The dresser gave Ned’s costume a final tug then stepped back to admire her handiwork. “Now,” she said briskly. “You understand what you’re s’posed to do, right?”
“Yes’m. I’ll be careful.”
“It’s yer first time, dearie. Yer’ll be alright. It ain’t ’ard. Leastways, it’s better’n starvin’ in t’ streets.”
Ned doubted that. In the streets, he could survive by sheer wit and will if it came to it.
He hung his head. He resented his helplessness, and his failure to find a means of escape.
He and George had decided their only hope was to play along with this game until they could find a way out. At least they had a friend in Will who brought them food. He had been in this line of work for almost nine months, and wanted to help them.
“We ’as t’ play it careful,” he’d whispered to Ned. “Mister de
