Two or three girls were clustered round the Jack-Pot machine losing shillings hard and complaining about the cold.
They ordered a bottle of the Montmorency Wine Company's brandy and sat down to wait.
“Any of those do?” asked Jock.
“I don't much care.”
“Better get someone you like.
You've got to put in a lot of time with her.”
Presently Milly and Babs came downstairs.
“How are the postman's hats?” said Milly.
They could not recognize the allusion.
“You are the two boys who were here last month, aren't you?”
“Yes. I'm afraid we were rather tight.”
“You don't say?”
It was very seldom that Milly and Babs met anyone who was quite sober during their business hours.
“Well come and sit down.
How are you both?”
“I think I'm starting a cold,” said Babs. “I feel awful.
Why can't they heat this hole, the mean hounds?”
Milly was more cheerful and swayed in her chair to the music.
“Care to dance?” she said, and she and Tony began to shuffle across the empty floor.
“My friend is looking for a lady to take to the seaside,” said Jock.
“What, this weather?
That'll be a nice treat for a lonely girl.” Babs sniffed into a little ball of handkerchief.
“It's for a divorce.”
“Oh, I see.
Well, why doesn't he take Milly?
She doesn't catch cold easy. Besides she knows how to behave at a hotel.
Lots of the girls here are all right to have a lark with in town but you have to have a lady for a divorce.”
“D'you often get asked to do that?”
“Now and then.
It's a nice rest — but it means so much talking and the gentlemen will always go on so about their wives.”
While they were dancing Tony came straight to business.
“I suppose you wouldn't care to come away for the week-end?” he asked.
“Shouldn't mind,” said Milly.
“Where?”
“I thought of Brighton.”
“Oh … Is it for a divorce?”
“Yes.”
“You wouldn't mind if I brought my little girl with us?
She wouldn't be any trouble.”
“Yes.” “You mean you wouldn't mind?”
“I mean I should mind.”
“Oh … You wouldn't think I had a little girl of eight, would you?”
“No.”
“She's called Winnie.
I was only sixteen when I had her.
I was the youngest of the family and our stepfather wouldn't leave any of us girls alone.
That's why I have to work for a living.
She lives with a lady at Finchley.
Twenty-eight bob a week it costs me, not counting her clothes.
She does like the seaside.”