Page 69 of From Duke Till Dawn
At last, she crossed a street and made her way to one of the only open businesses: a gin house. The door to the establishment stood wide, spilling sulfurous light onto the pavement. Windows revealed men and women stooped over their glasses at tables, hardly speaking to one another. The alcohol took the majority of their attention.
The woman entered the gin house and someone inside called out to her. Clearly, she was a regular patron.
Alex and Cassandra exchanged looks. “Do we?” she asked softly.
“At the least, let’s get out of the cold.”
She took his arm, and together they walked into the gin house. As they went in, a few bleary pairs of eyes watched them, but most of the clientele was too intent on staring at their cups to give them notice. A tatty bar stood at one end of the room, with long tables and mismatched chairs serving as furniture. One woman stood behind the bar, wearily wiping down its battered wooden top. She grunted in acknowledgment when Alex and Cassandra appeared.
He’d never been inside a gin house before. It was sobering.
The woman in the necklace sat alone in the corner, her hands cradling her cup, her eyes on the level of alcohol in that cup. She had unfastened her coat, revealing her necklace. In the dull light, she appeared attractive but older than Alex had first surmised. This woman had seen much of life, and now drank to ease her burdens.
“Two,” Alex ordered the barkeep. The woman poured two cups of clear liquid and slid them across the bar. He paid, then picked up his cup. He’d no desire to drink here, but it would look suspicious if he and Cassandra were empty-handed.
“What now?” he whispered to her as they stood at the bar. This was a realm with which he was unfamiliar, but Cassandra didn’t display any horror at her surroundings. Given what he knew of her early life, she was well familiar with places like this.
Cassandra studied the woman. “She’s not looking toward the door, so she’s not expecting company. So we approach. Carefully.”
Slowly, Cassandra made her way toward the woman in the corner. Alex followed. The woman didn’t look up when they stood beside her.
“Pretty bauble around your neck,” Cassandra noted. Her accent had dropped, becoming rougher, less polished.
The woman’s hand went to her necklace, fingering the pearls and stones, as she glanced up at Cassandra. Her eyes quickly flicked to Alex, standing at Cassandra’s back. She tugged up the neckline of her coat, trying to cover the necklace.
“Thank ye,” she answered warily. The genteel accent she’d used in the Orchid Club was gone now, taken off like a mask. Her weary blue eyes sized them up, widening slightly at the fine cut and fabric of their clothes. “You look familiar...”
“The colors suit your complexion,” Alex said quickly.
A tiny smile appeared on the woman’s lips, softening the lines lightly creasing her face. “Thank ye,” she said again, warmer this time.
“I’m Alex,” he offered. “And this is Cassandra.”
Cassandra nodded in greeting.
“Becky,” the woman said. “Becky Morton.” Her gaze sharpened. “I ain’t for hire, if you two are looking for fun.”
“Nothing of the sort,” Alex quickly assured her. “May we sit?” He glanced at the chairs opposite Becky.
She shrugged and took a drink.
After seating themselves, they sat in silence for a few moments. Alex lifted his cup, then set it back down without having a sip. He’d wait until he was home before permitting himself a healthy swig of whiskey.
“You and me,” Cassandra said to Becky. “We got someone in common. A mutual friend.”
“Doubt it,” Becky answered.
“Known him most of my life,” Cassandra continued. “Martin Hughes.”
Becky immediately straightened, her expression frosty. “Don’t know any Martin Hughes.” Yet her fingers played with the necklace.
“Ah, but you do, Becky,” Cassandra answered. “He gave you that fine bauble.”
“How would you know?” Becky fired back.
“I was with him when he saw and admired it.” Cassandra placed her hands on the table and leaned in. “Sure he’s spoken of me.”
Becky’s lips pressed together tightly. She eyed Cassandra suspiciously. But she didn’t speak.
