The Reluctant Sinner (10 page)

‘And knowing now as you do all about me, you would still be prepared to become my partner?’

‘Absolutely!’

‘No, you haven’t thought this through,’ Daisy insisted. ‘Now it’s you who must take the time to think. You have a family name to protect. Think of what your husband would say, your family – his family. When you have, I think you’ll realize it isn’t viable.’

She rose to her feet. ‘I think I should go now. I’ll always remember your kindness, this lovely house and spending today with you, but I really think it must end here.’

‘Very well, Daisy, but I will think about it. Give me your address before you go. Here is a pen and paper. I’ll have the groom take you to the station.’

At the front door, Grace hugged Daisy and said, ‘I’ll be in touch.’

Daisy climbed into the trap and waved goodbye as they trotted down the drive. It had been such a memorable day, one that she would remember for a long time, but she’d been glad that she had told Grace Portman the truth, she owed her that much.

Vera Gilbert was grieving for her husband. She cleaned the house from top to bottom and then started all over again. The place seemed so empty. Although Fred had spent his final weeks in the nursing home, Vera had visited him every day, taking his washing home with her and washed and ironed it to take back the following day, but now she was at a loss to know how to fill her time … apart from this incessant cleaning and she knew that wasn’t healthy.

Daisy was aware of this too and on Monday morning she told her mother to get dressed, as they were off for the day. ‘Come on, Mum, we both need a change of scene – and wrap up warm. It’s a bit sharp outside, certainly not at all like spring.’

They caught the train to Bournemouth. There was a sharp breeze coming off the Channel and they both pulled up the collars of their coats as they walked briskly along the promenade.

‘Cor! This’ll blow the cobwebs away,’ Daisy remarked.

‘It’s just what I need,’ grinned Vera. She felt renewed as she walked as if all the floss in her brain was being blown away. She needed to get on with life; Fred would have wanted it that way.

After a bit of window shopping, they went into a cafe and ordered fish and chips.

‘Locally caught, it says on the menu,’ Vera said, ‘so it should be good.’

‘Well you look better than I’ve seen you look in a while,’ observed Daisy.

‘I miss your dad.’

‘I know and I miss him too and I’d give anything if he were here with us now, but I wouldn’t want to see him here as sick as he was.’

‘Me neither. It just takes time to adjust I suppose. The house is empty and I don’t know what to do with myself,’ Vera admitted.

Daisy peered across the table at her. ‘You need to stop cleaning, Mum. It’s becoming an obsession.’

‘I know, I do know, honestly. I thought I might get my old hand sewing machine out. I used to be a good seamstress.’

‘I remember; it was you that started me with a love for sewing.’ Daisy sighed. ‘I do miss it.’

‘What happened to your private clients?’ asked Vera. ‘I haven’t seen you sewing for some time’

This was true. Daisy hadn’t pressed any of her old clients for further work in case they found out about her new role at the Solent Club. It seemed only right, but her fingers itched to get back to the work she loved.

‘No one needs anything done at the moment,’ she said hastily. ‘Come on, let’s go and do a bit of shopping.’

As they sat on the train on the way home, Daisy thought about Grace Portman’s offer and wished with all her heart she could have accepted. How wonderful it would have been to open her own business and get back to being creative once again.

At the Manor House in Brockenhurst, Grace was having similar thoughts. Had it been just her, she wouldn’t have hesitated in carrying out the new partnership, but Daisy had made a valid point. Her husband’s family name. Hugh was very proud of his background. His family had all been army men and with great distinction. No way would he countenance any such liaison. He’d have blown a gasket at the very idea of a scandal and Grace, therefore, had to take that into consideration. Much to her chagrin.

Monday nights at the club were quiet and Flo’s girls were sitting around, gossiping. As she had no bookings, Daisy decided to go home early. She was restless. All she could think about was opening her business – and looking around the establishment where she was forced to sell herself was beginning to pall more each night. How much longer could she put up with this sordid means to an end? It hadn’t helped when Stella told her she would be leaving at the end of the week.

‘At last I’ve got enough money to make a new start,’ she gleefully told Daisy.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I’m going to open a little seaside cafe. Believe it or not, I’m a bloody good cook and I’ve found a little place that’s ideal. I’ll cook breakfasts and lunch, then afternoon tea and scones – and close in the evenings. I don’t want to wear myself to a frazzle. Once I’m
established if I think an evening trade would work, I could give it a try too.’

‘And where is this little cafe?’

‘On the Isle of Wight. Bembridge. Nice little spot. Mind you it might just be a holiday trade, I’ll have to see, but hopefully my cooking will be good enough to keep open in the winter with just local trade. Oh, Daisy, I can’t wait to walk out of this door for the last time.’

‘I shall miss you, Stella. I’ll be out of here too as soon as I can. But not for a bit, sadly. The punters are dropping off now. I’m no longer a novelty.’

‘But you
are
different, Daisy love. You still maintain that air of innocence; you’ve not lost that, despite everything.’

Daisy laughed harshly. ‘Not outwardly maybe but inside I hate what I’ve become.’

‘It’s just a job. Look at it like that and it becomes easier. But don’t hang around too long or you’ll never leave! You may have to lower your sights a little. The shop you want may have to become one room to begin with. Have you thought about that?’

‘No, to be honest. I’ve always looked at the bigger picture.’

‘Then think about it, please.’

As she walked home, Daisy thought over Stella’s words. It certainly would be a way to get out of this life sooner than she thought. She would seriously consider it. After all she had to start somewhere. If Agnes would work for her, she would only have to. buy two sewing machines and a limited amount of material. She’d sit down and work out her finances.

She was so wound up with her thoughts that she was unaware that she was being followed until she was roughly grabbed from behind.

‘Hey! What do you think you’re doing?’ she cried as she struggled.

‘I’ll have you one way or another.’ Ken Woods dragged her into a side alley. ‘I was prepared to pay, but no, you bitch, you thought you were too good for me. Well now I’ll take you for free!’

Daisy fought for all she was worth as the man tried to kiss her, but he was a big man and powerful. His wet mouth covered hers and she gagged. She could smell the stale alcohol on his breath. When he stopped, she balled her fist and with as much strength as she could she punched him in the face.

He cursed her and grabbed for her breast.

Daisy brought her knee up sharply and caught him in his genitals with as much force as she could muster.

The man cried out and doubled up with pain – and she fled. She ran until she had to stop for breath, clutching her side as the cramp hit her. She listened carefully but could hear nothing. Leaning back against the wall she slowly recovered. With trembling fingers, she lit a cigarette, drawing deeply on the nicotine in an effort to calm herself. Then looking around carefully, she began to walk home, constantly looking over her shoulder, ready to run should Woods appear again.

Her hands were still shaking as she tried to put the key in the lock of her front door and she prayed that her mother wouldn’t be sitting by the fire when she entered, knowing that her blouse had been torn in the struggle.

Fortunately for her, Vera was in the kitchen. She called to her as she went upstairs to change. ‘Hello, Mum, put the kettle on. I’ve decided to call it a night.’

Upstairs, she took off her damaged garment and put on a different one, pushing the torn blouse to the back of a drawer. She washed her face and tidied her hair. Still shaken by the incident, she took a deep breath and walked downstairs.

‘What are you doing home so early?’ asked Vera.

‘Business was so slack I thought I’d come home,’ explained Daisy.

‘Nice of Harry to let you off,’ her mother said.

‘Harry?’ For a moment Daisy forgot that her mother thought she was still working behind the bar. ‘Oh, yes, Harry. He didn’t mind. There was barely enough trade to keep him going.’

‘You all right love? You look a bit pale.’

‘I’m just a bit tired that’s all,’ Daisy hastily replied. But Woods had scared her and she knew that somehow she had to get out of working as one of Flo’s girls … and soon.

Vera sat quietly by the fire and glanced over at her daughter. Something was wrong but obviously Daisy wasn’t going to confide in her. Vera was concerned. Daisy had changed so much over the past weeks. She’d lost her joyful disposition. Even when Fred had been at home and things were difficult, Daisy had always managed to be cheerful, but lately she’d lost that happy frame of mind. It wasn’t just tiredness, there was more to it than that, Vera was sure. Her attitude to life had hardened. She’d become cynical. She had
gained in confidence but with that came a certain harshness, which was quite unlike the young girl she was used to. Perhaps the loss of her father had done that, but of this, Vera was not at all sure. She didn’t like the change, that was certain, but was at a loss as to how she could approach Daisy.

‘I’m off to bed, Mum,’ said Daisy, and the moment for further conversation was lost.

At the Solent Club the following evening, Daisy confided in Harry and told him of her encounter with Ken Woods.

As he listened, Harry was angry. He’d taken to this young girl and it broke his heart to see her used by the men she took to her room. But when he heard about her lucky escape, he was livid.

‘That bastard!’ he exclaimed. ‘I’ll have something to say to him!’

‘Oh, Harry, don’t do that or you’ll make things worse. He’s not a man to be crossed.’

‘I don’t care! He can’t get away with this. He was going to rape you, girl, and who knows how badly he’d have hurt you. He has to be stopped!’ He was called away to serve a customer.

Daisy was now very worried. If Harry interfered how would Woods react? The menace in his voice when he attacked her was terrifying; Harry might get hurt if he tackled the man. She would go to Flo and tell her. She was the one to deal with the situation.

Flo was dismissive. ‘If you had taken him on as a client, you wouldn’t have put yourself in any danger, but oh, no, not you, madam. You made your own rules and now see where it got you!’

Daisy was horrified by the coldness of the other woman. ‘You don’t give a damn do you?’ she cried. ‘All that is important to you is how much money you make.’

‘I run a business; it was your choice to join my girls and you’ll have to face any consequences. It has nothing to do with me. As long as Ken Woods behaves himself in my club, what he does outside is none of my business.’

‘But what about Harry? He says he’s going to have words with him?’

‘I shall tell Harry on no account is he to interfere or he’ll be out of a job!’

Daisy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘You are a heartless bitch, Flo!’

The woman ignored her.

She would tell Harry herself not to do anything, Daisy decided. He’d worked in the bar for years. She couldn’t let him jeopardize his position.

But Harry was not at all fazed by the news. ‘Flo won’t sack me,’ he said with a wry smile. ‘I know too much, so don’t you worry about me, love. I won’t come to any harm either from Ken Woods or Flo Cummings.’

But Daisy couldn’t help but worry.

Harry had lived and worked around the dock area of Southampton all his life and knew his way around. He collected information. People who came into the bar chatted and confided in him, knowing that he kept everything to himself. He knew most of the business people who worked and owned businesses and also was on talking terms with a few villains as well. This way he knew all the dodgy dealing that went down. He was well aware that Ken Woods used to skim off the top from the many items that came to be stored in his warehouse. Information that the police would be only too happy to know.

So it was with confidence that he visited Woods’ warehouse the next morning. He knocked on the man’s office door and walked in.

Ken looked up from his desk, surprised to see who was calling on him.

‘Hello, Harry. A bit out of your usual habitat aren’t you? What can I do for you?’

He didn’t beat about the bush. ‘You can leave Gloria alone! I heard about you attacking her the other night; bit desperate weren’t you? After all you can have any woman in the club. It’s not as if you are short of a sexual gratification.’

The man’s eyes flashed angrily. ‘What I do is none of your business! Had that little bitch given me the time of day, I wouldn’t have touched her.’

Harry leaned over the desk. ‘You ever lay a finger on her again, Ken Woods, and the police will be informed about your habit of creaming off the top of your goods and the stuff you hide in your warehouse, that’s illegal.’

The man’s face flushed with rage. ‘You dare to come in here and threaten me? Want to be found floating in the dock one night, do you?’

Harry just stared at him. ‘In a safety deposit box at my bank I have a large envelope to be opened after my death. It’s all written down there, my friend, every single detail about your business, so any ideas you may have about my demise would be foolish. Frankly I don’t give a shit about your dodgy dealings, you’ll get caught one day, but you touch that girl again and I’ll see you go down for a long time!’

Woods stared at Harry’s retreating figure as he walked out of his office and cursed under his breath. There was no way he could call the man’s bluff; he had too much to lose. He’d wait a while, but he was going to have that girl one day – however long it took. No woman was going to treat him with such disdain and get away with it.