In Darkest London

Chapter 10 ~ Stella {A Damsel in Darkest London Continued...}

"What!" the gang jeered.

"Ah, come on!"

"Wha'dya mean, leave?"

"You get all the fun, Stel"

"I said ... Leave. Us." Stella ordered. She watched the girl cock-eyed as her gang loosened their grip on her arms and skulked away muttering under their breaths. The girl fumbled to straighten herself up, breaking the invisible thread which seemed to have sewn their sight onto one another just moments before. Stella looked on in silence as the girl examined her wrists and patted down her cloth dress as though the touch of her women made her very skin crawl. Stella smirked at the sight.

The alleyway chatter dulled and emptied just as quick as it had filled; Stella's command acting as a plug in the cobbles that had drained all the sewerage away and allowed this traveller girl some air. The gang had dissolved back into the darkness, all except one, who Stella could feel lingering behind her.

"What do you want, Flo?" Stella growled, eyes still locked on her prize.

"You don't know why she's here, Stel ..." Flo, the scrappy looking girl emerged from the shadows. She had an androgynous look that Stella had always liked with dark pixie-style asymmetrical hair; look at her from one side, you saw all girl, look from the other and she could easily be mistaken for a boy. She was something of a novelty for the punters. She reached inside her waistcoat pocket and pulled out a tin of hand-rolled cigarettes. She took one out, tapped it on its end and placed it between bird-like lips, "... there's something fishy about her." Keeping one eye on the girl wanderer, she struck a match, lit the cigarette and flung the stick to the floor. It fizzled in a pool near the girl's feet. The girl flinched.

Stella's lips curled as she outstretched an arm, plucked the cigarette from Flo's thin lips and took a long, hard drag. Only then did she take her eyes off the girl as she spun on her heel. "You forget yourself, Florence," she hissed as she blew smoke into her face. "Go on about your evenin'."

"But-"

Stella shot Flo a look that silenced her. Flo then looked back over to the girl. Stella sensed she was eyeing up her ample chest, long luscious locks and plump, pretty lips. She got lost for a moment looking at them, too, until Flo kicked out at the wall behind them causing the girl to flinch once again. "Flo!" Stella snarled, and like a wounded animal, Flo backed away as bits of wall crumbled to the cobbles below.

Alone now, the girl stood rigid as Stella moved closer towards her face. She took in one last drag of the cigarette and flicked it in the same direction Flo had walked as she blew out and upwards, careful not to get any in her face.

"It seems we started off on the wrong foot, darlin'." she began, eyes flitting between the girl's big, blue eyes and her dainty little mouth as she smoothed the corners of her own lips into a smile.

"Wrong foot? ... How so?" quizzed the girl as she straightened herself up.

Stella noted the girl's hand hovered over her thigh, her fingers twitched.

"You'll have no need to use that, my dear,." Stella said, pointing towards the girl's thigh. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh?" the girl stumbled.

"You know," Stella began, relaxing her hand back down, "there was a time ... when I was alone in the slums just like you, only difference was, I had no home I could escape back to."

The girl looked down. "I'm not sure I know the meaning of the word anymore." she whispered before straightening up and looked steadily into Stella's eyes. "I have no home," she said in an almost shout, "A newspaper boy pointed me in this direction but I obviously took a wrong turn and then -."

"Look, my dear," Stella interrupted, "I'm sorry about before ... I have an image to keep up, in front of that lot," she gestured towards the darkened archway her gang had disappeared under, "you understand? ... I can't be seen to be goin' lightly on a trespasser, can't been seen to be lettin' someone off wi'out paying up ... in some way or other."

The girl looked puzzled.

"Truth is, I ain't never seen such a pretty lady in all my life."

The girl's cheeks reddened. "Well, thank you." Their eyes locked onto one another.

"What's yer name, doll?"

"Miss Whitlock ... Chastity Whitlock".

"Whitlock eh? ... Haven't heard of any Whitlock's about 'ere ..." Stella paused for a moment. "Well, Miss, yer need somewhere to rest yer head, you say? I might just be able to help you with that."

"That's very kind, but -."

"You'll need protection too. A fine bit o'jam like you can't be wandering the streets o'Whitechapel alone at night, or daylight, period. Whatever shoddy pistol you're carrying won't be of any use 'ere. The way we handle things are a little ... different shall we say."

'I can take care of -."

"No doll', but I can take care of you. I can tell you're not from around here, I can sniff out a slummer when I see one. Thought it'd be a holiday, did yer? I mean, what on earth would a lady fine as you risk leaving the other side to venture all alone down here for?"

"I ... I just couldn't stay ... I -." Chastity held her head in her hands', "I can't go back."

"Then trust me when I say, you'll need a knowledgeable chaperone." Stella looked around as if checking the coast was clear as she lowered her voice, "I'm sure you've heard about the women what's been butchered down these very streets. It's a rabbit warren ... and without me showin' you where's where and what's what, you'll not last an hour, let alone the night "

Chastity crossed her arms, touching her shoulders. "But ... payment? ... I can't -."

Stella held up her hands, palms face out. "Consider it a friendly favour." Taking off her top hat and bringing it close to her chest, she put one leg behind the other, bowed her head, and curtsied.

When she raised her head and smiled, their eyes met once more. Stella didn't notice the echo of footsteps hurriedly heading towards them, until the piercing sound of the whistle startled them both out of the moment. She lunged forward, pulled on Chastity's arm and began shifting cobbles beneath their feet as she dragged the girl into the shadows.