‘Miss Lily! Good day to you.’ The voice was pleasant but low.
Lily glanced over her shoulder. She had paid her fine and was making her way from the clerk’s office at the magistrates’ court towards the door. Leo was inside a half-open door, beckoning to her to come inside.
Slowly she walked back. She inclined her head and dipped her knee. ‘Good day, sir.’
He opened the door wider, inviting her into his room. ‘Come to pay your fine?’ he asked, and when she said she had he replied, ‘Good. Best to let the authorities know you’ll pay your dues on time.’
‘I hope there won’t be another time,’ she stated. ‘I don’t even know why I was called this time.’
‘Somebody reported you,’ he said softly. ‘It could have been one of the other women in the square, or someone closer to home.’ He took hold of her hand and pressed it to his mouth. ‘You’re a fine-looking woman, Lily. There will be any number of people jealous of you.’
‘Jealous of me?’ She tried to withdraw her hand but he held it fast. ‘I don’t see why.’
‘Don’t you?’ He released her hand and invited her to sit down, which she did. ‘Some of the women in the square will have seen the kind of customers who are coming to the house. A better kind of client than those who come to them. They might even have recognized some of them.’ He gave a slight sardonic smile. ‘Kendall for one.’
And you for another, she silently added.
‘I’m sorry about the fine,’ he continued. ‘But I have to be seen to administer justice. You paid promptly. Did Jamie give you the money?’
So it wasn’t you, she thought. So who was it? ‘It wasn’t Jamie,’ she said bitterly. ‘He wouldn’t give a copper towards it.’
‘Of course not.’ Leo smiled. ‘He’d want you to keep on working in order to pay it. But you got the money together very quickly. Does that mean – does that mean that perhaps you are now taking clients yourself? Because if you are – well, I’d be very interested.’
Lily rose from her chair. ‘No, it doesn’t, Mr Leighton. I have no intention of selling myself in order to keep body and soul together.’
He shrugged. ‘But there’s a need! The oldest profession, you know!’
‘It’s a man’s need,’ she retorted. ‘None of ’women who work for me have a choice. They’re doing it under sufferance.’
He lowered his eyes and looked at her from under the eyelids. ‘But someone like you, Lily. Someone with your bearing, your style, you could be set up somewhere and make a good living. Think of it: plenty of money, clothes, a place of your own, and you could choose who to entertain.’ He reached out and stroked her cheek. ‘If you should change your mind …’
‘I won’t,’ she said, turning her head away. ‘I shall be out of this business as soon as I can.’
‘And what about your girls? What about the lovely Lizzie and sweet little Alice, let alone the innocent Cherie.’ He gave a knowing smile. ‘They’d be back on the streets without you.’
‘Lizzie has found another occupation,’ she said. ‘I’ll take care of Cherie, and as for Alice …’ She spoke slowly in order to let her words sink in. ‘As for Alice …’ She swallowed, her throat aching as she held back the abuse she wanted to hurl at him and all men like him. ‘Alice is dying. She won’t be in this world for long. She’s been deprived of a home and food and fresh air for too many years and now she’s lost ’chance of a fulfilled life as well.’
She watched him pale. ‘Not Alice,’ he whispered. ‘What’s wrong with her? Has she seen a doctor?’
‘Not until it was too late,’ she said abruptly. ‘What hope has a girl like Alice of paying for a doctor? She’s got consumption,’ she said, and had the satisfaction of seeing him start and involuntarily rub his hand on his chest.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Really sorry! It’s a sad state of affairs, I agree, but you can’t help the whole world, Lily. There’ll always be some who fall by the wayside.’
‘Yes,’ she choked, knowing that she wanted to blame someone for life’s misfortunes and Leo just happened to be there.
She left him abruptly and walked slowly across town towards the Market Place. The traders were packing up, though some were still shouting their wares and selling them off cheap. ‘Last minute bargains,’ one called and Lily stopped to buy a bunch of asters. She buried her head in them and breathed in. A smell of autumn, she thought. The year will soon be over.
‘Ma! Ma!’ Lily turned swiftly and a smile broke out on her face as Daisy came hurtling towards her. She opened her arms and Daisy fell into them. ‘Oh, Ma! I’m so glad to see you.’ Daisy’s face was puckered up as if she was about to cry. ‘I’ve missed you so much. Ma, Mrs Walker says she wants to adopt me so I can live with her and Mr Walker. And I don’t want to. I like being her maid, but I don’t want to be her daughter and live with her for ever.’ She blinked to stave off her tears. ‘I want to live with you!’
Lily hugged her. ‘She can’t adopt you unless I say so, and besides, it can’t be so easy to adopt somebody. Not a nearly grown-up girl, anyway. I dare say it’s different wi’ a babby. But listen, Daisy. Right at this minute you can’t live wi’ me. I’ll explain why when you’re older. But will you be patient for a bit longer? Then when I’ve sorted out a few things, I’ll come and see Mr Walker and tell him that you’re leaving his employ.’
Daisy nodded. ‘I’ll be sorry about that,’ she sniffled. ‘I like working for him – he’s really nice to me.’
‘Is he?’ Lily said suspiciously. ‘In what way is he nice?’
‘Well, he lets me help him in ’shop. I keep bottles dusted and count out ’tablets for him. He says I’m a good organizer.’
‘Ah! That’s all right then.’ Any misgivings Lily had concerning Mr Walker were mollified, though she was very uneasy about what Mrs Walker had told her of her husband’s morals. ‘Off you go then, Daisy. Are you out on an errand?’ Daisy said she was, so Lily urged her to go, with the promise that she would see her again soon, and then walked reluctantly back to Leadenhall Square.
She put the flowers in a jug of water and took them into Alice’s room. ‘Here you are,’ she said cheerfully, though she didn’t feel cheerful when she saw how pale and listless Alice was. ‘Look what I’ve brought you.’
Alice turned her head. ‘How lovely. You’re so kind, Lily. You shouldn’t spend your money on me.’
‘They were being given away,’ she lied. ‘I couldn’t resist them.’ She smiled at her. ‘We’ll have a spot of supper before I get changed for the evening.’
‘What if Jamie asks for me?’ Alice gave a cough as she spoke. ‘He’ll be getting suspicious.’
‘Oh, I’ll think of something to say,’ Lily said airily. ‘He doesn’t scare me.’
Just before supper, Mary arrived with her baby, Aaron. He was a quiet curly-haired child and Cherie immediately fell in love with him. ‘After you’ve fed him can I get him to sleep while you get ready?’ she asked. ‘And then if he wakes up when you’re busy, he’ll know me.’
‘If he wakes up, give him some pobs,’ Mary said. ‘And if he’s restless, give him a drop o’ Godfrey’s. That’ll send him back to sleep.’
Cherie glanced at Lily, who gave a gentle shake of her head, remembering Betty’s story of her child who had died because of taking laudanum. ‘I’d rather not,’ she said. ‘I’ll sing to him.’
Mary shrugged. ‘Suit yourself. He’s generally good anyway.’
‘Just keep him out of sight in case Jamie comes,’ Lily told her. ‘Which he no doubt will.’
They all changed into their evening gowns after supper; Mary wore Lizzie’s red gown which was a rather tight fit as she was much more buxom than Lizzie. She undid the fastenings on the bodice to show a tantalizing glimpse of white bosom. Lily stopped herself from disapproving. After all, she thought, this is why the customers are coming. They’re not really coming for the wine and conversation.
The evening became busy. Mary and Sally were very merry and Cherie served the men with drinks as they waited their turn and Lily chatted to them. Then the door bell rang and a young woman stood on the step. ‘Angelina,’ she said to Lily. ‘I believe you’re expecting me?’
She didn’t need to change her gown. She was already wearing a most presentable low-cut dark blue satin, which rustled as she walked; a sparkling necklace was clasped round her throat. ‘Don’t introduce me to anyone rough,’ she said haughtily, ‘because I’ll refuse.’
‘We don’t have rough,’ Lily reproved her. ‘They’re mostly gentlemen or high class trade.’
‘That’s all right then,’ Angelina said languidly. ‘Could I have a glass of wine?’
Lily shepherded her to the parlour. Kendall was there and his eyes lit up as he rose to his feet to introduce himself. But then Sally came down and greeted him warmly so he took her arm and was led upstairs.
The bell rang again and Lily went to answer it. A youth was almost hidden behind an enormous bouquet of flowers. ‘For Alice,’ he said, thrusting them at Lily. Then he bent down and picked up a box. ‘Where do you want this? It’s heavy.’
‘What’s in it?’ Lily asked, frowning a little. ‘And who are ’flowers from?’
‘Dunno,’ he said. ‘I’m onny ’delivery lad.’
The box was filled with fruit, a jar of honey, two bottles of wine and a box of candy.
Lily smiled. I know who’s sent this, she thought. Someone with a conscience and a lot of money. She took the box and the flowers in to Alice. ‘Look, Alice. You’ve got an admirer.’
Alice’s mouth parted. ‘No,’ she said huskily. ‘Of course I haven’t!’ She looked into the box and saw the gifts, and was astounded. ‘Who would send me all this?’ A smile brightened her face. ‘Who would do such a thing?’
Lily shook her head and said she had no idea. She’d let Alice dream for a while; let her think that she had stolen someone’s heart and not tell her that an old man who dispensed justice had discovered a still small voice of conscience and recognized his own failings.
Jamie arrived to collect money from Lily. ‘Have you made much tonight? You seem busy.’
‘We are,’ she said, handing over some of the takings. ‘I’ve not added it all up yet. I’ll give you ’rest in ’morning when I’ve paid ’girls.’
‘Who’s upstairs?’ he asked.
‘Mary, Sally and Angelina. She’s very classy,’ she added.
‘Where’s Lizzie – and Alice? What ’they up to?’ His eyes narrowed and Lily quaked a little, hoping he wouldn’t lose his temper.
‘Alice is using my room.’ She implied that it was for illicit purposes, ‘and Lizzie has left.’
‘Left! What do you mean, left?’ His eyes flashed. ‘Has she set up somewhere else?’
‘No. She’s found other work, and accommodation.’
‘With a man?’ he asked suspiciously. ‘One of our customers?’
She knew what he was thinking. If Lizzie was living as a customer’s mistress, Jamie would want a part of her earnings. ‘Not with a man,’ she said. ‘She’s working in a shop. She’s finished with this trade.’
‘Ha! Pull ’other leg. That’ll not last long.’
‘I think it will,’ she said quietly. ‘Lizzie’s expecting a child.’
He stared at her. ‘Lizzie!’
‘Yes,’ she said sarcastically. ‘It does happen, Jamie! Did no one ever tell you?’
His face was full of venom. ‘Damned women! Why don’t they tek more care?’
‘And why don’t the men?’ she spat out. ‘Women can’t!’ She recalled her conversation with Dr Fulton. ‘We should have ’means to supply ’men with prevention.’
‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ he snarled.
‘It wouldn’t cost much,’ she said, knowing that he wasn’t listening. His face was working furiously, his eyes flashing, and she realized that she had touched on some raw and sensitive spot. He turned away, crashing out of the front door.
The following Saturday was Betty and Henry’s wedding day. They had all had fittings for new outfits, except for Lizzie who had said she would borrow something from Rena’s and then she could put it back into stock after she’d had the baby. Lizzie looked well. Her hair shone, the plumpness suited her and there was a sparkle in her eyes.
Cherie was dressed in her gown as maid of honour and the only difficulty was going to be getting Alice to the church, for she was very weak, her legs hardly able to support her.
‘I can’t go, Lily,’ she whispered. ‘I won’t be able to walk to ’church.’
‘I’ll slip out and hire a sedan to tek you there and back,’ Lily said. ‘It won’t cost much, cos ’church isn’t far.’ Betty and Henry were to be married in St Mary’s church in Lowgate, a fiveminute walk away.
‘Oh,’ Alice said. ‘Would you really? I do so want to see them married.’
Lily stroked her hair. ‘We wouldn’t go without you.’
But fifteen minutes before they were due to depart, a carriage rolled up to the door and a coachman got down. Removing his top hat, he said to Mrs Flitt, who answered the door, ‘Transportation for Miss Lily, Misses Cherie and Alice, and Mrs Flitt.’
Mrs Flitt stood open-mouthed, for although she intended to watch the bride arrive she had never expected to travel to the church in a carriage. She flew in to tell Lily and then shot into the kitchen to tidy herself up, whilst Lily dashed to find her a bonnet since she hadn’t a decent one of her own.
‘Borrow my shawl, Mrs Flitt,’ she urged, handing it to her with the bonnet. ‘Go on, do.’ She laughed. ‘What a treat.’
‘Aye.’ Mrs Flitt patted her hair and put on the bonnet, a wide grin on her wrinkled old face. ‘And don’t we all deserve it!’
‘You’re right, Mrs Flitt.’ Lily felt choked and emotional over Alice’s frail state, but very happy for Betty and Henry; they’ll do well together, she thought, and I wonder if Henry knows of the joy he’s given to Alice and Mrs Flitt by this generous act of kindness. ‘We do!’