‘He wouldn’t dare,’ I scoff but feel a little uneasy.
‘If you say so. Ooh, hello, what do we have here?’
A good-looking marine saunters past, checking us out. Sadie cocks her head, keeping her eyes trained on him as he nudges his three equally attractive friends, and they look us over. She licks her lips.
Sadie:Those four are adorably juicy. Shall we?
Me:Four at once! That’s going a bit far.
Sadie:Oh, go on, live a little. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander and all that. It’ll be fun, an all-you-can-eat man buffet.
Me (laughing):All right, you know I can never resist a man in uniform—
Sadie:Or several of them out ofit.
***
The next week, I’m back at the club, raging after another fight with Alexander. Sadie rolls her eyes.
‘Leave him, Floss.’
I take a sip of my Bloody Mary.
‘Iamseriously considering it,’ I tell her.
‘You say that, but chances are we’ll be having this same conversation in twenty years’ time,’ she replies, adjusting her headband. I bristle at her confident tone and the fact that she’s probably right.
Dammit.
‘You think I won’t?’
‘I know you won’t, little puppet.’
The desire to prove her wrong burns in my chest.
I lift my chin. ‘I’ll have you know I’ve got a plan.’
Sadie looks at me in mock amazement. ‘You have?’
‘Yes, I’ve got a secret suitcase packed. I’m going to escape to London one night when he’s visiting his whores. There’s a train from Gare du Nord that departs at seven and reaches Calais at midnight to connect with the last ferry crossing to Dover.’
‘And then?’
‘Then ... then ...’ My voice falters. ‘That’sas far as I’ve got.’
Sadie snorts.
‘That’s not much of a plan. You’re going to need money for a start. Otherwise, you’ll end up in the tunnels of the London Underground, feeding on rats.’
I shudder. ‘That’s not a pleasant thought.’
‘Isn’t Alexander loaded?’
I nod. ‘Apparently.’
‘In that case, can’t you nick some of it? If he’s got plenty, he’d be none the wiser.’
‘Nick it?’ I echo, horrified as if the thought has never entered my head. In fact, I’ve been thinking the same thing for weeks. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle. I refuse to work as a housemaid just because I need a lair of my own.
