by Sam Michaels
Benjamin knew what his boss was like. She wouldn’t give in and would keep on at him until he confessed the real reason for his avoidance of the office. ‘All right,’ he said and sighed, ‘I’ll tell you. But please keep it between us. I don’t want any of the men knowing.’
Georgina nodded and when Victor came in the room with tea, she sent him away.
‘Go on,’ she urged.
Benjamin kept his eyes lowered. He found it embarrassing to talk about his private life with her, especially about his lover. ‘My erm, boyfriend did it,’ he mumbled.
‘I see,’ Georgina said calmly – not the reaction he’d been expecting. ‘Were you arguing?’
‘No. And he’s no longer my boyfriend only he doesn’t know it yet,’ he answered, feeling ridiculous that he’d given the man his heart so quickly and readily.
‘Are you afraid to tell him that you don’t want to see him again?’
Benjamin nodded. He never wanted to see Rupert again for as long as he lived but had no idea how he’d tell him without getting hurt. They hadn’t been seeing each other for long and as it turned out, he really didn’t know the man at all.
‘Would you like me to tell him on your behalf?’
Again, he nodded. It was cowardly, he knew, but it would save him another beating at the hands of the brute.
‘Who is he and where will I find him?’
Benjamin rose to his feet and took a notepad and pencil from a drawer in the sideboard. He scribbled down Rupert’s name and address. Handing the piece of paper to her, he said, ‘He’ll be at work now. He’ll be at that address by six this evening.’
‘Leave this with me. Are you happy to stay here or do you want to come to the office today?’
‘I’d rather stay here if that’s OK with you?’
‘Yes. I’ll send someone round to keep an eye on your door.’
‘I’m sure that won’t be necessary,’ he answered, feeling more and more ashamed.
‘I deem it necessary. You won’t hear from Rupert again and we’ll never talk of it.’
Benjamin felt a sob catch in his throat. She could read him like a book and could feel his unease on the subject. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered.
‘Rest now. I’ll see you tomorrow, and get that bloody cupboard door fixed. We don’t want you walking into it again.’
Benjamin didn’t see her out. Instead, he remained on the sofa with his head in his hands. She’d been so understanding and now he no longer had to fear Rupert. Georgina had said he’d never hear from the man again. That could only mean one thing. He should have felt awful and asked her to spare Rupert’s life but all he could feel was sheer relief. And, he reasoned, Rupert would never be able to hurt another poof again.
*
Charlotte looked at the clock in Georgina’s office. It had gone six and Georgina had been out for most of the afternoon. She’d taken Dog with her so Charlotte hoped she’d be back soon as the scruffy mongrel would be wanting his dinner. She’d grown fond of Georgina’s dog and enjoyed taking him for walks and rubbing his belly. When the air raid sirens sounded, Dog seemed to sense her fear and would sit or lie next to her with his snout on her lap. She found him to be a great comfort, her only real friend. Georgina had told her that Dog wasn’t allowed on the sofa or the beds, but Charlotte often encouraged him to climb under the covers with her. She was sure Georgina knew the dog was sleeping in her bed but the woman hadn’t said anything. For that, Charlotte was grateful.
She paced the room and looked at the clock again. Ten minutes had passed. Glancing out the window, she saw that the street was in darkness and there was still no sign of Georgina’s car.
‘Come on,’ she said to herself, ‘hurry up.’
Charlotte’s anxiety began to increase. She didn’t like to be left alone in the dark. The nightly air raid probably wouldn’t start for a few hours but it could come at any minute! The Germans could start dropping their firebombs this very second!
The thought of it terrified Charlotte and she ducked under Georgina’s desk. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rocked back and forth, praying that Georgina and Dog would soon return. Images of limbs torn from bodies and blackened torsos burnt in fires filled her head. The baby she’d seen, half his face missing, the cries of frightened children, mothers screaming.
Charlotte wasn’t sure how long she’d been hiding under the desk but when she woke, she was lying on the floor. Her body was drenched in sweat and Dog was licking her face.
‘You’ve been having a bad dream,’ she heard Georgina say.
She sat up and looked past Dog to see Georgina crouched beside her.
‘Come on, it’s late. Let’s get home.’ The woman held out her hand and Charlotte gratefully accepted it.
‘Are you all right?’ Georgina asked when Charlotte was back on her feet.
She nodded but she wasn’t. Her dreams had taken her back to the worst night of the Blitz that she’d seen. She wished her mother hadn’t made her come back to London. She wished she could have stayed in the tranquillity of the farm. She wished she hadn’t had told Tobias to poison Georgina.
They were soon back at Georgina’s house and Charlotte sat at the kitchen table watching as Dog ate hungrily from his bowl.
‘Blimey, he was ready for that,’ Georgina said when she came into the kitchen. ‘We’ve had a very busy day but I think he’s missed you.’
Charlotte smiled. She’d missed him too. Just then, the petrifying noise of the air raid sirens began wailing. She scrambled for cover under the kitchen table and Dog ran to her side. She sat with her hands over her ears, trying to block out the sound, and squeezed her eyes shut.
‘It’s all right, Charlotte,’ Georgina said soothingly and sat beside her. ‘We can go into Mary’s shelter; you know she doesn’t mind.’
Charlotte shook her head. No, she couldn’t go next door. She daren’t get out from under the table. What if a bomb dropped on them as she was running to the neighbours’ garden? She could be blown apart into a hundred pieces. No, she’d stay put, with Dog.
Charlotte wrapped her arms around Dog as the sound of the Luftwaffe’s engines droned overhead. They were close, too close. She shut her eyes again and willed them to pass without unloading their incendiary devices on Battersea. She could hear the thudding sound of the anti-aircraft gun, which they’d driven past earlier. It had been mounted on the back of a lorry but the sight of it hadn’t offered Charlotte any reassurance. If anything, it had caused her even more anxiety. Then bang, a loud explosion and the sound of shattering glass as the kitchen window smashed. It felt like the whole house shook and Charlotte feared it was about to fall down on top of them.
‘No,’ she screamed, and pulled Dog closer to her. ‘Oh my God, oh my God!’ she cried.
‘It’s all right,’ Georgina said and placed an arm over Charlotte’s shoulders. ‘That bomb hit nearby but it’s missed us. We’re fine, just sit tight.’
Another deafening explosion, more shaking, rumbling, glass breaking, the smell of fire, the noise from guns, people screeching, sirens, bells, smoke… Charlotte couldn’t take anymore. She was sure a bomb was going to come through the roof at any moment. She’d seen the devastation it would cause. She knew too well the damage it would inflict. Without realising, she let out an ear-piecing scream that lingered on and on. Tears were streaking down her face. Dog was crying now and licking her cheeks.
Georgina pulled her closer. ‘Shush, Charlotte, you’re scaring Dog. It’ll be all right. It’s nearly over.’
That was when Charlotte realised she was screaming. Her throat felt raw and her lungs empty. She gasped for breath.
‘Good girl. They’re passing. Listen. They’re moving away.’
Charlotte strained her ears over the sound of the mayhem around her and was relieved to hear that Georgina was right. Floods of tears came now and her body racked as she sobbed.
‘It’s scary, I know, but we made it through another night and we’ll make it through the
next one, and the one after that.’
‘You can’t say that,’ Charlotte snapped. ‘They might get us next time, blow half our head off and our arms.’
‘Yes, they might, but they might not either, so pull yourself together. You’re gonna make yourself ill if you behave like this every time the Germans fly over.’
‘That’s easy for you to say. You have no idea what happens when a bomb lands on your house.’
‘No, I haven’t seen it first-hand but I’ve got a pretty good idea.’
‘You haven’t got a bloody clue! It’s… it’s… it’s terrible,’ she said, her body juddering now.
‘I’m sure it is, and by the sounds of it, you’ve seen some horrific sights.’
‘You don’t know that half of it. I’ll never forget what I saw. Never.’
Charlotte rested her head on Georgina’s shoulder and cried until her tears were spent, all the while, Georgina stroked her hair and Dog licked her tears.
‘I’m so sorry, Georgina… for what I did. I should never have told Tobias to… you know…’
‘No, Charlotte, you shouldn’t have. And you’re bloody lucky that you’re Molly’s sister and I’ve let you get away with it.’
‘I know. I really am sorry.’
‘Yes, I think you are. Look, let’s have a fresh start, shall we?’
‘I’d like that,’ Charlotte answered sincerely.
‘Me too. We’re like family, you and me, and family need to stick together and look out for each other.’
‘Yes, we should,’ she agreed and wondered why she’d even hated Georgina so much in the first place. It seemed so petty now and she was grateful to have Georgina’s forgiveness.
‘It goes against the grain for me but do you want me to see if I can do something about getting an early release for Tobias?’
‘No. I thought I loved him once but I’m not that same little girl anymore,’ she answered. And truth be known, she couldn’t stand the thought of a man touching her body.
Although she was still reeling from the nearby explosions, sitting under the table with Georgina’s arm over her and Dog on her lap, Charlotte had never felt so safe and this was the most content she’d been in a very long while.
27
Nancy threw her legs over the edge of Johnny’s bed and pulled his shirt around her for modesty. They’d made love in the night but it had been dark and they’d been under the covers. Now, as the early morning sun shone through the thin curtains, Nancy felt self-conscious.
‘Come back to bed,’ Johnny drawled and threw the covers back to reveal his aroused manhood.
Nancy giggled. She wasn’t used to seeing a man being so blatant with his nakedness. Harold had always been more discreet and worn pyjamas in bed.
‘Oh, so you think my dick is funny, do ya?’
‘No,’ Nancy answered and sauntered around the room gathering her strewn clothes from the floor. ‘But I haven’t time to come back to bed. I have to get to work.’
‘Don’t worry about Miss Garrett. Come on, just a few minutes, eh?’
‘No, Johnny. There’s no time. And I do worry about Miss Garrett. I wouldn’t want to upset her.’
‘Yeah, I suppose you’re right. It wouldn’t do to get on the wrong side of her.’
Nancy was pleased he’d brought Georgina back up in conversation. She hadn’t gleaned as much from him about the woman as she’d liked. His pillow talk had been more action than words and she’d been wary of questioning him too much in case it raised suspicion. Though she had discovered that the business had more sidelines to it than she’d known about. Johnny hadn’t discussed any of the robberies that he’d taken part in but Nancy had found out that they did at least one a month, all meticulously planned by Georgina. She’d been aware of the black-market goods, the cigarettes, alcohol, fuel and even sugar, but she’d had no idea of the scale of things and had been impressed by what she’d learned. Georgina wasn’t only building an empire on what she earned through trading, she was also feeding the black market and her men would go to any violent lengths necessary to obtain the goods required. And now she also knew that Georgina was printing fake ration coupons and trying her hand with counterfeit bank notes too.
‘Has she killed many people who have gotten on the wrong side of her?’
‘Yeah, a few, when she’s had to. But she’s decent, unlike other guvnors I’ve had.’
‘You’re happy to work for a woman then?’
‘I weren’t at first but she’s all right.’
‘Wouldn’t you prefer to run things yourself?’
‘Nah. I’m happy to let her do the thinking. She’s bloody good at it and all. The business has never been so well organised. She’s taken things to another level. We ain’t just petty thieves and thugs.’
‘Would you be happy to work for another woman?’
‘If the woman was like Miss Garrett, yeah, I don’t see why not. But that ain’t gonna happen.’
‘Wouldn’t you prefer to have a bit more say in things?’
‘Nah. Like I said, I’m happy to leave the responsibility to her.’
‘Well…’ Nancy said as she dropped her clothes back on the floor and allowed Johnny’s shirt to fall off her shoulders before sidling into bed beside him. ‘What if, and I’m only playing here, but what if there was a different woman in charge and that woman was in your bed. You’d have all the power but none of the responsibility.’
‘Oh, you naughty little minx,’ Johnny said as his hands roamed over her body.
‘Would you like that, Johnny? Would you like to sleep with the boss? Think of all the benefits.’
‘Oh, yeah, I’m thinking about them all right,’ Johnny said as he climbed on top of her.
‘Just imagine, Johnny, you and I as partners. I’m an intelligent woman. I could run the business and you’d be there by my side.’
‘Oh, yeah, yeah,’ Johnny grunted as he entered her.
‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Johnny? You’d be the boss with me. We’d be so good together. Can you picture it, Johnny… me at her desk… making love to me on her chair… no-one telling us we can’t… me and you…’
Johnny worked into a crescendo and Nancy was pleased that the images she was planting in his head seemed to be turning him on. He finished and rolled on to his back, panting for breath.
‘So, you do like the idea of being the boss?’ she asked, teasingly.
‘I like the idea of making love to the boss,’ he answered. ‘That sounded wrong, I don’t mean Miss Garrett.’
‘Well, if it was me, you could make love to me wherever and whenever you wanted to.’
‘You’re a bad ’un, Nancy, but get any silly notions you’ve got out of your head. Miss Garrett would rip your bleedin’ tongue out if she knew what you was saying.’
‘You wouldn’t allow her to hurt me, would you, Johnny?’ Nancy asked and fluttered her eyelashes.
‘Don’t step out of line and you won’t give her cause to. Come on, get up, enough of this.’
Nancy leaned over the bed and picked up his shirt again. He clearly wasn’t in the mood for any more chit-chat about running the business. But she’d be back in his bed again soon and the next time, she’d make sure that they took the conversation a little bit further.
*
Georgina hadn’t told Benjamin but Rupert hadn’t yet returned to the address he’d given her.
‘We’ll soon track down this Rupert fella,’ Station Sergeant Woodman said with authority.
‘Thanks, Ted. I’ve tried everything but I’m beginning to think that Rupert isn’t even his real name.’
‘You know my thoughts on the homosexuals but that aside, Benjamin is a decent chap. I wouldn’t like to see him come to any harm. I’ll do my utmost, rest assured.’
‘I know you will, Ted, and your efforts will be well rewarded,’ Georgina answered as she sat at her desk and twisted her mother’s wedding ring. ‘And if you do find out where this Rupert bloke is, you leave
him to me to deal with.’
‘Of course. There’s plenty of bombed-out sites where a body could easily be disposed of. And I know you don’t agree with me but I can’t say I’ll be sorry to have one less poofter on my patch. You do what you’ve got to do. You won’t get any interference from me.’
Georgina smiled at the policeman but her smile was fake. She thought the man was narrow-minded on this subject but it was one on which they’d agreed to differ. And Theodore Woodman wasn’t alone in his opinion. Homosexual men were often imprisoned or worse, sought out and beaten. The thought of that worried Georgina and she’d begun to think that this Rupert had played Benjamin from the beginning.
Sergeant Woodman placed his tall helmet back on his head and stood up, ready to leave, but in a fatherly tone said, ‘I wasn’t going to say anything to you but I can’t keep it to myself. I think you should know… Your name has come up in Parliament. Not just yours, that Maynard fella too and a few others. From what I can gather, there’s some politicians who don’t like what you’re doing. You’ve introduced a new level of crime and they’ve never seen the likes of it before. They’re calling it organised. They think there’s liberties being taken and they want it stopped. So, just watch yourself, eh, love.’
‘I see. And how do they intend to stop me?’
‘There’s more police being put on the cases where they suspect you might be involved. Don’t worry, you know you won’t get your collar felt by me and my boys. We appreciate you topping up our meagre salaries and you do a lot to make the streets better and safer, but this government thing is way above me.’
Georgina thanked Ted for the warning and made a mental note to mention it to David, though she suspected he’d already be aware of his name being flaunted in Westminster. There wasn’t much David didn’t know about and she expected she’d get a telephone call or visit from him at some point today. She couldn’t avoid him forever, especially in matters of business, and she could only hope he wouldn’t put her on the spot about his unanswered marriage proposal. It was impossible to accept his offer. She didn’t believe it could work between them. She’d considered marrying him and the thought had given her butterflies. But when she’d looked at the photograph of Lash, she’d dismissed all romantic notions of David.
