prison island at the bottom of the world," Joseph said.
"Move aside, you drunken dupe!"
Jasper Hathaway tried to push his way past, but Joseph Winslow was determined to hold his ground. This turn of events took Mister Hathaway by surprise. He assumed the most threatening stance he could manage, balled his hands into fists, and swung his right arm back with every intention of punching Joseph full in the face. But the side seam of Jasper's coat, stretched beyond endurance, chose that moment to burst open. It thoroughly disconcerted Mister Hathaway.
Joseph, taking advantage of the moment, grabbed the man's extended arm in a vise-like grip and twisted it backward.
Jasper Hathaway yelped like a wounded hound.
"Look me in me eyes, Jasper 'athaway," Joseph ordered.Mister Hathaway would not.
"Look me in me eyes and tell me ye is ready to send me girl to 'er death!"
Joseph gave Mister Hathaway's arm a cruel yank. As Jasper gasped and lurched, his artificial teeth popped out of his mouth. This unexpected turn of events so startled Joseph that he dropped his hold on the man's fleshy arm. Joseph gaped from the set of teeth grinning up from the street to the toothless man before him.
Jasper Hathaway snatched up his teeth and sucked them back into his mouth.
Joseph Winslow was not used to thinking quickly. So the clarity that suddenly crossed his mind astonished even him.
"It be ye!" he accused.
Mister Hathaway tried to push past Joseph, but Joseph blocked his way.
"Ye still be fast in Lord Reginald's employ, don't ye?" Joseph insisted. "But ye ain't at Zulina fortress anymore. Ye ain't in Africa at all. So what is it ye be doin' fer Lord Reginald, Jasper?"
Jasper Hathaway opened his mouth but said nothing.
"Ye be 'is 'ired rat!" Joseph exclaimed. "Ye spies on pretty young ladies fer 'im, doesn't ye? It be ye wot digs among their private things at 'is biddin'!"
"I have not the least idea about what you are going on about," Jasper Hathaway sputtered.
Once again he tried to push past Joseph. Once again, Joseph blocked his way.
"It were ye wot found me Grace's belongin's and gave them to Lord Reginald to wave about before the judge!"
"Grace was rightfully mine!" Jasper Hathaway shot back. "That is the truth of the matter. You know it to be so. Grace should have been my woman! She should have been my wife!"
Joseph stepped back. His face twisted to a disgusted scowl, as though he stood face to face with a pile of two-week-old garbage.
Right there was Jasper Hathaway's opportunity. He could easily have skirted Joseph Winslow and gotten away, but he did not. Instead, his shoulders slumped, his face sagged, and he stood still.
"I wanted to make her pay for leaving me," Mister Hathaway said. "I wanted her to pay, but I did not want her to die."
Joseph stared at the doughy man before him. So proud and haughty . . . so weak and pitiful.
"I needed the money!" Mister Hathaway said.
Now he was pleading.
"You know how it is without slaves to trade!"
Joseph's face hardened.
"Never once did I lay a hand on her, Joseph. That I swear to you."
Jasper Hathaway's tone approached desperation.
"I pressed coins into the hands of unsavory men, the kind who can follow in the shadows and sniff out trails and whisper questions that demand answers. When I found Grace at the Foundling Hospital, I passed along a shilling here to a doorman and two shillings there to the handyman, and it bought me access to everything I needed."
"Ye followed Grace the entire year?"
"Ever since she left Lord Reginald's estate that day. But I tell you the truth, Joseph, all the while I wished things were different. I surely did wish so."
"And now she be gone," Joseph said. "Onliest part o' either of us that be any good, Jasper. And now she be gone."
Joseph Winslow turned his rumpled back on Jasper Hathaway and walked away.
Mister Hathaway, the would-be gentleman, slumped in the doorway, alone and miserable, on a fancy street, in the fancy part of
"Move aside, you drunken dupe!"
Jasper Hathaway tried to push his way past, but Joseph Winslow was determined to hold his ground. This turn of events took Mister Hathaway by surprise. He assumed the most threatening stance he could manage, balled his hands into fists, and swung his right arm back with every intention of punching Joseph full in the face. But the side seam of Jasper's coat, stretched beyond endurance, chose that moment to burst open. It thoroughly disconcerted Mister Hathaway.
Joseph, taking advantage of the moment, grabbed the man's extended arm in a vise-like grip and twisted it backward.
Jasper Hathaway yelped like a wounded hound.
"Look me in me eyes, Jasper 'athaway," Joseph ordered.Mister Hathaway would not.
"Look me in me eyes and tell me ye is ready to send me girl to 'er death!"
Joseph gave Mister Hathaway's arm a cruel yank. As Jasper gasped and lurched, his artificial teeth popped out of his mouth. This unexpected turn of events so startled Joseph that he dropped his hold on the man's fleshy arm. Joseph gaped from the set of teeth grinning up from the street to the toothless man before him.
Jasper Hathaway snatched up his teeth and sucked them back into his mouth.
Joseph Winslow was not used to thinking quickly. So the clarity that suddenly crossed his mind astonished even him.
"It be ye!" he accused.
Mister Hathaway tried to push past Joseph, but Joseph blocked his way.
"Ye still be fast in Lord Reginald's employ, don't ye?" Joseph insisted. "But ye ain't at Zulina fortress anymore. Ye ain't in Africa at all. So what is it ye be doin' fer Lord Reginald, Jasper?"
Jasper Hathaway opened his mouth but said nothing.
"Ye be 'is 'ired rat!" Joseph exclaimed. "Ye spies on pretty young ladies fer 'im, doesn't ye? It be ye wot digs among their private things at 'is biddin'!"
"I have not the least idea about what you are going on about," Jasper Hathaway sputtered.
Once again he tried to push past Joseph. Once again, Joseph blocked his way.
"It were ye wot found me Grace's belongin's and gave them to Lord Reginald to wave about before the judge!"
"Grace was rightfully mine!" Jasper Hathaway shot back. "That is the truth of the matter. You know it to be so. Grace should have been my woman! She should have been my wife!"
Joseph stepped back. His face twisted to a disgusted scowl, as though he stood face to face with a pile of two-week-old garbage.
Right there was Jasper Hathaway's opportunity. He could easily have skirted Joseph Winslow and gotten away, but he did not. Instead, his shoulders slumped, his face sagged, and he stood still.
"I wanted to make her pay for leaving me," Mister Hathaway said. "I wanted her to pay, but I did not want her to die."
Joseph stared at the doughy man before him. So proud and haughty . . . so weak and pitiful.
"I needed the money!" Mister Hathaway said.
Now he was pleading.
"You know how it is without slaves to trade!"
Joseph's face hardened.
"Never once did I lay a hand on her, Joseph. That I swear to you."
Jasper Hathaway's tone approached desperation.
"I pressed coins into the hands of unsavory men, the kind who can follow in the shadows and sniff out trails and whisper questions that demand answers. When I found Grace at the Foundling Hospital, I passed along a shilling here to a doorman and two shillings there to the handyman, and it bought me access to everything I needed."
"Ye followed Grace the entire year?"
"Ever since she left Lord Reginald's estate that day. But I tell you the truth, Joseph, all the while I wished things were different. I surely did wish so."
"And now she be gone," Joseph said. "Onliest part o' either of us that be any good, Jasper. And now she be gone."
Joseph Winslow turned his rumpled back on Jasper Hathaway and walked away.
Mister Hathaway, the would-be gentleman, slumped in the doorway, alone and miserable, on a fancy street, in the fancy part of
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