Read The Docklands Girls for Free Online Page B

took her by the arm and back to her room where she poured them both a stiff measure of gin and added some tonic.
    ‘Here, love, drink this. I’ll join you. Oh, Cora, life really is a bitch!’
    ‘It was bound to happen. We met one of my punters one night and he was in the same company as Hank. It was only a matter of time.’
    Belle nodded. ‘He didn’t like it, of course. That’s understandable.’
    ‘I never let him near me except for a few kisses and cuddles and then just now, he asked me if I was free tonight as he wanted a woman. That really hurt.’
    ‘Of course it did, but you can understand him. He must have had a hell of a shock when he found out. How did you leave him?’
    ‘I told him that’s what I did and walked out of the bar. So that’s the end of a beautiful friendship.’
    Belle, knowing of Cora’s future plans, tried to cheer her.
    ‘You listen to me! Pretty soon all these boys will be off to fight a war. They’ll have other things on their mind and those lucky devils who survive will go home to their families. We won’t even be remembered but you, you’ll be off to London starting all over again. A new woman. You think about that instead, my love!’
    ‘You’re right, of course, it’s just that I wanted a proper relationship, a real one, one that wasn’t business. Hank treated me like a young innocent woman, not a brass, because deep down, I don’t feel like one. Every time I take a man to my bed, I just think it’s another step towards a better life.’ She let out a deep sigh. ‘I really can’t work tonight, but I just don’t want to be on my own.’ She looked at Belle for support.
    ‘Right. I’ll take the night off too. You can bunk in with me. Oh, fuck it, let’s just get plastered and I’ll tell you how I came to be working the streets.’
    It was quite a story.
    Belle began. ‘My parents were devoted churchgoers; I’m not surprised that comes as a shock to you,’ she said, seeing the expression on her friend’s face. ‘I was dragged to church twice a day on Sundays, whether I liked it or not. The only thing that made it bearable was the young vicar, who happened to be good-looking. I’d sit and stare at him throughout the service. Then one day as we were leaving, shaking hands with him outside, he suggested I might like to join the choir.’
    ‘Well, you still have a great voice,’ Cora chipped in having heard Belle sing many times in the Horse and Groom when the pianist played and everybody joined in.
    ‘As you can imagine, I jumped at the chance and my parents were thrilled at the prospect. But what they didn’tknow was that very soon, the young vicar would make excuses for me to stay behind after the others left. At first he gave the reason that it was to help him put the music sheets away and tidy up, but deep down I knew differently.’
    ‘What happened?’
    ‘Nothing to begin with. He’d hold my hand just a little bit too long as he thanked me for helping, then he’d put his arm round my shoulder as he walked me to the door, then one evening he asked me back to the rectory to give me a copy of a new hymn we were to learn, made me a cup of tea and sat next to me on the sofa.’
    ‘And?’
    Belle shrugged. ‘Well, one thing led to another and I left him no longer a virgin and – as I thought – madly in love.’
    ‘Oh, Belle, that was so wrong of him! He used his position to seduce you.’
    ‘But don’t you see, I didn’t care. We had an affair for several months until one evening his bishop called unexpectedly and saw us through the window.’
    ‘Oh my God! What happened?’
    ‘He was moved to another diocese and my parents were informed.’
    ‘You weren’t pregnant, were you?’
    ‘Oh no, he wasn’t entirely stupid, he took precautions, but my parents disowned me and kicked me out of the house.’
    ‘How old were you?’
    ‘Seventeen. I was working and rented a room near Canal Walk because it was the cheapest and the only one I could