Read Camille for Free Online Page A

violets. Several stands displayed the early
treasures of winter, solid oranges, tart grapes and French pears.
Not wanting to weigh myself down with heavy fruit, I purchased one
orange and one pear. There would be more tomorrow. Besides, I
wasn’t sure how to use them as a lure.
    My purchase being made, I braced myself for
the heavy horse and foot traffic of Whitechapel Road and the public
house off Buck’s Row. I had no notion of how to find our specimen,
but I was even more worried about how I would approach him if I
spotted him.
    I slipped into the tavern and sat on the same
bench. The few patrons looked too steeped in misery to notice a
small visitor. Because it was day, no candles or lanterns were lit,
making the place more dreary and cold than the night before. I
surveyed the room and saw only two familiar faces, the man behind
the counter, who was no doubt the owner, and the red haired
girl.
    The girl slouched on a chair at one of the
tables. In the dim light drifting across the threshold, I could see
her face. The heavy makeup from the night before had been smeared
away and dark rings circled her eyes. Her red hair was piled in a
matted mess atop her head. It dawned on me that she was no more
than twenty. A shadow crossed the floor, and my eyes flitted to the
entrance. The other girl had returned.
    “There you are, Jane. You look a sight, you
do.”
    The red head sat forward and put her elbows
on the table. “And where ‘ave you been, Nell? Rutting around with
that worthless man of yours?”
    Nell slid out a chair and sprawled her legs
apart as she sat. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” the girl teased.
“The man I’ve been with weren’t the least bit worthless.”
    “The draper’s assistant then?” Jane slumped
back uninterested.
    “I’ve been with Strider.”
    Jane shot forward and leaned her face close
to Nell, who beamed at the interest she’d provoked. I leaned
forward as well.
    “You’re a lyin’ pig,” Jane sneered. “I saw
Strider leave ‘ere barely able to stand on his own.” She slumped
back again.
    Nell adjusted the tattered shawl around her
shoulders. “He’s feelin’ much better now. Spent the last two hours
with ‘im on the shoemaker’s stoop.” A satisfied smile spread across
her face.
    It was hard to know whether the girl was
telling the truth or whether she was determined to rile Jane. If
she was telling the truth, then I could only assume that Strider’s
health had improved greatly. Jane and Nell sat in silence now, one
of them smiling and the other seething. They were completely
ignorant of the fact that the object of their affections would soon
transform into a flesh-tearing beast, the likes of which they could
never have imagined.
    “You there!” The owner waved a gnarled finger
at me from behind his counter. “If you’re not buying nothing, then
off with you.” His command drew the attention of the girls. They
snickered at me as I stood and hurried out the door.
    The air outside smelled thick with sewage. I
swallowed back the fetid taste in my throat and headed in the
direction of the shoemaker’s shop.
    Not two blocks from the place, a soft moan
rolled out from an alley. A girl’s delighted giggle mingled with a
young man’s voice. I felt my cheeks grow warm. As I rushed past,
something caught my eye. An old sailor’s coat lay draped over a
tattered basket. I pressed myself next to the rough brick façade
and peered around the corner.
    I’d seen him for the first time two nights
ago, and saw him only from behind now, but I recognized the broad
shoulders and black hair instantly. The girl in his clutches was
small and blonde like Emily, and I could see a heavy pink blush on
her cheeks as he bent to kiss her. His long leg was tucked between
her thighs. Nathaniel Strider was an impossible blackguard, but I
could not look away.
    Strider pulled the blouse from her shoulder.
“You know I’m always thinking of you, Love.”
    A laugh escaped my lips. My hand flew