Big Bangs, Prohibition, and a Sugar Daddy

My Business is My Own

Luke left the paper after he had finished reading it. He left. Dressed in a pinstripe suit, white shirt, and well polished black shoes. Where ever Luke worked, it wasn't manual labor. Of course, I knew he had to be an executive of some company. If he didn't actually own the company.

I picked up the paper and read an article on the Wall Street Bombing. A foreigner had taken the horse to a blacksmith because it had thrown a shoe. A postal worker had found anarchist propaganda in a post box after the bombing. Otherwise there wasn't much more information in it concerning the bombing.

Putting the paper down, I walked into the kitchen. Clara was finishing up what she needed to do. "Clara, could you give Sara and I a moment please."

Clara nodded. "Yes, Miss Ellen."

"I did wrong. I'm sorry, Miss Ellen." Sara said as soon as Clara left. "I'll resign if you prefer."

"Why this change of heart?" I expected a blow up from Sara after what she must have heard Luke and I discuss concerning her.

"Because I never thought Mr. Mason would pick you over me." Sara said. "When Mr. Mason offered to let me go, most people might have let him do it. You said you'd talk to me, before making a decision. That made you a good person in my book, Not some quiff he picked up off the streets."

"Is that what you really thought of me? Or were you upset because I now have authority over the staff?" Sara frowned at me.

"Well, Miss Cross, it was like this. True, I felt a little upset about you coming in and taking over the staff. Only, you dress in outdated clothes, I was thinking maybe you bought some second hand clothes to look decent." Sara explained. "And it's obvious that Luke is taken with you. You are pretty enough to turn his head. I thought maybe he gave you the job just to keep you at hand, not because you deserved it."

"Assuming that is so. If I was using Luke or if he put me in this position just to keep me at hand. What business was it of yours?" I felt she was trying to manipulate Luke for her own benefit, not because she felt I was some sort of gold digger.

"It's my business because Mr. Mason was good to me. Hiring me when others wouldn't because I was a Negro. Gave me enough money to help my family when I needed it." Sara held her head up. "I might be nasty sometimes, but I know who butters my bread. Mr. Mason is a man, you are a woman, I didn't want that to cause him to go and make a mistake. He deserves better."

"You mean he deserves better than me." I said. "Or do you mean he deserves better than some quiff he picked up off the streets."

"Well, I said I was sorry. I'll leave if you want me to." Sara sounded resigned to leaving.

"You told Mr. Mason what you thought about me out of loyalty to him. Not out of spite. I can appreciate loyalty. We won't mention this again." I turned and left the kitchen. I didn't feel I'd have any further trouble from Sara again.

At lunch the staff talked more openly. Sara was quiet, not sour, but I think she was contemplative. After nearly losing her job, maybe Sara decided to keep her opinions to herself. It wasn't until the end of the lunch, as the staff was about to start leaving that Sara spoke up.

"I'm ashamed of myself. I completely misjudged Miss Cross, and was wrong about her. And I'm sorry Miss Cross. Anything you need from me, you'll get it. I expect the rest of you to do the same." Sara got up and marched back to the kitchen before anyone could say anything.

That little speech had to be humbling for Sara. If she had said anything against me to the staff, then at that moment she had taken it back. Sara had apologized before, but to do so in front of the staff. To admit she was wrong was a strong testimony to her character. Sara wasn't some vicious gossip. She was opinionated, but she was also loyal.

As Sara cleaned up I went into the kitchen. "Thank you, I appreciate what you did."

"As you said, we won't mention it any more." Sara replied.

"And as I said, I appreciate loyalty." I left the kitchen.

went into Luke's office to work on the books. There was a delivery of groceries today. Money went out. Red ink. Mr. Mason had a safe hidden in the office behind a painting. Quite original way of hiding a safe, I thought. Who would think to look for a safe behind an old painting.

Inside that safe were bundles of bills. More money then I'd ever seen. Luke didn't trust banks very much. Although he had accounts because he needed to have them. But, he kept a fair amount of money on hand. I would have to wait, until Luke came home, before I could take money out. I would have to pay the account then. I wondered if Luke would ever trust me with the combination of the safe. I doubted it. So much cash was too great a temptation for anyone.

I wouldn't see Luke until later in the afternoon. He came into the office dressed in a smoking jacket. So, he had been home long enough to change. I was sitting at my desk thinking of hiring an upstairs maid for the individual rooms and placing Clara as a serving maid who assisted Sara.

"How is my little animal today?" Luke went over to his desk and took a cigar from the box on his desk.

"I talked with Sara, I don't expect any trouble from her. Clara knows my secret. She found out while undressing me the other night when I made a fool of myself." I decided to be honest with Luke about it. "She will be discreet. She has personal reasons. But, I thought you should know."

"All of my staff should be discreet." Luke had been in a good humor before. He became serious. "Are you certain that Clara understands that she can tell no one."

I told Luke what Clara told me about her lesbian friend. "I think she'll keep my secret."

Luke sat in his chair. Taking a deep draw off his cigar. He turned the chair to face me at my little desk. "I've decided to keep some cash locked in the bottom drawer in my desk. I will give you a key to that drawer, but you are to only concern yourself with the money for household expenses. Nothing else you see or hear in this office, leaves this office. Am I clear."

There was a change in Luke at that moment. I had never felt cause to be afraid of Luke, but the tone of Luke's voice. The way he looked at me. How he carried himself. I felt a moment of fear. It passed, but was there.

"Yes, of course, I wouldn't be indiscreet about anything I've seen or heard." I noted a quiver in my voice.

"My business is my own. It can be very dangerous at times. I need to know that you will be cautious." Luke was scaring me again. What kind of work did Luke do?

"Of course. I don't know what you do, but I know from the war not to speak out of turn. Even now, with the Red Scare, it's dangerous to misspeak." During the war, and now that the Reds were terrorizing the public with mail bombs, it was important to be careful of what you said, it could be used against you.

"Soon, you will meet my colleagues. Some of them are vipers. Be especially careful to speak only when spoken to. When you do speak, don't volunteer any additional information. These are not people you want to have as social companions, so stay away from them when you can." Luke's voice was firm, but his tone wasn't as scary as it was.

"I understand. What is it that you do?" I decided to take this moment to find out what Luke did to earn so much money.

"You don't ask questions, you need not worry that pretty blond head about what I do. Suffice to say that I will keep you employed and can pay your wages. That is all you need to know." Luke was firm and scary this time. "My business is my own, you are not part of it. No matter what happens you are not associated with my business."

"I was just curious, I have no desire to be part of your business. It's not like I could steal it from you. I'm a woman (or at least perceived as one). How could I have any position of any authority." I was somewhat piqued by Luke's attitude. Why shouldn't I ask about Luke's work?

"Just be a good little animal. Do as I say. Don't make noise, don't whine, don't stick your nose anyplace you might have it bit off." Luke said. "Now, lets not argue about this."