Belle - Lesley Pearse [110]
‘Another drink before we go over there?’ James suggested as they got to the square. Madame Sondheim’s place was in darkness except for a red light by the door. But Noah was sure that the lack of light inside was only because it was shuttered, not because there was no one there.
‘That’s just delaying tactics,’ Noah teased him. ‘It’s best to go now, they are bound to be busier later on, and we might not get a chance to talk to anyone. Now, I’m relying on you, you’re the one with the French. I’ll try and get an English-speaking girl, however ugly.’ He broke off laughing. ‘I want you to see I am serious and committed!’ he added.
James looked like a frightened rabbit as they approached the front door. ‘Courage, my friend,’ Noah said. ‘What’s the worst that can happen in a brothel?’
‘That I couldn’t get it up?’ James replied, assuming that was Noah’s worst-case scenario.
‘No, for me it’s a fire breaking out and I have to run out naked,’ Noah grinned.
James laughed, and found it made him feel a bit less tense. ‘That’s easily overcome, just keep your clothes on.’
When Noah rang the doorbell a little hatch shot back and they saw a woman peering out at them. Noah lifted his hat to her. The door opened and a rather gaunt-looking woman of at least fifty, wearing a plain black dress, stood there.
James told her in halting French that they were English and a friend had given them this address. The woman made a gesture to come in with one hand, then, after closing the door, took their hats and ushered them into a room to the left of the hall.
The room was very warm, thanks to a blazing fire. There were four girls in the room, all scantily dressed, with silky negligees barely disguising their underwear. The woman who had shown them in offered them a drink; there was no choice, just red wine. She then introduced the girls as Sophia, Madeleine, Arielle and Cosette. Arielle was a dark-haired beauty, with huge, limpid eyes, and a wide, full mouth, but the other three girls were all unremarkable.
James shook their hands, which made the girls giggle.
‘Do any of you speak English?’ Noah asked.
‘A leetle,’ the small, mousy-haired one called Cosette replied.
James began speaking to Arielle and Noah noted that she seemed quite taken with him and involved with whatever he was saying to her. Noah smiled resignedly at Cosette and took her hand to kiss it.
That made all the girls giggle too, but Cosette looked as if she liked it.
A pianola in the corner of the room was playing, and Noah held out his arms to dance. Again Cosette giggled as if no man had ever suggested such a thing as a dance before. ‘Does Madame Sondheim not like you to dance?’ he asked. He knew many madams didn’t like the girls wasting their time with such things.
‘You know her?’ Cosette looked alarmed.
Noah shook his head. ‘No, not me. My friend came here, he said she was very fierce. Is that right?’
Cosette nodded. Noah noticed she had pretty grey eyes, and even though her hair looked in need of a wash, it was marvellous that she spoke some English.
‘You tell me about it upstairs?’ he said, sensing she would be very guarded in front of the other girls.
‘You want me?’ she asked, as if astounded.
Noah wasn’t sure he wanted to have sex with her, but he smiled and said of course he did. All at once she had her hand in his and practically dragged him from the room while James was left with the beautiful Arielle, Madeleine and Sophia looking on.
Cosette took him up to the third floor, but as they went past the closed doors on the first and second floors he heard sounds which suggested there were other girls in there with clients. Cosette’s room looked just like her – worn, untidy and uncared for.
‘You must give me the money,’ she said, holding out her hand.
Noah had not got to grips with French money, so he took a ten-franc note from his pocket and handed it to her. She frowned, so he added another to it, and this time she smiled and went to the door where she handed the money to someone else.
She began to take off her blue wrap, but Noah stopped