The Devil's Thief by Samantha Kane

children?”
    The
group erupted in laughter again. “ ’E’s got his self more than two,” the
mocking girl named Bess replied. “ ’E’s a good provider, too. Got a gang of his own to do the work. Blackman gives him a nice cut to
take care of his girls, he does.”
    Tessa
stiffened next to her, whether in anger or shock Julianna wasn’t sure.
    The
boy beamed with pride. “Yes, ma’am. I ain’t leaving none of me baggage wantin’, that’s for sure.” He tipped his hat again. “But the two
you got, well, their mum’s in Newgate prison, and I’m no good at taking care of
babes, you see.”
    Julianna
was stunned speechless. Many of the children in the home had been left there on
the doorstep, abandoned, and some had been sent by the
hospitals and prisons . But she’d always imagined the children were
without parents of any kind. To find out that this young father had abandoned his
children was shocking. But the logical side of her understood his motives for
doing so. And he was right in thinking that they were likely better off where
they were.
    “Ma’am?”
he asked cautiously, as she just stood there and gawked at him.
    Julianna
shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “It’s just that I’ve never met the
parents of any of the children before.” She stuck out her hand to shake the
young man’s. Tessa made a disapproving sound, but Julianna ignored her. “How do
you do?”
    Looking
startled, he wiped his hand on his pant leg before gingerly taking hers and
shaking it. “How do, ma’am,” he said formally. “Me name’s Wiley.” He stepped back quickly. “Been keeping an eye on the boys at your
house. You’re doing a fine job. Ma’am.” He tipped his hat again.
    Bess
swatted him on the arm and glared at Julianna. “You don’t have to keep tipping
your hat, Wiley. She ain’t no duchess.”
    “I
. . . thank you.” Julianna had no idea what to say. This conversation was so
far outside her experience and she was floundering.
    Mr.
Wiley narrowed his eyes and looked at her suspiciously. “If you don’t mind me
asking, ma’am, what are you doing here?”
    “Oh,”
Julianna said intently, “perhaps you could help, Mr. Wiley.” A few of the
youths sniggered at her use of the formal address. “You see, I need to see the”—she
almost said receiver, but stopped
herself in time—“proprietor here on a matter of business. Please, could
you help me?”
    He
looked even more suspicious. “What kind of business?”
    Julianna
was about to give him a sharp set down when she realized that he was concerned
because she was the caretaker of his children. “I have something to sell,” she
replied honestly. “I need the money for the home.”
    Mr.
Wiley strutted over to her like a peacock and made quite a production of giving
her his arm. Most of the boys looked unimpressed, but many of the girls had
adoring looks on their faces. “ ’Course I can help you, Miss,” he told her self-importantly.
“Take you in to Blackman myself, I will.” Tessa began to follow them as they
started toward the building, but Mr. Wiley frowned at her over his shoulder.
“Best not to bring the baggage,” he told Julianna. “Blackman don’t like too
many strangers hanging about while he does business.”
    Julianna
stopped and turned back to look at Tessa, who had an uncharacteristically
mulish expression on her face. Once again, Julianna wished she’d left Tessa at
home. She’d have to spend some of the money she got today to keep Tessa quiet
about where they’d been and what they’d done. “Now, Tessa,” she said as
convincingly as possible, “I’ll be all right. You can wait right here with the
driver. That way I know he’ll wait for me and I won’t have to worry. You’ll do
that for me, won’t you?” Tessa looked worriedly over her shoulder, as if it
hadn’t crossed her mind that the driver might leave them. She was still quite
young, younger than Julianna, and she was clearly