A Daughter's Secret (12 page)

‘You, my dear, are a minx,’ he said. ‘I have to
admit that no woman has ever got around me the way you are able to.’

‘Well, aren’t you the sight for sore eyes?’ Lily said in delight at finding Aggie on the doorstep with Levingstone.

‘She was fretting and so I brought her to see you all,’ Levingstone said.

‘And why not?’ Lily flung the door wide. ‘Come in, come in.’

‘No, I won’t,’ Levingstone said. ‘I have some business in town. No rest for some of us, even on a Saturday.’

‘You must have been very wicked in a previous life,’ Lily pointed out.

Levingstone laughed. ‘That must have been it. Now,’ he said, turning to Aggie, ‘this won’t take all day. An hour, two at the most. That all right?’

Aggie turned to Lily, grinning. ‘Can you put up with me for so long?’

‘As long as you like, ducks,’ Lily said. ‘You can stay all bleeding day if you like. I’ve nothing spoiling.’

‘Right, I will be off then,’ Levingstone said. Before setting off down the street he drew Aggie into his arms and kissed her gently. The action wasn’t lost on Lily, and she smiled inwardly. Obviously the girl had played her cards well and had the man fair besotted with her, so far anyway.

She barely waited until the door had shut behind Levingstone before catching up Aggie’s arms. ‘Will
you look at the cut of you,’ she said. ‘That coat must have cost a pretty penny.’

‘It did,’ Aggie said, ‘and the hat,’ and she spun around so that the skirt billowed out and then settled again, just touching the tops of her button boots. ‘And that isn’t all. I have three silk blouses of the prettiest colours and two skirts to wear with them. I have two day dresses too, and three for evening, and underwear galore, the softest and prettiest imaginable.’

She removed her hat and, handing it to Lily, said, ‘I have one of the blouses on now, in peach, see?’ removing her coat as she spoke. Lily saw the beautiful, shimmering silk blouse with ruffled lace neck, fastened with mother-of-pearl buttons, which was complemented so well by the navy skirt in heavy velvet.

‘Oh, girl,’ she breathed, ‘you look the business, really you do. I am that glad for you and I know the others will be. He is kind to you, then?’

‘Oh, yes.’

‘In all ways, I mean,’ Lily said, and Aggie met her gaze levelly.

‘Yes, in all ways, Lily.’

‘Come away in and see the others,’ Lily said, leading the way. ‘We often talk of you and wonder how you are getting on.’

‘I’m getting on just grand,’ Aggie said.

Susie, and a girl called Janey, who were in the sitting room, seemed to agree with that sentiment. Susie declared they seldom had someone so grandly
dressed knocking on their door, and she made Aggie parade up and down and give them all a twirl to show the full effect of the clothes.

‘Soon you will be too grand to visit the likes of us,’ Susie said, but Aggie shook her head emphatically.

‘I’ll never be that. I know how much I owe you all – you and Lily particularly, of course, but all of you for being my friends, the only ones I have. I told Alan the same and that is why he brought me. I know he will do it again.’

‘You are very sure of yourself.’

‘I’m very sure of Alan Levingstone,’ Aggie said. ‘Let me tell you what he has done about having Irish costumes made and all, and the Irish dance teacher and fiddler engaged.’

‘Soon have you down the club then, I’d say,’ Lily remarked.

‘I think so,’ Aggie agreed but added, ‘He doesn’t want me to go with any of the men yet, though. He said he wants me for himself.’ She saw the women exchange glances. ‘What is it?’

‘Look, bab,’ Lily said, ‘look but don’t touch will only work for a bit. The people going to that club pay big money to touch. And they are important people, influential, like. You remember I told you this before?’

‘Aye, I remember.’

‘It’s as well to be prepared, that’s all,’ Susie told Aggie.

‘I know that that day will come, followed by
years of the same, and that is the one thing that scares me,’ Aggie admitted. ‘Levingstone is gentle and kind, but the man who raped me in Ireland was anything but.’

‘I know just what you mean,’ Janey said. ‘I had this awful old bugger yesterday and, Christ, I thought that he was going to rip me in two.’

‘That’s what McAllister was like,’ Aggie said. ‘It’s one of the things I am afraid of when I do go down to the club and I know too that I will be filled with shame.’

‘Now you listen to me,’ Lily said. ‘Don’t you think we all haven’t had these feelings from time to time? I’ll tell you now these fine principles are all very well when you have a full belly and a roof over your head.’

‘We provide a service,’ Susie said.

‘Do you really think that?’

‘Course I do,’ Susie maintained.

‘There wouldn’t be any need for prostitutes if there weren’t men that needed them and used them,’ Janey added.

‘Yeah,’ Lily agreed. ‘Can you see us walking the streets for the fun of it? I’d stick to me own fireside if there weren’t blokes out there out for a bit of slap and tickle, or a bit of the other, and prepared to pay for the privilege. This keeps me out the workhouse, Aggie. Think on that.’

‘Anyroad,’ Janey said, ‘this is neither here nor there. Whatever the fellers are like, you will have to cover your distaste and disgust and hide any
pain or discomfort inflicted. If you don’t please them and they complain to Levingstone, your fine life could come to an end in no time at all.’

‘I know,’ Aggie said. ‘It scares me that I won’t be able to do that.’

‘Course you will,’ Lily said. ‘The opium will help, especially mixed with plenty of gin. Nothing will bother you if you have enough.’

‘And talking about gin,’ Susie said, ‘we could all have a drop now, couldn’t we?’

‘Yeah,’ Lily agreed. ‘Get the glasses out and we will toast Aggie’s future.’

‘Aggie’s future,’ they chorused a few minutes later as the glasses chinked, and Lily added, ‘And long may fate continue to shine on her.’

‘Amen,’ Aggie said, but silently to herself.

Three weeks after the costumes were delivered, and on a Friday afternoon, Levingstone came to watch Aggie practising. He had known that she was good the first time she had danced for him, but he plainly saw how much she had improved.

He had insisted she wore the proper costumes and the shoes, and performed a variety of dances for him. She seemed to fly as she danced the jigs and reels in her soft shoes. The intricate footwork left him spellbound, and she leaped and twirled and turned until he was dizzy. As for the hornpipes and some of the polkas, the click of her shiny hard shoes emphasised the foot movements and engendered excitement in him that seeped all through his body.

When Colm eventually drew Aggie to a halt, she was breathless, her cheeks dusted pink with the exertion, and yet her eyes sparkled as she faced Levingstone and asked with a smile, ‘Was that all right?’

The man gazed at her, mesmerised by both her beauty and her ability as he said, ‘Oh, my darling girl, you were much, much more than all right.’ He glanced over to Colm. ‘You have done well.’

Colm shrugged. ‘It’s easy to work on good material,’ he said. ‘Aggie has a talent seldom seen.’

He nearly added, ‘Far too good for this place,’ but he stopped himself in time. What bloody good would it do if he was to spout that out? He knew that Tim felt the same – his face often gave him away – and when Levingstone said to Aggie, ‘I want you down the club tomorrow,’ and he saw the colour drain from her face, he heard the sharp intake of breath from Tim.

Thankfully, Levingstone did not hear Tim’s reaction, because he had eyes only for Aggie. But he could almost feel the apprehension running through her, and it annoyed him. ‘Come, come, Agnes,’ he said. ‘Don’t look like that. You knew what you were working towards from the beginning. Isn’t that so?’

Aggie nodded. Levingstone’s use of her full name showed the level of his irritation with her and she bit her lips to try to prevent the tears that she could feel gathering behind her eyes from trickling down her cheeks, for she knew that might truly anger the man.

But with the acquiescent nod, Levingstone was satisfied. He turned to Colm and Tim. ‘So your work is almost at an end and you will both be well rewarded for this. I have hired a band for
tonight to play the tunes for Aggie, and I would like you to put together a programme for her for two spots lasting at least an hour and a half each. If you can meet the band sometime tomorrow afternoon to go over the tempo I would be grateful.’

‘That will be no problem,’ Colm said, knowing that it would be easier for Aggie to dance to the best of her ability if they were to do this for her, but personally he thought it far too gruelling a programme. For all he worked Aggie hard, he would call a halt and let her rest if he really thought she was tiring, but he knew that there would be no let-up here. But what was the point of him saying any of this? Levingstone was the boss and what he said went, as far as Aggie was concerned. There was no doubt that he was fond of her – in fact you would be a hard man to please if your heart didn’t quicken when you caught sight of Aggie – but he also saw her as a commodity, a hook to get the punters in. He also knew that Aggie accepted the fact that Levingstone owned her body and soul, because her own survival depended on pleasing him. For Aggie, her fate was already sealed.

As Levingstone predicted, that Saturday night Aggie caused a storm. He just announced her as ‘The little Irish girl with the golden feet’. The band struck up the introduction to ‘The Star of the County Down’ and Aggie danced on to the stage. She looking stunning in her shimmering white
costume, her hair tied back from her face with a white silken ribbon and she circled the stage before stopping in front of the punters with a curtsy. There was a roar of approval.

All afternoon, Aggie had practised with the band, but then Tim and Colm had been present too, and though the band members had all been nice enough, it was unnerving to be up on stage on her own. Leering ogling men stared at her and she wished her costume were longer.

She had felt it was almost indecent to wear something so short when she had first put the dresses on, but then she had asked herself what she was thinking about. Who was she to worry about the length of her skirt as if she were a normal, respectable girl?

With a slight sigh she gave a small nod to the band and, as they began to play the first skip reel, all nervousness dropped away from her.

In the club, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. Levingstone smiled to himself. He saw many lecherous and lascivious looks cast Aggie’s way and he knew most had undressed her in their mind’s eye and would be wanting to sample her other delights later. But that was his pleasure and his alone for a little while longer.

The other girls too watched Aggie, some jealously, for none of the men seemed a bit interested in them now. They had eyes only for the girl on the stage.

‘The word is none of the men are to go with
her,’ Hattie said to the others. ‘Not tonight, anyroad.’

‘Are you kidding?’ Maggie replied. ‘What’s she doing down here then, tantalising them and everything?’

‘Men are bloody easily tantalised, if you ask me,’ Brenda said with a grim smile.

‘Yeah, minds like sewers, most of them,’ Patsy agreed. ‘Only thinking about the one thing.’

‘Good job for us they do,’ Rita replied. ‘Wouldn’t we all be out of a job if men wasn’t like that?’ And the girls murmured in agreement.

To rapturous applause, Aggie thankfully left the stage for her break. Men were falling over themselves to buy her a drink or even just talk to her and commend her on her performance. They knew it was all they were going to get for now – Levinstone had made that abundantly clear – but that state of affairs couldn’t go on for ever. When he released Agnes to ‘entertain’, as the other girls did, most were aware they would have to form an orderly queue for there would be many who would want to see what the little Irish girl had to offer.

Levingstone guarded her almost jealously that night and saw many looking at him enviously. He knew Aggie would feel better with his arm wrapped around her as it was her first time in the club and she might be a little nervous.

Aggie was more than nervous. She hated the men ogling her with eyes full of lewdness, which
reminded her of McAllister, and yet she knew without being told that she had to smile and be polite to them, however rude she thought them. The longer she was kept out of their clutches the better she would like it, even if she had to dance her feet off.

She was almost relieved when her break time was over. At least, on the stage she was away from them all.

The second round of dancing got even more acclaim than the first, and Levingstone watched her proudly.

Eventually Aggie came to the end and curtsied to the audience, to thunderous applause and calls for more.

Levingstone shook his head as he went forward to claim her. ‘You will have to wait till tomorrow,’ he told his clients. ‘Agnes is tired.’

She was more than tired, she was exhausted, and so, though Levingstone took her around and introduced her to people she hadn’t met before, he steered her to the back stairs to their quarters as some of the other girls were taking clients to the upstairs rooms.

‘Did I do all right?’ Aggie asked as she faced him across the bedroom.

‘Darling, you were marvellous, sensational,’ Levingstone said, taking her into his arms. ‘Later I will show you how grateful I am. Wait for me.’

‘I will, Alan.’

However, when Levingstone returned to the
bedroom, it was to find Aggie in a deep sleep, so deep that he hesitated to rouse her and he buried his frustration as he slid in beside her.

The next afternoon, Aggie was resting and Levingstone was in the sitting room when there was a knock at the door downstairs. A few moments later Mary came in to tell him that Mr Donahue and Mr Furey would like a little word with him.

‘Show them in,’ Levingstone said.

He wondered what they wanted to see him about, but shook hands warmly with them both and offered them a drink.

‘Whisky your tipple?’ he asked.

‘When I can afford it, sir,’ Colm said with a smile, taking the glass from him.

‘I don’t know why you are here,’ Levingstone said handing a glass to Tim, ‘though you are both very welcome. But maybe it isn’t me you have come to see at all, but Aggie. She is resting but I could always rouse her if you wish.’

‘No, sir,’ Colm said. ‘It is you we need to see, but it concerns Aggie.’

‘I am intrigued,’ Levingstone said. ‘Do go on.’

‘Would you mind if I spoke with you candidly, Mr Levingstone?’

‘Please do, Colm.’

‘Can I ask you how many nights a week you will require Aggie to dance?’

‘I hadn’t thought,’ Levingstone said. ‘She went down so well last night that I have engaged the
band for this evening too. Why do you want to know?’

‘It’s just… well, to dance for three hours every night would be a tiring enough programme for anyone,’ Colm said. ‘Wouldn’t you agree, Tim?’

‘I would. Especially for Aggie, for she always gives it everything. She dances with her whole body.’

‘That’s it,’ Colm said. ‘And on top of that she will have to practise every day as well.’

‘If you wouldn’t mind me also saying, sir,’ Tim said, ‘the ability and talent Aggie has is one that is seldom seen. She really is a superb little dancer and having her perform every day, as well as wearing her out, sort of cheapens what she does.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, I know it is a little presumptuous of me because it is your club and you know the clientele and all, but if you made it that Aggie would just dance at the weekends, she would be the star turn, as it were.’

Levingstone nodded. ‘Yes, I can see that. What you mean is, if Aggie was to perform every day then it would become commonplace?’

‘That is it exactly,’ Tim said. ‘Though commonplace is never a word anyone could use to describe what Aggie does.’

‘There is also the danger that she would become stale doing the same thing day after day,’ Colm said. ‘I used to see it myself in the competition world when people were over-rehearsed and the
performance they gave then was often technically brilliant, but wooden. Aggie would always dance well – she is at one with the music – but if she were to lose her special sparkle, then that would be a tragedy.’

‘It would indeed,’ Levingstone agreed.

‘You don’t mind us speaking out this way?’

‘Not at all,’ Levingstone said. ‘In fact, I am gratified that Aggie has such champions in the pair of you. You have also given me some food for thought and I will rethink the whole issue of Aggie dancing, I promise.’

When the two men had left, Levingstone thought long and hard about what they had said and knew the points they had made were valid ones. But if Aggie was not to dance so frequently, he didn’t know how he could justify keeping her out of the punters’ hands.

Aggie was not told of the visit of Colm and Tim, and when Levingstone told her that she was not to dance on weekdays, she was part relieved and part alarmed. ‘What are you expecting me to do then instead?’

‘To be a charming companion on my arm,’ Levingstone said. ‘And go around talking to the punters.’

‘Talking?’ Aggie said surprised. ‘Is that all you want me to do?’

‘For now, yes.’

‘They will expect more, surely?’

‘Yes, well, what they expect and what they get are two entirely different things,’ Levingstone answered. ‘Will that bother you?’

‘Yes,’ Aggie might have said. ‘I want to go nowhere near those horrible, lustful men who undress me with their eyes.’ However, what she did say was, ‘No, I will be fine doing that,’ and Levingstone was satisfied.

The punters were far from satisfied, though, and the other girls were resentful too.

‘Treating her like she is some sort of special case,’ Hattie said. ‘It isn’t fair.’

‘Whoever said life was fair anyway?’ Brenda asked.

‘Yeah, but come on. Nearly all of us have marked Levingstone’s card one way or another and then it is over and we’re down here and sleeping with whoever. Can you imagine what would happen to us if we said you can look but don’t touch?’

‘Don’t need much imagining, does it?’ Hattie remarked. ‘We’d be out on our ear, and sharpish too, I think.’

‘So what’s all this with Lady Muck?’

‘I dunno,’ said Patsy. ‘I mean, I am as mad as you, but it won’t be her doing, will it? It will be Levingstone’s decision and she’ll have to do what she’s told, same as the rest of us. He’s the boss, after all.’

‘He ain’t, though,’ Rita said. ‘That weasel-faced Rogers is boss of the whole shebang. Levingstone
is just the manager. Wonder what Rogers will make of this if he ever gets wind of it.’

‘They’ll be fireworks, I’m thinking.’

Aggie was aware of the slight animosity some of the girls directed her way and was sorry about it, but when she mentioned it to Levingstone he told her not to worry about it.

‘It’s none of their business,’ he said, drawing her into his arms.

‘Yes, but—’

‘But nothing.’ Levingstone kissed her lightly on the lips. ‘The only one you need to please is me. Remember that.’

‘Well,’ said Aggie, ‘have you got any complaints in that department?’

Levingstone laughed. ‘Not so far. Let’s keep it that way.’

‘Right, sir,’ said Aggie, and gave Levingstone a mock salute. He patted her lightly on the bottom and laughed at her little squeal.

Levingstone didn’t know what he did before Aggie had come into his life a mere eight weeks or so before. He had been world-weary, careworn and feeling every one of his forty-three years. Aggie made him feel young and far more alive.

He was worried about her, though, because he didn’t know how long he would be able to go on denying Aggie to the punters when some of them were nearly panting with desire for her. He knew Aggie would hate it and he didn’t want to share her with anyone either. The thought of some of
those men pawing at her made him feel physically sick but he knew he would have to get over that.

When Rogers sent for him a fortnight later, it was almost expected. It was a Friday afternoon and Levingstone faced the man across the desk in the dingy office. His small eyes – blue and as cold as ice in a face the colour of putty – raked over Levingstone, before barking out, ‘What’s this I hear about the Irish girl you have set on?’