Chapter Four
Lotty had dropped Beth off at her lodgings with a note of her telephone number and a promise that they would meet on Saturday. Beth was taken to her room by Mrs. Baker, the owner. She was a stout, dark haired woman with a kindly smiling face. Mrs. Baker had been left her small two story house in a will and had relocated from Ambleton to London.
She wanted to take in a lodger not only for the extra money, but for the company it would bring as well. Miss Bentley seemed on first acquaintance a pleasant quiet young girl, thought Mrs. Baker, and Reverend Clement had assured her of Miss Bentley's respectability. She was sure they would get along together quite nicely. The room that Mrs. Baker lead Beth to was clean, warm, and cosy.
"I hope you will be comfortable here," Mrs. Baker said.
"I'm quite sure I will be very comfortable." Beth replied with a happy smile.
"You will have your own key, so you can come and go as you please. I don't mind if you are out late. I know a pretty young lady like yourself will have many dinner engagements before long, as long as it isn't all night!" She smiled. "If all that is agreeable with you then get yourself settled and come down and I will put supper on the table."
"That sounds wonderful Mrs. Baker."
Over dinner Beth told Mrs. Baker of her emotional and exciting day.
"Ah! Lady Dalton you say," Mrs. Baker said. "I've heard a lot about her. A very unusual woman I'm led to believe. People talk and say some unkind things, but I don't hold with that. The kindness that her family has bestowed on the poor is truly wonderful and I understand Lady Dalton has taken the Foundation on leaps and bounds. People are born the way they are I think, some good, some bad, and some very different. I'm sure God had a very good reason to make Lady Dalton the way he did and surely a person of such kindness could not be bad. I say each to their own as long as they do no harm. Reverend Clement may not agree though!" Mrs. Baker chuckled.
"Yes I think your right Mrs. Baker." Beth agreed.
"Please call me Agnes dear."
"Thank you. When I met her today I was intimidated to be sure. She exudes power and her eyes seem to penetrate your soul." Beth was transfixed in her memory of Alex. "But there was a sense of goodness emanating from her, I don't think she would ever use that power for any bad purposes. I felt though underneath it all a sadness within her that I couldn't put my finger on."
"She has been alone for a long time I understand, perhaps that's it." Agnes said.
"Maybe, I hope at least I can help bring some calm to her working life. It feels good that I'm going to be working somewhere that brings such help to people and not just a company to make profits for the rich."
"Yes, I think you may have landed on your feet my dear, and you have certainly made some excellent friends and connections. The Dalton's and the Woodward's are very powerful families and I would rather be with them than against them!" Agnes laughed.
Beth made her way up to bed and fell asleep clutching her Father's precious watch with more hope than she'd had in a very long time.
Earlier that evening on the other side of London, Alex arrived at the door of her friends London mansion on Grosvenor Street, dressed in a made to measure double breasted dinner suit with a white handkerchief in the top pocket, a crisp white shirt, and a black bow tie. That was one indulgence Alex loved to spend money on, her wardrobe. Alex loved clothes, and to be perfectly dressed. Having her clothes handmade always made sure of a good fit on her frame, especially around the chest and hips. All her shirts, jackets and suits were handmade from the finest fabrics in the exclusive shops of Savile Row, one of the finest shopping streets in London.
Poni and Lotty's home was a traditional townhouse mansion with seven bedrooms and bathrooms, four reception rooms and extra rooms for staff accommodation. The butler let Alex into the hall and took her coat. The grand staircase stretched out before Alex, leading off to the bedrooms and further floors. Straight ahead, was a long corridor with various rooms going off it. All the ceilings and walls were carved and highly ornate. To any other person, the house and the grandeur would leave them in awe, but for Alex, the home simply gave off a warm and cosy feeling of family.
Her own estate, although much bigger in both the house and grounds, did not have that feeling of warmth and family, it used to when she was younger, her father always said to her, "You should never take for granted the role your wife plays in your life and in your home. You may bring money and security but they bring the light and happiness to your home, and money is nothing compared to that. Your wife is the centre of the home and should be cherished."
Poni had that with Lotty, but Alex felt she would never feel that joy. She did love her home, Dencotte House, she felt calm there, the grounds were spectacular, but it was empty. She also owned a townhouse in London similar to Poni's that had been the family's town residence when they visited London, but during the war she had given over, both the town house and her country estate to the military, as barracks for the war wounded. After the war was over she had turned the town house into a sanctuary where the poor could come and get a bed, food, and medical care. It ran in a similar way as it had during the war.
It was fully staffed with doctors, nurses, and midwives for the expectant mothers. Pregnant women knew they could go there and not be judged. They would be cared for till the birth then helped to find employment and childcare, or organise adoption. The others who came for help, men and women who found themselves through circumstance with nothing, would get a short stay until the charity helped them find employment and lodging.
Alex named it 'Alexander Dalton house' after her father. She knew he would be proud. It was always full so the people who came for help had to be assessed as to who was in the greatest need, but not one person was turned away without getting some help to make their life better and given hope. When she had given over her townhouse during the war, she bought a three bed room flat in Park Lane, Mayfair. It was not too far from Poni and Lotty, which was ideal.
The butler Henry, led her into Poni's grand drawing room. Poni was standing leaning her hand on the hearth of the fireplace, cocktail glass in hand. Poni, also dressed in a dinner suit, was 5ft 7inches and all muscle. She had a square face and brown hair, which was longer than Alex's but was parted, scraped back tightly and pinned in at the back, giving the impression of very short hair. As soon as Poni saw Alex she moved toward her and engulfed her old friend in a warm hug. Poni was Alex's right hand 'man' both in work and in life. They were as close as if they were blood relations. Although Poni did not work day to day at Dalton Foundation, she was Vice-chairman of the Board of Trustee's who managed the Charity, and was instrumental in the running and financing of the cause. Like Alex, she put a huge amount of personal money into the foundation every year. "Welcome My Lord!" She cried as she bowed at the waist. 'My lord' was Poni and Lotty's pet name for Alex, and they loved to annoy her by cow towing and sending up her heredity status.
"Shut up you old fool!" Alex chuckled. "Where is your good lady?"
"Less of the old, we are the same age as well you know, except I am better looking," Poni said smugly.
They bantered back and forth between each other. "And my wife will be down any minute. You know how long she takes dressing for dinner."
Just at that Lotty entered looking radiant in a long blue off the shoulder cocktail dress with a silk shawl thrown across her shoulders, her hair fell just below her shoulders in beautiful curls.
"I heard that Poni! If you wish me to come down for dinner in an old sack, I would be very much quicker. Would you like that instead?" Lotty joked.
Alex smirked at Poni, who rushed to Lotty's side to kiss her, quite obviously in trouble with her dear wife. Poni trying to rapidly rescue herself said. "My dear wife, you know a dinner party never starts until you have arrived and I would wait forever for the pleasure of your company."
Alex interrupted, "Crawler!"
Lotty, who stood about five inches shorter than her spouse reached up and caressed her cheek, and kissed her on the nose, "You smooth talker you!"
Alex looked on with a warm smile; her two friends adored each other. They had been together for eight years and their love and passion for each other never seemed to lessen. Poni turned round and stuck her tongue out at Alex and then broadly smiled at her wife. Alex walked over to Lotty and kissed her on the cheek. "Radiant as always Lotty. Is Kitten Asleep? I was hoping to catch her before bed." Kitten or Kathryn Woodward was the couple's adopted Daughter. She was eight months old and simply adored her Papi Poni and Alex.
"Nanny and I only got her to sleep an hour ago, the little cold she had has disrupted her routine. So were just glad to get her to sleep. If she'd seen you, she wouldn't have slept tonight at all. You and Poni make such a fuss of her."
"All right well I'll pop over at the weekend to see her. I'll leave this here for her then." Alex put the brightly wrapped box on the table.
"Honestly between the pair of you, you'll have my girl spoiled rotten!"
"I couldn't resist it. I passed this toy shop and I saw this little kitten soft toy in a pink dress. I knew she'd love it."
"You are so sweet My Lord! I don't know where you get this tough reputation from."
"Shush! Don't tell anyone."
Poni, seeing her best friends discomfort at the praise she was getting took her wife's arm and placed it through her own, remarking, "Shall we eat my dear?"
After dinner while relaxing in the drawing room, Poni and Alex were enjoying a Havana cigar and a glass of Port. "So Alex, what do you make of my new friend?" Lotty asked.
"I only spoke to her briefly, but she seemed nice enough. It remains to be seen whether she will be an able secretary for me." she said in a dismissive manner, not wanting to be drawn into conversation about the beautiful girl with green eyes.
"Alex, be nice to this one please! For me? She has had a difficult life up till now." Lotty added and then proceeded to fill Alex in on Beth's story.
As Alex listened she felt the pain of the loss of her parents. She knew that feeling only too well and felt her stomach clench in anger when she heard of Beth's mistreatment by her Aunt and Uncle. She felt she would do anything not to see pain on Beth's beautiful face. She pushed the feelings down replying, " I'll do my best to be as pleasant as possible because she's your friend, but if she doesn't meet my expectations in her work, then I will let her know."
"I suppose that's the best I'm going to get from you, you crabby thing! She is very good looking though isn't she Alex?"
Alex choked on her drink and spluttered " I ... I ... didn't really notice."
"Hmmm didn't you?" Lotty said with a quizzical smile on her face.
"No I didn't," Alex said firmly.
"Well," interjected Poni, "This young lady sounds quite the ticket! When do I get the pleasure?"
"Anytime you like Poni boy!" said Lotty planting a kiss on her lips.
Alex stood. "I think that's my cue to leave. Thank you for a wonderful dinner, I'm going down to the club for a few games of cards and a drink. Poni? I shall see you at our meeting on Wednesday."
Alex leaned over and kissed Lotty goodbye and shook Poni's hand.
"Try and not break too many pretty girl's hearts my friend," Poni said.
"Very funny you buffoon! Goodnight," Alex said as Henry the butler saw her out.
Poni and Lotty sat back on the couch. Lotty leaned back into Poni's arms.
"I worry for her," Lotty said. "She's always been a loner, but I feel she is getting worse. The sadness just pours off her. I know she's always been a ladies woman but these empty encounters with women seem to pull her down lower."
"She needs a wife like you my dear," Poni said nibbling at the back of her wife's neck.
"Luckily for you my Poni boy, there is only one of me and I belong to you," Lotty said as Poni continued to nibble at her neck.
Lotty began to moan. "Hmmm ... oh ... I think there is something new round the corner for our good friend if only she has the courage to take it. Oh Poni! Take me to bed!"
"Gladly my little piglet!" Poni whispered as she pulled her wife to her feet.
Alex sat at the bar of the Alley Cat Club. It was a large club that had a separate room for dining. The main room had a long bar across the left hand wall and, in the centre were many tables which faced a stage at the back of the room, where many musical acts played. The clientele was solely lesbian, in an area where homosexual clubs were often raided and shut down. They paid a huge back hand payment to the local police chief Inspector to overlook the club. This generally did the trick, as the police were more interested in pooling their resources into finding and shutting down the gay male clubs which, like it or not, were seen as more of a concern to society. The women were perceived as less of a threat.
The owner also bought extra insurance by employing a large number of young men that in case of a raid could be strategically placed around various table's to give the impression of a heterosexual clientele. The Alley Cat was a high class club with a closed membership scheme. Guests had to be signed in by a member before they could attend thus giving the owner strict control over who entered.
Alex ordered another whiskey and lit her cigarette taking a long drag from it. The club wasn't busy on a Tuesday night and for that Alex was grateful so she didn't have to make small talk with various acquaintances. She had bowed out of a request for her to join a game of poker as she didn't have the stomach for it. She just wanted to be alone with her whiskey and her thoughts, which as they had been all day, were centered on a short blonde with green eyes. She couldn't understand it. She had been in this girl's presence for all of half an hour and yet there was something so familiar about her. She had to stop these thought's. 'She's only nineteen for God's sake! A twenty eight year old is too old and world weary for the likes of her.' Alex thought and resolved to be as aloof and professional as possible so she could keep an emotional distance from her.
From across the room a long legged, Platinum blonde zeroed in on her target and moved in for the kill.
"Hello there My Lord," the woman smoldered as she ran her finger down the front on Alex's shirt.
"Don't call me that Sally, That is a privilege only for the select few of my choosing," Alex snarled. She was not in the mood for Sally this evening. She had met her at the club about eight months ago. She was just one of a long line of women she had bedded.
Sally wore a cheap evening dress with too much make up for Alex's taste. She had been very accommodating in bed and it had been a very satisfying couple of hours. Sally was a little surprised when as soon as they were finished Alex had gotten dressed and left her room thanking her for her company. The next time she had seen Alex in the club she was all over her asking why she hadn't called. Alex had explained "I told you when we met I don't revisit the same place twice. I told you it was only about sex and you said you understood that." Sally had been crushed. She knew what Alex was worth and thought if she just had one night more with the well-known womaniser, Alex would fall for her charms and she would be the next Lady of Dencotte House.
Sally kept her distance after that hoping for an opening that would get her in Alex Dalton's affections. She had heard from people around the club that Alex was picking up less and less. Perhaps she wanted to settle down a bit and Sally thought herself the ideal candidate for the task. So the platinum blondes campaign was started in earnest as she sat on the bar stool next to Alex.
"Come on Alex, we had a very hot night, the things you did to my body, the things I allowed you to do. I know you loved it. I'll let you have it again. Anything you want," Sally said demurely. "I know you haven't taken a woman to bed in a while. You must ache to have a woman open and ready below you. Take me back to your flat and I'll let you do anything."
Alex was both repulsed at the reminder of the things she'd done and turned on by the words Sally was using. She felt pressure building between her legs. She hadn't had the pleasure of a woman in two months. Although the frequency of her conquests had been decreasing it hadn't been till two months ago that she decided she just couldn't do it anymore and stopped completely. That was the longest Alex had been without sex since she was eighteen years old. The dark haired Lord stood up quickly knowing she had to get out. "You know very well, that no women ever comes back to my flat or my houses."
This was a rule Alex had instigated since she was a young woman, not wanting the evidence of her desires left in her home. That way after she had finished bedding a woman she could get dressed and go as quickly as possible. Alex walked away toward the exit of the club, all the while Sally was smirking watching her.
She hadn't got what she wanted this time, but she had planted a seed in Alex's brain. She had seen only too well how Alex had been affected by her carefully chosen words. Her plan of attack was firmly in motion.