January 1922

"Well, Lily, usual is it?"

"You know it is Phoebe" Lily Drinkwater replied with a smile as she leant on the bar. Phoebe was serving behind the bar today (she and her cousins took turns) and things were getting increasingly busy. As she handed Lily her usual, Phoebe took in the entire transformed appearance of the Manor. A bar, of which Phoebe was presently stood behind, had been installed and new sofas were placed everywhere for customers to laze on. Also, in what used to be the living room was now a clear space used as a dance floor and a small stage where a baby piano was being played and numerous other instruments lay in the corner, as unused at the moment as the microphone placed on the stage for singers. A local girl was due in to sing tonight. She would the Speakeasy's debut singer.

The cousins' Speakeasy had seemed to miraculously grow in popularity overnight. It was fantastic. The whole house seemed to be buzzing. Penelope was revelling in it; Phoebe could even see her now from where she was stood. She was dancing flirtily with a bachelor on the dance floor; dressed sexily in her trademark red, to the jazzy tune being played on the piano.

The piano player, Phoebe believed, was another reason the Speakeasy was such a hit. He played excellently any tune requested by any customer and he could play it perfectly. He caught Phoebe staring at him and he threw her a smile whilst continuing to play. A smile that Phoebe returned warmly, a little tingles going off inside her stomach. Yes, Gordon Johnson being the hottest guy in the Speakeasy helped the cause Phoebe thought to herself with a smile. Her eyes caught sight of Patience heading towards Gordon, putting a glass of 'water' next to him with a flirtatious smile. Yes, Phoebe thought to herself, there was competition for Gordon. If only she wasn't stuck here doing bar duty, she could be out there on the dance floor doing some flirting of her own. She was going to have to talk to her cousins about hurrying up and hiring a barman.

The song that was being played came to an end and everyone on the dance floor clapped monetarily before relaxing on nearby seats. Penelope dragged her suitor seductively to a private corner. Gordon was taking a break as well and Patience took his hand leading him into the parlour. Phoebe had to crane her neck as the two went out of sight and she couldn't see the two as well anymore but she could see the two well enough to detect her cousin's flirtatious body language. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she saw Patience take a feather-died purple to match her dress-and brush it slowly up and down Gordon's cheek in complete un-patience style. Phoebe nearly feel threw the open gate at the bar, she was so busy leaning at angle to get a better look at the shocking scene. She grabbed the side just in time before she fell. Yet, as Phoebe carried on looking in what was a twist of morbid fascination, through the shock and the odd stab of jealously Phoebe had to smile. The Speakeasy had brought about such a change in Patience. The wild lifestyle and the lack of worries about bills had brought out a daring side in Patience that Phoebe knew had never ventured out before. And if that meant Phoebe had competition over Gordon then so be it.

Plus, as Patience had so kindly pointed out, she was still married and not free to pursue the interest. However Penelope, in Penelope style, had added her own wisdom by saying who says one can't have two and that she should be tied to one? Then again Penelope didn't get on with Jerry at all. He didn't get on with magic so Penelope didn't get on with him. They continually rubbed each other up the wrong way. Phoebe jumped and was brought out of her thoughts as she heard the front door slam, even above the rest of the racket. Jerry was there, briefcase in hand, he the Speakeasy and everyone in it a dirty look before storming upstairs.

"By the way he's going" Phoebe murmured to herself "I won't be tied to any men for long" She walked out from behind the bar and headed over to Penelope. She was alone now, having shoved away the guy in disgust when he'd suddenly become to clingy. Didn't they realize she wasn't into any form of commitment?

"I need you to tend at the bar for a bit" Phoebe told her, grabbing her hand and hauling her off her seat. Penelope stumbled after her in confusion.

"What? Why? I thought it was my shift later…" She said as she was shoved behind the bar and in front of a queue of people.

"It was. I've just got to sort some things out" Phoebe told her before storming off upstairs after her husband. Penelope realized what was going on and said no more and merely tended to customers. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Patience and Gordon's antics and her mouth dropped open in shock not unlike Phoebe before.

"Well she certainly seems to be having more fun than either of us" Penelope murmured.

"What is your problem Jerry?" Phoebe asked following him into their bedroom and slamming the door behind her. He didn't respond and merely carried on putting his briefcase away. "Don't ignore me." She warned him, but he did so, opening his sock drawer. She squinted her eyes in annoyance and blue a sharp cold breath and the drawer shut loudly. He turned to face her.

"You know how I feel about all this Phoebe"

"Yes, I do. And you know how I don't care" She retorted, "But what I do care about is you slamming you way through the house and through the customers."

"I don't want to come home to this every night! Its illegal and immoral and-"

"I like it" Phoebe finished.

"Yes, but you don't care about what I like. Or what I want to come home to! It's gotten steadily worse since this Speakeasy opened and-"

"That's it" Phoebe interrupted, "You don't like the fact that this is giving me more independence."

"Well you're my wife goddammit!" he exclaimed.

"That doesn't make me your property!"

"You do what you bloody well like all the time! You and your cousins. Always together! Its like I'm not even here!"

"And we're a lot better for it when you're not!"

"I want you to be a wife. Cook me dinner."

"You knew what you were marrying into Jerald. I didn't want to marry in the first place but you convinced me and now you're trying to control me and tie me down!"

"I'm not I-"

"What do you call it then? Coz it sure as hell isn't free will!"

"We used to get along swimmingly Phoebe!"

"Maybe we didn't know each other well enough then!"

"Well what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" she quietened down, they both did and after all the shouting the silence hurt her ears "I'm saying I want a divorce" She whispered.

"What?" he gasped back

"If this doesn't get any better soon, and I mean soon Jerry, I want a divorce" she told him sombrely. Then, realizing there was nothing left to say she left the room closing the door quietly behind her.

Jerry collapsed on the bed. He didn't know what to feel, he just felt numb. Sure Phoebe wasn't his ideal wife but he loved her and now she was walking out of his life forever.

Phoebe walked down the stairs back into the foray of the club with a straight face. Before coming into everybody's sight she wiped away some sudden tears from her eyes and put on a bright smile as she headed over to her elder cousin.

"Thanks Penelope, I'll take over from here now" She told her, resuming her place at the bar.