Molly
A Worse Fate
Molly never thought she’d be so glad of the many air raids happening night after night as she had been these last couple of weeks. The man she was being saved for hadn’t been able to get away. From what she could glean from the conversations held in front of her, he was a doctor in his middle years. The thought of him repulsed her, and each day she prayed that somehow David would find her and rescue her.
She was in a flat above a tailor’s shop in Soho. But she knew, from what the other girls told her, that the shop was just a cover for the real business that went on here, and enabled gentlemen to look as if they were buying clothes or having a fitting, when instead they slipped through the curtains at the back of the shop and up the stairs to the flat.
There were five girls in residence. They slept in one room they called ‘the dormitory’, with two double beds in it. Being the new girl, Molly found that she had to sleep at the bottom of the bed, with the feet of the two at the top digging into her and kicking her throughout the night. Not that she would sleep anyway. That came in the daytime when the others were active, having been sent out to tout for business or entertaining clients in one of the other four rooms she’d been shown. These were called ‘boudoirs’ and were decorated and furnished in rich creams and purples and hung with mirrors. Each housed a huge bed and had a washroom of its own.
She dreaded the day she would have to go to one of the boudoirs.
At first she’d spent her days and nights weeping and begging to be released, as well as hoping that her dad or David, or even Foggy, would come. But there was only so much crying a body could do and only so much the others would tolerate, before they showed they’d had enough by telling her to ‘shut the fuck up’.
This had been a turning point for Molly. She realized that her companions were all she had, and she didn’t want to alienate them. Making her mind up on this made her stronger.
Hope lived in finding out which girl was Phyllis’s mate. The last two days had felt special, as she became close to Ruby. As Phyllis had said, Ruby was in a poor state – thin, so that you could see her ribs and her shoulder bones sticking out. She was often dirty and unkempt, with blackened teeth. Ruby was sent out into the streets on a daily basis. She never entertained in the house, as the other more wholesome girls did, and when she returned she incurred Eva’s wrath if she didn’t have anything to cough up.
Molly felt overwhelming pity for her, but also saw in Ruby a possible way of getting a message out. They sat together on the bed, the only two left in the dormitory now. ‘Ruby, would you help me?’
‘I can’t. I’d get me bleedin’ neck wrung. I’m sorry for yer, but don’t ask me to be a party to getting yer out of here.’
‘Please. Me boyfriend has money. His name’s David. He’ll pay you. He’ll pay you enough so that you can get away from here. He’ll help you. We’re unofficially engaged, and he must be desperate to find me.’
‘I’m sorry. If you knew what them lot were capable of, yer wouldn’t ask me.’
‘Well, do you ever see Phyllis while you’re out and about?’
Ruby cringed away from her. ‘Are yer a spy for them, eh? How come you ain’t working yet? What’re yer doing here, anyway?’
‘No. I told you, I used to work with Phyllis, and she told me about you. She’s desperate to help you – you could go to her. She knows David; she’d take him a message. Please, Ruby, I beg of you.’
Ruby was quiet for a minute.
‘Wouldn’t you like to get out of here, Ruby? I promise you, if you help me, I’ll help you.’
Still Ruby didn’t speak.
The sound of someone coming had them both looking towards the door. Caught as if in a trap with no escape, they remained still. As the door knob turned, Ruby said, ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
Relief mingled with Molly’s fear. Eva stood in the doorway, and her face showed her pleasure. ‘Well, Missy, yer time has finally bleedin’ come. Get that nylon gown on that I hung in the cupboard for yer, and be quick. The doctor is about to make you into a woman, and I’m about to have a big payday.’
The door slammed shut. Molly looked at Ruby, and her fear must have shown in her face.
‘Don’t struggle, lav. It ain’t worth it, and it makes it hurt all the more. Besides, he cuts up rough if yer do. He’s even been known to slash a couple of girls, thinks he’s doing a bleedin’ operation. But if yer sweet to him and let him have his way, then he can be good to yer. Act the baby-girl with him. Tell him yer afraid – he likes that. He likes to coax yer, win yer over, but not fight with yer. That makes him mad.’
‘I – I can’t. Oh, Ruby, please help me. I can’t let him.’
‘Yer bleedin’ have no choice, girl. Pull yerself together and get it done. We all ’ad to, and you’re no different.’
Resigned to her fate, Molly got off the bed and went to the cupboard. The pure-white gown mocked her. Flimsy and sheer, it would hide nothing. With it there was a pair of white silk, long-legged pants with lace frills around the edge of the legs and a snow-white bra. Molly shuddered.
‘Come on, I’ll help yer get ready. I promise yer, if you act all shy but willing, it’ll be all right. Yer might even enjoy it, as he has some tricks, does the doctor. He’s an artist in making love, as long as you don’t make him lose his temper.’
Ruby made it sound as though Molly was in for a treat, but her heart was full of dread.
‘He might even seduce yer by offering yer some opium. Take it. You’ll love the effect and nothing will matter to yer – you’ll be floating in a lovely dream. There’ll be no pain, just wonderful sensations.’
Opening the door to the boudoir, Molly noticed a sweet, pungent smell of smoke. Part of her felt glad about this, for maybe she was to get the opium treatment, something she’d been hoping for since Ruby had told her about it.
Her heart banged against her chest at the sound of his voice. ‘Come in, my dear.’ There was a tone of aristocracy about it, as if the King himself was waiting for her. This increased her shyness. She didn’t dare look up. Didn’t want to see the hateful man who had bought her and would do to her what she’d only ever wanted David to do.
He was close now. She could see his bare feet, his calves and the bottom edge of his paisley dressing gown. He had nice feet. His toenails were manicured and shone with cleanliness.
His hand lifted her face. ‘Let me look at you. Don’t be afraid.’
Molly looked up into eyes as dark as David’s. A surprisingly handsome face, with a gentleness about it that she hadn’t expected. He looked a lot younger than she’d thought he would.
‘There, I’m not so bad, am I?’
His smile showed even, white teeth. He smelt of the sweet smoke and his eyes glazed over as he gazed into hers.
Molly wanted to claw at him and say that he was bad, evil and that she wanted to kill him, but his face changed in an instant as if he detected this in her. ‘I’m not going to have trouble with you, am I?’
The evil in his tone frightened her. Suddenly Ruby’s advice seemed her only path. No one was going to save her from this. Ruby had even intimated that some girls had ended up dead. She wanted to live. ‘N-no, I’m just frightened.’
His arm came round her and he pulled her close. ‘Don’t be, my beautiful one. I will look after you like a daddy would.’
This repulsed her. The last thing she wanted to think of was her dad. But there was some comfort for her in the way he cuddled her as if she was a little girl. She leaned on him as a feeling of acceptance came over her. Tears cascaded down her face and yet she wasn’t consciously crying.
‘Now, now. You can sit on my knee, and I will make you all better.’
Bile rose to her throat. She swallowed it down. Coughed as it rasped her throat with its acid taste.
‘Here, baby, have a drink of water.’
Molly took the crystal glass and drank the refreshing cold water.
‘Good girl.’
Within a few moments, something had changed. She felt relaxed and went willingly with him to the huge red velvet chair that stood next to the bed. Sitting on his knee, she felt the hardness of him. But somehow it didn’t matter. Her head felt light. Her stomach muscles clenched with pleasure and expectation.
‘Good girl.’
The doctor’s hands began to roam over her. The sensation was nice and she wanted to respond, but through the haze she remembered Ruby’s words: ‘Act all shy but willing – he’ll love it.’
Molly knew at that moment she did want him to love it. But why? Why did she want this? What was happening to her?
When his hand pulled up her gown, her fear came back. She clutched the hem in an attempt to prevent him from being able to get his hands further up her thighs. He slapped her hand away. ‘Naughty girls are punished.’ His face became ugly, his eyes evil. Ruby’s words came to her again: ‘Don’t struggle, lav. It ain’t worth it, and it makes it hurt all the more. Besides, he cuts up rough if yer do.’
As his hand rose above her, Molly pleaded, ‘No, please. I’m sorry – I’m scared. I’ve never done it before. They say it hurts. I don’t want to be hurt.’
The doctor softened and his face relaxed again. ‘Don’t be afraid. I’ll be very gentle.’ He stood back up and then sat down in the chair. His hand reached for the hashish pipe. The air intensified with the scent she’d detected when she’d entered the room. ‘Come back on my knee. I have something for you.’
Relief came to Molly. Ruby had said she would not really know what was happening, if he gave her the drug.
When she sat on his knee, she didn’t feel him this time and wondered if her refusal had taken away his ardour. She hoped he wouldn’t get it back.
He took a long drag of the pipe. A bubbling sound came from the bowl beneath it. Releasing the smoke, he lay back, before handing it to her. ‘Now, have you ever smoked a cigarette?’ She nodded. ‘Good, right, suck in a little. Breathe it in deep into your lungs.’
Molly did this willingly, hoping it would take her into a world where she didn’t know what was happening. The first intake made her cough, but the next lifted her, as if taking her soul from her body. The sensation was one of euphoria. The fear that she’d felt left her.
Molly’s head felt heavy, but not painful. Her body, she knew, had been through sensations that she’d loved and wanted to experience again. Relief made her want to cry. Through the fog that clouded her brain she justified what had happened. I had no choice.
But as some awareness seeped into her, her mind showed her the true horror of it all. She’d been coerced into consenting to behave in a way that was alien to her. A sob escaped from her, but she swallowed hard. She mustn’t disturb the doctor.
The weight of him leaning on her body told her he must still be asleep. Fighting against a still-fuzzy and tangled sense of not being able to coordinate or plan what to do, she eased herself away from him. The only thing registering was that she had to get out of here.
Once off the bed, she turned to look at him. Shock smacked her fully awake and aware as she stared into the unseeing eyes, registered the slack mouth, saw the waxen, unmoving face.
A scream erupted from her that hurt her own ears and rasped her throat.
The door opened and Eva came through. ‘For Christ’s sake, what the bleedin’ hell’s up with you, girl, eh? You were having the time of your life – we all heard yer. What’s happened?’
Shame washed over Molly at this, but was replaced by fear as Eva’s voice rose even louder. ‘Christ! H-he’s d-dead. DEAD! What? What have yer done, eh?’
Molly couldn’t react. A violent tremble shook every part of her.
‘Gus! Gus . . .’
Gus appeared as if he’d already been on his way. Lofty was just behind him.
‘Bleedin’ Norah, he’s dead, Gus – he’s gone.’
Gus didn’t react. Eva’s voice took on urgency. ‘Do sommat, Gus, do sommat!’
As if someone had cranked up his mental capacity and given him authority, Gus strode over to Molly. ‘Get out of here.’
She scampered away. As she reached the landing she heard Gus order Lofty to dress the doctor, then wrap him in the bed sheet.
Eva’s shrieking voice came to her: ‘I want his wallet first. From what we all heard, he had a bloody good time with her. Dead or not, he’s bleedin’ paying for that.’
Gus laughed, a sick sound that turned Molly’s stomach. His head appeared round the door. Molly gasped at the raw anger she saw in his face, but as he neared her, this slipped into a mask of lust.
His tongue moistened his dry lips as he approached her.
Molly cringed away, her nakedness exposing her vulnerability. Gus’s sour breath wafted over her as he leaned towards her. ‘Later, girl. My time is coming. I’ll make you squeal louder than you did for the doc. I’m bleedin’ telling yer, you ain’t had nothing yet.’
She pushed him away and ran into the dormitory. Ruby was still there, fear etched on her face, but she opened her arms. Molly went into them and sobbed her heart out.
When she’d calmed a little, Ruby helped her to the bathroom. While she washed Molly and helped her to dress, she talked of everything and anything.
Molly eventually found her voice. ‘Ruby, please help me. Please.’
Ruby was silent for a moment. When she spoke, some hope trickled into Molly. ‘I ain’t promising anything. But give me the address of your man.’
‘Oh, Ruby, thanks. Thanks. You won’t regret it. I promise you. He’ll get this place closed and those monsters brought to justice.’
‘He won’t. And you shouldn’t let him try. They have people in their pay – people you’d never dream of. No one can touch them. Not even the King himself would try. Your man needs to get us out of it, take us somewhere we can’t be found. That’s the only way.’
Molly’s stomach clenched as a thought came to her. ‘Do you think they would hurt David, if they caught him?’
‘Course they would. Slit his bleedin’ throat soon as look at him, they would. I’ll make him aware of the danger.’
‘No! No, he’ll come after me – you won’t be able to stop him. I couldn’t bear him to be hurt. Look, go and see Phyllis. Get her to go and see me dad.’
‘But I thought you didn’t trust your dad. Anyway, that’ll put Phyllis in the firing line.’
Molly didn’t trust her dad, but for one moment she thought he might help her. He’d refused to let them take her, hadn’t he? They’d had to knock him out, in order to get her away. He might just be angry that she’d gone missing. These thoughts left her as quickly as they’d come. Despairing now, she sat heavily on the bed. ‘It’s hopeless. I just can’t see a way out.’
‘Look, it were obvious that it weren’t as bad as yer thought, now were it? Everyone could hear ’ow much yer enjoyed it. If you play yer cards right, you could have a decent life in the future. You’ve got what men want, and Eva ain’t going to let that get spoilt. She was standing outside the door practically rubbing her hands together. You could almost see the pound signs rolling around her head. She’ll keep the likes of Gus off yer. Your best bet is to make up to her. If you’re to get a ticket to anywhere, it’s got to come from her.’
Molly nodded, for she could see the truth of this.
‘Let them do what they have to, to get rid of the body. Be pliable when they tell you the part you have to play, if there’s any questioning from the police. Though I doubt that’ll happen. With Gus wanting the doctor dressed, I’d say that he wasn’t planning on dumping him in the Thames, but meant to take him back to his own home and let him be found there. He probably copped it with a heart attack or sommat. Anyway, once it’s all sorted, let Eva think you’re ready to do things her way. She’ll be your best mate. You’ll have her eating out of yer bleedin’ hand.’
Something about all this made sense to Molly. Ruby knew these gangsters better than anybody. She’d already learned herself that no one did anything without Eva’s say-so. She also knew that no one escaped here, or if they did – according to the talk of the girls over the last week – their bodies were found floating in the Thames. She didn’t want that. She wanted to survive, to go to David. To live happily with him, if he’d still have her, and forget all this ever happened.
Feeling resigned to her fate helped to settle her. ‘Thanks, Ruby. I’ll do what you say. And if it’s ever in my power to help you, I will. I promise. Even if it’s just getting you some extra food to build you up. Let’s see how it goes, eh? Somehow I’ll turn all this to me advantage. We’re Londoners, girl. Never say die, eh? After all, a bomb might get you tomorrow and you could end up as worm pie.’
‘What? Well, I’ve never heard that one before. Ha, you’re a funny one. But you know, I’ve got faith in yer, Molly. You’ve got brains. You’ve been educated. Yer can tell that, with how you speak. God gave you that advantage for a reason. It’s time you put it to good use and bettered yourself. Even if it is in a whorehouse.’
Molly couldn’t answer this. She felt both acceptance and determination. And in that moment she made her mind up that she would beat Eva, Gus and Lofty at their own game.
Standing up and going to the window, she felt a moment of doubt. Everything she’d wanted to give to her David had been taken by another man. And she’d been willing. No matter that she’d been under the influence of hashish, she’d enjoyed it. She’d learn how to do it well so that she became sought-after, and she’d then be able to pull some strings with Eva.
There was nothing about her plan for Molly to relish, unless it was to think of it as a way out of this hellhole. Going back to Ruby, she asked. ‘Have you ever been good at sex, Ruby? Can you give me some tips?’
‘I was one of the best. A long time ago, before I got badly beaten and left for dead by a punter, then Eva lost interest in me. She treats me like a dog, but I have no choice. I have to warn you, Molly, once they have you, it ain’t easy to get away. They’ll hunt you down and kill you. I’ll teach you all yer need to know, girl. Use that, and your brains, to make everything better for yourself.’
It didn’t seem something to thank Ruby for, but Molly did. While doing so, she wished with all her heart that she didn’t have to take this path, and she wished it was her David she was asking to teach her. But that wasn’t going to happen, and thoughts like that would only undo her resolve. She’d put David out of her mind. Out of her life. She had to, but maybe one day . . . Maybe.