Alice came quietly down the stairs. ‘Lily,’ she said softly, ‘Leo’s asleep. Should I leave him for a bit, do you think? He’s flat out!’
‘When Jamie comes back I’ll ask him to order a cab; but on the other hand,’ Lily mused, ‘Leo did say he didn’t have to go home early. Perhaps when he wakes up he’ll stay and have another glass of wine and a spot of supper.’
‘The longer he stays the more he’ll have to pay, is that it?’ Alice asked. ‘I must say that’s ’easiest night’s work I’ve ever done.’ She was quite unruffled, with not a hair out of place. She sighed. ‘If they were onny all like Leo.’
They heard the sound of voices coming from Lizzie’s room and moved into the parlour as Lizzie and Kendall appeared at the top of the stairs. Lizzie’s face and neck were flushed and Kendall was whistling softly, fastening up his cravat as he hurried down.
Lizzie handed him into his coat. ‘It’s a pity you have to leave so early,’ she murmured.
He nodded. ‘I’ll try to get away from the office a little earlier another time.’ He stared down at her, his face as tight-drawn and arrogant as it was when he’d first arrived. ‘Great romp, though, Lizzie. You’re a good sport!’
She put her chin up and surveyed him, her bottom lip pouting. She nodded. ‘Yeh, great fun. Come again.’
‘I will,’ he said carelessly. ‘As soon as I can get away.’ He looked round for Lily. ‘Have to be off,’ he said, and Lily came towards him.
‘I’ll see you out,’ she said. ‘Do you need a cab?’
‘No, I’ll walk to my club and get one from there.’ He took his pocket book from an inside pocket as Lily opened the door and looked out.
‘It’s quiet,’ she told him. ‘Hardly anybody about.’
‘Good,’ he said, handing over some money. ‘This is what I agreed with Jamie. I’ve given the girl some extra; don’t let him take it from her.’
‘I won’t,’ she said fervently. ‘Jamie needn’t know about that.’
He nodded. ‘Good night, then.’ He ran swiftly down the steps and Lily watched him as he marched down the street.
What a cold fish he is to be sure, she thought. I bet he’s a pillar of society, rules his wife and family with a rod of iron and is seen in church or chapel every Sunday.
Lizzie was lounging in a chair with her head back and her eyes closed when Lily went back into the parlour. ‘Is everything all right, Lizzie?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’ Lizzie sat up. ‘I’ve just asked Cherie to mek me a cup o’ coffee. Give me my strength back,’ she said half-heartedly.
‘Was it bad?’ Alice said anxiously.
‘I could tell what he was like ’minute I saw him,’ Lizzie muttered. ‘That’s why I went with him, though I rather think he wanted you.’ She looked at Alice. ‘He’s a foul-mouthed rampant goat and if he’d caught sight of your bruises he’d have added to them. That’s ’sort of whelp he is. Don’t tell Cherie,’ she added softly as Cherie brought in a tray of coffee. ‘It’s not for her ears. Where’s Betty?’ she asked aloud. ‘Not still upstairs with Henry?’
Lily put her hand to her mouth. ‘Should I go up, do you think?’
‘No.’ Alice and Lizzie answered together. ‘She’ll be fine.’
They were finishing their coffee when the door bell rang and Lily rushed to answer it. It was Jamie with two young women and three men. The men were in naval uniform and already in a state of alcoholic merriness.
‘Here we are,’ Jamie said. ‘These are ’girls I was expecting. Them other two had got wind that summat was happening and thought they’d turn up. And these gents are sailors. Look after ’em, Lily.’
Jamie wasn’t putting on any style in front of these men. He obviously reckoned he didn’t need to, Lily thought. The three customers who had arrived first were residents of Hull and needed to be impressed, whereas these were visitors and would probably be sailing away the next day.
The young women were Mary and Sally, fairly presentable and not too obviously street women. ‘Go in ’kitchen,’ Lily told them. ‘There’s some clean clothes in there. Get changed, wash your hands and faces and brush your hair.’
The two women stared at her and glanced at each other. ‘Those are the rules,’ Lily said. ‘This is a decent house.’
Mary gave a cynical laugh, but took Sally’s arm and headed down the hall. ‘Been some changes,’ Lily heard her say. ‘But I couldn’t stand that Miss Emerald or her pander. Mebbe this one’ll be better.’
Lily turned to the naval men, who were swaying and rocking on their heels. ‘Gentlemen,’ she said, ‘would you like to come through and meet the ladies?’
‘Where are we?’ asked one thickly. ‘Are we afloat?’
‘No sir. We’re ashore,’ said another.
‘Sun over the for’ard, then,’ said the third, grabbing Lily’s arm. ‘Show us the grog and the girls.’
‘Three sheets in the wind all right,’ Lily muttered. ‘Jamie, go and fetch Mr Smith’s cab and ask him to wait in case he decides to go home.’
Lily took the three men to the parlour and introduced them to Lizzie and Alice; the other two young women appeared in their clean finery and they chatted for a time while the men gazed bleary-eyed at them all. Then she suggested that Mary, Sally and Alice take the men upstairs.
‘I hate this,’ she said to Lizzie as she heard the ribald drunken sound of them crashing on their way. ‘Hate it! Hate it!’
Lizzie shrugged. ‘What else is there? We’re stuck, en’t we? What other sort o’ living is there for such as us? Such as me, anyway,’ she added. ‘At least you’ve had a better life.’
‘Kendall gave you extra, didn’t he?’ Lily asked her. ‘He said not to tell Jamie.’
‘I won’t,’ Lizzie said determinedly. ‘It’s hidden where he won’t find it. That’s ’start of my pot o’ gold. Where’s Leo? Is he still asleep in Alice’s room?’
‘I hope so,’ Lily said. ‘Unless ’sailors have woken him.’
‘I’ll go up.’ Lizzie rose quickly from her chair. ‘Don’t want to upset him, do we? We want him as a regular.’
‘I suppose so,’ Lily said.
‘Course we do,’ Lizzie said over her shoulder as she went into the hall. ‘He’s a magistrate. We need him on our side!’
A magistrate! Lily breathed. Here?
From outside there came a sudden crash and crack of breaking glass and strident shrieking voices. Lily rushed to look out of her window. There was a raucous commotion going on and a crowd of people were watching a fight, and not just watching but lustily urging on the participants and throwing the occasional blow. Drunken brawling women were fighting each other as well as men, shouting and screeching as they pulled hair and tore clothes.
As Lily watched she saw a black horse cab arriving at the top of the street. Several police constables got out and started running towards the miscreants. ‘Black Maria,’ she murmured and hoped that Jamie wouldn’t come back yet with Leo’s cab. She went to check that the front door was locked.
Lizzie was coming down the stairs holding tight to Leo’s arm. She gave a quick grin at Lily before saying softly to Leo, ‘Let’s take one step at a time, Leo; otherwise we’ll both fall arse ower tip!’
He started to laugh. ‘I said you were a merry sort of girl, didn’t I? Keep hold of me – I’ll get you down all right.’ When they reached the safety of the hall floor he asked her, ‘Did I go up with you or somebody else?’
‘You went up with Alice,’ Lizzie told him. ‘But you fair wore her out so she’s gone for a lie down.’
The old man sighed. ‘Ah, well! That’s the way it used to be in the old days. Where’s my coat and hat?’
‘Won’t you wait awhile?’ Lily asked. ‘Why not have some coffee until your cab comes? I’m sure Alice will be disappointed if you go without seeing her. Besides,’ she bent down and lowered her voice to a confidential whisper, ‘there’s a commotion going on outside and ’constables have arrived.’
‘Oh!’ His lips pursed and he looked anxious, but she reassured him.
‘It’s all right,’ she said softly. ‘Door’s locked and there’s no reason for them to come here.’
‘I should hope not,’ he said. ‘Has Kendall gone? It wouldn’t do for him to be caught. Not in his position. Don’t matter so much for me.’ He gave a satisfied smirk. ‘Some of the fellows would be envious, I should think. At my age and all that, you know!’
Lily and Lizzie glanced at each other and smiled. From what Alice had said, Leo had fallen asleep as soon as his head had touched the pillow. She had taken off his shoes and trousers and carefully laid them on a chair and he hadn’t even stirred.
Mrs Flitt knocked on the parlour door and asked Lily to come to the kitchen. ‘Jamie’s come to ’back door,’ she said in an urgent whisper. ‘He says if Mr Smith wants to go home he’s got a cab at ’back. He says police are all over ’place.’
Alice had come downstairs and placed herself once more on the stool next to Leo. Lily repeated Jamie’s message to him.
‘Oh, what a shame, Leo.’ Alice seemed disconsolate. ‘Just when we were going to have a nice chat. Still,’ she added, ‘we don’t want any trouble, do we?’
‘Indeed we don’t.’ Leo patted her cheek. ‘There now, still warm from sleep, aren’t you? Now I’d better get off. I’m meeting a relative in the morning so I need my wits about me. How shall I get out? Round the back?’ He gave a chuckle. ‘A real cloak and dagger affair, eh? Running the gauntlet and all that! Well, ladies.’ He puckered up his lips to give them each a kiss, Alice, Lizzie and Cherie. To Lily he crooked his forefinger. ‘I’ll see you in a moment, Miss Lily. Perhaps you’d be so good as to get my coat?’
Lily helped him on with his coat and handed him his top hat and cane. ‘Do take care,’ she said. ‘Jamie’s waiting at ’back door. I hope you’ve enjoyed your evening.’
‘I’ve had a splendid time,’ he said, patting his coat pocket for his pocket book.
‘Here it is sir.’ Lily handed him his leather wallet. ‘I took ’liberty of locking it in my desk drawer. I can’t be sure of all our clients as yet. There are some dishonest people about and I wouldn’t want my regular girls to be accused of stealing.’
‘What a remarkable woman you are,’ he said quietly, opening up the wallet and counting out some money. ‘Whatever are you doing in a place like this?’
She smiled. ‘It’s a long story, Mr Smith,’ she said. ‘Perhaps I’ll tell you some time.’
He nodded. ‘Perhaps you will. I’ll see you again, at any rate. And I won’t forget the piano!’
Lizzie and Alice were laughing together when she returned to the parlour. ‘I was just saying, Lily,’ Alice giggled, ‘there’s another one upstairs that I rocked off to sleep. Or mebbe there’s summat in the wine! Anyway that jolly jack tar was asleep on his feet. I just gave him a little push on to ’bed and he was snoring in a minute!’
Jamie returned, having safely deposited Leo in his cab and seen him being driven off. ‘It’s a riot out in ’street,’ he said. ‘If there’s anybody else here mek ’em stop for a bit. If you open ’door you’ll have ’police in like a shot. They’re rounding everybody up. There’ll be no more customers tonight. Not till ’police have gone, anyway.’
‘The seamen are still here,’ Lily told him. ‘And Henry.’
‘Is he still here?’ Jamie said in astonishment. ‘Charge him more, then. He can’t stop all this time without paying for it. Anyway, I’m off. I might be back if things quieten down, otherwise I’ll see you in ’morning to collect.’
‘Yes,’ Lily said sarcastically. ‘I expect you will. You won’t want to risk us spending your hardearned money!’
He cast her a disdainful glance and left, going through the kitchen and out into the back yard. Mrs Flitt carefully bolted the door behind him. ‘Whoremonger!’ she hissed as she turned away. ‘Pander!’
The constables had left and the crowd dispersed by the time two of the navy men and the two other women came down. ‘Don’t forget your friend,’ Lily said as she took money from them. ‘He’s asleep. Will you pay for him?’
One of the men put his hand to his head. ‘He can pay for himself,’ he muttered. ‘Can somebody fetch him down? I daren’t climb those stairs again.’
‘We’ll go,’ Alice and Lizzie said and darted upstairs again. They came down a couple of minutes later, Lizzie steering the seaman down whilst Alice kept hold of his shoulders. As the two girls held him up Lily put her hand in his pocket.
‘Look,’ she said, speaking to the other men. ‘This is what I’m taking. Just ’standard rate.’ She glanced at the man’s face. He was still asleep. ‘I’ll tek a bit extra,’ she said, taking two more coins. ‘That’s for Alice.’
The other two men shrugged. ‘Whatever you like,’ one hiccuped. ‘Plenty more where that came from.’
They were propelled towards the door. ‘Can you find your way back to your ship?’ Lily asked. ‘Go down to ’bottom of ’street and turn left. What?’ she said, turning round as she heard all the women burst out laughing.
‘Just listen to you, Lily!’ Alice spluttered, whilst the others doubled up with laughter. ‘“Can you find your way back to ’ship!”’ she parodied.
‘Who cares?’ Mary grinned. ‘Don’t matter to us if they fall overboard.’
‘I don’t suppose it does,’ Lily said despondently. ‘I’m ’odd one out here.’
Mary and Sally told her they were going home. They didn’t want to stay the night and Lily guessed that they had business elsewhere.
‘We’ll be back tomorrow for our money,’ Mary told her. ‘Mek sure that Jamie leaves it for us, won’t you? I have to have it; I’ve a bairn to feed. We don’t want any excuses or we don’t come again and we’ll spread ’word he’s a bad payer.’
Lily nodded and let them out of the door. She wrote down in a notebook how long the women and the men had stayed so that she could tell Jamie, then she entered the names of the other gentlemen and who had entertained them.
‘Henry!’ she muttered. He was still upstairs with Betty. She went into the hall and looked up. Should she go up? Alice and Lizzie had said before that she shouldn’t. Perhaps they’ve both gone to sleep, she thought. But the customers were not supposed to stay the night.
Alice and Lizzie both came yawning into the hall. ‘What’s up?’ Lizzie asked. ‘I’m off to bed in a minute. Don’t suppose anybody else’ll come, do you?’
Lily was just about to voice her fears about Betty and Henry when there came a sudden shout from one of the bedrooms. It was a triumphant victorious vociferous blast of sound and they all looked up. Alice and Lizzie eyed each other and Cherie came out of the kitchen holding a cup in her hand.
‘Whatever’s happened?’ Lily put her hand to her mouth, then they all looked at each other and grinned.
A door upstairs opened a few minutes later and Betty appeared at the top of the stairs. She looked exhausted. Her hair was tousled and hanging free, her face and neck were red and her gown was unbuttoned. They heard a sort of crowing and Henry emerged from the room behind her. He gave a whoop, kissed her on the cheek and raced downstairs. His shirt was hanging outside his trousers, his cravat was in his hand and his bootlaces were undone.
He planted a kiss each on Alice, Lizzie and Lily, and headed for the door. ‘Goodbye,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!’ He opened the door and let himself out, slamming the door behind him.
‘He hasn’t paid!’ Lily gasped, but as she spoke the door bell rang. She opened it. It was Henry with a huge smile on his face.
‘I forgot,’ he said, thrusting his pocket book at Lily. ‘Take it,’ he said. ‘Take it all!’
She closed the door after him as he ran down the front steps, his shirt tails flying. ‘Betty!’ she said, turning. ‘He’s forgotten his coat.’
Betty was hanging on to the bottom newel post as if her life depended on it. She blew out a breath. ‘He’s lived with a maiden aunt since he was a child. She’s just died leaving him her fortune. It was his first time with a woman!’ she gasped. ‘He’s thirty-five years old and it was his first time! Heaven help us when he’s had some practice!’