‘Not a thing, so long as you’re in that club ready to start work come seven of an evenin’, you can do what you like durin’ the day. How does that sound?’
‘Perfect!’ Abi was feeling better by the second. What a job! She could dress up and flirt to her heart’s content every night apart from Sundays and have every day off to do as she pleased. She would be able to visit Emmy and, better still, shop as much as she liked once she had started to earn. What could be better?
‘Right, well I’ve got to get back to balancin’ me books,’ Lilly told her glumly. ‘So, as you’re up, why don’t you go down to the dinin’ room an’ get to know some of the other girls? They should be startin’ to get their arses out o’ bed any time now. But hang that gown up in your room first an’ remember it’s only on loan. I ain’t made o’ money an’ I can’t afford to keep you an’ dress you an’ all.’ And with that she went, leaving a waft of heavy perfume in her wake as Abi returned to her room to hang the gown in the armoire.
When she had managed to locate the dining room, she found two young women eating fat juicy sausages and crisp rashers of bacon. They greeted her cheerfully and pointed to the large brown teapot that stood in the centre of the table, so Abi poured herself a cup of tea and joined them.
‘You must be the new girl Lilly mentioned would be joinin’ us. What’s your name, dearie?’ a plump girl with thick fair hair and a broad cockney accent asked her in a friendly fashion. She had a peaches-and-cream complexion and Abi judged that she must be somewhat older than her, possibly in her early twenties.
‘It’s Abigail, but most people call me Abi.’
‘Unless Lilly decides to give you a new name.’ The girl chuckled.
Abi looked confused. ‘But why would she do that?’
‘Well, certain names suit the sort o’ job we do better than our real ones,’ the girl told her amiably. ‘Take meself for an example, me real name is Agnes but while I’m workin’ it’s Maria.’
‘And do you enjoy working here?’ Abi asked tentatively.
‘Hm, I’m not so sure I’d say as I enjoy it,’ her companion answered. ‘But a girl ’as to make a livin’, don’t she? An’ this is money for old rope so long as you know how to handle the clients.’
When Abi frowned, she chuckled again as she helped herself to another sausage. ‘What I mean is you ’ave to keep ’em in line.’
‘In what way?’
Maria sighed at Abi’s innocence. ‘What I’m sayin’ is you’ll earn more takin’ a chap upstairs to your room than you will just bein’ a hostess in the club, if you get me meanin?’ She winked cheekily and Abi blushed.
‘Oh I-I don’t think I’d like to do that,’ she said falteringly.
Maria sighed sadly. ‘We all say that when we first start ’ere,’ she warned her. ‘But it ain’t long afore we get dragged into the money trap. That’s why I’ve got a two-year-old daughter fostered out who I ’ave to pay for, bless ’er little cotton socks.’
‘You have a child?’ Abi looked shocked but Maria merely shrugged.
‘It’s me own fault. There’s things you can do to stop a baby comin’ along but I obviously didn’t do it properly.’
‘But why didn’t the father of your baby marry you?’ Abi asked innocently, and now both the girls laughed aloud.
‘God bless yer! You’ve got a lot to learn,’ Maria said, and a little ripple of unease made its way up Abi’s spine. ‘How did yer come to ’ear about this place anyway?’ Maria enquired curiously, her head cocked to one side.
‘Oh, my cousin Jasper told me about it,’ Abi told her.
Maria chuckled. ‘Hm, I thought as much.’
‘What do you mean?’
Maria shook her head.
Abi was confused now. Jasper had told her about the job to help her escape from home, surely? Yet Maria seemed to be implying that he’d had something to gain from bringing her here. She wasn’t too happy about the thought of having to entertain men in her room either, but then, she decided, Maria hadn’t said that she wouldhaveto! No, she had come here simply to be a hostess and that was all she would be, and surely Jasper had helped her purely out of the kindness of his heart?
Chapter Seventeen
On the first Sunday since leaving home, Emmy was reading the newspaper in her room when Aggie tapped on the door to tell her, ‘There’s a young man waiting downstairs to see yer, miss.’
‘To seeme?’ Emmy was surprised and had no idea who it could be. She laid the paper aside and smiled at Aggie. ‘Thank you, I’ll be right down.’ It was her first day off and she was enjoying not having to run around after her aunt, although in fairness the first few days had gone far better than she had hoped they would. Imogen was demanding, admittedly, but already Emmy was discovering that she wasn’t quite as hard as she liked to make out.
She checked her hair in the ornate mirror in her room and smoothing down the material of her full skirt she set off downstairs and gave a cry of delighted surprise when she saw Jake standing in the hall clutching his hat as he waited for her, realising with a little jolt how much she had missed him.
‘Jake, how lovely to see you.’ She hurried to him with her hands outstretched. She had written to him the evening after arriving there but as she had not heard back, she’d had no idea if he’d received her letter.
