Read Online Moonlight and Ashes by Rosie Goodwin - Free Book Online Page A

an area of Swanshill that most people tried to avoid. It was a notorious red-light district. But what choice did she have? She had promised her mother and father a treat, not to mention Sam. Quickly making her mind up, she hurried on. The way she saw it, the sooner she got there the sooner she would be back.
    After a brisk ten-minute walk, the shop came into sight. Heavily made-up girls on street corners sneered at her as she hurried past, and she saw more than one talking to men before taking their arms and leading them away. She shuddered, thinking how awful it must be to have to sell your body to make a living. Keeping her head down, she slipped into the shop and in no time at all was back out on the pavement with the things she had come for tucked in a brown paper carrier bag with string handles that cut into her hands.
    She quickly retraced her steps but had only walked the length of two streets when a girl standing on the edge of a pavement made her pause. She frowned. There was something about her that was vaguely familiar, and yet for the life of her, Maggie couldn’t think what it was. Slowing her step, she came abreast of the young woman and dared to glance at her. She gasped. This was the girl who had recently started at the factory - the one she had tried unsuccessfully to befriend. The girl, unfortunately, caught sight of Maggie at the same time and colour flooded into her heavily rouged cheeks.
    ‘So what you starin’ at then, Miss Prim an’ Proper!’
    Maggie gulped deep in her throat as she took in the bright red lips and the short skirt.
    ‘I er . . . Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare,’ she said hastily. ‘I just didn’t expect to see you round here, that’s all.’
    ‘Why, what’s wrong wi’ round here? Not good enough fer the likes o’ your sort, ain’t it?’
    Maggie was momentarily lost for words. A large dark-haired man who was obviously the worse for wear, was lurching towards them and suddenly the girl was all smiles as she turned to face him.
    ‘Lookin’ fer a good time, are yer, love?’ When he nodded, she quickly took his arm, before turning to glare at Maggie across her slim shoulder. ‘Why don’t you just piss off back to where yer came from, eh? Go on. Get back to yer cosy little hubby an’ yer cosy little two-up, two-down.’
    Now it was Maggie’s turn to blush. She watched the odd couple stagger away, the girl almost collapsing beneath the weight of the man as she steered him along until they disappeared around the street corner. Why on earth would the girl be selling herself when she had a full-time job in the factory? It made no sense at all, but then Maggie thought back to the night the girl had snapped at her when she tried to walk with her. Whatever her reasons, she obviously didn’t want Maggie to get involved so from now on she would avoid her. After all, she had enough problems of her own.
    Get back to yer cosy little hubby . . . As the girl’s words came back to her, Maggie nearly laughed out loud. Oh yes, she had enough problems of her own, all right. If only Miss Powder an’ Paint could have known.
     
    The following morning at work, as Eileen and Maggie chatted in the canteen during their break, the girl appeared and sank down at a nearby table. As usual she kept herself to herself, but her eyes when they caught Maggie’s seemed to be sending an unspoken message.
    For some reason, Maggie had chosen not to mention the incident to Eileen and now she was glad that she hadn’t. After draining her mug she rose and said, ‘I’m just off to the lav. I’ll see yer back inside, eh?’
    Inhaling deeply on her Park Drive, Eileen nodded as she glanced at the large wall clock. ‘Don’t be long, else you’ll have old May breathin’ fire down yer neck.’ May was the supervisor and known to be a bit of a tyrant.
    Some minutes later, as Maggie stood washing her hands at the sink in front of the long row of toilets, the door opened and the girl walked inside.
    Maggie