In Darkest London

Chapter 13 ~ {Dollymops and Dippers}

Stella slowed as they approached yet another dead end. Chastity's feet were hurting from the cold and feeling drained she was ready to rest her head for the night.

"How much further?" She quizzed.

"No further, my dear."

"No further?," Chastity looked puzzled, "there seems to be rather a lot of dead ends in the east."

"Ah, but not every dead end is as it seems." Stella winked, before peeling back some ivy leaves that clung to the wall. Hidden behind, was a bronze switch. She flicked it and keeping her finger pressed down, moved her mouth closer to a tiny metallic speaker screwed into the wall. "It's me. Open up." she ordered. Looking back at Chastity, she released her finger. "You'll wanna stand back."

A short, sharp jet of steam shot out from a crack in the wall. Chastity jumped backward as the hotness stung against her cold cheek.

"Ouch!" she cried, lifting her hand to her face.

"Lemme see." Stella said, pulling Chastity's hand away.

Chastity didn't resist. She let the weight of her limb drop to her side and stood still. Feeling Stella's eyes burn through her skin as she moved in to take a closer look, Chastity suddenly felt bare. A tingle of apprehension ran down her body until Stella's surprisingly gentle touch put her at ease.

"I warned ya to stand back." Stella uttered as she examined Chastity's cheek with a stroke of her thumb.

Chastity followed Stella's grey-reflective eyes as they ran over her face until they met with her own. There was a pause, a long breathless moment in which Chastity could feel a magnetic pull towards the hypnotic woman before her.

"What are ...? -." Chastity began softly.

A loud clunk broke their gaze. Stella looked up and down the street before peeling back more of the ivy, revealing a small, opened gate. She held out her hand.

"Mi, Lady?"

Too tired to try and make sense of anything, Chastity accepted Stella's offering and allowed her to lead the way through. The gate automatically shut behind them.

The inside looked much more spacious than the outside of the house would lead a visitor to believe. Tall and narrow, Chastity wondered how many rooms it held as she eyed the spiral staircase in the middle of the entrance hall.

To the left, a counter desk was occupied by another curious looking woman who had stood to attention when they entered.

"Any messages?" Stella asked, eyes fixed, not on the woman but, the draped red-velvet curtains beside her. They flickered as the hint of a figure swished eagerly behind, like a theatre actress trying to sneak a peek of the audience before stepping on stage.

"No, Madame," the woman replied in a sultry french accent, eyelashes flickering, "No messages."

Stella didn't acknowledge her with a response. She stepped toward the curtain and let out a loud sigh.

"Yes, Flo?" she sighed.

The curtain hesitated with a false start before peeling coyly to one side. Chastity recognised the girl that had been skulking behind it from earlier, only there was something different about her. She was scantily dressed now; her heavy boots had been removed, along with her trousers and her waistcoat, and her shirt was unbuttoned down to her navel, she was wearing no undergarment. Chastity had never seen another woman showing so much naked flesh, not even Hattie, not since they were children at least. Her eyes traced the button line down to where the shirt ended, and had no choice but to drop off the edge and land on the girl's uncovered thigh, where they lingered.