Free Except the Dying by Maureen Jennings Page B

presence of opium in the girl’s body.

Chapter Six
    MONDAY, FEBRUARY II
    O WEN R HODES FINISHED FASTENING the skate blade to Harriet’s boot.
    “There you go. Ready?”
    He pulled her arm through his and they glided off onto the ice. The rink was a cleared patch of the frozen river Don. Later it would get crowded, young men and women meeting after working hours to skate in the torchlight, but now in the morning the other skaters were mostly boys playing truant from school. A ragged bunch nearby had one pair of skate blades among them, and a fierce quarrel erupted as they tried to determine whose turn it was next. Some other boys were sliding on pieces of cardboard and shouting with delight.
    Owen and Harriet skated past them.
    “Your cold seems better,” said Owen.
    “It is. Sometimes I think it’s better to ignore colds, don’t you?”
    “Absolutely.”
    In fact, when he had come to call on her late this morning, Harriet had been feeling wretched, but she wouldn’t dream of forgoing the chance to be with him and had quickly agreed to spend a couple of hours skating on the river.
    “You’re an excellent skater, Harriet.”
    “Oh, I’m not. You lead so well.” The exercise had whipped colour into her cheeks and her eyes glowed with pleasure. Owen felt a rush of affection for her. He squeezed her arm.
    “Shall we waltz?”
    “I’m a bit shaky still on the turns.”
    “Don’t worry, I’m a master.”
    It was true. His hold on her was firm and confident and his strokes effortless. She gazed up at him. Even though the closeness of his body made her almost breathless, she liked it. He made an easy half-turn and smiled at her.
    “There, well done … Harriet, dear, I have a small favour to ask you. You must say at once if you can’t do it because it might mean telling a little fib.”
    “Yes?”
    She was thrilled that he wanted something from her. That she had something to offer.
    “I’ve mentioned my friends Sprague and McDonoughto you before. They are fine chappies. The best. And, well, you see, we’ve all developed quite the passion for billiards. A fellow needs some pleasure once in a while, don’t you think? Whoops!”
    She almost stumbled but he pulled her around easily into a glide.
    “I think billiards is a fine sport.”
    “So do I. Anyway, what I wanted to ask you is this. After I left you on Saturday night I dropped in at Hugh’s house and we got into a few rounds. He gave me no quarter, nor I him. Before I knew it the clock was striking twelve. And like Cinderella I knew I had better be getting home … If anyone were to ask, could you bring yourself to say that you and I were together, chatting?”
    Harriet looked bewildered. “Who would ask?”
    “To tell you the truth, Mother entirely disapproves. She’s afraid I’ll be distracted from my studies, that sort of thing … Shall we have a breather?” He manoeuvred her towards a bench. “Would you do that for me, Harriet? Say I didn’t leave your house until midnight?”
    “That would be very late, wouldn’t it?”
    “We were in the parlour the entire time.”
    She sat down on the bench, and a boy appeared at once at her elbow. His clothes were dirty and too big for him and he was shaking with cold. He had a bundle of newspapers under his arm.
    “Latest news, miss. One cent.”
    “No, no, she doesn’t want one. Shoo.”
    “Exciting stories today … The
Gascoyne’s
come in to New York all safe –”
    “No.”
    “A lady’s been found dead as a doornail. Nobody knows who she is. There’s a big reward for news …”
    “The young lady doesn’t want to hear any of that sordid nonsense. Go away.”
    The newsboy kept his eyes fixed on Harriet.
    “If I don’t sell nothin’ I won’t eat nothin’, kind missus.”
    “What a story. You look well-fed to me,” jeered Owen.
    That wasn’t true. The boy’s face was thin and pasty. Not even the wind could bring colour to his cheeks.
    “Please, mister …” His voice dropped