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T he Guttertown gossip mill was now in overdrive.

I’m sure a lot of that was how I managed to fool everyone, but there were other people who lived like me for completely different reasons and they usually made that decision later in life, so everyone knew, but respected it. They had always thought I was a man.

I’m sure most of them wanted to talk about Folcard showing up here and me telling him no to his face, but I was free now and I wanted to capitalize on that. I stood on the stump outside the Whispering Raven.

“Listen up, fuckers! I’m Lance Lucia Argent and from this day forward, if you want to drink at the Whispering Raven, you’ll address me as Lucy. Lance was just, so I didn’t end up at the brothel because I don’t want to work there. No offense, Madame.”

The Madame just chuckled.

“Your look would bring in customers and your disposition would turn them away. Men don’t like it when you punch them in the face and start a brawl.”

“Speak for yourself,” Neco grunted. “She can hit me whenever she wants.”

“Not everyone wants to pay for that, Neco,” the Madame said.

Neco turned purple because the Madame had that effect on people.

“How about drinks on Lucy for standing up to the Barons?” someone called.

“Erik Barlow?” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “Lucy isn’t giving you free drinks any more than Lance did.”

He just gave me a rude gesture and a grin. Erik wasn’t mad. It was a game to him. He ran a market stall, so he was used to bartering. I had no problem bartering drinks for his wares, but he always tried to get free booze from me. I gave him one right back.

“After I’ve had breakfast and had time to prepare, we’ll be opening early if anyone wants to celebrate Guttertown getting one over on the Barons, but I can’t afford to feed all you assholes for free, so it’s a party where you pay me for food and libations.

In addition to the new Bloody Mary, we’ll be debuting a new drink with the same spirit, but it’s sweet. ”

Because somehow, in the mess that was my life since Mom got stick, I still went down to the basement to check my infusions before I went to bed.

I found the perfect recipe and set a barrel of it going.

Ollie rigged up a tool to strain it and promised me he got it bottled up in between running off to save me.

That seemed to do the trick. Everyone went about their business, but Belinda came up to me. Belinda was Heath when we were in school. She didn’t drink at the tavern much because it wasn’t her thing, but she made the best damned cheese in Guttertown, so I visited her stall all the time.

“If you ever want to talk, your life seems confusing and I have some experience.”

“I’m going to take you up on that because yeah, it can be confusing. I know the tavern isn’t your thing, but maybe somewhere else?”

“It’s not the tavern, it’s some of the men in your tavern. I’ve been meaning to check it out since you hired musicians. I like music.”

“Any of the men get stupid, you let me know and I’ll toss them.”

“Some of them are going to treat you differently.”

I shrugged.

“I’m looking forward to not having to bind my chest. I don’t intend on dressing any differently.

My clothes are comfortable and I’m not buying a whole new wardrobe.

I’ve never had long hair, but I like mine short.

I might grow it out to see if I like it, but if I don’t, I’ll cut it off again.

They can treat me differently all they want, but I’m still the same person who tossed their arses before. ”

Belinda nodded.

“I’ve got this rosemary and garlic cheese I need to check on. I just left because everyone was talking about Folcard on horseback.”

I moaned.

“You’d better save me some of that.”

“Will do, Lucy.”

After Belinda left, the insanity of what happened finally hit me.

I told a Baron no. I called him stupid. He knew damned well I wasn’t a boy now.

I burned all my bridges, and he was probably going to target the tavern.

I was already going to have to get creative with the books because my tavern was getting famous outside of Guttertown and they were going to want part of that.

Fuck.