Read Online Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sarah Waters
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Historical, England, Erotic Fiction, England - Social Life and Customs - 19th Century, Lesbian, Lesbians, Lesbians - England
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said she couldn't; and to hear her.' There were murmurs of agreement throughout everyone cried, 'Oh please, Miss Butler, do!'
the room, and I saw Kitty look blinkingly my way. Then
'What do you think, Nan,' she said to me, 'should I shame George whispered rather loudly that I must be saving my myself?'
voice for serenading Freddy, and there was a fresh round of
'You know you won't,' I said, pleased that she had turned to laughter that set me gazing and blushing into my lap. Kitty me at the last, and used my special name before them all.
looked bemused.
'Very well, then,' she said. A little space was cleared for She asked then, 'Who is Freddy?'
her, and Rlioda ran down to her house, to fetch her sisters
'Freddy is Nancy's young feller,' said Davy. 'A very to come and watch.
handsome chap. She must've boasted about him to you?'
She sang The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery', and The
'No,' said Kitty, 'she has not.' She said it lightly, but I Coffee Shop Girl' - then The Boy' again for Rhoda's sisters, glanced up and saw that her eyes were strange, and almost 55
56
sad. It was true that I had never mentioned Fred to her. The My jug and bowl were on the side. I poured a little water fact was, I barely thought of him as my beau these days, for out and carried it to her, for her to wash her hands and since her arrival in Canterbury I had had no evenings spare splash her face. The water spotted her dress, and dampened to spend with him. He had recently sent me a letter to say, the fringe of her hair into dark little points.
did I still care? — and I had put the letter in a drawer, and She had a purse swinging at her waist, and now she dipped forgotten to reply.
her fingers into it and drew out a cigarette and a box of There was more chaff about Freddy, then; I was glad when matches. She said, 'I am sure your mother would one of Rhoda's sisters caused a fuss, by snatching the disapprove, but I'm just about busting for a smoke.' She lit harmonica from George and giving us a tune so horrible it the cigarette, and drew upon it heavily.
made the boys all shout at her, and pull her hair, to make We gazed at one another not speaking. Then, because we her stop.
were weary and there was no where else for us to sit, we sat While they quarrelled and swore, Kitty leaned towards me upon the bed, side by side, and quite close. It was terribly and said softly, 'Will you take me to your room, Nan, or strange to be with her in the very room - on the very spot! -
somewhere quiet, for a bit - just you and me?' She looked where I had spent so many hours dreaming of her, so so grave suddenly I feared that she might faint. I got up, immodestly. I said, 'It ain't half strange -' But as I said it she and made a path for her across the crowded room, and told also spoke; and we laughed. 'You first,' she said, and drew my mother I was taking her upstairs; and Mother - who was again upon her fag.
gazing trou-bledly at Rhoda's sister, not knowing whether
'I was just going to say, how funny it is to have you here, to laugh at her or to scold - gave us a nod, distractedly, and like this.'
we escaped.
'And I,' she said, 'was going to say how funny it is to be The bedroom was cooler than the parlour, and dimmer, and here! And this is really your room, yours and Alice's? And
— although we could still hear shouts, and stamping, and your bed?' She looked about her, as if in wonder - as if I blasts from the harmonica - wonderfully calm compared to might have taken her to a stranger's chamber, and be trying the room we had just left. The window was raised, and to pass it off as my own - and I nodded.
Kitty crossed to it at once and placed her arms upon the sill.
She was silent again, then, and so was I; and yet I sensed Closing her eyes against the breeze that blew in from the that she had more to say, and was only working up to bay, she took a few deep, grateful breaths.
saying it. I thought, with a little thrill, that I knew what it
'Are
the room, and I saw Kitty look blinkingly my way. Then
'What do you think, Nan,' she said to me, 'should I shame George whispered rather loudly that I must be saving my myself?'
voice for serenading Freddy, and there was a fresh round of
'You know you won't,' I said, pleased that she had turned to laughter that set me gazing and blushing into my lap. Kitty me at the last, and used my special name before them all.
looked bemused.
'Very well, then,' she said. A little space was cleared for She asked then, 'Who is Freddy?'
her, and Rlioda ran down to her house, to fetch her sisters
'Freddy is Nancy's young feller,' said Davy. 'A very to come and watch.
handsome chap. She must've boasted about him to you?'
She sang The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery', and The
'No,' said Kitty, 'she has not.' She said it lightly, but I Coffee Shop Girl' - then The Boy' again for Rhoda's sisters, glanced up and saw that her eyes were strange, and almost 55
56
sad. It was true that I had never mentioned Fred to her. The My jug and bowl were on the side. I poured a little water fact was, I barely thought of him as my beau these days, for out and carried it to her, for her to wash her hands and since her arrival in Canterbury I had had no evenings spare splash her face. The water spotted her dress, and dampened to spend with him. He had recently sent me a letter to say, the fringe of her hair into dark little points.
did I still care? — and I had put the letter in a drawer, and She had a purse swinging at her waist, and now she dipped forgotten to reply.
her fingers into it and drew out a cigarette and a box of There was more chaff about Freddy, then; I was glad when matches. She said, 'I am sure your mother would one of Rhoda's sisters caused a fuss, by snatching the disapprove, but I'm just about busting for a smoke.' She lit harmonica from George and giving us a tune so horrible it the cigarette, and drew upon it heavily.
made the boys all shout at her, and pull her hair, to make We gazed at one another not speaking. Then, because we her stop.
were weary and there was no where else for us to sit, we sat While they quarrelled and swore, Kitty leaned towards me upon the bed, side by side, and quite close. It was terribly and said softly, 'Will you take me to your room, Nan, or strange to be with her in the very room - on the very spot! -
somewhere quiet, for a bit - just you and me?' She looked where I had spent so many hours dreaming of her, so so grave suddenly I feared that she might faint. I got up, immodestly. I said, 'It ain't half strange -' But as I said it she and made a path for her across the crowded room, and told also spoke; and we laughed. 'You first,' she said, and drew my mother I was taking her upstairs; and Mother - who was again upon her fag.
gazing trou-bledly at Rhoda's sister, not knowing whether
'I was just going to say, how funny it is to have you here, to laugh at her or to scold - gave us a nod, distractedly, and like this.'
we escaped.
'And I,' she said, 'was going to say how funny it is to be The bedroom was cooler than the parlour, and dimmer, and here! And this is really your room, yours and Alice's? And
— although we could still hear shouts, and stamping, and your bed?' She looked about her, as if in wonder - as if I blasts from the harmonica - wonderfully calm compared to might have taken her to a stranger's chamber, and be trying the room we had just left. The window was raised, and to pass it off as my own - and I nodded.
Kitty crossed to it at once and placed her arms upon the sill.
She was silent again, then, and so was I; and yet I sensed Closing her eyes against the breeze that blew in from the that she had more to say, and was only working up to bay, she took a few deep, grateful breaths.
saying it. I thought, with a little thrill, that I knew what it
'Are
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