might just be a housemaid fed up with slaving sixteen hours a day for six shillings a week.
A woman in a little black domino touched his arm. The mask was no more than a token, and he recognized April. 'A genuine virgin,' April said.
No doubt she was charging Edward a small fortune for the privilege of taking the girl's maidenhead. 'Have you put your own hand up her, to feel her hymen?' Micky said skeptically.
April shook her head. 'I don't need to. I know when a girl is telling the truth.'
'If I don't feel it pop you won't get paid,' he said, even though they both knew Edward would be paying.
'Agreed.'
'What's her story?'
'She's an orphan, brought up by an uncle. He was eager to get her off his hands as soon as possible, and arranged for her to marry an older man. When she refused he put her out on the street. I rescued her from a life of drudgery.'
'You're an angel,' Micky said sarcastically. He did not believe a word of it. Even though he could not read April's expression behind the mask he had the strongest feeling that she was up to something. He gave her a skeptical look. 'Tell me the truth,' he said.
'I have,' April said. 'If you don't want her, there are six other men here who'll pay just as much as you.'
Edward said impatiently: 'We want her. Stop arguing, Micky. Let's have a look at her.'
'Room three,' April said. 'She's waiting for you.'
Micky and Edward made their way up the stairs, which were littered with embracing couples, and went into room three.
The girl stood in the corner. She wore a simple muslin gown, and her entire head was covered with a hood, leaving only slits for the eyes and an opening for the mouth. Once again Micky was seized by suspicion. They could see nothing of her face and head: she might be hideously ugly, perhaps deformed. Was this some kind of prank?
He realized, as he stared at her, that she was trembling with fear, and he put his doubts aside as he felt a stirring of desire in his loins. To frighten her more he crossed the room quickly, pulled the neckline of her gown aside, and plunged his hand into her bosom. She flinched, and there was terror in her bright blue eyes, but she stood her ground. She had small, firm breasts.
Her fear made him want to be brutal. Normally he and Edward would toy with a woman for a while, but he decided to take this one suddenly. 'Kneel on the bed,' he told her.
She did as he said. He got behind her and pulled up her skirt. She gave a little cry of fright. She was wearing nothing underneath.
It was easier to penetrate her than he had expected: April must have given her some cream to lubricate herself. He felt the obstruction of her maidenhead. He grabbed her hips and pulled her roughly to him as he thrust deep inside her, and the membrane broke. She began to sob, and that excited him so much that he reached his climax immediately.
He withdrew to make way for Edward. There was blood on his prick. He felt dissatisfied, now that it was over, and he wished he had stayed at home and gone to bed with Rachel. Then he remembered that she had left him and he felt worse.
Edward turned the girl over onto her back. She almost rolled off the bed, and he grabbed her ankles and pulled her back into the middle. As he did so her hood came partly off.
Edward said: 'Good God!'
'What's the matter?' Micky said without much interest.
Edward was kneeling between the girl's thighs with his prick in his hand, staring at her half-revealed face. Micky decided that the girl must be someone they knew. He watched, fascinated, as she tried to tug the hood down again. Edward prevented her, and pulled it right off.
Then Micky saw the big blue eyes and childlike face of Edward's wife, Emily.
'I never heard of such a thing!' he said, and he started to laugh.
Edward gave a roar of rage. 'You filthy cow!' he yelled. 'You did this to shame me!'
'No, Edward, no!' she cried. 'To help you--to help us!'
'Now they all know!' he shouted, and he punched her face.
She screamed and struggled, and he hit her again.
Micky laughed all the more. It was the funniest thing he had ever seen: a man going into a whorehouse and meeting his own wife!
April came rushing in, in response to the screams. 'Leave her alone!' she yelled, and she tried to pull Edward off.
He pushed her aside. 'I'll chastise my own wife if I please!' he roared.
'You great big fool, she only wants to have a baby!'
'She'll have my fist instead!'
They struggled for a moment. Edward punched his wife again, then April punched him on the ear. He gave a cry of pain and surprise, making Micky collapse with hysterical laughter.
At last April managed to haul Edward off his wife.
Emily got off the bed. Astonishingly, she did not immediately rush out. Instead she spoke to her husband. 'Please don't give up, Edward. I'll do anything you want, anything!'
He lunged at her again. April clung to his legs and tripped him up. He fell to his knees. April said: 'Get out, Emily, before he kills you!'
Emily rushed out, weeping.
Edward was still raging. 'I'll never come to this poxy whorehouse again!' he yelled, wagging his finger at April.
Micky fell on the sofa, holding his sides, laughing fit to bust.
Section 2
MAISIE GREENBOURNE'S MIDSUMMER BALL was one of the fixtures of the London season. She always had the best band, the most delicious food, outrageously extravagant decorations, and endless champagne. But the main reason everyone wanted to go was that the Prince of Wales always came.
This year Maisie decided to use the occasion to launch the new Nora Pilaster.
It was a high-risk strategy, for if it went wrong both Nora and Maisie would be humiliated. But if it went well no one would ever dare to snub Nora again.
Maisie gave a small dinner for twenty-four people earlier in the evening, before the ball. The prince could not come to the dinner. Hugh and Nora were there, and Nora looked quite bewitching in a gauzy sky-blue gown covered with little satin bows. The off-the-shoulder style made the most of her pink skin and voluptuous figure.
The other guests were surprised to see her at the table, but assumed Maisie knew
