"No one has ever become poor by giving." Anne Frank

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Chapter Three

Through the pained haze, Cassian recognised the voice as a drunken Mr Towler. The man had obviously taken his money straight to the tavern.

Cassian cradled his bleeding head, and felt the glass in his skin as his eyes fluttered, unconsciousness wanting to take him. Warm blood was running over his fingers and pooling around him.

"You wretch!" cursed Mr Green.

Cassian could not see properly, but he heard the sound of a man falling to the ground. He could not be sure it was Towler.

He faintly heard footsteps running towards him. "Oh my goodness!" cried another voice, a female voice.

An angelic voice. Cassian smiled dopily. Perhaps he was dying again. His eyes closed and he fell from awareness.

***

Cassian was suddenly aware that he had a pounding headache. His right temple was throbbing, the pain encompassing his entire head. Instinctively, Cassian lifted a hand to support his temple.

This sudden movement elicited a gasp from someone sitting beside him. He was not alone.

Cassian's eyes opened slowly, and they were immediately assaulted by the light from a lamp situated beside him. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust before he could take in where he was.

He was in a room, one he had never seen before. It was dark, but he could see that it was a small flat, with a kitchen, sitting, and dining room all crammed into the tiny space. He was laying in the only bed.

He noticed Mr Green sitting at the little dining table, a bowl of something in front of him. He turned his head in the direction that the gasp had come from.

Cassian stared at her for a few moments, waiting for her to disappear. But she did not. Faith was not a hallucination. She was sitting beside his bed on a little stool, wearing the same concerned expression that she had three years earlier.

Faith's lips parted, but no words escaped. Her brown eyes glistened.

"Ouch," Cassian whispered.

Faith exhaled, her breath staggered. "Oh, Mr Kensington. Are you alright? I am so sorry. This was my fault."

Cassian frowned. The muscle movement painted him, as it felt as though he was pulling something. He wondered if he had stiches in his head.

Her voice had alerted Mr Green, who had risen from his seat. Cassian's driver was not standing at the foot of the bed.

"It was not you who struck me, Mrs Rowe," Cassian mumbled. His eyes flicked to Mr Green. His driver did not appear to have a scratch. "What happened to him?"

"Arrested," he replied. "An officer heard the noise and took the assailant to prison for the night. Intoxication and assault. I am sure they will contact you, sir."

Cassian nodded, immediately regretting the motion. It hurt. His eyes returned to Faith. She still appeared to feel incredibly guilty. She pressed her hands together and held them to her lips. Why was she blaming herself? She was not the one who had hit him with a bottle. Henry Towler was spending the night in prison because he was the one who was guilty.

"Mr Kensington, please forgive me," Faith whispered. "If I had not behaved so ... if I had never said a word ... oh, if only I had accepted Mr Towler's position then this would not have happened."

"Towler's actions were his own," Cassian said firmly, finding his voice. "Do you know what would have happened if you had accepted that position?" Cassian hated to think. He hated to think of such a good person in any danger. He hated that his other workers had been at Towler's mercy for years. How could he have not known?

"But then you would be alright," Faith insisted. "You would not have been hurt."

What twisted logic. It was almost stupid to be that selfless.

"Better me than you," Cassian replied.

Faith pursed her lips and her eyes widened.

"Just because a man is your superior, it does not give him the right to take liberties," said Cassian. "A woman should be able to say no to a man and not fear retaliation. This is something I firmly believe." He had only been young when his mother had died, but he was not oblivious as to what she was doing. A hazard of having to grow up early. His mother had returned to him on countless occasions bloodied and bruised after refusing service.

Faith was silent. Cassian watched her as a single tear rolled down her cheek. It made Cassian wonder about her. He did not know her, not really. But he hoped that his logic would help her to have higher standards for the behaviour of men.

"What time is it, Green?" Cassian asked.

"A little after three, sir," replied Mr Green.

Cassian had been unconscious for seven hours, and poor Faith was due back at the factory for work in five hours. He knew they ought to leave, but it hurt his head to move.

"Help me up, Green," Cassian instructed, raising his right arm.

Mr Green immediately started around the bed just as Faith cried, "No, what are you doing?"

"I have imposed upon you long enough, Mrs Rowe," Cassian groaned, just as Mr Green pulled him up into a seated position. "I owe you a great debt." Faith was unaware just how great a debt that was.

"Nonsense," she snapped, finding her voice. "You are concussed, sir!"

It was strange to hear his angel call him sir. But it was not appropriate to ask her to call him Cassian in front of another man. Cassian then realised that Faith had taken a great risk bringing two men into her home without another woman present. He supposed they were lucky that it was the middle of the night.

"You lay right back down." Faith placed her hands on his chest and pushed Cassian back down again. She was over him again, looking down at him as she had three years earlier. He stared up at her, daring not to breathe.

She was still so beautiful. He had not imagined that. As she stared down at him, her eyebrows furrowed a little. There was not recognition in her eyes, but slight confusion.

Mr Green cleared his throat.

Faith stood up straight ever so quickly, realising that her hands were still on Cassian's chest. "Right, Mr Kensington, you will stay put. Mr Green, you may have the settee, and Lucy and I will sleep in the armchair."

Lucy? Had Cassian heard right? Was there another who lived here? Did Faith have a cat?

Cassian had not realised that he had said Lucy's name aloud, his tone indicating a question.

"My daughter," Faith explained, walking over to the settee.

She has a child.

Faith was a mother.

The light was dim by the settee, but he watched as Faith lifted a small figure into her arms. Cassian was frozen as he saw his angel transform into a mother. He could not see the child, but he watched as Faith cradled her, rocking her gently. She hummed a sweet tune and settled into the armchair.

If anything, it made her more beautiful.

"You heard the lady, Mr Green," Cassian said finally. His driver nodded and walked over to the settee to settle down. Had Cassian been able to move, he would have gladly slept in the armchair. But for now, he had a wonderful view of his angel, and her little baby.

Cassian awoke to the sensation of being poked.

He squinted. The light of the early morning had crept into the little flat, but the room was still relatively dim.

What he could see clearly, however, were Faith's eyes. It took a minute to realise that those chocolate brown eyes were on the face of another. She was young, but not a baby. Cassian had not known many children, so he was not sure of her age.

She was a very cute child, though. Her eyes, brown like her mother's, were beautiful, and were framed by the longest possible eyelashes. Her brown hair was impossibly curly. The tight brown spirals framed her face, and were in disarray after sleep. Her cheeks were round and flushed, and her little mouth was parted out of curiosity.

"Who are you?" Lucy whispered in a sweet, youthful voice.

Cassian craned his neck up, the action not hurting as much as it had the night before.

Mr Green was still fast asleep on the settee. He was much too long for the little sofa and his legs hung over the end of it.

He smiled slightly when he saw Faith. She, too, was still fast asleep, curled up on the armchair.

"My name is Cassian," he whispered back. "What is your name?" he asked Lucy.

Lucy, who had been sitting beside him on the bed, climbed onto Cassian's stomach and crossed her legs. She was not heavy, but it was still awkward to have dead weight on his stomach. "My name is Lucy," she replied.

Lucy looked so much like Faith. She would grow up to be beautiful. She did not appear to have much of anyone else in her. He could not help but wonder about Lucy's father ... and Faith's husband.

Cassian spied his coat hanging by the door, his waist jacket on the floor below it. It must have fallen off the hook during the night. "Lucy, do you see that piece of clothing on the floor over there?" he asked.

Lucy turned her head, her curls bouncing. She nodded.

"In the pocket is my watch. It is a little golden watch. Would you fetch it for me?" he asked.

Lucy climbed off of Cassian and obediently went to search the pockets of his waist coat. Cassian felt relief as soon as she was gone. He took a deep breath. He sat up in the bed slowly, every inch of him sore and stiff. The mattress was not at all comfortable, though he would say nothing.

His head did feel significantly less painful. The surrounding area was still painful, but his headache was gone.

Lucy promptly returned with his pocket watch.

"Thank you," Cassian said gratefully. It was twenty minutes past seven. The factory was due to resume operations in forty minutes. Cassian knew that had he not interrupted Faith's evening, she would have already been awake.

But seeing her, curled up as she was, he did not have the heart to wake her.

He did need to send a servant to help Mr Drew with daily operations, which meant that he needed to return home.

Lucy stood to the side of the bed, staring at him. Why was she looking at him like that?

Cassian frowned at her. Lucy returned his expression. Even though she was frowning, she was still very cute. Cassian cocked his head to the side, and Lucy copied him once more.

Lucy was just curious about the stranger in her house.

Cassian chuckled lightly and smiled at her. Lucy returned his smile, showing him every one of her baby teeth.

There was a sudden loud knock at the door.

Faith had jumped so much that she had practically fallen out of the armchair, something that Lucy found highly amusing. Faith scrambled to her feet and rubbed her face. She looked so tired. She had not had enough sleep. "What time is it?" she gasped.

"Nearly half past seven," replied Cassian. "Are you expecting someone?"

Faith was running around her flat frantically, and achieving nothing.

Mr Green had since awoken, and was now sitting up on the settee.

"Lucy, that will be Mrs Berwick!" cried Faith. "Hurry and gather whatever you want to take with you for today." Faith paused in front of the bed and chewed on her bottom lip. "I cannot explain you," she whispered. "I have to hide you. You know what people will say. We will be evicted."

"Who is Mrs Berwick?" Cassian asked, just as a crumpled dress was thrown at his face. Faith had begun to throw laundry on the bed to disguise him as a pile of clothing.

"I pay her to care for Lucy while I am working," explained Faith as she fixed the clothing on the bed to hide Cassian. "Mr Green, please get down behind the settee!" she hissed frantically. "Oh, Lord, we will be evicted," she worried under her breath.

Perhaps it was the concussion talking, but Cassian did not think it fair that anyone should be evicted for caring for an ill man, no matter their sex. Cassian understood there were certain propriety expectations, but it would not be right.

Even then, it had been him that had kept Faith up half the night. She had cared for him again, at great personal risk. Cassian could start to repay her right at that minute.

He pushed the laundry off of his face and caught her just as she was approaching the door. "Tell her to go," he hissed. "Tell her you do not need her to watch Lucy today."

Faith spun on her heel and gaped at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell her to go," he reiterated. "Trust me," he implored. She had no reason to, really. Cassian was a stranger to her. Merely her employer. Little did she know that he would do everything in his power to take care of her.

And Lucy. He would take care of her, too.

Faith nodded, and motioned for him to hide again. Cassian laid back down and covered himself with the laundry.

"Good morning, Mrs Berwick," Faith sung in a falsely cheerful tone.

"Is everything alright, Mrs Rowe? I thought I heard voices," said Mrs Berwick suspiciously.

"Oh, no, it is just Lucy and I. We like to have ... loud conversations."

"Of course," said Mrs Berwick flatly. "Is Lucy ready?"

"Oh, um, no, not today. I appreciate you coming to collect her, but I am not working at the factory today. I am ... uh ... ill." Faith promptly coughed. "A cough, you see. I would not want Lucy to endanger your children."

Cassian stifled a laugh.

"You are going to forgo a day's wages because of a cough?" repeated Mrs Berwick.

"So it seems," replied Faith. Her tone changed, and she sounded worried. Worried about money, most likely.

Cassian would never let her struggle financially. Not now he was in the position to repay her.

"Feel better, Mrs Rowe," Mrs Berwick said half-heartedly.

"Thank you," replied Faith as she closed the door.

Cassian threw the laundry off of him and Mr Green rose from behind the settee. Lucy stood by her mother, clutching the arm of a cloth doll.

"She did not believe me," murmured Faith.

Cassian grinned. "You were not convincing."

Faith glared at him. "This is not a joke, Mr Kensington," she snapped. "It is rare that rooms will be rented to women without husbands, especially those with children. They do not care a bit if you are widowed or not."

Cassian controlled his amusement. It was not funny. She was panicking. She had a child to provide for, and a dead husband that had left her with nothing. Cassian could understand this. His own mother had been in the same situation. Faith was doing well.

"Mrs Rowe, please. I will ensure that you and Lucy will always have a safe home," Cassian promised. "Green, will you please fetch the carriage?" It suddenly occurred to Cassian that he was unsure as to what had happened to the carriage or the horses the night before, but Green would know

"Yes, sir," said Mr Green.

"Be careful!" exclaimed Faith. "Do not be seen!"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Mr Green. He discreetly slipped out of Faith's flat and closed the door behind him.

Faith's attention returned to Cassian. "How can you promise such things, Mr Kensington?"

"Because I was given a chance," he replied. "I need to send a servant to the factory this morning to help Mr Drew now that I have sacked Mr Towler, so I need to return to my home. If you would like, you and Lucy can come with me." Cassian paused. Faith was still staring at him. Her head cocked to the side slightly. Her expression was identical to that of Lucy's earlier. He resisted laughing. "I will employ you in my household. I have a small staff who would be thankful for the help. I will pay you ten pounds annually, as well as room and board, everything." That was more than any other housemaid salary he was aware of. But he owed Faith much more than that. "You will not need to pay anyone to care for Lucy. There are always people around my house. I am there a lot." He could watch Lucy for a little while here and there. How hard could it be?

There was at least two minutes of silence before Faith spoke. "Ten pounds ... and board ... and food ... and Lucy." She exhaled as a large smile spread across her face. "But why would you help me?" Faith asked in disbelief.

"Because you once did the same for me."