the book she had, and haltingly read a few passages out loud. It had been awhile since he’d had a book in his hands, and it felt good to be reading again. And they laughed some more.

They came from two different worlds, but felt a connection of friendship that transcended their stations in life. The bond forged from a shared need for love and family.

All too soon the sun began to set. Mara stood up to return to the house before someone came searching and found Jake in the garden with her.

Come tomorrow, and we’ll have lunch together again. And I will bring enough for you to take back to Luke and Pete and Alvin, too. I will never let you go hungry again. I won’t let my friends starve.

Jake melted. He hadn’t had anyone take care of him in a very long time, and this girl would feed him and his friends. He didn’t know what to say. Jake decided Mara was the kindest, most wonderful, most beautiful person he had ever seen. He thought of her as his angel, and he would go to the ends of the earth for her. The tears threatened again, so he hurriedly turned away to leave.

I will see you tomorrow, he croaked, and then disappeared into the bushes.

Chapter 3

The next day, true to her word, Mara waited for Jake in the copse with a full picnic basket. She also gripped in her pudgy fingers a white linen bag with clumsy handles that looked very similar to a couple of old napkins sewn together. It held food for the other boys. Jake once again ate his fill, then he and Mara spent the afternoon talking. She gave him a book to help him brush up on his reading. The publisher intended it for a younger reader, but Mara knew Jake probably needed to start from the beginning again.

They continued to meet daily for most of the month of April. Mara had to start sneaking food in order to keep the staff from becoming suspicious. She was a big girl, and ate a lot to comfort herself. Now, though, she set aside most of her lunch for these four very hungry young men, and doing her best to bring them as much additional food as possible. She sewed several linen bags out of old napkins she pilfered from the bottom of the great cabinet in the pantry for Jake to use to carry food to the boys.

She quickly learned how hard it must be for the boys to steal food from strangers on the streets. She had enough trouble gathering what she needed from under the noses of a friendly household staff! She had to get up very early in the morning to take food before the staff began to stir. She also had to locate a good hiding place that wouldn’t be found by the dog, Lilac; the cook, Mr. Fout; or his staff, Jessie and Gigi. She had to escape from sweet Cecilia, who as an adult couldn’t be trusted. Mara had to avoid the three maids—Beth, Portia, and Nettie—plus Termins, the butler. Outside the house, she had to steer clear of Calvin, the stable master and coachman; Higgins, the stable hand; and Rory and Basil, the gardeners.

Mara had long ago established that the copse with the trellis belonged exclusively to her, so the servants rarely disturbed her there except to call her to meals or other events. She felt fairly confident she and Jake could continue to meet there without being discovered. By nature, Mara didn’t generally like to be sneaky. As time went on, she developed a sense of it. By the end of April, she had become an expert sneaker. She even pilfered some old clothes from trunks in the attic for the boys to wear. She gave them hairbrushes and shoes and other items she had found in those trunks as well. She even gave each of them one of those new-fangled toothbrushes her mother thought were so wonderful. Mara also thought they were wonderful.

She met the other boys for the first time about three weeks after Jake had come through the wall. She sat in the copse, anticipating his arrival, when a loud commotion in the bushes frightened her.

Hey, mate, get off my hand!

Sorry, ass puss, that ain’t me!

Well, bugger!

Bloody hell, man.

Hey, guys, watch your language and pipe down, will you? You’re gonna wake the dead! That last voice belonged to Jake, and Mara realized that Luke, Alvin, and Pete were with him. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized Jake finally had brought them around for her to meet! She had heard so much about them, she assumed she’d recognize them on the spot. She did.

Jake popped out first, followed by a boy with a scar running along his left cheek. Pete, she surmised. Behind him came a boy with the lightest blond hair she’d ever seen—Alvin. Luke crawled through last. Small and cute as a button, he had sparkling grey eyes full of life. Pete was twelve, and Luke and Alvin were both eleven, although Luke looked more like he was seven or eight. All three were just as skinny as Jake. Two weeks of filling lunches had kept the hunger pangs from biting but hadn’t done a thing to eliminate their gauntness. But they were all dressed in the clothes she had picked out for them based on Jake’s descriptions, and they looked considerably better than Jake had when she first met him. Luckily, the staff at the Queen’s Children’s Home didn’t pay too much attention to the orphans’ clothing, so they were able to wear the hand-me-downs without repercussions.

Come, fellas. Say hi to Angel Mara, our savior!

God, Jake, you didn’t tell us she how fat she… Jake clamped a hand over Pete’s mouth and looked at Mara, mortified.

Mara cringed inside, but she did not react outwardly to Pete’s thoughtless comment. She endured similar barbs and insults from her brothers and their friends all the time, and had learned not to show pain, since that only brought on more of the same torture.

Sorry, Mara. This one has no manners, Jake said, yelling no! in Pete’s ear.

Sorry, Mara. Pete hung his head in shame, and dug into the dirt with his toe.

Mara didn’t hear remorse very often and the warmth in her soul she felt following Pete’s sincere apology stunned her.

I forgive you, Pete. Friends? With that, she stuck out her hand for a shake. He looked up at her, surprise all over his face, took her hand, and pumped it heartily.

Gads, Pete! interjected Alvin, let her go before you break her! Alvin pushed Pete out of the way so he could take her now-empty hand and shook it enthusiastically. So happy to meet you finally. You don’t know whatcha mean to us.

Luke finally stepped forward, and smiled a smile that could melt ice. He gave her hand one firm shake, and then moved back again. Then the boys all started talking at once, trying to be the center of attention, while showering Mara with profound thanks for the food she’d been sharing with them.

Chapter 4

For the next few weeks, Mara and the boys spent several hours a day in the copse and the gardens playing hide and seek, rolling around with Lilac, eating lunch, telling stories, and talking about their dreams. The boys didn’t seem to care that Mara carried all those extra pounds, and when she interacted with them, she never thought about it. She just felt like one of the boys. Sometimes, she would bring her sewing kit and repair tears or sew on new buttons or hem trousers. Because of Jake's height, Mara let out all the hems of his pants and took them in to fit his skinny waist. She just wished she could do more for the boys than give them a little food and some clothes.

The boys stopped stealing for the moment, and were happy to escape the confines of the orphanage for a bit every day. The more they stayed away, the less punishment Snellings could dole out. But with Jake growing bigger and stronger, they all knew Snellings would soon sell him as an apprentice. That thought scared them all.

Mara spent May, June, and part of July at the Rochcliffe House, the ancestral family home in the country. Her father’s older brother, Cecil Markham, the Viscount Rochdale, now occupied the manor. This temporary move forced the boys to go back to their old ways, waiting for the day when Mara returned and they could once again stop roaming the streets. They still crawled through the wall and play with Lilac most days. They loved that dog.

Mara arrived back the first week in July, and the boys were ecstatic.

Later that month, they had cherry tarts for Pete’s thirteenth birthday. In September, they ate peach cobbler for Jake’s fourteenth birthday. In October, they celebrated Mara’s eleventh birthday with leftover gooey chocolate cake. They would have been deliriously happy if it weren’t for the feeling of impending doom that Jake or Pete could be sent off to work in a sweatshop somewhere.

As the weather became colder, Mara found the boys old coats to wear. With the change in seasons, the friends were able to spend only lunch in the copse before the boys had to go find warmer shelter, usually straight back to the orphanage. Mara wished she could sneak them into the house, but they all knew they pushed their luck already. They had to be content to eat and run. Particularly stormy or cold days forced Mara to leave the bag under the bench, hoping the food would still be edible by the time one of them came to retrieve it. She also had to lock Lilac in the stables to ensure that the dog didn’t eat the food she left for the boys.

In December, her chance to do more than simply feed the boys came in the most unexpected way. Old Higgins, the footman, who had been in the family since her father was a small boy, caught a cold and didn’t recover. Mara was saddened by the death of the dear, sweet man who always had a kind word and a pat on the head for her. Her family didn’t even seem to notice, which made her even sadder.

A few days after they buried Higgins, she had gone to the stables to feed squash rinds to the horses when she overheard Calvin and Rory talking. Since Rory couldn't garden in the winter, he helped with home repairs or assisted Calvin in the stables repairing horse trappings.

On this particular day, they were discussing how to replace old Higgins. Termins, the butler, had all responsibility for hiring and firing the staff, but he wouldn’t dare hire a stable hand without input from Calvin. Calvin was at a complete loss. Usually his neighborhood sources could recommend skilled people for hire, but lately the need for knowledgeable stable hands had increased, and there were none available in the area. And Calvin didn’t want to look in a different neighborhood, at candidates he didn’t know. I’d probably end up with a ruffian, he muttered.

The two of them mumbled about the lack of good workers, and what London was coming to.

Ahem.

They looked up, startled, to see Mara staring at them.

Ahem. She cleared her throat again, and then began speaking rapidly, before they could stop her.

I know of a perfectly fine apprentice who is willing to work hard. He can read and write and do numbers. He is well spoken and is in need of a job right now. I will vouch for him and his background. He may not know much about horses, but he is really smart and will figure it out fast.

Mara stood there, rooted to the spot, wondering if her impromptu speech had been helpful or harmful to her cause. She held her breath, waiting for Calvin to say something.

Well, Miss Mara, he said slowly, that is an unusual notion, but I am willing to meet this young man. Calvin had no idea where Miss Mara could have found a young apprentice in need of a job, since she rarely ventured outside the house and garden. Nevertheless, he wanted to meet the young man.

Bring him by when you can, but don’t wait too long.

Oh, thank you! I will bring him by after lunch. With that, she dropped her treats and ran off, leaving the poor horses to bend to the ground and rummage for the squash rinds. Rory and Calvin looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and continued to moan about the state of the current workforce.

Mara was so excited she wasn’t as careful as usual while gathering lunch food from the kitchen, and was almost caught by Mr. Fout. That brought her activities to a grinding halt, and forced her to gather her wits again before venturing off to the copse, now very aware of who might be watching. She could hardly contain herself as she waited for Jake to arrive.

The boys had barely popped out of the bushes before she told them the news, her words pouring out in an excited jumble.

Hey! Wait a minute, Miss Mara, said Pete, putting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. We canna understand a word you said.

Okay, okay, she caught her breath and started again. I may have a job for Jake. Higgins must be replaced, and I talked Calvin into meeting Jake.

The boys’ jaws all dropped at once. Talk about fate, said Alvin. At least one of us is now safe.

You don’t have the job yet, Mara said to Jake, bouncing up and down and taking his hand into hers. But at least you have a chance. You just need to convince Calvin you are the man for the job. I promised him you would be a really fast learner.

Jake let go of her hands, dropped to his knees, rocked back and forth, and laughed until he was almost hysterical. Oh, God, oh God, he repeated, over and over.

Mara looked at Luke for an explanation of Jake’s very odd behavior.

Jake and Alvin canna go back to the orphanage. Snellings, the jackass, has chosen them to go to the fish hut at the pier and shuck fish bones all day long. We hoped to hide them out here somewhere. Jake said some pretty ugly things to Snellings, and then hit him before running off. Pete and I waited awhile, then followed them here. They've been hiding in the bushes. Luke looked at Jake. I don’t know if his brain is frozen from being out in this cold, or he is relieved to be saved from the fishes.

Yeah, interjected Pete. You shoulda seen the punch Jake threw. Blimey, 'twas a thing of beauty! Nailed the bastard right between the eyes. Bossman never saw it coming, and it laid the bloody arse to rest just like that. He snapped his fingers, emphasizing the word that.

Jake had done a good job laying Snellings down, but it meant he was now a marked man.

*****

Jake awoke that morning like every other morning in the orphanage, cold and hungry, wishing to be anywhere but there. He dreamed every night about life with his family, and wondered what it would be like now if they hadn’t died.

He and the boys sat down to a breakfast of runny gruel and a piece of bread. The cook made the meager food supply go as far as possible; hence, the awful, watered-down gruel was more liquid than substance. The bread was always the best part of the day, as it was made fresh every morning. However, each orphan received only one tiny slice per meal.

Depressed, cold, hungry children filled the room. Jake looked around and wished he could do something about it. But what could he, a mere boy, do against the establishment? The only bright spot in his life was Mara.

As he contemplated the disheartening situation, Snellings came in the room and demanded the orphan’s attention. Jake sighed. Snellings’ arrival at meal time never brought good news. He usually ate his own feasts in his quarters upstairs.

Abbot! he boomed across the room. Jake’s shoulders shrank even further than normal. Bitters! Alvin glanced over at Jake, fear in his eyes.

Now, you stinking piles of garbage, not next week!

Jake and Alvin slowly rose and walked over to Snellings, all eyes upon them. Pete reached out and grabbed Luke’s arm in horror as he watched his friends walk between the long tables and benches toward Snellings. This could only mean one thing—they were about to be sent to a workhouse somewhere. What they all feared had come at last.

Snellings addressed Jake and Alvin in a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the meal hall. "Seems the last fool I sent to the fish hut de-boned and filleted himself. So, because little, stupid Simon Bottoms was a pathetic, useless apprentice at gutting fish, I have to send you two dim-witted scum to