The Reluctant Sinner Read Online Free PDF Page A

busy serving.
    ‘Good evening, gentlemen, what can I get for you?’
    The stranger leered at her. ‘Hello, darlin’, I’d like two double scotches and ginger ale and one for yourself.’
    ‘Thank you, sir, but I don’t drink when I’m working.’ She didn’t want anything from this man, whom she disliked on sight.
    ‘Well that’s a first,’ he said, grinning at the butcher. ‘But it’s my birthday, girlie, and I insist that you join me in a drink.’ Although he was smiling at her, his eyes were steely cold and Daisy knew it wouldn’t be wise to cross him.
    ‘Very well, sir, if you insist. I’ll have a tonic water.’
    ‘Put a gin in it,’ he ordered defiantly.
    Daisy straightened her back and stared at him and said, firmly, ‘You asked me to join you in a drink and I have, but now you must let me decide what it is that I want.’ And she turned away before he could argue. She poured two large scotches into glasses and opened two bottles of ginger ale, then poured a tonic water into a glass. She put these on a tray and turned back to the counter. She handed the glasses and bottles to the men, lifted her glass to her mouth and drank.
    ‘Happy birthday, sir,’ she said, trembling inside.
    Harry walked over at that moment and said, ‘Gloria, will you serve the gentleman at the end of the bar?’ As she walked away he looked at Ken and Bert and asked, ‘Everything all right, gentlemen?’
    ‘Sparky little girl, that Gloria,’ said Woods.
    ‘A nice girl too,’ said Harry firmly. ‘I wouldn’t like to see her bothered.’
    Woods laughed loudly. ‘You her guardian angel, Harry?’
    ‘Something like that,’ he said and turned away.
    The two men walked to a table and sat down and before long were in deep conversation, returning to the party after a while, to Daisy’s great relief.
     
    Towards the end of the night, several men came into the bar from the private gathering and took the woman of their choice upstairs in a steady stream. Having had a lot to drink, they were very loud and Daisy began to feel nervous, wondering if there was going to be any trouble. She was pleased when Flo entered the bar an hour before it closed accompanied by a tall man.
    ‘That’s Jim Grant, the landlord of the White Swan,’ Harry told Daisy. ‘He’s Flo’s boyfriend.’ Having seen Flo leave with one of the ship’s officers the previous night, Daisy was somewhat surprised.
    Flo worked her way around the bar talking to everyone and managed to keep the noise down and those in their cups in order. Watching her go from one to another, Daisy realized what a clever woman her employer was. She also noticed Ken Woods head for the stairs with one of the girls. As he went to walk past Flo, she stopped the man and had a quick word with him. Daisy saw a flash of anger on his face and then he smiled at her, leaving Daisywondering what Flo had said to him. And when half an hour later the girl came back downstairs, she saw Flo look at the girl with a watchful glance. The girl just nodded unobtrusively and Flo walked away and joined her escort.
     
    It was late when the bar closed and both Harry and Daisy were exhausted. Flo came over and introduced Daisy to Jim Grant.
    ‘You both worked well tonight,’ said Flo with a smile. ‘Let’s have a quiet drink together.’ As Daisy went to refuse, Flo said, ‘Listen, love, it will do you good. Sit down and take the weight off your feet before you go home.’
    As they all sat together, Harry asked, ‘Did Woods behave himself?’
    Flo laughed. ‘Bloody right. I told him as he went upstairs, I didn’t want any complaints from my girl after he’d done with her … or else! He didn’t like it but I have to protect my girls from the likes of him.’ Turning to Daisy she said, ‘He likes to be a bit rough with his women, and that’s fine with the girls on the street – but not mine.’
    Daisy felt her blood run cold and she hoped that Woods wouldn’t be a regular customer. Bert