A Wanton Tale Read Online Free Page A

and all manner of ailments Dearie!’ She continued, her expression was serious and convincing. ‘You might sometimes hear them crying out in pain when they are having their joints rubbed!’ Betsy’s thick gold bracelets rattled as she placed the jar back on the shelf. She then took hold of the girl’s hand and guided her up the stairs.
    The first floor was silent apart from the creaking of wood as they stepped on some of the floor boards. They could hear gentle laughter coming from the second floor where the door had been left slightly ajar. As they ascended the bare wooden stairs Alice caught a whiff of cheap perfume, the atmosphere was oppressive. She was feeling nervous about meeting Betsy’s nieces and wondered what on earth they were doing in the bedrooms at this time of day. There was something odd about this place and it was giving her a sense of foreboding.
    Lily’s sharp ears could hear them coming as she whispered to her friends, ‘Don’t forget, nieces.’ As she winked at Lou and Ellen trying hard to stifle a titter.
    ‘These are my lovely nieces Alice, this is Lily, Lou and Ellen.’ Said Betsy as she pointed a bony finger towards each of the girls. All three of them were now staring at the youngster who by now was feeling her stomach churn over with nerves. The three girls to whom she was being introduced were barely seventeen. To Alice they seemed like much older women, elaborately dressed with painted faces and garish jewellery. She could barely speak as she cleared her throat and was just about able to utter, ‘Hello.’ Lily’s face softened and broke into a smile as she picked up a pile of clothes from a basket.
    ‘When they come back from the Chinese laundry they’re all yours, you can iron the lot!’ She said jocularly.
    ‘Now girls, make Alice welcome and show her the washroom.’ Said Betsy.
    ‘We will Aunty, then we’re going to the shops. Promise we’ll be back soon.’ Said Lily. Alice imagined they were heading for town and would be going into the lovely shops that she had longed to enter. Alice, who had no money and shabby clothes, looked on wistfully as they left. Her expression hadn’t gone unnoticed by Betsy.
    ‘Soon you will be one of them Dearie, you will have money.’ She thought. Her bargain with Alice’s mother had been a good day’s work!
    Betsy gave Alice a sickly smile and with a swish of her taffeta skirts left the large attic bedroom. The room now looked rather cramped with the addition of another bed. Alice was slightly bewildered as she took in every detail of the furnishings and the large over filled wardrobe. There was so much in it that the doors wouldn’t shut. Alice’s curious blue eyes hadn’t failed to notice another rather large bedroom on the first floor as she passed by the open door on the landing. ‘Why are Betsy’s nieces all sleeping on top of each other in the attic when there’s a nice room downstairs?’ Alice knew there was something not right. ‘And if they are her nieces they certainly don’t look related and the girls are clearly not sisters.’
    Alice was puzzled but intrigued. There was nice wallpaper on the walls, all green leaf patterns, pretty knick knacks were placed here and there as well as cut glass perfume bottles. She sat on the bed and suddenly felt a deep sense of foreboding. It was a far cry from the slum dwelling from where she had hailed but somehow she didn’t feel that it was a good place. There were no luxuries or pretty ornaments in her Ma’s house, not even pictures on the wall. Her eyes were drawn to a jewellery box, the lid was slightly open, it was bulging with faux gems.
    She stood up and walked over to the box, it was on top of a mahogany chest of drawers. Her eyes lit up with amazement when she opened the box, she had never seen such beautiful things in her life. She felt a pang of excitement as she reached in to grab a string of crystal beads. A shaft of afternoon sun from the skylight made the beads