your notice?”
“I’ve made my decision,” Alice answered.
“No!” Maddy knew from experience that when Alice said something, she meant it. “I can’t let you lose your work and possibly your home, on account of me.” She bit her lip. “I’ll do what you ask, then. I’ll stay here tonight and make him sweat.”
“Well, all right then,” Alice said, after a pause. “And I’m not saying you shouldn’t go back at all, because clearly you still have things to decide between the pair of youse. But not tonight. Let the bugger calm down and think it through.”
Maddy threw her arms round the little woman’s shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But I may go in tomorrow. You do know I can’t stay away too long?”
“I understand that, so I do. But if you were to go in tonight, he’ll think he can do whatever he likes and you’ll always be there at his beck and call. And when you
do
get to talk it out with him, be prepared for him to give you an ultimatum.”
“What kind of ultimatum?”
Alice did not mince her words. “He could ask you to get rid of the baby.”
“NO! I would
never
do that! I tried — and I just couldn’t do it.” The idea went against every instinct in her body.
It was the answer Alice had expected. “Good girl.” Reaching across, she took hold of Maddy’s hand. “Listen to me,” she urged. “London is full of unsavory characters and Steve Drayton knows each and every one of them; no doubt they’re all on his payroll. What I’m saying is… be on your guard. You’ve already seen a glimpse of what he’s capable of.”
“I know.”
Sensing her hesitation, Alice assured her, “If you’re worried he might bring somebody else to take your place on stage tonight, I can tell you now, that won’t happen. While you were away, he trawled the clubs and agents, looking for a replacement. He managed to find two girls, but neither of them could hold a candle to you. In fact, they were so bad, Dave and Dino threatened to leave. Sure, there are talented girls about, but they’re all tied up in secure contracts.”
Up until then, it had not crossed Maddy’s mind that she might be so quickly replaced. Instead, she still harbored the illusion that Steve might yet feel proud at having fathered a child, and that in time he might even put a ring on her finger.
She relayed all this to Alice, but as ever Alice was noncommittal. “Let’s wait and see, me darlin’,” she said encouragingly, “Who knows? Possibly you and the wee one can make him change his ways, after all.”
Deep down though, she knew it would never happen.
When Alice left for her duties at the club after lunch, Maddy reflected on their conversation. This time, she was less optimistic. “What if she’s right and I can’t talk him round?” she asked herself. “What if he throws me out? What if he changes the locks on the flat and turns his back on me altogether?”
It was a frightening thought. She couldn’t put all her troubles on Alice, and she couldn’t afford a place of her own, as Steve only paid her a pittance, so where would they go, and the baby? How would they live?
A shocking thought rippled across her mind, and it brought her up sharp. Whatever happened, she would
not
have a termination. If Steve didn’t want her, she’d find a way to manage without him.
Yet the thought of making it on her own, with a baby in tow, was a terrifying thing. She was a singer; since the age of sixteen, when she was orphaned, she had always been a singer, scratching a living in shabby pubs and clubs until Steve had discovered and promoted her. It would be hard to sing in the clubs, as a single parent, impossible almost.
A sense of outrage coursed through her. “This is his baby, and he can damned well face his responsibilities!”
Determined either to win him over, or fight him tooth and nail, Maddy found herself regretting her promise not to go in tonight. What if “making Steve sweat” just got
“I’ve made my decision,” Alice answered.
“No!” Maddy knew from experience that when Alice said something, she meant it. “I can’t let you lose your work and possibly your home, on account of me.” She bit her lip. “I’ll do what you ask, then. I’ll stay here tonight and make him sweat.”
“Well, all right then,” Alice said, after a pause. “And I’m not saying you shouldn’t go back at all, because clearly you still have things to decide between the pair of youse. But not tonight. Let the bugger calm down and think it through.”
Maddy threw her arms round the little woman’s shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But I may go in tomorrow. You do know I can’t stay away too long?”
“I understand that, so I do. But if you were to go in tonight, he’ll think he can do whatever he likes and you’ll always be there at his beck and call. And when you
do
get to talk it out with him, be prepared for him to give you an ultimatum.”
“What kind of ultimatum?”
Alice did not mince her words. “He could ask you to get rid of the baby.”
“NO! I would
never
do that! I tried — and I just couldn’t do it.” The idea went against every instinct in her body.
It was the answer Alice had expected. “Good girl.” Reaching across, she took hold of Maddy’s hand. “Listen to me,” she urged. “London is full of unsavory characters and Steve Drayton knows each and every one of them; no doubt they’re all on his payroll. What I’m saying is… be on your guard. You’ve already seen a glimpse of what he’s capable of.”
“I know.”
Sensing her hesitation, Alice assured her, “If you’re worried he might bring somebody else to take your place on stage tonight, I can tell you now, that won’t happen. While you were away, he trawled the clubs and agents, looking for a replacement. He managed to find two girls, but neither of them could hold a candle to you. In fact, they were so bad, Dave and Dino threatened to leave. Sure, there are talented girls about, but they’re all tied up in secure contracts.”
Up until then, it had not crossed Maddy’s mind that she might be so quickly replaced. Instead, she still harbored the illusion that Steve might yet feel proud at having fathered a child, and that in time he might even put a ring on her finger.
She relayed all this to Alice, but as ever Alice was noncommittal. “Let’s wait and see, me darlin’,” she said encouragingly, “Who knows? Possibly you and the wee one can make him change his ways, after all.”
Deep down though, she knew it would never happen.
When Alice left for her duties at the club after lunch, Maddy reflected on their conversation. This time, she was less optimistic. “What if she’s right and I can’t talk him round?” she asked herself. “What if he throws me out? What if he changes the locks on the flat and turns his back on me altogether?”
It was a frightening thought. She couldn’t put all her troubles on Alice, and she couldn’t afford a place of her own, as Steve only paid her a pittance, so where would they go, and the baby? How would they live?
A shocking thought rippled across her mind, and it brought her up sharp. Whatever happened, she would
not
have a termination. If Steve didn’t want her, she’d find a way to manage without him.
Yet the thought of making it on her own, with a baby in tow, was a terrifying thing. She was a singer; since the age of sixteen, when she was orphaned, she had always been a singer, scratching a living in shabby pubs and clubs until Steve had discovered and promoted her. It would be hard to sing in the clubs, as a single parent, impossible almost.
A sense of outrage coursed through her. “This is his baby, and he can damned well face his responsibilities!”
Determined either to win him over, or fight him tooth and nail, Maddy found herself regretting her promise not to go in tonight. What if “making Steve sweat” just got
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