she just couldn’t do it!
The following morning, she was up early and out of the house. She called in at all the places she thought might need a good needlewoman. Stores that sold garments and who did alterations, but without success. Tailors, who told her that they had their own staff, even dry-cleaners who might take in alterations, but to no avail. There was one vacancy in a gown shop but not for a monthhence when one of their seamstresses retired. A month was far too long to wait and she had to refuse.
She even went along to the tram depot to see if there was a vacancy as a conductress, but there were no jobs on offer. Eventually she tried one of the factories, but they too were full. The manager explained his position.
‘We’ve been inundated with women wanting to earn while their husbands are at the front,’ he said. ‘I’ve never known anything like it. It’s like the emancipation of women! They’ve never been so free to earn, apart from going into service.’
That gave Daisy another idea and she went to an agency for domestics, but again was met with a refusal. With the men of the households away at the war, domestic service had been cut back, except in the big houses of the rich who were well served already.
By Thursday evening as she walked towards the Solent Club, Daisy was beside herself with worry. She’d spent every moment out looking for work, but the war had taken its toll. Jobs that men had vacated and could be done by women had been filled, but businesses were suffering with the shortages that war brings to a country and that meant cutting back on staff. Daisy couldn’t have picked a worse time to be unemployed.
As she walked upstairs to get changed for the evening, Stella came up to her and asked, ‘Any luck with a job, Daisy?’
‘I can’t find anything, anywhere. It’s like someone has shut every door in my face. What am I to do, Stella?’
‘Bring your dad home, love. You don’t have any choice do you?’
‘I do have a choice, but I honestly don’t know if I could do it.’ She looked at her friend with such anguish that Stella wanted to cry.
‘Then don’t. For God’s sake, don’t go down that road, you’ll never forgive yourself.’
‘Is it really so bad?’
Stella was at a loss. For her it wasn’t a bad life because she had a goal. When she’d saved enough money she had plans and she knew that in the future she could look on the days spent in the club just as a means to an end. It would not fill her with a life of regret. But what of Daisy? Could she be that strong? She doubted it. Daisy should be married, surrounded by children and with a loving husband. Not working for Flo, catering for men’s sexual favours. But she had to help this girl.
‘It all depends how you look at it,’ she said. ‘When a man comes into my room, I look on it as being a job for which I’m paid. No more, no less.’
Daisy closed her eyes in despair. ‘But you have to get undressed and have sex with a stranger. How on earth do you do that?’
‘I just get on with it and think of the money.’
‘Oh, Stella, I don’t think I could be that brave.’
With a laugh, Stella said, ‘Look, love, bravery has nothing to do with it. You’d be surprised how quickly it’s all over.’
Quietly Daisy said, ‘But I’ve seen some of the men you’ve had to take to your room. They don’t all look particularly nice.’
Stella was highly amused. ‘I don’t always take that much notice, but then I’ve been at it a long time. Mind you I make it a rule not to kiss them!’
Daisy’s eyes widened. ‘Why ever not?’
‘Nah. Don’t fancy that. Look, Daisy, they may pay for my services, but they don’t pay for my soul. Kissing to me is for someone special that I fancy – not for my punters.’ She gazed at the girl and said, ‘You would be such a catch that if you did decide to become one of us, you could lay down a few rules to Flo.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Flo gets a cut of
The following morning, she was up early and out of the house. She called in at all the places she thought might need a good needlewoman. Stores that sold garments and who did alterations, but without success. Tailors, who told her that they had their own staff, even dry-cleaners who might take in alterations, but to no avail. There was one vacancy in a gown shop but not for a monthhence when one of their seamstresses retired. A month was far too long to wait and she had to refuse.
She even went along to the tram depot to see if there was a vacancy as a conductress, but there were no jobs on offer. Eventually she tried one of the factories, but they too were full. The manager explained his position.
‘We’ve been inundated with women wanting to earn while their husbands are at the front,’ he said. ‘I’ve never known anything like it. It’s like the emancipation of women! They’ve never been so free to earn, apart from going into service.’
That gave Daisy another idea and she went to an agency for domestics, but again was met with a refusal. With the men of the households away at the war, domestic service had been cut back, except in the big houses of the rich who were well served already.
By Thursday evening as she walked towards the Solent Club, Daisy was beside herself with worry. She’d spent every moment out looking for work, but the war had taken its toll. Jobs that men had vacated and could be done by women had been filled, but businesses were suffering with the shortages that war brings to a country and that meant cutting back on staff. Daisy couldn’t have picked a worse time to be unemployed.
As she walked upstairs to get changed for the evening, Stella came up to her and asked, ‘Any luck with a job, Daisy?’
‘I can’t find anything, anywhere. It’s like someone has shut every door in my face. What am I to do, Stella?’
‘Bring your dad home, love. You don’t have any choice do you?’
‘I do have a choice, but I honestly don’t know if I could do it.’ She looked at her friend with such anguish that Stella wanted to cry.
‘Then don’t. For God’s sake, don’t go down that road, you’ll never forgive yourself.’
‘Is it really so bad?’
Stella was at a loss. For her it wasn’t a bad life because she had a goal. When she’d saved enough money she had plans and she knew that in the future she could look on the days spent in the club just as a means to an end. It would not fill her with a life of regret. But what of Daisy? Could she be that strong? She doubted it. Daisy should be married, surrounded by children and with a loving husband. Not working for Flo, catering for men’s sexual favours. But she had to help this girl.
‘It all depends how you look at it,’ she said. ‘When a man comes into my room, I look on it as being a job for which I’m paid. No more, no less.’
Daisy closed her eyes in despair. ‘But you have to get undressed and have sex with a stranger. How on earth do you do that?’
‘I just get on with it and think of the money.’
‘Oh, Stella, I don’t think I could be that brave.’
With a laugh, Stella said, ‘Look, love, bravery has nothing to do with it. You’d be surprised how quickly it’s all over.’
Quietly Daisy said, ‘But I’ve seen some of the men you’ve had to take to your room. They don’t all look particularly nice.’
Stella was highly amused. ‘I don’t always take that much notice, but then I’ve been at it a long time. Mind you I make it a rule not to kiss them!’
Daisy’s eyes widened. ‘Why ever not?’
‘Nah. Don’t fancy that. Look, Daisy, they may pay for my services, but they don’t pay for my soul. Kissing to me is for someone special that I fancy – not for my punters.’ She gazed at the girl and said, ‘You would be such a catch that if you did decide to become one of us, you could lay down a few rules to Flo.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Flo gets a cut of
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