Chapter 28 – Moving On

*.*.*.

Jack's queries at the docks got him nowhere. He tried not to be too obvious so didn't single out Fletcher's company, certain that Fletcher would never hire him anyway. Unless, of course, this whole thing had been personal and for some unknown reason he wanted Jack to end up at his beck and call. Perhaps that had been it all along, maybe Fletcher had simply always been in love with Rosie and had just tried to get Jack out of the way to win her affections. It was certainly possible but Jack didn't think it plausible. If he had only wanted Rosie then Fletcher wouldn't have needed to destroy him to do it, Jack had wrecked that marriage on his own without any help at all. Besides, it was probably far too obvious where Jack's feelings now lay, especially if Fletcher had seen him with Phryne.

He paused by the docks and looked out to sea. He knew Phryne still had family all the way in England. Would she abandon him one day like Rosie had done? Her family must be desperate to see her, probably even her abusive father. Janey seemed to have escaped any trauma from him. Maybe money and the loss of a daughter had calmed him down enough for Phryne to reconcile with him. She could start afresh with no memories of her childhood lurking around every corner, no Jack.

Or he could go with her, he supposed. If he didn't get his job back what did he have to stay in Melbourne for? His parents had both died and his siblings had all moved away from the city. They wrote occasionally, some siblings a little less since he'd shocked them with his divorce, but Jack moving to England wouldn't take away their ability to write. Maybe he'd enjoy being the paramour to a rich lady, relying on her for everything. If Phryne would have him, of course.

The sound of a ship's horn as it entered port caught his attention. All he had been able to ascertain from his investigations at the docks was that this ship belonged to Fletcher. A big cargo ship called the Pandarus. Jack watched it come in to dock.

*.*.*.

"Where is that girl?"

One good thing about staying at her aunt's house was that Phryne actually had competition for being the least well behaved woman in the building. From what she gathered Marigold Brown, the maid, had been acquired when Aunt P had bought some horses. The stable hand was Marigold's father and Prudence had taken him on having no idea about horses herself. He had brought with him his daughter, barely old enough to be called a woman then. She had been a great favourite of Arthur's as she played with him and Aunt Prudence had given her the role of kitchen maid as a favour. Unlike Dot, who very quickly became more companion than maid, Marigold's career stagnated immediately. Phryne knew exactly why.

There were many reasons women looked for work at places like the Imperial Club but some of them simply liked being paid for what they enjoyed doing. Phryne had comforted herself that once she had built up enough money to not be in constant need of cash that all the men she slept with she would have done for free. Some, like Jack, gave her nothing in return except her own enjoyment, some had given her money or jewels, but with the exception of those first few years when she was getting herself on her feet, she was very picky in her lovers.

She had overheard staff talking and she gathered her other cousin, Guy, had corrupted the poor girl and she had begged to go to England with him and his now wife but he'd turned her down. She was now, however, suitably opened to the delights of more carnal pleasures and Phryne had gathered from the gossip she had overheard that Marigold had slept with most of the staff in the house and half of Melbourne.

She didn't doubt that right at this second Marigold was entertaining some man, or maybe some woman, in a private area of the house instead of serving lunch as she was supposed to be doing.

Phryne stood up as Aunt Prudence shot angrily out of her seat. If Aunt P found her now she would fire her instantly and Marigold would end up being thoroughly beaten by her brute of a father and possibly end up on the streets and would likely end up pregnant or dead before the year was out.

"I'll find her, Aunt," Phryne announced before leaving the dining hall.

She heard mutterings as she left but Aunt P seemed happy enough to leave her to it. Phryne was still learning how to navigate this world she'd been thrust into but she knew exactly how to handle girls like Marigold.

Unsurprisingly she found her in the pantry, busy with some young lad.

Marigold looked horrified at being found by one of her mistresses and the boy instantly ran away as soon as they were noticed. Phryne looked at the state of her and smirked.

"Straighten yourself up Marigold. You and I are going to have a talk."

Marigold seemed surprised as Phryne lead her up to her chambers instead of out of the back door as soon as she'd put her skirts back in order.

In the corner of Phryne's room was a writing desk which had been furnished with a pen and paper. Phryne had no correspondences to write to so it had seemed pointless, despite both Aunt Prudence and Janey's insistence that she should at least write to Mother. Phryne sat at the desk, a plan in mind. Marigold hovered nearby, looking like she was waiting to be dismissed.

"I'm not Mrs Stanley," Phryne told her, hoping to ease her fears, "so I don't care about your morals. As far as I'm concerned you can do whatever you like with whomever you like, so long as you both consent."

Marigold looked confused. "Then…?"

"I do care that you seem to think that your job is secondary to your own pleasures," Phryne snapped at her. "Why aren't you serving lunch?"

"We were supposed to be quick but –"

"But nothing. You couldn't have waited until after lunch? Why would that have mattered?"

Marigold pouted and folded her arms. She was a very attractive young woman. "Eddie only had a few minutes."

"Just enough minutes for his own pleasure, no doubt," Phryne muttered. "Are you careful, Marigold? You're still so young; you don't want to end up in the family way just yet, do you?"

"I try to be careful but I can't afford –"

"I can sort that for you, if you like."

Marigold finally seemed to relax. "Thank you, Miss Fisher."

Phryne nodded. "Now, tell me Marigold. Do you really want to be a maid here?"

She watched as Marigold thought about it. "I don't know, Miss. I was grateful to get a job."

"Can you dance?"

Marigold looked confused at this line of questioning. "Miss?"

Phryne sighed. "I have to be honest with you here, Marigold, so I'm trusting you to keep this to yourself. Before I came here I had close connections with a place called the Imperial Gentleman's Club. Have you heard of it?"

Marigold nodded enthusiastically. "Those ladies look so glamorous, Miss."

"How would you feel about working there instead of here?"

The young woman's eyes widened. "Oh, I couldn't. I don't look right, they all wear makeup and pretty dresses and I struggle to have something to call my Sunday best."

"You look perfect to me," Phryne contradicted the poor girl. "Yes, you need some new clothes and a bit of makeup but that's easily sorted, if you'd like."

"Do you think they'd have me?"

Phryne nodded and smiled. "I think I could make that happen. You do realise you wouldn't just be expected to dance and flirt with the men, don't you?"

"I know the reputation, Miss."

"And you'd be happy with that? It wouldn't just be handsome young delivery boys."

"I think I could cope, Miss."

Phryne quickly scrawled out a note for Madam Lyon on some unmarked paper and put it and some cash in an envelope which she then sealed. She knew some people would be absolutely horrified at her taking a young girl away from a respectable job to one considered less so but Phryne knew it was best for Marigold. She wasn't going to stop entertaining gentlemen either way but at the Imperial Club she would be safe. Madam Lyon would keep an eye on her and, importantly, keep her in line better than Aunt Prudence could ever manage. Besides, Phryne had seen Marigold with Fletcher. The girl was a natural and she had no doubt that Marigold would flourish in that place. She would never be anything more than a bad maid if she stayed here and that was still the best case scenario for her future.

She had been honest in her appraisal for Madam Lyon. She had told her that Marigold would make an excellent hostess but would need to be reigned in slightly. She also suggested that she would need to live on site and that she could have her old room if it was still available. Phryne did not like Marigold's father and she knew exactly how he'd react if he found his daughter working at the Imperial Club. She'd warned Madam Lyon to keep an eye out for Mr Brown as well, that he was not to be left alone with any of the women if he did show up, especially his daughter. The money was to cover the cost of birth control for the girl and some new dresses and makeup until she was earning enough herself. Phryne knew she had been generous with the funds but she still had yet to find anything to spend her newly inherited vast fortune on. She could afford some generosity.

"Here. When you have time, take this to the club and ask for Madam Lyon. The money should be enough to get you some clothes and makeup to begin with, whatever Madam Lyon thinks you require. If you decide against it, or Madam Lyon doesn't take you, I'll make sure you've still got a position here and you can keep the money. I will check, however, if you decide to just keep the money. And, if you keep the money and run, I will track you down."

Marigold eagerly took the envelope from her, either not hearing the warning in Phryne's voice or not caring about it. "Oh, no, Miss, I wouldn't do that. Not when you've been so kind."

"But there is one thing you need to do first, Marigold."

The girl's eyes shone at her like Phryne was her saviour. "What, Miss?"

"Serve Mrs Stanley her lunch!"

*.*.*.

Janey wasn't entirely sure what Phryne had done to Marigold. The day after she'd gone to speak with her, Marigold handed in her notice but she also seemed brighter than Janey had ever seen her.

Aunt Prudence had complained of course, bitterly, that now she had to go and get herself a new kitchen maid. She had talked about all the hassle of going to an agency and finding the right girl, when Janey reminded her of her own gratitude programme. Janey offered to accompany her to the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Miracle to see if there was anyone suitable and to both of their utter surprises, Phryne offered to join them as well.

So it was that Perpetua, who was in charge of the programme, lined up three of the most promising girls for Aunt Prudence to choose from.

Phryne's mind seemed to be elsewhere. Perpetua had taken them through the laundry which stunned Phryne into an unusual silence. Janey understood. It was her first time seeing it as well but Dot's own tales had at least prepared her for it. Phryne hadn't known what she was walking into.

Now Phryne was paying little attention to the girls lined up in front of her and a lot more to those still working, as if some protective instinct had been primed by the vision of the girls working in the laundry.

"This is Joan, Bernadette and Anne," Perpetua introduced them. "All three of them would be perfect for you, Mrs Stanley, but I have to put in a special word for Joan. She made that trifle you so enjoyed at our last fundraising dinner."

Aunt Prudence seemed suitably impressed and lavished praise on Joan for her trifle.

"My God!" Phryne shouted suddenly, making them all jump. "Why is there a child here?"

Perpetua looked over to where Phryne pointed. "That's Cecilia. She's sixteen, she just looks younger."

"I'll eat my hat if she's a day over fifteen," Phryne retorted. "Come here, Cecilia."

Sullenly the child walked over. Janey did understand Phryne's concern as the poor child didn't look anything close to sixteen and seemed noticeably younger than the other girls, although they all looked young to Janey.

"My name is Jane," the child insisted.

Perpetua started talking but Phryne ignored her and spoke over her. "How old are you, Jane?"

"Sixteen."

"Balderdash. How old are you really?"

"Fourteen," Jane admitted.

"This girl should be in school, not working in this death trap!" Phryne yelled at Perpetua.

Perpetua seemed unconcerned by Phryne's ire. "She's a liar, Miss Fisher. She'll be whatever age you want her to be. Isn't that right?"

Jane looked confused as she looked between the two women. "But I am fourteen. I lied because I thought you wouldn't take me in and I didn't want to go back to welfare. I'm nearly fifteen, though."

"Just get back to what you were doing and stop bothering the ladies," Perpetua instructed.

"No," Phryne grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her to her side before she could even consider going back to the laundry. "Absolutely not. She needs to go to school, not work."

"Even if she is fourteen that's old enough to work. You have no right –"

"Then we'll take her as our kitchen maid," Phryne announced, overriding her aunt.

Perpetua looked smug. "She's not available for work outside of the laundry, Miss Fisher."

"I am not taking just any girl in as my kitchen maid because you've taken some strange liking to her, Phryne," Aunt Prudence told her firmly, clearly horrified at the very idea. "I will take Joan as you suggested, Perpetua."

Aunt Prudence and Perpetua started talking between themselves, making arrangements as if the matter was settled. Janey noticed that Phryne still hadn't let the child go.

"Fine," Phryne announced very loudly, "then Jane can be my lady's maid. Janey has one, why shouldn't I?"

Aunt Prudence glanced at Jane. "Do you not think that will be confusing? Having two Janes under the same roof?"

"Sounds like we're getting a Joan, too. Maybe I'll change my name to Jean and we can all be confused together."

"Nonsensical girl," Aunt Prudence declared at Phryne's sarcasm.

"As I said before, Miss Fisher, Cecilia is not part of the programme so she is not available for employment," Perpetua replied less than patiently.

"I don't recall asking you," Phryne argued and then turned her attention to the child at the centre of the argument. "What do you think, Jane? Do you want to stay here or do you want to come with us?"

The girl looked over at Perpetua. She seemed afraid of her. However, while her eyes remained on the other woman, she spoke to Phryne. "Would you send me to school?"

"I would," Phryne answered firmly.

"And would they have books I can read?"

"Of course." Phryne seemed surprised at the question, presumably expecting the child to run at the mere hint of being sent into education.

"There aren't any books here, except Bibles," the girl complained.

"It's the only book you need," Perpetua explained. "Miss Fisher, this girl looks sweet and innocent but she's not. She's a liar, a thief and a trouble maker. If you're thinking of adopting a child I can find you –"

"Find me what?" Phryne argued. "Some perfect child who wouldn't say boo to a goose? Jane sounds exactly like myself at her age. I have no desire to have children but I'm certainly not going to leave this poor child to the future you'd set her up for. And I know how to deal with difficult girls."

Finally Perpetua seemed to run out of steam. Aunt Prudence, however, had not. "There's only room for four in the car, Phryne. That's you, me, Janey and Joan. We have no room to take in some stray you've found."

"That's fine, Aunt. Jane and I can take a taxi. If you want to come with me, that is, Jane?"

Janey looked at the girl. She had understood from the start why Phryne was so desperate to get her out of there, and of course now Janey realised that Phryne saw herself in the girl she realised why she was fighting so hard for her. Phryne wasn't going to give up. This child was coming with them one way or another.

"I don't want to stay here," Jane replied.

"Then it's decided," Phryne agreed firmly.

"I didn't think you'd have a family before me, Phryne," Janey joked, eliciting a grin from Phryne and a glare from Aunt Prudence.

Perpetua glared at Phryne and Jane before turning back to Aunt Prudence. "Mrs Stanley, we are very grateful for all the help you have given us over the years, and your first niece has been very helpful too, but I think I must ask that this new niece of yours is not invited back."

Aunt Prudence glared at Phryne. "Of course, Perpetua. I had already determined to keep Phryne away from all this in future. I'm afraid, as my niece alluded to, she ran away from home as a child and grew up away from civilised society. Miss Janey and I are helping her as best we can but she is still a work in progress I'm afraid."

Jane giggled at Phryne's side. "Will I be going to school with you?"

"Pah," Phryne scoffed as an aside that was loud enough for everyone to hear. "They wouldn't dare."

"I'll take the taxi with you," Janey suddenly announced, immediately concerned that Phryne and Jane were going to be bad influences on each other.

To her surprise, Aunt Prudence nodded. "That's a good idea, Janey."

Under the glare of Perpetua and with very little ceremony, Phryne and Jane were walked out of the laundry, Janey following on behind as some strange little guardian until they were out on the street and Phryne lead them all to the nearest phone box to call for a taxi she mysteriously had the number for. It turned out that none of the girls in the convent really had anything close to possessions. Jane only had the clothes on her back and as they waited for the cab, Janey couldn't help but smile as in a very motherly but still uniquely Phryne-like way, her sister started promising to buy the girl lots of dresses and books. It seemed unlikely that Jane would turn out to be a bad influence after all; in fact Janey began to think that the responsibility of looking after her might be exactly the thing to finally settle Phryne.

TBC...