Christian didn't come back the next night. Nor the night after. To be honest, I don't think I can recall seeing him under those circumstances ever again. A week went by, perhaps, and our routine was always the same. I learnt a small lesson from Peacock, or sometimes one of the girls who she deemed appropriate, and then after this we would go down to the main hall where the show would take part. I was always hidden in the same corner, hiding away while those that I now knew as friends would be taken away by a gentleman.

I became used to it, though, and refused to allow myself to complain. There was no use in doing so, and I had never much approved of action without reason. And, to be honest, I had little else to complain about after a short while. Nina had not spread any rumours, and by the looks of things she wouldn't. Everyone else had skilfully managed to keep their lips shut…figuratively speaking.

Life, though, could not be described as anything close to peaceful. Despite the fact that no secrets had been told, I was still the direct target for the teasing that Nina and her clan seemed made to do. Peacock told me that more often than not their target would change every month or so, but it didn't soothe me much.

It was easy enough to get used to, though. She would always follow the same structure- Think you're so much better than us? You'll fall into it, you know, you can't hold your head high in a place like this. Don't know why I don't just tell them all, I'm sure there're gentlemen out there never had someone like you before. Why deny them the pleasure?

"She's just making it up as she goes along," Igloo, a friend of Peacock's, teased. "Never were much different, were you?"

"Who says I'm joking?" she retorted. "Tonight might be the night I actually tell."

"You never do," I pointed out quietly, not having gained the courage to speak out to her until lately.

"Are you daring me?" she sneered.

"No, I just thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong."

"There's no need to start up another argument," Peacock intervened, placing a hand protectively on my shoulder. "She won't speak back to you if you don't say anything to antagonise her, Nina."

"One of these days it'll be our business to make sure she doesn't say anything in the first place," Igloo murmured to me.

"Was that a threat?"

"I think you know very well it was," she laughed. "Anyway, you weren't even meant to hear that. Looks like those big ears come in useful once in a while."

A few girls around me laughed cattily, and Peacock was forced to bite her lip, trying to make a better impression.

"Let's not argue, now," she said as Nina's face turned slightly red.

"I'm only telling you what you already know!" she defended, her lips pursed. She paused, and smiled all of a sudden. "Still, there's a lot everyone out there doesn't know."

"You've already said that one, Nina, try another threat once in a while if you're not going to live up to it."

"You may have pushed me over the edge."

"Don't tease her like that," said Urchin, another girl who seemed to despise Nina. "You're just embarrassing yourself now, Nina."

"Embarrass myself?" she scoffed. "I've not embarrassed myself at all."

"Of course not," Igloo said, rolling her eyes. She turned to me. "I think we should get you away, dear."

"Yeah, let her hide behind you lot," Nina said, smiling. "She'll never learn if you do that."

"That's not really up to you, now, is it?" Peacock said.

Looking back, I don't know really why I didn't fight back at that moment. I was sick of having people looking after me like I was a child, but I was petrified to say anything. This woman was most likely twice my age, and yet painted herself to look younger, wore clothes to make herself more proud. There was something in this that simply scared me.

"You should get yourself ready," Nina laughed, nodding her head at me. "I'm sure it'll be a big night for you."

"The threat has become tiring," I muttered. "You haven't lived up to it yet."

"Like I said, sure it'll be a big night."

Igloo, who had stood protectively by my side, started to move and was immediately held back by Urchin, who beheld a rather worried face. Nina only laughed at the anger she had started, proud in her accomplishment. I bit my tongue, staring at her and searching the strange woman's face. She paused in her laughter when she saw me watching, and her smile turned into another bitter sneer.

"What're you looking at?"

"I just…you're not really going to do it," I said finally, helplessly.

"Willing to bet on that?" she asked quietly, a small smile returning.

I noticed through the corner of my eye that Urchin was positively straining trying to stop Igloo from charging.

"If you dare," she growled, her eyes livid. Nina only laughed, and with that, turned around and sauntered away casually. Urchin paused before letting go of Igloo, who glared at her in return.

"I could have taken her on," she muttered darkly.

"Of course you could."

"Thank you," I said with a dear tone, clutching her hand. She sighed, and smiled slightly.

"No problem, I'm sure."

Peacock nodded affirmingly at her, proud enough of the efforts put forward. We thought no more of the short encounter that day. Urchin took pleasure for the rest of the day before the evening opening in fussing over my hair, ignoring my struggles against her. Igloo only stared in the mirror, fashioning a fringe and then flipping it away.

"Zidler's going to kill me," she said aloud after a short silence. "No one's much taken interest on me after the dancing lately."

"You have too much pride," Peacock said knowingly. "It shows."

"You'll be lucky trying to get Zidler to listen, though," Urchin mused.

"It can't be helped," I mentioned, but everyone sighed almost simultaneously.

"As if he cares," Igloo said. "It's all a business with him."

"This is a business, though."

"Oh, you know what I mean," she snapped, almost pulling out the lock of hair she held between two fingers. She bit her lip, again nervous. "If he notices, I'm out of here."

"Plenty of new girls come in every day," Peacock said. "Sure, they're not much of a fuss, but the men have a thing about new girls. Except for Rosie, we made sure of that, of course." I shuddered at the use of the name 'Rosie'. "All of us aren't doing as well as we could."

"He's willing to keep me, though, why wouldn't he keep you?"

They all smiled slightly at my naivety, and Igloo even laughed a small titter. I was ever so slightly confused- of course I would be, I was so young both in age and experience- and was irritated that they would not explain their smiles.

I was much more observant that night. As Peacock had previously said, newer girls had come along. None of them were nearly as young as I was, and certainly none of them were as innocent. I had taken a liking to none of them, as they all embraced their new lives in an attempt to fit in. Although, I could not help but respect, ever so slightly, the attempts.

It was true, some of the more usual faces I had grown used to in the past week wallowed in the corner, much like I did. They had little other choice. Some glared at the others who were bringing business, and some stared up at the stage where Zidler excited the crowds. All watched different people, all did different things, and yet all were united in the same goal- to survive.

There was only one person I did not watch…the one person we all should have been checking on.

The clock struck one o'clock in the morning, and yet everything had only just begun. It was strange, really, in my opinion, but I thought nothing of the time any more. Few spoke to me- even Peacock only smiled from far away. She was one of the luckier lot. Gentlemen still preferred her to some, and she was safe enough in her place at the Moulin Rouge.

I was only glad to feel safe enough that I would be able to stay. Whenever I pondered this, I always felt slightly grateful to Christian. He may have left me defenceless in the world, but he'd made sure I wouldn't suffer for it. Zidler had kept his own part of the bargain, although it wasn't much needed. No one paid me attention while I was hidden away.

Until tonight.

As I was soon to discover, Nina had long hidden my secret from the world. It seemed, though, that we had long enough teased her for keeping the secret, never with the guts to speak out. How wrong we had been. She had grown jealous, I suppose. Nina wasn't as pretty as she'd once been, and better legs were out to be found. She just seemed to want to relieve the vengeance she wished to partake in.

It wasn't long after the clock had struck that a man came to me, perhaps middle aged. He smiled at me saucily, in a way many men would assume heart-melting for a woman.

"Hello there, love," he said, standing closely to me. "You seem ever so lonely here."

"If you'd please, sir, I'm awaiting someone else." An excuse I had been taught, although I was never expected to use it.

"Well, we can at least talk while he's coming, can't we?"

"Please, sir, you can speak to someone else," I said desperately. I looked across the hall, and to my delight Igloo caught my eye. "She's alone right now," I said, nodding in her direction.

"But I've heard ever such good things about you," he said, pulling me towards him by the waist. "Turns out you're one of a kind."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Our dear Nina's told me you're new here," he explained, a glow to his eye. At that moment, my dear saviour took hold of the man's arm.

"Haven't you learnt not to tease young ladies," Igloo said to him, winking at me in good favour. "Leave her be, her customer's coming any time soon."

The man sighed, but relented, and I escaped quickly enough before I could see anything else. Slightly disgusted, I hadn't at all taken in the fact that my secret was revealed. It hadn't at all sunk in that life was drastically different to what Christian had planned.