The Reluctant Sinner

by June Tate

  With the little money she had saved and her tips, she’d managed to book a bed for her father in a private nursing home from the middle of next week and as far as she was concerned, that justified everything …

  Vera was busy washing and ironing Fred’s pyjamas, ready for his stay in the home. She had told him that the doctor had arranged it all.

  ‘But he didn’t come and see me,’ he said, more than a little puzzled.

  ‘He didn’t need to, love. He knows how you are and he said that this would do you the world of good so don’t you start and be difficult.’

  ‘How long am I going to be there?’

  ‘To be honest I don’t know, Fred, we’ll have to wait and see.’

  ‘I’ll miss being here with you and Daisy,’ he said and Vera heard the uncertainty in his voice.

  ‘I’ll come and see you every day but they’ll be able to give you the medicines and care you need. You won’t have to sit with damp washing hanging around you.’

  ‘I didn’t mind. At least I was with you.’

  ‘Well soon you’ll be surrounded by lots of young nurses, fighting to look after you,’ she teased.

  He gave a wan smile. ‘Lot of bloody good that’ll be, me in this state. I can hardly chase them round the bed, can I?’

  ‘No, Fred love, you’ll be laying back in clean sheets with them fussing over you. Many a man would pay good money for that.’

  He didn’t answer and Vera could see he was tired. She tucked a blanket round him and made him comfortable on the settee. Walking to the scullery she said, ‘You have a nap and I’ll make you some good beef broth.’ But when she was alone, she leaned on the sink and cried as she remembered the virile young man who had won her heart so many years before. She quickly dried her tears as she heard the key in the door as Daisy returned home.

  Seeing her father was asleep, Daisy walked into the kitchen. She saw her mother’s red eyes but didn’t comment. She emptied the basket she was carrying.

  ‘Here’re some vegetables and a piece of scrag end of lamb. I thought we could have a stew later, Dad would enjoy that. Has he eaten much today?’

  ‘He had some porridge this morning and I beat up an egg in hot milk this afternoon. I’m going to make a broth for him; he can have some of that when he wakes.’

  Daisy put her arms around her mother and hugged her. ‘He’ll be better when we get him into proper care. I’m sure he has doubts about going, but it will be good for him and give you a break.’

  ‘Oh, Daisy,’ her mother sobbed into her chest. ‘I’m going to miss him so much.’

  ‘Of course you are, so will I, but you’ll see him every day. You don’t need to take any washing in any more, after this week, so you won’t be so tired.’

  ‘Are you sure about that?’ Vera asked.

  ‘Yes, Mum. I’m earning good money now, so you just enjoy the perks. Good heavens, you’ve earned a break!’ She released her mother. ‘I need to try and get a bit of sleep before I go out tonight.’

  ‘I’ll call you in good time to eat before you leave. You need to keep your strength up too,’ Vera told her, and she began to prepare the vegetables, pleased to be able to occupy her hands and mind with other things.

  Four

  When Daisy arrived at the club, Harry warned her they would be extra busy this Saturday evening as there was a private party as well as their usual customers.

  ‘Although the party is in a private room, some of the men will wander out to pay for a girl,’ he told her. ‘I’ve brought in a couple of extra cases of beer and there,’ he pointed to the shelf with the optics, ‘you’ll find extra bottles of spirits too.’

  The bar started to fill quickly. Some of the men filtered off to the party, while the uninvited stayed in the bar. Flo had hired a couple of waiters to serve the partygoers and Daisy and Harry were run off their feet, keeping up with the orders from both places.

  Midway through the evening, Daisy saw Bert Croucher enter the bar and walk through to the private room. Wandering over to Harry she asked whose party it was.

  ‘One of the wholesalers in the town. Why?’

  ‘I just saw the butcher go in there.’

  ‘He’s a friend of the birthday boy,’ Harry told her. ‘If you ask me, Ken Woods is as hard a case as Bert Croucher. They went to school together so I’m told. A right couple of tearaways they were too, by all accounts!’

  For the next two hours, Daisy was so busy she didn’t give the men another thought until she bent down to pick up a bottle top off the floor and when she stood up, Croucher and another man were standing at the bar, in front of her. She quickly looked for Harry, but he was busy serving.

  ‘Good evening, gentlemen, what can I get for you?’

  The stranger leered at her. ‘Hello, darlin’, I’d like two double scotches and ginger ale and one for yourself.’

  ‘Thank you, sir, but I don’t drink when I’m working.’ She didn’t want anything from this man, whom she disliked on sight.

  ‘Well that’s a first,’ he said, grinning at the butcher. ‘But it’s my birthday, girlie, and I insist that you join me in a drink.’ Although he was smiling at her, his eyes were steely cold and Daisy knew it wouldn’t be wise to cross him.

  ‘Very well, sir, if you insist. I’ll have a tonic water.’

  ‘Put a gin in it,’ he ordered defiantly.

  Daisy straightened her back and stared at him and said, firmly, ‘You asked me to join you in a drink and I have, but now you must let me decide what it is that I want.’ And she turned away before he could argue. She poured two large scotches into glasses and opened two bottles of ginger ale, then poured a tonic water into a glass. She put these on a tray and turned back to the counter. She handed the glasses and bottles to the men, lifted her glass to her mouth and drank.

  ‘Happy birthday, sir,’ she said, trembling inside.

  Harry walked over at that moment and said, ‘Gloria, will you serve the gentleman at the end of the bar?’ As she walked away he looked at Ken and Bert and asked, ‘Everything all right, gentlemen?’

  ‘Sparky little girl, that Gloria,’ said Woods.

  ‘A nice girl too,’ said Harry firmly. ‘I wouldn’t like to see her bothered.’

  Woods laughed loudly. ‘You her guardian angel, Harry?’

  ‘Something like that,’ he said and turned away.

  The two men walked to a table and sat down and before long were in deep conversation, returning to the party after a while, to Daisy’s great relief.

  Towards the end of the night, several men came into the bar from the private gathering and took the woman of their choice upstairs in a steady stream. Having had a lot to drink, they were very loud and Daisy began to feel nervous, wondering if there was going to be any trouble. She was pleased when Flo entered the bar an hour before it closed accompanied by a tall man.

  ‘That’s Jim Grant, the landlord of the White Swan,’ Harry told Daisy. ‘He’s Flo’s boyfriend.’ Having seen Flo leave with one of the ship’s officers the previous night, Daisy was somewhat surprised.

  Flo worked her way around the bar talking to everyone and managed to keep the noise down and those in their cups in order. Watching her go from one to another, Daisy realized what a clever woman her employer was. She also noticed Ken Woods head for the stairs with one of the girls. As he went to walk past Flo, she stopped the man and had a quick word with him. Daisy saw a flash of anger on his face and then he smiled at her, leaving Daisy wondering what Flo had said to him. And when half an hour later the girl came back downstairs, she saw Flo look at the girl with a watchful glance. The girl just nodded unobtrusively and Flo walked away and joined her escort.

  It was late when the bar closed and both Harry and Daisy were exhausted. Flo came over and introduced Daisy to Jim Grant.

  ‘You both worked well tonight,’ said Flo with a smile. ‘Let’s have a quiet drink together.’ As Daisy went to refuse, Flo said, ‘Listen, love, it will do you good. Sit down and take the wei
ght off your feet before you go home.’

  As they all sat together, Harry asked, ‘Did Woods behave himself?’

  Flo laughed. ‘Bloody right. I told him as he went upstairs, I didn’t want any complaints from my girl after he’d done with her … or else! He didn’t like it but I have to protect my girls from the likes of him.’ Turning to Daisy she said, ‘He likes to be a bit rough with his women, and that’s fine with the girls on the street – but not mine.’

  Daisy felt her blood run cold and she hoped that Woods wouldn’t be a regular customer. Bert Croucher frightened her enough without his mate. The two together would be too much. She’d have a nervous breakdown.

  As they finished their drink, Flo said, ‘Jim will walk you home, Daisy. It’s late and on a Saturday night around here I’ll feel better knowing he was with you.’

  ‘Come on, love,’ said Jim, ‘it won’t take long.’ Turning to Flo he said, ‘I’ll see you later. Don’t start without me!’

  She roared with laughter. ‘You cheeky bugger.’

  As Jim walked her from Oxford Street to French Street, Daisy had a strange feeling that they were being followed. She turned round once or twice but in the dimness of the street lights she didn’t see anyone.

  ‘You’re a bit jumpy, girl,’ Jim remarked. ‘You are perfectly safe with me I can assure you.’

  But she was more than pleased to get to her front door and to safety, and as she counted the large amount of the tips she’d made that night, she felt better.

  After a long sleep-in and a good lunch, Daisy was looking forward to seeing Jack. She decided she’d like to walk through the park and get some fresh air. Then perhaps stop for a cup of tea somewhere. This would give her and Jack time to catch up with each other’s news.

  When he called for her and she suggested this, he agreed with her plan.

  It was a chilly afternoon and now, in October, the trees were shedding their leaves as they walked through the park. Both of them kicked away at the piles of them on the ground, like a couple of children.

  ‘This reminds me of splashing through puddles as a youngster, filling your wellies through being over enthusiastic,’ Jack remarked. He caught hold of her hand and asked, ‘What have you been up to? I feel I haven’t seen you in ages.’

  ‘I’ve been busy doing extra work and I’ve got enough money now to send Dad away for a bit.’

  ‘Blimey! You must have been working your fingers to the bone to do that.’

  Daisy knew she had to be careful not to give the game away as she spoke. ‘Fortunately there has been plenty of extra work to keep me going and I’m sorry, Jack, but I’ll be tied up on Saturday nights for quite a while.’

  He did not look pleased at this. ‘I look forward to our Saturday nights,’ he complained. ‘Can’t you do this work some other time?’

  She shook her head. ‘I can’t, no. I have to take all the work I can get, especially now I’ve got a bed for Dad. I want to let him have as much care as he can, so I must make as much money as possible as and when the work is there. And at the moment, I’ve plenty to keep me going.’

  Jack felt a bit guilty over his displeasure at this news, especially as he knew just how poorly Fred Gilbert was and he did admire Daisy’s tenacity, but he felt neglected in the process.

  ‘So when can I see you?’

  ‘Only on Sundays for the next while, I’m afraid. But my time is all yours then. It’s just for a little while, Jack. It won’t be for ever.’

  He saw the concern in her eyes and capitulated with a smile. ‘All right, Sundays it is. Come on, let’s go and find a cafe and have a hot cuppa. I’m getting cold out here.’

  As they walked out of the park and down Above Bar, Daisy saw the young officer from the club who had invited her out to lunch, approaching. Before she could look away, he saw her.

  ‘Good afternoon, Gloria,’ he said as they passed each other.

  Daisy gave a quick smile, lowered her gaze, and quickened her stride.

  ‘Gloria!’ Jack exclaimed. ‘That man called you Gloria.’

  ‘Well obviously he took me for someone else,’ Daisy swiftly replied. ‘Look, there’s a cafe open, come on.’ And she dragged Jack by the arm towards the place, thankful to find a refuge.

  Jack ordered tea and toast for them and then sat back in his chair, staring thoughtfully at Daisy.

  ‘What?’ she asked.

  ‘You don’t look like a Gloria at all,’ he mused. ‘No, the name doesn’t suit you one bit!’

  If you only knew, she thought.

  They decided to go to the cinema and Daisy insisted on paying for them to go to the upper circle. ‘It’s my treat,’ she insisted, trying to make up to Jack for her absence. They settled in the back row, and as the film started, he put his arm around her.

  ‘Now this is more like it!’ he said.

  The film, The Kidnapped Bride, was a comedy with young Oliver Hardy and soon had them chuckling loudly. The pianist playing in the pit was excellent; he matched the music to the movement in the silent film with flare which added greatly to their enjoyment, and as the credits rolled at the end of the programme, Jack kissed Daisy tenderly before the house lights came on.

  As they walked home, Daisy felt guilty lying about working at the Solent Club, but she knew he would be furious if he knew the truth. But she did wonder how long she would be able to keep up this subterfuge.

  Jack held her close to him as they arrived at her home. ‘I’ll see you next Sunday then,’ he said and kissed her goodnight.

  Vera, her mother, was tidying up when she walked in to the room.

  ‘Dad in bed?’ asked Daisy.

  ‘Yes he went up early, but he’s asleep now.’ With a frown Vera said, ‘He’s worried about going away, but I’ve explained he’ll get good treatment there and he does realize this, of course.’

  Daisy knelt by her mother. ‘We’ll miss him too, but you’ll be able to go every day and I’ll pop in some evenings when I’m not working.’

  ‘I worry about you working at that place,’ said Vera. ‘God knows what sort of men go there.’

  ‘You’d be surprised, Mum. They are mostly decent chaps. We had several ships’ officers there the other night. They are away from home and are lonely.’

  ‘Are they married?’

  Daisy laughed. ‘I’ve no idea and I’m certainly not going to ask them!’

  ‘I hope they don’t think you’re on the game too,’ Vera stated, outraged at her own thoughts.

  ‘Believe me they know I’m there to serve drinks only. I’ve not had any worries in that respect – and besides, Harry the barman looks after me like a father.’

  Vera rose from her chair. ‘Well come on, love, let’s get to bed or we’ll be too tired for anything in the morning.’

  As she undressed in her own room, Daisy couldn’t help but think about Bert Croucher and his mate. Now they were not nice men and she hoped they wouldn’t be a problem if they used the club frequently. They made her nervous as soon as they walked in the bar. She climbed into bed knowing that she would be busy in the workroom in the morning but at least she had her evenings free until Thursday. Any private work she had could be done in the safety of her own home. But at least her father would be cared for. That was the most important thing right now.

  Five

  The workroom was very busy as Madam had received a large order. One of her clients was sailing to India to join her husband who was in the army and recently stationed there. The wife needed a complete new wardrobe, made up with cotton and linen materials, to meet the tropical weather – and everyone was working flat out.

  A new girl, Jessie Brown, had been hired to join the workforce to help cope with the work in hand. She was a good needlewoman but was loud and chatty.

  ‘If you could sew with your mouth, Jessie,’ snapped Madam, ‘our workload would increase a hundred per cent!’

  The others sniggered. None of them liked the new girl and enjoyed seeing her put in her place. />
  ‘Go on, ’ave a good laugh, why don’t you,’ she cried after Madam had left the room. ‘As if I give a shit what you lot think.’

  ‘Don’t you let Madam hear you swear,’ warned one of the girls, ‘she’s very particular about such things. She says we are serving ladies of quality and must behave accordingly.’

  ‘Ha! Ladies of quality? I saw Flo Cummings come out of here with a package and she certainly is no lady of quality!’

  ‘That’s not for you to say, Jessie!’ Madam stood in the doorway, glowering.

  ‘You know how she makes her money, don’t you, Madam?’

  Madam straightened her back and stared imperiously at the girl. ‘I don’t consider that any of my business – or yours. Every client who uses this emporium will be treated with respect and will not be discussed behind their backs. Now get on with your work!’ She turned and left the room.

  ‘Well like it or not, that Flo Cummings makes her money from prostitution. I bet Mrs Posh Frocks doesn’t know that,’ Jessie declared. ‘And what the bloody ’ell is an emporium?’ No one knew.

  Daisy sat listening nervously to Jessie gossip, but stayed out of the conversation. This girl knew far too much. Imagine if she found out about her working as a barmaid at Flo’s club, it would be all round the workshop and she might lose her job! Then where would she be?

  Her spirits were lifted when she was called into the waiting room to measure Grace Portman for a new dress. Daisy liked Mrs Portman, she was a real lady, but this morning she was looking sad.

  ‘Is something the matter?’ asked Daisy as she wrote down the measurements.

  ‘I had a letter from my husband this morning,’ she said.

  ‘Is he all right?’

  ‘Yes, thank God! But he’s not happy at all. Apparently the weather conditions at the Somme are bad. The trenches are filled with water and they are fighting to hold their positions. But apart from that, he’s fine.’