Through the past, darkly
The Inferno Club was, obviously, underground. It smelt of sweat, and beer, and poppers. And smoke of all kinds. They liked to come here in the small hours, before the pre-dawn cafes for Covent Garden's porters opened. You saw all kinds there, even the odd Stone. That Brian Jones had been in the night before.
Martha scanned the room as Alice whispered in her ear who'd she'd just seen on their knees in the ladies. She put her hand over her mouth and giggled. Alice was outrageous, she really was.
Martha had finished her turn at the review bar twenty minutes ago. She'd palmed cards, acted daft and terrified and did all the other things a magician's assistant needed to do. Afterwards, she always wanted a bit of fun before she went back to the straight-jacket of her Daddy's house in Marylebone.
He'd caught her last week, sitting in the kitchen smoking a joint with that lovely Robert, and threatened to chuck her out again. She'd been avoiding going home since, just to avoid the scene. Far better to be in the Scene, with Robert and Jimi and Alice and Veronica.
And her Ray, of course, who was quite the charmer. He was at the bar now, talking to one of his business associates. His hair was shorter and neater than most of the men here, but he had lovely broad shoulders and an utterly adorable East End twang. He was wild, at times, and nothing like the other boys Martha hung out with, but she always was drawn to the interesting ones. He always promised to look after her, to never let her go.
"Martha, those darling men near the door are giving you the Look," Alice said.
Martha turned and her heart sank. There were indeed two darling-looking men, but she knew better. Simon was tall and handsome, looking at home in the swirling smoke and noise. In looks and height, though, he was nothing to the whip-thin and porcelain-skinned Kit stood next to him. Simon could be fun, but Kit was so dreadfully dull for such a looker. Both, sadly, worked with her father in some tedious civil service jobs.
Damn. They'd seen her looking and were coming over.
"Martha, what a pleasant surprise," Simon said and sounded like her meant it.
She did the introductions, reluctantly, and at Simon's gesture drinks appeared. Alice wasted very little time and had him dancing within minutes. Leaving Martha with boring old Kit. She glanced around but Ray was busy at the bar and Robert was making out with Veronica in a booth.
"Martha. You're still stepping out with Ray Hudson." Kit said, with his usual blunt approach to small talk.
"And what if I am?" she said, stung. "I like him."
"He's not a good man. He's dangerous."
"What if I like dangerous?" she asked. There was no way she was putting up with boring old Kit Holmes telling her who was suitable.
"You're not my father," she said, and walked away.