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he isn’t going anywhere. They should have left him on the table, but obviously there could have been a mistake. Let me see if they accidentally took him. I’ll be right back.”
    Jacob’s green eyes brightened. “Can we buy Jesus a new cravat? He needs one.”
    She sighed. “Aside from the fact that we can’t afford it, can you please name him something else? It’s incredibly inappropriate.”
    “But Mrs. Henderson thinks it to be a brilliant name.”
    “And it is. Believe me, it is. But Mrs. Henderson also thinks we should crawl on our knees to Jerusalem.”
    “I take it Jerusalem is very far?”
    “Yes. Very. So far our knees would disappear in an attempt to get there. The sad truth is, Jacob, I cannot and will not support a religion that won’t baptize you. It’s wrong.” She brushed his hair away from his forehead. “Now please. Name the bear something else.”
    Jacob tapped his chin thoughtfully with two fingers. “What about Mister Moses?”
    She supposed there were worse things a child could believe in other than God. He could be worshipping the devil. “I…fine. That name will do just fine. Now stay here. We don’t want Mister Moses disappearing into the Red Sea, do we?” Hurrying down the stone stairs of the tenement, she gathered her calico skirts and bustled down the busy street, dodging women and men on the pavement. “Gentlemen!” she called out to those loading the cart. “Gentlemen, pardon the delay, but my son seems to think you’ve taken his bear. Do you know where it is?”
    One of them shoved her belongings further into the cart. Adjusting his sweat-soaked shirt, he playfully clicked his tongue at her. “I’ll be your bear.”
    It was humiliating. And even worse? They didn’t care that it was humiliating. “I don’t associate with hairy clackboxes,” she tossed back in a much sharper tone. “Now where is the bear? Don’t make me climb into that cart, gentlemen, because I’ll throw everything out of it and ensure you’re here all week. Is that what you want?”
    Eyeing her, they busily tied items into place with tangled rope.
    Men. They thought because she was barely five feet in height, they could take advantage of her. She trooped over to the bearded male who had earlier taken her money. “I paid two shillings for my son’s toy to be left behind. I put it into your hand when you first came upstairs collecting items. Now where is it? It was supposed to have been left on the table.”
    He shrugged. “I don’t recall touching it.” He lifted several items and passed them off to the others. “But if you yank on my cock a few times, I might remember.”
    They all laughed.
    She glared. “You bring nothing but shame to your poor mothers. My only hope is they’re all dead so they don’t have to suffer knowing their sons are morons.” Letting out a disgusted breath, she shook her head and rounded the wooden cart. Standing up on the tips of her slippered toes, she lifted her chin to peer inside. Only she couldn’t see.
    Propping up a leather slipper onto the cart, she hoisted herself up over the side to better see over the wooden railing and into the box below. She scanned the gathered items of mantle clocks, books, and other countless items belonging to other unfortunate souls whom the creditors had earlier called upon in the name of debt. She paused. In the very corner of all the clutter, directly below where she was propped against the cart, a bear made out of fuzzy grey wool with a satin cravat neatly tied around its throat caught her attention.
    The bastards. Not even a child’s toy was safe from the world.
    Leaning forward against the laced constraints of her corset, Leona reached over the side of the wooden cart. After a few huffing swipes, she grabbed it by the ear using the very tips of her fingers and brought its arm up to her mouth knowing she had to keep her hands free to get down. Clamping her teeth onto the woolen arm, she leaned back and lowered herself