Fallen Angels

by Val Wood

  ‘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!’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  A week later Lily walked into town to visit Rena. She was wearing the grey gown and thought how uplifting it was to be well dressed. I feel as if I can hold my head up with the best of them. I don’t look poverty-stricken or down at heel and of no account. One or two gentlemen had lifted their hats to her to bid her good morning, and she wasn’t sure if it was because she looked elegant, or because they recognized her from a night-time activity. The house had been busy most evenings. Jamie seemed to have a constant supply of customers; either that or the word was getting round that it was a very discreet establishment with some very respectable gentlemen using the services there.

  ‘I need a pair of everyday shoes, Rena,’ she told the older woman. ‘These old boots are worn out. And I’d like a new bonnet for when I come into town.’

  ‘Quite right,’ Rena agreed. ‘I wondered when you’d get round to buying one.’

  ‘I’ve not had any spare money,’ Lily said. ‘The money Jamie pays me is for essentials, like food.’

  Jamie was not very generous with his wages. ‘It’s me who brings ’customers in,’ he’d said when she complained. ‘And I pay ’rent; five bob a week it costs me.’

  ‘And I’m the one who teks ’risk,’ she retaliated. ‘If ’house was raided it’d be me who’d tek ’blame.’

  She knew that for a fact because Leo had told her. ‘You must be very careful,’ he had said. ‘Jamie can claim that he has no knowledge of what you and the girls are doing in his house. He’s only the landlord – the sub-landlord, at any rate. I know he doesn’t own it. You would be the one to be prosecuted.’

  ‘But …’ She had been confused. ‘He brings ’customers here. He even brought—’ She’d stopped. Benevolent and big-hearted as Leo was to them all – and true to his word he had had a piano delivered – the expression on his face had warned her that he would deny all knowledge of her or the house.

  ‘I was given a big tip ’other night,’ she told Rena. ‘So I decided that after I’d paid you what I owe, I’d buy myself a new hat or bonnet. I’ve never had one. I allus – always made my own bonnets out of old frocks.’ She was trying to improve her manners and speech, having become very conscious of how countrified she was. ‘But I’ve never owned a hat. Never had ’call for one.’

  ‘Every woman should have at least one hat in her lifetime.’ Rena smiled. ‘I have twelve of my own, and even then sometimes I’ll use another from my stock. Let’s have a look and see what suits you.’

  They spent a pleasant half-hour trying on shoes and hats and bonnets and eventually Lily chose a pair of plain black leather shoes, barely worn, and a straw bonnet lined with grey silk. Rena also insisted that she have a pair of silk gloves and a beaded purse.

  ‘There,’ she said, putting her head on one side. ‘You could be taken for a prosperous tradesman’s wife quite easily.’

  ‘A tradesman’s wife!’ Lily said. ‘Gracious! Really? How about an apothecary’s wife?’ She laughed. ‘Mrs Walker is nowhere near as elegant as me!’

  ‘Mrs Walker?’ Rena looked startled. ‘You know her, do you?’

  ‘My daughter Daisy works for her and Mr Walker was very kind to me when I first came to Hull. He took me into his care when I was in labour. Mrs Walker wasn’t so keen to have me there, nor to have Daisy at first, but now, oddly enough, she’s taken to her and wants her as a lady’s maid.’

  ‘Does she indeed,’ Rena muttered. ‘Ideas above her station!’

  Rather a strange thing to say, Lily pondered as she walked back to Leadenhall Square in her new attire. I would have thought that Mrs Walker as an apothecary’s wife had a good status in life and would need a personal maid; though now I think about it, she doesn’t have the manners or the voice of a lady, whereas Mr Walker is obviously a gentleman, and their son will be the same.

  It was a very warm day and she was conscious of the many strong smells of the town. A stench of fish offal and glue, of open drains and sewers, an odour beyond imagining from the charnel house, and a reek of rotting meat, decaying vegetables and overflowing privies. She put her hand over her nose as she hurried back and saw that many other women had their handkerchiefs to their faces.

  ‘Oh, what a stink out there!’ she gasped as she went indoors. ‘Summat should be done about it. It can’t be healthy. There’s no wonder there’s disease everywhere.’

  Lizzie looked up. She was sitting on the parlour sofa with her feet up. ‘Hadn’t noticed,’ she said.

  ‘We’re used to it,’ Alice said. ‘But sometimes it makes me cough.’

  Lily had noticed that Alice coughed, especially at night.

  ‘You must’ve had bad smells where you lived, Lily,’ Cherie said. ‘Didn’t you?’

  Lily shook her head. ‘Not like these,’ she said. ‘Nowt at all like these. But you forget, I lived near ’sea. That was a smell worth sniffing.’

  ‘Tell us, then.’ Cherie moved Lizzie’s feet and sat beside her. ‘Tell us what it was like where you used to live.’

  ‘I’ll just tek my hat off. Has anybody noticed?’ she asked, turning her head this way and that to show off her bonnet.

  ‘I did,’ Alice said. ‘It’s lovely. Have you been to Rena’s?’

  ‘Yes.’ Lily unfastened the ribbons at her throat. ‘And look – gloves, bag’ – she lifted her foot and twirled it – ‘and shoes.’

  ‘Have you come into a fortune?’ Lizzie grinned. ‘Or have you been stealing our customers when we weren’t looking?’

  ‘No, I haven’t,’ she said. ‘Though I’ve been asked, so you’d all better watch out.’ When Lily was asked a ‘favour’ by the customers, she simply sweetly and politely refused. How very charming they seem, she would think as she smilingly declined, yet she knew they were concerned only with their own gratification.

  ‘I’d give a fortune for a cuppa tea. Ask Mrs Flitt, will you, Ch
erie, and then I’ll tell you about ’sweet scents of home.’

  Lily slipped off her new shoes; they were pinching her toes just a little and she thought that whoever they had belonged to previously hadn’t worn them much for there was barely a scratch on them. Her old boots she had handed over to Mrs Flitt who had opened the door to her and who had almost grovelled with delight; her own footwear had cardboard soles which she replaced every few days.

  ‘Tell us then, Lily,’ Cherie pleaded, when she came back from the kitchen with a tray of tea. ‘What was it like where you lived? Did you have shops? And were you very poor?’ Cherie was almost childlike in her eagerness to know.

  ‘Everybody I knew was poor.’ Lily sipped her tea appreciatively. This was a luxury; there had been times when she couldn’t afford to buy tea, and when she did she used it sparingly. ‘But in ’country, folks shared what they had when they could, especially if they thought you were on your uppers. Most folks grew their own food, potatoes, beans, cabbages and suchlike, and there was a butcher’s van came once a week for them as could afford to buy meat. But sometimes I’d be given a rabbit or a boiling chicken and they’d last for a couple o’ days. But you asked about ’smells of ’countryside, and,’ she drew in a breath, ‘I miss them a lot. I’ve not smelt a sprig of hawthorn or apple blossom – and they’ll be in full flower now – since I came to Hull. There are no gardens round here, or at least none that I’ve seen.

  ‘The village I lived in when I was a bairn and where my ma and da lived all their lives was about a mile from ’sea. We used to walk there regular, and when I was courting Johnny we walked there every Sunday until we wed. After he joined the army I still used to go with my bairns. Our village wasn’t very big, not compared with this town, and we knew most folks. They’d lived there all their lives, you see. Farming folk, they were mainly; labouring men.’

  ‘But the smells,’ Cherie interrupted. ‘What about them?’

  Lily smiled. ‘In ’spring, the smell of blossom was so heady that you felt you could get drunk on it. I’ve telled you about ’hawthorn; ’trees and hedges would be covered in white blossom, and sometimes it was pink – Flowers of May, it was called. Then ’hedge rose and elder would be in flower about ’same time and ’smell from ’em used to nearly knock me over! Did you know that you can mek champagne with elderflower?’ Without waiting for an answer, she went on, ‘My ma used to mek it and then elderberry wine in ’autumn when ’berries came out. By, that was potent!’