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the time had come to marry her, he’d make sure she was never out alone again. He’d work her hard in his shop all day, and he’d have his way with her whenever fucking took his fancy. Doreen screwed up her face in disgust behind Mercy’s back. Personally, she’d rather eat rats than marry that bloody dog of a man!
     
    Mercy took one more look at herself in the mirror. She was not vain, but she was well aware that she looked every bit like a sophisticated woman. Soft pink rouge had been painted on her full bow lips and cheeks, and black kohl now defined her eyebrows and lifted the corners of her eyelids, making her eyes appear twice their size. The effect was subtle, but it had changed her girlish face into something beautiful and elegant. She sniffed into the handkerchief Doreen had just given her.
    “I had hoped to get the chance to wear a gown like this more than once in my life,” she said. “But I fear living in the Elephant and Castle won’t give me any opportunity at all, ever. My Grandma Jennings says Big Joe always works and goes out to a men’s club at night, and I’m not to nag him about it. I bet I’ll just spend all my life alone and miserable. I should kill myself right now!”
    Doreen turned Mercy from the mirror and held her by the arms. She wore a shocked, frightened expression. Tears welled up, making her remove her eyeglasses. “Now you listen to me, girl. I knew your father and your mother. I was at their bloody wedding. I’ve never seen a couple so much in love – they made me right jealous, so they did. What your father did – kill himself – was a terrible waste of a life, and I’ll not have his daughter in here threatening to do the same thing. Now, I don’t know what I can say to help you. I don’t know what I can do to make you feel better. But if I ever hear you mention killing yourself again, I’ll give you a right good slapping. Do you hear me?”
    “Yes. I’m sorry.” Mercy sobbed again. “But if I could just go into London, across that bridge, just once, I’d have the memory of it and would be satisfied with that. But how can I go to London in my old rags if I want to have a cup of tea and go inside St Paul’s Cathedral? I saved some pennies. I have them with me. It took me almost a year, but I have enough for an outing and maybe even a short carriage ride after I’ve had a scone and tea. That’s always been my dream. Just once – if I could do it just once, I’d never complain again about anything.”
    “I understand, Mercy. Really I do,” Doreen told her, softening her tone. “I would love to tell you to grab every opportunity that comes your way and go after your dreams, but you’re betrothed, and there’s nought you, me, or Agnes here can do about it. You’re too beautiful for your own good; that’s the truth. If you’d been brought up on the other side of the river, you would have found an even better husband – perhaps an aristocrat.”
    “Do you really think so?”
    “I know so,” Doreen told her.
    Mercy seized the chance. Now she would test the waters.
    “What if I could just wear this for a short while? It may be my only chance. You did say you would love to tell me to grab opportunities, even though you can’t. Doreen, I promise I won’t get it dirty. No one will know except for us three. Can I? Please? I’ll be back in three or four hours to carry the dress home in its box. Please?”
    Doreen and Agnes looked horrified and shook their heads. Doreen began to undo the tiny buttons on the back of the gown, looking worried that Mercy was thinking about bolting out the door with the dress on.
    Mercy cried and tried again. “After today, my life is over. I’m just going to have to kill myself. If I can’t have one good memory, what’s the point of living?”
    “Mercy, you’ll get us into a bother talking like this. Big Joe and your family will have our hides.”
    “But not if they’re none the wiser. They would never have to know,”