"I'm soon taking a fine new house, in Soho, Greek Street." "This move is too much risk." "Is your master in?" "Mr. Lennox is my husband." "Harriet knows all about us." "You want me to invest in your house, and I shall." "I am in need of a girl." "A sweet, untouched hanging risk." " Hello, sprat." " I'm not a sprat anymore." "Have to keep myself pure for Lord Reptile." "Tell Dame Death Mary Cooper's dead." "Under normal circumstances, the Crown could fall, Christ could rise, and a gentleman would still find himself well met at the door of Margaret Wells, but today, we are closed." "Closed?" "Tomorrow we re-open in Greek Street." "But I must warn you." "Mrs. Wells has tweaked the tariffs in accordance." "More money for the same girls?" "Way of the world, Mr. Armitage." "You can flog a sweetmeat for twice the price if it's in a pretty paper." "There'll be no "twice the price"" "coming our way." "Mr. Armitage is exactly the breed we don't want following us." "I like him." "He's got lovely thick arms." "Better than Lord Repton's." "Weak and flabby from a life of opulence." "Better than his pintle." "It's crooked." "Poor old wonky." "You're just jealous I'll be off gallivanting in splendor." "You're almost a proper lady, Lucy." "And you're almost a proper whore." "Can I not rely on you for better?" "Do want the other girls to piss in your supper?" "I was just joking, Ma." "There is an art to joking without putting yourself above 'em." "Am I not above them?" "You make yourself the toast of the Reptons and they will catapult you to the heavens, just as they did Charlotte." "I don't want a life like Kitty and Fanny." "You... you are gold and they are pinchbeck." "Won't prove that by gloating." "The carriage!" "Mrs. Lennox?" "Nathaniel was stricken last night." "The doctor says his heart is failing him." "I'm sorry to hear that." "He wants you." "You must ride back with me now to see him." "You visit for more than the amusements," "Justice Cunliffe?" "The beast requires feeding again." "If I knew the nature of the beast, how much better I could nourish it." "And procuring unused girls is perilous." "Are they worthy of the risk?" "Most certainly." "If this is you... who are they?" " Hmph." " Closer." "Though they are without heart." "I will depart, madam, before a stench like the fleet ditch reaches me." "Our business is not concluded." "You vile wretch!" "You're more repulsive than the blackening corpse left on my doorstep." "It wasn't deliberate, Mumma, I think her belly is unsettled." "Then today you will fast so as not to upset your stomach further." "Forgive me, gentlemen!" ""I support my right honorable friend's assertion that the cost of war has been grave."" "This will be my first speech in Parliament and you're not even listening." "I'm hanging on your every word, my love." "I can't help thinking your wife would make a better audience." "Lady Caroline's a passionless shrew." "She wouldn't understand an artful performance if it fumbled her cockle." "I'm not asking you to understand the politics." "I understand that Parliament wants to tax the natives in the colonies to get back what was spent fighting them." "You make it sound unreasonable." "Then perhaps I do not understand it as well as I thought." "There a more straightforward performance you could show me?" "Don't scratch it, or they'll dump you on the church steps." "Up." "You look so handsome, Lucy." "You won't be a bit out of place at the Reptons." "Old wonky." "I shall have to mount with care." "The men at the new house will love you, Fanny." "Master Benjamin is with him now." "The children!" "Mama, Mama!" "Shh!" "Come to me." " I'm so sorry." " Is Papa with angels?" "No!" "Our faces will not always fit as well as they have done here." "I won't mind moving to Greek Street." "I could use some luxury." "There'll be plenty of pockets to lighten." "Off you go, then." "Goodbye!" "Be seeing you!" "Goodbye!" "Come visit us!" "Excuse me." "Excuse me!" "Yes, miss?" "This is not the way to the Reptons'." "We're going to their country estate." "Stop!" "Do you hear me, I want you to stop." "I wasn't told I'd be leaving London." "If you will not take me home, then I will get out and make my own way." "And become the plunder of footpads?" "It won't just be your purse they shove their fingers in." "I want to go home." "Then I will take you." "But you will have to make good with me." "My mother will pay you as soon as we return." "You can take me in your mouth, if you prefer." "I'm a guest of your master." "You are not his guest, you are his doxy." "And you won't even be that once you've jilted him." "Have to drag 'em out their cannons." "All right, here we go." "I think you're on the wrong street, friend." "I'm sure I'm not, friend." "I said leave her alone!" "Don't touch her!" "Hay!" "Get your grubby fingers off her!" "We've not come looking for trouble." "Well, then take your rancid bitches and your rabid little picaninny... and fuck off." "Filthy beast!" " We're going." " Yeah?" "Next time, we won't be so merciful." "Fuck you, dead boy!" " You're disgusting." " You are a trollop." "Go!" " Fucking oaf!" " You're a maggot boiler." "You're a maggot boiler, that's all you are!" "You should be ashamed of yourself!" "They are retreating." "They are." "Then our undertaking is accomplished." "By organizing a few mischief makers and a sack of slops?" "They will return, and you will attach yourself to that house like a dog on a rope." "The gentlemen should be scared to pass you." "I am no dog, Mrs. Quigley." "I do hope you are not too proud for the task." "Because there are others I could install in this house." "And you could be back in your hovel." "You have not been born rich or fortunate enough to enjoy congress with the likes of me." "I do hope your journey was not too torturous, my dear." "I'm sure you'll want to bathe." "Scrub London from your skin." "Come on." "What will I do now?" "What will become of us?" "I'm not really his wife." "His children are bastards." "You know if you're provided for?" "You must check before Benjamin returns." "But what if I am not?" "Then rectify it." "Commit a fraud?" "Commit Nathaniel's wishes to paper, nothing more." "You do not have the luxury of compunction." "You've left me mid-game, old friend." "My freedom papers." "The greatest gift Nathaniel ever gave me." "They... they aren't signed." "Did he lie when he said I was free?" "Fate smiles upon you." "Smile back." "Do it!" "What are you doing in here?" " My condolences, master." " My father is not yet cold." "You will not scavenge here today." "That sour tits will have me starved!" "You bait the bear and then cry when it mauls you." "No food, no fancy." "I haven't the energy." "I'm throbbing." "Your hand will do." "Mine is limp with hunger." "Use your own." "She has spent this much already this year." "Lady Caroline, she has spent that much already this month." "She is like nothing I have ever known." "How so?" "It is she who possesses him." "She is the wickedest harpy." "I'm here to surprise my husband upon his return." "It's not every day one makes one's debut in Parliament." "I watched Sir George rehearse his speech." "Very impressive." "You are easily impressed." "My husband is a man child." "A fopdoodle who's frittering away my fortune." "In the eyes of the law, it is Sir George's fortune, of course, but in reality, it was gifted to me by prudent ancestors." "Marriage is the worst kind of thief." "Then you will be my ally." "In what?" "In curbing Sir George's extravagance." "His finances are not my concern." "His estate falls into disrepair." "You are ruining him." "If you'll excuse me, Sir George has sent word." "His speech is delivered and he requires." "Miss Wells's company." "Well, we'll send a message that you are here." "He will return at once." "We both know he will not." "You will excuse me while I dress?" "But do take these with you." "They're yours, after all." "There's no need to hide yourself, Lucy." "Come." "And here... is a token." "A little doll for our little doll." "She's beautiful." "But she doesn't hold a candle to you." "Now." "Hurry and dress." "This afternoon, we hunt." "Hurry, we will be late." "Good... very good." "I am stuffing you full!" "Full to bursting." "You've got to stop playing the jester." "Mumma once starved a girl for three days." "She didn't have a little Charlie to look after her," " did she?" " I'm not joking, Emily." "If you go at her too far, she'll give you Mr. Osborne." "And who is Mr. Osborne?" "He's the short straw." "Hey, hey, hey, hey!" "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" "Confounded musket." "The sight ain't true." "Perhaps you should take a shot, Lucy." "Lord Repton will show you." "There." "That's it." "Clever girl." "I can feel your heart fluttering like a little beast's." "Where's Lady Repton?" "I don't know." "Lucy!" "You'd better go to her." "Lucy!" "You'd better run, girl, she might need your help." "Quickly, now!" "You'd better run, Lucy." "We can see you, Lucy." "We're following your little trail." "The dogs are off the leash, Lucy!" "Not far now." "That's it... run, girl!" "We're getting closer." "Good girl." "Your first kill." "Margaret will solve it." "She's clever as a cat." "Where is he?" "Hisses like one too." "We'll leave them to it, girls." "Don't start, Margaret." "How could you abandon that house?" "You've watched me fight tooth-and-claw for it." "We were ambushed." "Fanny was practically frigged in front of me." " You could have fought." " I did fight!" "What, with all your passion?" "I'd have ripped the sinews from their necks before I walked away from my house." "Well, I'm not like you, Margaret." "I can't wear blinkers to the cost of it all." "What cost?" "The cost to Jacob, to Lucy." " The cost to all of us." " Would you have Lucy rut her days away as a bawdy house whore?" "Or better still, some smock-wife to a penniless laborer?" "And what about Jacob?" "Shall we teach him to crawl on his belly as some rich man's boy?" "I am weary of doing this alone." "You do it alone?" "Sometimes I feel I do." "I'll tell you what you're alone in, woman." "The noxious squabble with Lydia Quigley that you're too puffed-up to finish." "What's that got to do with anything?" "You think those louts paid for themselves?" "It's payback for Mary Cooper." "You can't know that." "Don't add stupidity to the list of your misdeeds, Margaret." "Plenty long enough already." "Nathaniel Lennox." "He was a slave owner, Mags." "He's chosen the worst moment to die." "You pretend it's only your pocket feels the ache." "I remember sometimes you tupped him for free." "You should have slapped me for my foolishness." "His wife said he got lusty about me on his death bed." "Filthy dog." "His prick was stiff before the rest of him." "I wonder if Will won't dance a jig when my time comes." "It'll be your own fault, you nipping crab." "You've forgotten he's the only man you've never made pay for it." "Enough." "Tell me, how can I get into Greek Street?" "You've a very solemn countenance today, Miss Wells." "Why don't you join me and I'll see if I can rectify it?" "Alas, I'm summoned to service my master." "He'd have you pleasure him in public?" "Only with words." "It's harlotting we do with our clothes on that matters most." "Charlotte!" "Why are you loitering?" "To warn you in private that Haxby conspires against you." "He summoned Lady Caroline to curb your spending." "The impertinent gargoyle!" "He picked the wrong fellow if he thinks that George Howard will be enfeebled." "Well, he has indeed." "Come." "Sir Christopher." "Did my lord acquit himself well in the House today?" "He was... masterful." "As always." "Later, you shall master me." "Lord Howard," "I am throbbing with envy." "You take our mischief in the woods very timidly, Lucy." "Where's that Wells wild streak I'm so fond of?" "Have you no retort?" "Sir, you are too cruel." "She's not yet out of her shell." "I'm sure Charlotte Wells never had a shell." "Lord Repton should be careful I don't tell everyone he didn't hit a target all day." "He should indeed." "Every shot he made was wonky." "I shall call him Lord Wonky." "This fricassee is delicious." "Off to bed, off to bed." "Come, come on, hold on to my arm." "What is it, Mama?" "Hold on to my arm..." "Quiet, quiet!" "Come." "Come!" "Stealing away like a thief when I was coming to bring you these." "My freedom papers." "You've signed them." "To release myself from my father's depravity." " I wasn't sure you would." " Just go." "Come!" "The deed grants you your own liberty." "It doesn't extend to the children." "So we're not free at all?" "You are free." " I won't leave them." " The choice isn't yours." "Abigail, the children." "No, it's... no, you..." "No, you can't keep them!" "I don't intend to." "They will have most value to me on the plantation." "No!" " Mama." " Mama!" "No, please, Benjamin." "Please, Benjamin, no." "You will go." "We're not shy of men, what are you doing?" "Fighting, Margaret, like I always did." "You are returned with your organ grinder." "Get him, boys!" "Nancy, go on, Nancy, get him!" "Get him, girl!" "Keep away from the cart!" "Piece of shit!" "Run for the watch, girl, as though your life depends upon it!" "Yes, Mother!" "We shall retire." "Have you ever laid with a man after insulting his manhood?" "He will pound you to tripe." "What devilment is this?" "We're new tenants, sir, set upon by villains as we're trying to move in." "She is a filthy bawd." "Our masters don't want her here." "She's a hellcat!" "Then your masters will take it up with her landlord, or the King of England himself." "But you rogues will move on." "Yeah!" "You heard him." "All right, clear the way, or I'll..." "Get out of here." "There's a fine fellow now." "Get out of here, you piece of shit." "You heard the man." " Move off." " Yeah, go home." "Right, let's get this gear off." "Will!" "My lady has sent me to dress you, miss." "One moment, please." "Soaked into the wood." "How long you been down there?" "We'll never be free of the stench." "We haven't got enough beds or girls to fill the place." "What if I've brought a scourge upon us?" "What if the stench is me?" "You have brought a scourge upon us." "Lydia Quigley." "The stench, that's Mary Cooper." " I can't do this, Will." " Well, that's too bad." "This is the course you set us upon." "The girls will soon awake." "The culls will arrive." "Culls might not come." "In which case, the lack of beds will not be a problem." "And once she had got inside, did Margaret Wells emerge again?" "Only her bully man, dragging' out the sack." "No doubt filled with what you left them." "You have a better play than that." "The skill is knowing which card your adversary holds." "Mr. Osborne is here, Mumma." "It's Mary-Louise's turn and she's disappeared." "Well, take him to Emily Lacey." "Miss Lacey." "Mr. Osborne for you." "What if nobody co..." "The tits come to the lard." "I have no home, no money, and I wouldn't care if only I had my children." "I would rather be dead than be without them." "If they're slaves, then surely they're for sale." "You will buy them back." "How?" "All I can do is pay you what I pay another girl." "I can never be a whore." "A kitchen maid." "Work for me, and you'll go to bed every night knowing you have worked." "You forget I was a slave, Mrs. Wells." "Lucy's home." "The journey from the country took hours." "You left London?" "It was astounding, Ma." "Come now." "Haxby?" "Don't let him squirm off the hook, Howard." "I won't." "Haxby!" "I need the piss pot." "I'll summon the maid." "No." "No, I have the piss pot." "What I require is a menial to hold it." " Sir?" " Hold my piss pot, Haxby." "You think because your family have been with the estate for generations that I'm forced to endure you, like an ugly old heirloom." "Meddle again and I'll kick you out in the street like a dog." "My wife will snivel for all of five minutes and then she'll forget you." "Because a servant is just a servant." "Hide your faces, harlots!" "And damned are the weak and wayward men who would indulge in fornication." "This temple of vice will burn to its very cinders." "You're welcome here always, Mr. Armitage, and at your usual rate." "Less, if you can extract that eyeless tumor from the doorstep." "I'm off duty." "And if I don't have Fanny Lambert right this moment, I might die a death of wanting." "She was a treat before." "But in that new dress..." "You have buttered the bacon, Mrs. Wells!" "Hide your faces, harlots!" "Hide them in very shame." "But the severest damnation be reserved, for it is she who provides both instrument and opportunity for vice." "Is this how you welcome your new neighbor," "Mrs. Scanwell?" "I bid you no welcome, flesh-peddler." "Your mistress is also a bawd." "It is Pimp Quigley that set you upon me," " is it not?" " God alone is my master." "I am a good Samaritan here to warn you that your mistress will lead you to the bonfire if you let her." "Her soul is three shades blacker than your skin." "Mother is fearlessly fighting your campaign, but... her health is not strong." "And Mrs. Wells just mocked us with scorn." "She feasts like a rat on a corpse pile but she will become bloated and complacent." "Do not falter in your campaign, my dear." "Then we can stay in your house?" "What a jewel you are." "Your mother's very fortunate to have you." "Your mother tells me you play." "I'd love to hear you." "Does your hand trouble you?" "No, sir." "Then unfurl it." "Mr. Byrne?" "I don't think she likes me." "What's happened?" "There's a rotten smell in here, Ma." "I'm trying to fix it." "Hmph..."