Several other people greeted her as she carried on. She would miss living here when she married, but was well aware that her future husband, no matter his title, would have a posh residence in an exclusive area of London that he would expect her to share with him. To be a proper lady, she would have to give up the management of her shop. Although Gillie still ran her tavern, it had always been understood that Fancy was destined to become a scion of Society, and that wouldn’t happen unless she immersed herself fully into that culture by making morning calls, as well as hosting afternoon teas, dinners, and balls. Not to mention providing her husband with his heir and spare and a daughter or two.

But until her official introduction into Society, she was free to do as she pleased, and it pleased her to have dinner at the Jolly Roger, a pub Gillie had opened in the area six months earlier. Because she was busy managing her tavern, the Mermaid and Unicorn, overseeing her duchess duties, and raising the daughter she’d delivered to the duke, she’d handed the reins of her new venture over to Roger, who’d assisted her at the Mermaid. The cook, who also happened to be his love, had come over with him. Hannah prepared simple fare that was a delight to the palate and often reminded Fancy of her mum’s cooking.

While she appreciated having her own lodgings, she did miss her mum quite a bit, just as she had when she’d been off at a posh finishing school paid for by Mick as the first step in achieving her mum’s dream of seeing Fancy well married. As a result, her manners were above reproach, her speech more refined, and she didn’t sound as though she crawled out from the gutter.

Although she’d never truly spoken as though she came from humble origins. Gillie had insisted all her siblings speak well, with clear pronunciation, because she believed proper speech was essential to bettering one’s life, and her first employer had educated her regarding correct enunciation. Before Fancy had ever attended a formal classroom, Gillie had sat her down and taught her how to speak like those who lived in the most affluent areas of London.