QUATRE FEMME

"This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual
persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive
rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited"



Dinner was a quiet affair; Roxy had made them Roasted Lamb chops, Roast potatoes and mixed vegetables, everyone ate quietly, neither Vanessa nor Kitty spoke about what had passed between them and they didn’t speak to each other, Akemi and Roxy every now and then gave each other confusing and questioning looks.

Dessert was apple torte and Hot custard, after the eating, Vanessa cleaned up, while Kitty went back to her room, and Akemi and Roxy sat together in the living room, Akemi was talking very quietly to Roxy and Roxy just listened,

“I can’t seem to find out what happened, Vanessa and Kitty never fight like this, and Vanessa is so quiet, THAT NEVER HAPPENS!!, Vanessa bought a lot of food, I bet it is because of Wigram..., I want some tea, do you want some?”

Roxy just nodded. And realised, she was the quiet one, the others loved talking.

Akemi got up and went into the kitchen; she looked at Vanessa and said “I am making tea, would you like some?” Vanessa replied with a “uh huh” and Akemi carried on, she looked back at Vanessa and spoke, “Is Wigram coming today?,” “I don’t know” replied Vanessa, and left the kitchen.

Akemi carried on with the tea, and as Vanessa crossed the living room she locked eyes with Roxy, Roxy smiled and said, “I hear the Earl of Worth is in town, he is 35 and is very eligible” Vanessa who had always romanticised the royals and aristocracy would surely be interested, Roxy thought.

Vanessa just replied, “why should I care?” and sat down next to the window and gazed out of it, Roxy sat back and carried on reading her book, Akemi came in then holding the tea tray, with the pot, cups and biscuits on a saucer, she set it down on the table and began,

“Good I finally have you here alone, I wanted to speak to you both” Roxy said, “oh yes your job”, Vanessa looked up at this and Akemi nodded to Roxy, she continued, “I have a job, it is at the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall”.

Roxy just stared at Akemi, and Vanessa replied, “Making the tea for the Minister of Defence? He is handsome and athletic, I have seen his picture in the paper, he was in the Navy, and you should try to get him Akemi”

Akemi Glared at Vanessa, and Roxy said through a false smile, which Vanessa picked up on, “Congratulations! It is going to be tough work, very busy” Akemi thanked Roxy for her Congratulations,

Vanessa put in “congratulations, but I didn’t realize that you were going for that sort of position Akemi, when you said you wanted to help the war effort I though you meant sleep with some soldiers”.

Akemi replied, “Vanessa why are you being a bitch? Is it because your new boyfriend hasn’t called? Or is it because you are jealous, at least I am doing something, your plan on coming to London was to find a rich man and marry him, even if he was old!!”

Kitty came out of her room then, and said, “Vanessa is a whore, and she is selfish all she cares about it herself, damn the war damn Britain and damn all the men fighting, as long as she is safe in her expensive house in the country with her husband who cares what happens to us”.

Everyone just stared at Kitty, Vanessa just got up, walked to the coat stand, picked up her bag and coat and walked out of the front door.

Akemi and Roxy who had watched Vanessa leave then rounded on Kitty but she had already gone back to her room. Akemi sat looking at Roxy and said “Ok what the hell is going on, Kitty has never spoken that way before, certainly not to Vanessa”.

Roxy shrugged and went into her room taking her tea with her.

Akemi shrugged and went into the kitchen to sort out her lunch for her first day on the job tomorrow.

Eventually Kitty allowed Roxy into her room, after Roxy had coxed her for half an hour,

She asked Kitty what had happened, kitty replied “I don’t know, she came back in a funny mood, she bought all of that food!! And when I confronted her, she bit my head off, and I must admit I got a little silly and started crying”

“Well you called her a selfish whore as well” replied Roxy in a joking tone, Kitty smiled meekly and said, “well she was being nasty to Akemi, and she is always sarcastic and...I will say sorry to her when she comes back”,

“If she comes back, she could be blown up, the raids will start soon” Roxy said while turning away to hide her grin, Kitty gasped and said “OH NO, she can’t die!! Oh Roxy she’s going to die and the last thing I said was...Oh Roxy” and She burst out crying again,

Roxy Rolled her eyes and told her she was joking and said “have you got your clothes reading for tomorrow? Don’t forget your new job”, Kitty looked up with puffy eyes and said “PISS OFF”, Roxy laughed and went into her room and shut the door.

Akemi eventually went to bed as did Kitty, Roxy remained awake reading, the raids were very loud now, Roxy thought about Vanessa, thought if she was safe, if she was dead, if she could borrow her tweed suit when she goes for her important interview,

Roxy knew she was a selfish creature, even if everyone thought that she was kind.

Vanessa walked and walked, upset, angry and tired.

She wished that they had never come to London (no she didn’t she loved London)

She wished that Roxy wasn’t such a cruel bitch!! (Yes she was certain of that),

She was happy for Akemi (though Vanessa didn’t think Akemi would do well)

She was sorry for the way she shouted at Kitty, and the fact that Kitty called her a whore, made her smile now.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted a job helping people, but the conceit of marring rich and sticking her head in the sand, was getting to her.

She was selfish, she should be helping! And she shouldn’t try to bind Roxanne! (But she wasn’t binding her, she just didn’t want to lose her! and she knew that she was going too).

There was smoke and ash everywhere, but it was oddly silent, other than the air raid and bombs, it was eerie, she had a feeling that she was being followed... She reached into her purse and retrieved a small ladylike pistol with a silver barrel and an ivory handle,

(It had been given to her by her father, on her 16th birthday, and odd gift, but they were living in rural Spain at the time and Bandits were almost always on the road)

Her pace quickened and eventually turned into a run, her heels were the only natural sound heard in the road, but then she also heard someone running after her, A MAN! The feet were heavy and thick, the person was wearing boots.

Vanessa ran into the nearest public building, a 3 star hotel, the lobby was empty except for one man at the front desk, a woman cleaning and a gentleman sitting in a chair in the back of the saloon.

She quickly stowed the pistol back into her purse and walked to the desk,

“Hello” (she spoke)

The gentleman returned the greeting uninterestedly while looking down at his crossword,

“I would like a room please, one with a bathroom and a kettle... and obviously a bed” Vanessa said, with a little laugh.

The Gentleman looked up, and then his expression took on a most profound change, a smile and a twinkle in his eye touched his face, he spoke.

“Um yes of Course, miss??”

“Knightly, Vanessa Knightly” Vanessa responded, giving him one of her sweet smiles.

The gentleman was mesmerised by her, and then he realised that Vanessa kept looking behind her, at the door.

“Is something amiss, Miss Knightly?” asked the man tenderly

Vanessa turned back to him and said “I think someone was following me, it’s nothing, and it was probably my ears playing tricks on me, with the loud raids and all),

The gentleman nodded and said that you were probably right.

Vanessa filled out the form and paid for the room, and took her key. “I will have a drink to settle me in the saloon before I go up” she said to the desk attendant.

She walked into the saloon, and sat down next to the bar, she looked at the menu and asked for a Bloody Mary... but without the celery...”I hate them” she told the bartender smiling,

The bartender spoke “well we don’t have any celery” Vanessa smiled, then he continued “or Vodka... or tomato juice”

Vanessa just said “Oh”,

The bartender spoke again “we have Irish whisky, Scotch, ale, Beer, Cider, white and red wine and some rum, ooh and Gin”

Vanessa sat back and thought to herself, she asked if she could have a strong coffee with a double whisky,

The bartender nodded and left to retrieve her drinks.

Vanessa looked around and saw a man walk in, she saw that he was wearing boots and that he had a heavy step, Vanessa looked nervously around her,

(The man in the corner who had been watching her- well she was pretty, noticed her looking nervous, and reaching into her purse, A GUN, he noticed, he leaned forward a little to see if she spoke)

Vanessa had her gun next to her side, the man in the boots didn’t see it, he came and sat near her, but not next to her.

The bartender returned and put down her strong black coffee and her double whisky, Vanessa smiled and wrote down her room number on a napkin and showed the bartender,

The bartender looked up at her and then saw the man near her, and he understood, she didn’t want to say her room number in front of this stranger.

The bartender nodded and walked away, to charge the bill to Vanessa’s room.

The man leaned over and said, “Hello”

Vanessa looked away pretending she didn’t hear him.

The man moved forward and said “I am on leave, I am a sailor, and I was wondering if I could buy you a drink?”

Vanessa spoke “as you see sir I have a drink, I thank you for your attention and kindness, I believe the cleaning lady would like a drink” Vanessa gestured to the woman mopping the floor.

The sailor turned around and looked at the woman, he then turned back to Vanessa and said “I don’t want to buy her a drink I want to buy you a drink, now what will you have?”

Vanessa turned to him, annoyed now and said “I am not a MAN!!!”

The sailor looked confused, Vanessa spoke again,

“You’re a Sailor!! And in the Navy!!? And your delights fall to your own kind, there’s nothing wrong with it!!, I have lots of homosexual friends!!, so don’t be ashamed or upset!”

The man at the back of the room, sniggered and thought how odd.

The sailor looked at Vanessa incredulously and then angrily, he went for Vanessa and grabbed her arm, “how dare you accuse me of being a poof” the sailor spat at her,

Vanessa just looked at him unimpressed and the said “don’t say that word ‘POOF`, I do hate Homophobia, and you shouldn’t speak about your preference that way”!

The gentleman at the back of the room had got to his feet, when the sailor grabbed Vanessa, but he was also smiling because of Vanessa’s defiance and plain stupid confidence.

The sailor raised his hand (as if to slap Vanessa) Vanessa seeing his hand, then raised her hand and the sailor then saw Vanessa’s Gun, the sailor let go of Vanessa’s arm and took a step back,

The gentleman at the back of the room came to Vanessa’s side and the spoke, “may I be of some assistance Miss?” he had a crisp diction and perfect elocution, well educated and terrible handsome!!

Vanessa said that the situation was taken care of and leaned over to her table, and picked up her whisky and poured it into her coffee, she mixed the drink with her finger, she then sucked her finger, and picked up her drink and began drinking,

She looked at the gentleman smiled and walked out of the saloon, and went to the elevator.

Once the door of the elevator had closed she leaned back and breathed very quickly, she was shaking and she was scared, the elevator eventually got to her floor and she found her room, she quickly opened the door, closed it and leaning against it,

The room had a small fire lit, and a few candles, (you weren’t supposed to put lights on during a raid), she walked over to the bed and sat down, the bed was a double bed and it had a nice floral designed quilt.

The small fire was comforting, she got up and sat down next to the fire on a little stool, she continued to drink her spiked coffee, it was very nice and comforting., She removed her shoes and rubbed her legs next to the fire, she removed her coat and undid her cardigan.

Back in the Lobby:

The gentleman, after calling the police for the sailor, went to the desk man, and spoke “that lady that was here was she alright? That man attacked her”, he pointed to he sailor who was being taken away by police.

The desk man leaped up and said “What!!! Oh dear is that why the bobby was here? Oh poor girl, she did think someone was following her”

The gentleman quickly said, “what is her room, I will take her a brandy and see if she is ok”, the desk man told him “third fall, room 2, next to the ice well”,

The gentleman nodded and walked back to the saloon, got Vanessa a brandy and went to the elevator.