evening and we’ll discuss it then. Now finish your tea, you look as if you need it.’
Vera Gilbert looked up in surprise as Daisy walked into the house. ‘Whatever are you doing home at this time?’
Daisy told her what had happened.
Her mother gathered her into her arms and hugged her. ‘I am sorry, love. That spiteful Jessie. So what are you going to do?’
‘I’m seeing Flo tomorrow night to see if I can work a full week. If not I’ll have to look elsewhere. I still have one or two private clients but at the moment I have only one who needs some work done. It’s not enough, Mum.’
‘Now you listen to me, Daisy love. You’ve been a good daughter to your dad, he’s had a break and if the worst comes to the worst, we’ll bring him home.’
‘But I don’t want to do that!’
‘I know, but we have to cut our cloth according to the width. If you can’t afford it you can’t!’
‘Well let’s wait and see what Flo has to say.’
Flo Cummings was giving Daisy’s predicament a great deal of thought. The young girl had caused quite a stir among the male members and many of them desired her. Knowing of her innocence Flo was aware of the money that could pass hands if she could persuade her to work the other side of the bar. Although Flo was not without sympathy for Daisy’s predicament, she was a businesswoman who had come up the hard way. She knew, however, that Daisy would be horrified at the prospect, but this was too good an opportunity to miss. There was a lot of money to be made here. She would have a quiet word with Stella, her head girl, and get her to help persuade the girl.
Flo arrived at the Solent Club early that evening and drew Stella aside. ‘I need to talk to you,’ she said, and walked to a table and sat down.
‘What is it?’ Stella asked.
‘It’s young Daisy. Her employer has heard she’s been working here and fired her. Now the girl has been paying fees at a private nursing home for her father who hasn’t long for this world and now she’s up the creek without a paddle.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Stella, ‘but what do you want me to do about it?’
‘She’s coming in a bit later. I want you to talk to her, and get her to work with you and the other girls.’
Stella was shocked. ‘You want her to become a brass?’
‘I want her to earn the money she needs!’
Stella gave Flo a knowing look. ‘Don’t give me that, you know how much she’d earn for you. Well I’m not sure I want to help you. She’s a lovely girl, innocent as the day is long and you want to destroy her!’
Flo gave a disdainful laugh. ‘It hasn’t ruined you has it?’
‘No, but I made my own decision to make money lying on my back. Daisy isn’t that kind of girl.’
‘Listen to me, Stella; we are all that kind of girl if we have nowhere else to turn.’
‘I’ll certainly talk to her because I like her and see what she says but I won’t push her into working for her money like I do. That will have to be her decision.’
‘Fair enough! If she’s desperate enough she’ll do it. What with the war, there are not many establishments around wanting her skills. She’ll come round to it in time. All her money will have gone on her father’s bills. She’ll need more money and soon. I can wait.’
Stella watched Flo walk away and thought what a hard bitch she was and with a heavy heart wondered what she would say to Daisy when she came in later. The last thing she wanted was for Daisy to become one of the girls and honestly she couldn’t imagine her contemplating such a thing, no matter what her situation was. She walked over to the bar and ordered a drink, pondering over the problem she’d been handed. You had to be hard to be a brass, to let men paw you and use you. However hard she tried, she couldn’t envisage Daisy in that situation. The girl was a virgin for Christ’s sake! Her mind was as pure as her body. To set her down this road was a sin, but she had no choice but
Vera Gilbert looked up in surprise as Daisy walked into the house. ‘Whatever are you doing home at this time?’
Daisy told her what had happened.
Her mother gathered her into her arms and hugged her. ‘I am sorry, love. That spiteful Jessie. So what are you going to do?’
‘I’m seeing Flo tomorrow night to see if I can work a full week. If not I’ll have to look elsewhere. I still have one or two private clients but at the moment I have only one who needs some work done. It’s not enough, Mum.’
‘Now you listen to me, Daisy love. You’ve been a good daughter to your dad, he’s had a break and if the worst comes to the worst, we’ll bring him home.’
‘But I don’t want to do that!’
‘I know, but we have to cut our cloth according to the width. If you can’t afford it you can’t!’
‘Well let’s wait and see what Flo has to say.’
Flo Cummings was giving Daisy’s predicament a great deal of thought. The young girl had caused quite a stir among the male members and many of them desired her. Knowing of her innocence Flo was aware of the money that could pass hands if she could persuade her to work the other side of the bar. Although Flo was not without sympathy for Daisy’s predicament, she was a businesswoman who had come up the hard way. She knew, however, that Daisy would be horrified at the prospect, but this was too good an opportunity to miss. There was a lot of money to be made here. She would have a quiet word with Stella, her head girl, and get her to help persuade the girl.
Flo arrived at the Solent Club early that evening and drew Stella aside. ‘I need to talk to you,’ she said, and walked to a table and sat down.
‘What is it?’ Stella asked.
‘It’s young Daisy. Her employer has heard she’s been working here and fired her. Now the girl has been paying fees at a private nursing home for her father who hasn’t long for this world and now she’s up the creek without a paddle.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Stella, ‘but what do you want me to do about it?’
‘She’s coming in a bit later. I want you to talk to her, and get her to work with you and the other girls.’
Stella was shocked. ‘You want her to become a brass?’
‘I want her to earn the money she needs!’
Stella gave Flo a knowing look. ‘Don’t give me that, you know how much she’d earn for you. Well I’m not sure I want to help you. She’s a lovely girl, innocent as the day is long and you want to destroy her!’
Flo gave a disdainful laugh. ‘It hasn’t ruined you has it?’
‘No, but I made my own decision to make money lying on my back. Daisy isn’t that kind of girl.’
‘Listen to me, Stella; we are all that kind of girl if we have nowhere else to turn.’
‘I’ll certainly talk to her because I like her and see what she says but I won’t push her into working for her money like I do. That will have to be her decision.’
‘Fair enough! If she’s desperate enough she’ll do it. What with the war, there are not many establishments around wanting her skills. She’ll come round to it in time. All her money will have gone on her father’s bills. She’ll need more money and soon. I can wait.’
Stella watched Flo walk away and thought what a hard bitch she was and with a heavy heart wondered what she would say to Daisy when she came in later. The last thing she wanted was for Daisy to become one of the girls and honestly she couldn’t imagine her contemplating such a thing, no matter what her situation was. She walked over to the bar and ordered a drink, pondering over the problem she’d been handed. You had to be hard to be a brass, to let men paw you and use you. However hard she tried, she couldn’t envisage Daisy in that situation. The girl was a virgin for Christ’s sake! Her mind was as pure as her body. To set her down this road was a sin, but she had no choice but
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