The Docklands Girls Read Online Free PDF Page A

successful.
     
    On Sunday morning, Cora met Hank and they decided to go to Bournemouth. It was a decent day weather wise. The sun shone and it wasn’t cold. When they arrived, they walked down to the seafront and were sitting in a cafe looking out over the water, drinking coffee and eating egg on toast. It was such a treat as eggs were rationed. After, they walked around the shops, just window shopping but Cora found it frustrating being unable to purchase new clothes. But they did go into one shop where she bought a new hat, as no clothing coupons were required. She enjoyed trying several on with Hank helping her choose one, and to her delight he insisted he pay for it. She put it on her head with a broad grin and they walked out of the shop, Hank laughing at her obvious pleasure.
    ‘It doesn’t take much to make you happy, Cora!’ he teased.
    Laughing she said, ‘In wartime it is the little things that matter.’
     
    The day passed all too soon. They ate fish and chips out of the paper, sitting near the beach, went to a film and eventually caught a train back to Southampton.
    Hank said he would walk her home but Cora didn’t want him to see the one room she inhabited and where she did her business. She wanted that part of her life to be kept separate from this charming man, so made an excuse she had to go to visit a sick friend.
    He slowly took her into his arms. ‘Thanks for today, Cora. It was great. We’ll have to do this again real soon.’ He leant forward and kissed her gently.
    ‘That would be lovely,’ she replied, ‘and thank you for my hat.’
    ‘How can I get in touch with you?’ he asked.
    She hesitated. ‘I’m in the Lord Roberts most evenings about six-thirty,’ she told him. ‘You can find me there.’
    He looked a little surprised but didn’t question her. ‘Fine, I’ll see you soon.’
    As she walked away, she wished things were different, that she had a proper home where she could entertain this lovely man. She realised that if she was to continue to see Hank, things could become really difficult, keeping her work a secret, but she was determined to try.
    It wasn’t as if she enjoyed the way she made her money, having strangers use her for sex. Some treated her well as they fulfilled their desire, others didn’t. To them, she was there to make sure they got their money’s worth and they treated her without respect as a person and, sometimes, they were brutal. She’d been in fear of her life more than once. But among the prostitutes, word soon got around and these men met with a denial when they approached a brass, which in itself could be more than dangerous. Men, whose alcoholic-filled brutality came to the fore at such times, caused many a fight when they pestered the girls in a bar and the locals or other customers came to their rescue. But the military police, always on patrol around trouble spots, dealt with them very quickly.
    She put her key in the door and made a cup of tea before going to bed.

Chapter Four
    Belle had taken a night off and was spending the evening with Jackson Butler. He’d been very kind, bringing her some goods from the PX store and had arrived at the Horse and Groom, looking for her and bearing gifts of proper coffee, nylon stockings and tins of fruit. She was overwhelmed and had taken him home to offload the goods …
    ‘Oh Jackson! This is so kind of you, you have no idea what a treat this is for me with the rationing. And nylon stockings! I could kiss you!’ and she did, soundly.
    He beamed with pleasure. ‘Aw gee, Belle. It ain’t nothing! Now how about we go and have a few beers?’
    Since their first night together, Belle had been seeing Jackson regularly. Sometimes as a punter, although their relationship was different to when she took any other man to her bed for business. She’d grown fond of this young man who was finding the freedom of being in this country like discovering a gold mine. He couldn’t quite get used to the freedom of