“I’d like to see more of it. Maybe the places the tourists don’t see.” Evelyn was enthusiastic and, Jos sensed, glad that they were able to make easy conversation despite the new tension that existed between them.
“Oh, there’s plenty of those. Of many different types. For example, you wouldn’t get many tourists passing through this door.” They stopped outside the blue-painted door of Clara and Courtney’s residence and Jos rang the doorbell. Moments later, they were greeted by a young woman in the uniform of a maidservant. “Evening, Maggie, all right if we come in?” Jos greeted her.
“Miss Singleton! Of course. They’re upstairs, in the salon. You’re to help yourself to food and drinks, so I can have my evening off.”
“Of course. Any plans?” Jos liked Maggie, however uncomfortable she was around servants generally, having not grown up with domestic help herself. She wished Maggie would be a little less deferential, but Maggie seemed to see it as part of doing her job well. Clara and Courtney treated her with respect and she seemed happy enough. Now Jos was conscious of Evelyn observing her interaction with the maid and also aware of Maggie glancing at Evelyn, curiosity in her expression.
“Nothing very special. I thought I might go to the cinema, but I’m rather tired so I might just make cocoa and read.”
“You live a wild life, Maggie.”
“Don’t I know it?” Maggie was almost staring at Evelyn now. “Miss Courtney didn’t say you were bringing anyone with you.”
“No, well, she didn’t know and she won’t mind, I’m sure. This is Miss Evelyn Hopkins.”
“Good to meet you, Miss Hopkins. Maggie Francis, I keep house for Miss Clara and Miss Courtney.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Evelyn replied. Jos could sense her slight unease. Evelyn would naturally have even less experience dealing with servants than she had herself.
“Well, now we’ve all met, let’s head upstairs, shall we?” Jos said, before Maggie could ask any questions. She took Evelyn’s arm and made for the flight of stairs that led to the flat above.
Clara and Courtney’s apartment was rather upside down compared to the normal set-up of a house. The kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms were all on the lower level, along with a very small sitting room and dining room, while the upstairs was given over to a large salon which made the most of the floor-to-ceiling windows with a view across the rooftops of Mayfair. The room was decorated immaculately in pale colours, which provided the perfect backdrop to Clara and Courtney’s collection of fine art. On the chimney breast was a particularly large and striking Expressionist painting, which Clara was convinced was a fine investment, however much Courtney protested that it was ugly. Jos couldn’t remember the artist Clara had named and had no wish to demonstrate her ignorance by asking for the information to be repeated. She made no attempt to explain the room to Evelyn as they reached the top of the stairs, merely led her through the archway and into the salon, from where gramophone jazz was emanating, combined with the hum of several voices talking at once.
A quick glance at Evelyn as they entered told Jos that she was paying little attention to the artwork on the walls and much more attention to the gathering of women in the room. Even though she was well known here, she found herself nervous on entering the room so conspicuously, so she couldn’t help but wonder how Evelyn felt, despite the smile she had conjured. There were about a dozen women in the room and all of them turned to see who had joined them. Jos knew them all and was met with smiles, immediately followed by intrigued and knowing looks regarding Evelyn by her side.
“Jos!” came Courtney’s New York accented voice from near the fireplace, where a table had been set up bearing various spirits and plenty of glasses. “Now you’re here it’s a real party! And you’ve brought Evelyn too, how simply jazzy.”
“You can make mine a scotch, Courtney,” Jos called back, grinning. Courtney’s charm really was irresistable.
“But what about Evelyn?” This was Clara, who had risen to her feet and now came to stand next to Evelyn. “You don’t strike me as a scotch drinker, my dear.”
Jos was relieved to see Evelyn smile, genuinely. Just as she’d thought. A strong woman who was not easily intimidated. Still Evelyn’s words drifted through her mind. I know…and I find you fascinating too. There was really no way to misintepret that. The only decision now was what she should do with that knowledge.
*
It had only taken Evelyn a moment to realise there were no men present at this gathering and another moment to make the correct assumption that these were women who were like Jos, Clara, and Courtney. She did not like, even in her head, to think of using James’s word, inverts, but she was not sure how else to describe them. Perhaps, she thought, she should be nervous in a room of such women. But she was not. She felt comfortable and welcomed. Besides, considering the feeling she had confessed to Jos, she was surely one of them, at least in intention if not in actuality. She liked the idea of finding women more like her. She was also excited to spend a whole evening with Jos, in a world where Jos seemed happy to be herself.
So now, when she smiled at Clara, it was a smile that held a certain confidence. Nervous though she was when greeting new people, and intimidating though it was to be
