A Wedding In Springtime

chapter Twenty-eight





None of the options before Genie were acceptable. The only thing that mattered now was saving her brother. If her family could not or would not help her, it was going to be up to her. A moneylender was an unpleasant idea, particularly since she had no way to pay the money back. But if she left her brother to face his own fate, she would lose him.

She could go to this moneylender and at least discover his terms. Perhaps there might be some way? Genie could not think of any but felt it was worth attempting. She would hate to think of her brother being lost if there was anything she could have done to prevent it.

Genie told her aunt she needed to rest, an idea that met with stony approval. After a few minutes, Genie slipped out the back way and asked Sammy the groom if he would call her a hack. He insisted he take her in the town coach, and she graciously accepted. When she arrived at the address in Piccadilly, she paused at the storefront. It was not what she expected.

“Got yourself a sweet tooth, Miss Talbot?” asked the groom with a smile.

“I suppose I do.” Genie mentally reviewed the address given her by the urchin. She thought this was what he said.

The storefront was little more than a door squished between two other shops. The door was painted dark brown with the words Chocolate Shoppe painted in gold above it. When Jem had said the moneylender was called the Candyman, she thought this was another one of his odd street euphemisms she could not understand. She had not expected an actual chocolate shop.

“I just have a few purchases to make. I won’t be but a trice!” Genie kept her tone lighter than she felt.

Genie marched to the door and opened it before she could lose what little courage she had left. The shop was dark, with two small, round tables and chairs but no customers. The walls were lined with dark wooden shelves. On one side were boxes of cocoa to make hot chocolate. On the other were candy sweets displayed on platters. There were sweetmeats, bonbons, toffee, humbugs, fondant sculpted into animals, and boxes of marzipan. It was every child’s dream, yet it was eerily quiet in the store.

“Good afternoon, miss,” said a young boy at the counter who could not have been more than ten years old. He wore a dirty apron over his thin frame.

“Good afternoon,” said Genie, walking toward him. “I am looking for the Candyman.”

“You be Miss Talbot?”

“Yes,” said Genie, startled the child knew her name.

“Come this way, miss. The Candyman has been expecting you.”

A chill ran down her spine, but she would not allow herself to be easily cowed.

The lad led her to a side door concealed in the paneling. It opened to a dim room, even darker than the store.

“Come in,” said a man with a low, gravelly voice. He was sitting at a table, almost entirely in the dark. Resembling an undertaker in appearance, he wore all black with a hat pulled low, concealing his face.

“Did a young boy tell you I was coming?” asked Genie.

“Indeed he did. Helpful lad, Jem,” said the man in an oddly low tone, almost as if he was concealing his true voice.

“Then can I surmise that he informed you why I am here?”

“Yes, yes. You are to be commended to take such care of your brother. Come, sit. I am sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.”

Genie did not like the way he said that word. She did not like this man at all and ventured no further into the room. “Please state your terms, Mr…”

“Candyman is what you may call me, missy. I see you are one to get down to business. No chitchat for you today, eh, missy?” His tone was not as friendly as his words and she could not like the way he rubbed his hands together.

Genie said nothing and waited. He wanted her here for a reason, and she was certain he would get to it sooner without her help.

“Yes, well, terms. It is a grievous amount of blunt your brother lost. Grievous indeed.”

“Twelve thousand pounds. What are you terms?”

“Well, now, if I be giving you such a large sum of money, what’s to say you will be able to pay me back? Tell me, Miss Talbot, how you intend to repay me?”

“I have some pin money I receive every week—”

“Miss Talbot! Pin money? We are speaking of twelve thousand pounds, my dear. Not even the pin money for the royal princess would be enough to repay that amount.”

“So you will not lend me the money?”

“Now, now, let’s not get too hasty. I see you are upset. Poor dear. Now, let me see if I can be of help. Maybe instead of money, you can pay me in service.”

Genie stiffened. There was a limit to what she would do for her brother. “I am a respectable lady.”

“You haven’t even heard my proposal. And my but you do make some interesting assumptions. I’m not talking of that sort of arrangement, though I will say you could make a pretty penny on your back. But women, they always have it easy, just lie back and do nothing for their supper, but don’t they complain about it, like you actually asked them to work.”

Genie took a step backward at that pretty speech. She should not have come.

“What I want from you is a piece of paper. That’s all,” said the Candyman, his voice dropping even lower.

“A piece of paper?” Genie wished she could see this man, but he kept to the shadow, the hat brim concealing his features.

“See now, not so bad, not so bad. One letter is all I ask for twelve thousand pounds. You won’t get better odds. You bring me the letter, and I’ll pay your debt.”

“Why? What letter?”

“You needn’t be so nosy. You bring me the letter; I pay the debt. Do we have a deal?”

“What letter?” Genie repeated.

“In the study of the Duke of Marchford is a safe behind a picture frame. Inside the safe is a letter with a red seal. Bring it to me and all your problems are answered.”

“I could not steal from the duke.” She could not, could she?

“Such a little thing to ask for the life of your brother,” said the Candyman in a soft low voice.

“My brother’s life?”

“He will be ruined if he cannot pay a debt of honor. Only one thing left to do but to take a swim in the Thames.”

“No!”

“Well now, missy, what did you expect? Only honorable thing to do if you have no hope to pay your debts, and so I told him.”

“Am I to understand that you recommended my brother take his own life?” Genie swallowed hard on the lump lodged in her throat. Her stomach tightened into granite.

“Didn’t recommend anything. Just saying, in certain circumstances, it is the only respectable thing to do. He asked for a loan but there was nothing he could do for me. Not like you. There is a way you can pay the debt.”

“He is an impressionable young man, you have no business recommending suicide.”

“There now, don’t take a pet. It will all be right as rain when you bring me the letter.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“Remember now, it has a red seal. When you get it, bring it to the Thorn and Thistle on Salt Street.”

“Not here?”

“Not here.”

“When should I meet you?”

“Go to the Thorn and Thistle and say you are looking for the Candyman. They’ll find me. Mind you, do not give it to anyone else. And come alone. Don’t bring your driver next time.”

“I cannot possibly go to a public house unchaperoned in London.”

“Don’t you worry. You won’t be alone for long.” His tone made her wish she were a lad, so she could knock him senseless. Genie blinked at the sudden violent turn her thoughts had taken. It was the second time in one day that she had wished to do harm to another person.

“I simply cannot steal and go to a public house. I cannot.” Yet even as she said it, she doubted herself. What if this was the only way?

“It’s your choice, of course. This key will open the safe.”

Genie stared at the key he held out to her for a long moment. The man’s hand was thrust out into the light from the doorway, revealing ugly red scars. She was loathe to touch anything those hands had come into contact with until she realized the scars were severe burns, not a contagion.

“’Tis your brother, deary,” said the Candyman. “Only you can know what his life is worth.”

Genie took the key.

“That’s a good girl.”

But Genie left the strange shop feeling anything but good.