QUATRE FEMME

1939-LONDON Whitehall

War Office,

Director of special objectives

Sir Henry Rothington

Sir Henry Rothington’s Office, 10:00am

Tall!, for a girl, beautiful ebony hair though in candle light has a crimson haze and in electric light has a brunette tinge, GREEN EYES..as you know Sir Rothington green eyes are very rare!,

Not in Ireland and Scotland!!! (barked Rothington, his large moustache blowing as he spoke)

She’s not Irish or a Scot! She has a mixed parentage!! Mother was from Prague and even she was a mix of umm oh what was it... (he tapped his pen against his head as if hoping that the tapping would jog his memory, all it did was put a few dots of blue ink on his temple,

Ahh yes her mother! She was half Checkoslavakian and half Italian!! Or was it Check and Spanish?..was it even Chek??

Oh for crying out loud!!! (Yelled Rothington)

Look sir my point is (Basil took a breath) She is quite the most beautiful creature I have ever seen!!

Well by her a drink and fuck the damn girl then, why are you telling me this? (Rothington said angrily)

Basil looked shocked, he has never heard Rothington Swear before...he interjected

Um sir, I didn’t mean that, I well, what I mean is..um, My brother Felix..he..

Oh I see your brother has taken the woman YOU want, well hard luck Basil there are plenty of more fish in London..well most of them have been bombed...um, look has Colonel Carter come around with any news yet? Rothington asked.

Um no sir, colonel Carter is still in Downing street Sir.., Um (Basil sat down, something he has never done before with out permission, and Rothington looked at him inquiringly), as you know sir my brother Felix works for Commander Mansfield Cumming RN..

At this Rothington started, “Your not supposed to know where he works Basil!!!! (Rothington shouted, so loud that the sectary knocked at the door), every things fine Violet go back to work”! Called Rothington calming slightly, though not taking his eyes off Basil.

Basil shifted in his seat and then said, Felix…”my brother, was at a tea room with a sweet heart of his..she’s a nurse..his sweet heart I mean”, Rothington was still staring at him, so Basil went on nervously.

And he said that while he was sitting there two girls came in, the one I was telling you about and another very very pretty girl, though not as pretty as the one I told you about,

Rothington said calmly “you still haven’t told me this girls name?”, Basil quickly said “Roxy! Her name is Roxy sir! Roxanne Knightly, and the girl with her was Akemi Knightly her older sister”.

AKEMI?! , Asked Rothington with a raised voice.

Um yes sir, I will explain.

Anyway my brother said they came in and had just come into town, they lived in Cornwall, and Roxy..my girl!

Oh your girl?!! Rothington said while smiling, he had finally sat down.

Um, Basil looked nervously, Um No sir I mean, I mean I just said that So that you understood..Sir.

Carry On, Shouted Rothington.

Said that she had been looking for work, she said, Vanessa had already decided that she would marry someone rich and take Kitty with her.

You see sir Roxy had three other sisters, the one she was sitting with Akemi, The oldest, a young sister Kitty or Katherine I suppose and Vanessa..A TWIN, an Identical twin!!!,

As my brother listened, the tea lady went to ask the girls what they wanted, obviously tea! But they also wanted cake, but the woman said we only have plain sponge!, Roxy said asked if she had Jam, the woman said only a little,

Roxy said to the woman, boil an egg cup of water and bring a little jam on a plate...with the cake,

The tea woman didn’t know what to make of her, but because Rox had been so polite and smiling the tea woman just did it, Sir she just did it!!

Rothington rolled his eyes? And said “So from Roxanne it became Roxy now it is Rox, will it be Ro soon?”,

Basil looking a little defeated continued,

The woman did as she said and when the woman came back she handed the plate with the jam and gave her the egg cup with hot water in it, Roxanne (he said her full name while looking away, Rothington just smiled),

Took the water and poured it on the jam and dipped her spoon into her tea, and poured a spoon of tea on the jam!

WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS? Yelled Rothington.

Please sir let me finish asked Basil, Rothington waved his hand in Agreement.

Well, Roxy then mixed the jam, the water and the hot tea, and it became a thin syrup, she took her slice of cake and cut it down the middle, she the spread some of her “syrup” on one side and sandwiched the cake together,

The tea woman just stared!, Rox cut a piece and gave it to the tea lady, apparently it tasted like old Victoria sponge cake..the kind that your grandmother would make!!

My grandmother never baked or cooked in her entire like, lazy old crone (Rothington interjected)

Basil, look at him for a moment then went on,

Roxy told the woman, with all of the shortages she had to find different ways of making flavours, my sister Katherine is a master at baking perhaps she could take Kitty on, for a short time?,

The woman (who to my brothers knowledge was not hiring), said Oh yes please that would be lovely, the woman walked away, and Roxanne turned to her Sister Akemi..and said “Well Kitty is taken care of, and I will not let Vanessa throw away her intelligence and disposition on a rich old man, I plan to take her with me tomorrow.

Akemi asked ”take her where?

Roxanne said Somewhere where we will be helping our handsome fellow country men in the war..but only the handsome ones, the ugly ones can die..she said this with humour and Akemi just said you sound like Vanessa!!

My brothers sweetheart the Nurse had to go on shift so she left, my brother drew his chair closer to the two sisters and listened.

Akemi spoke, I have been offered a job this morning! Roxy looked at her and scolded her for not saying sooner.

Akemi just said I wanted to talk to Vanessa and you about it, but considering Vanessa was still in bed when we left, I will let you talk to her, at least she doesn’t look at you with laced humor and pity in her eyes, Vanessa doesn’t respect me Roxanne!!

Roxanne smiled and said that’s because you gave your virginity to a farmer and you spend too long looking in the looking glass, and because you didn’t concentrate on your studies and because you are so touchy.

Thanks Roxanne!! Akemi scolded, “why do either of you bother talking to me?” Roxanne gave a cheeky smile and said, “because we are related, imagine what people would say if they knew we didn’t like our older sister? They would think us rude and impertinent”. At this Roxy laughed out loud.

My brother said she had the most memorizing laugh,. Basil told the uninterested Rothington.

Akemi playfully boxed Rox around the head and they carried on drinking their tea.

Roxy then said, “so Both Vanessa and I can speak a few languages, um let’s see..

Akemi at this point quickly said, you too are so competitive!!

Roxanne smiled and said, “No, not anymore, we actually just like learning, it always has just come easy to us…like movement does to Kitty, So Vanessa and I are the Gorgeous clever ones, Kitty is a graceful dancer.. what is your special and natural trait Akemi? (once again Roxy gave her Wonderful laugh)

Akemi said, “why that would be, seducing farmers” They both of them laughed at this. Akemi once she had stopped laughing said, “Tommy (the farmer) Had been courting her so she had done nothing wrong”!

Roxanne gave a sarcastic laugh/bark, and said” letting him buy you a pint of ale in the local pub– which by the way Akemi is very un lady like, ladies drink wine and Spirits!!,

and then YOU letting him put his hand up your dress as well and it wasn’t just his hand was it? It was his tongue and his (she whispered this bit) Cock, you were nothing more than a slutty lush!!

Roxanne laughed and lent over the table and kissed Akemi’s forehead while Akemi looked at Roxy with laughing eyes. Akemi spoke, “His tongue?” Roxanne nodded, Akemi said “No he never ATE my dessert as Vanessa puts it.

Roxanne looked at her with shock and said “well I hope you didn’t eat his “dessert” then?

Akemi smiled meekly, Roxanne shifted her chair away from Akemi in anger and saw my brother looking at her.

Rothington who was actually enjoying the story, since it started getting risqué said..”AND THEN!”

Roxanne smiled at Felix and said.. “sir, I hope that if the situation came where you and your very pretty nurse were being intermit, you would please her the way you wanted her to please you?”

My brother said to me that she had said it so calmly and honestly that he couldn’t help but like her instantly! He found himself smiling and he said he winked and said “there Is nothing finer than a.. woman’s, dessert”

Apparently Roxanne, smiled back and turned to Akemi and said “you see Akemi, London has all of the Decent sort of men” she turned to Felix and put out her hand,

I am Roxanne, though most people call me Roxy!, and this is my older inexperienced sister Akemi, she gestured to Akemi behind her, Akemi smiled and gave a batting wave.

Felix said “I couldn’t help but over hear what you were saying”, Roxy quickly put in..”it’s called eve’s dropping”, Felix said “well there aren’t any eve’s here and that’s a fact” (it was supposed to be funny) but Roxanne just looked at him and said “don’t be a fool”, Felix was embarassed.

Akemi quickly put in, while Roxy was sizing Felix up. “we live about ten minuets from here, are you close?”, Felix told them where he lived, Roxy smiled (though after Felix’s bad joke, she looked irritated now she looked kind again).

Roxy said “Oh well from what you heard, we are new in town, we have been to London before, but only rarely, we are looking for work”

Felix said, “yes I did hear, I also heard you say that you could speak a few languages and that learning came very easy to you and your Twin sister..Identical twin?, Roxanne nodded and said, “though Vanessa has Blue eyes, where as I have Green”.

Felix smiled and said “I like your dress” Looking down at Roxy’s dress, she replied “Oh, thank you, you are very kind, I got it when we were last in Sorento, it is a few years old but I do take care of my things so it looks new” Felix quickly put in,” Sorento? That’s in Italy” Both sisters nodded, felix continued, “have you traveled much”?

Roxanne said, we used to move around alot because of our father and mother, but they are now with there maker, who ever that maybe, so we have lately been hauled up with our great aunt in Cornwal,

But when the war hit, and all the influx of evacuee children came we sisters decided that our aunts home had grown to crouded and we also wanted to help the war effot”.

“So we moved down to London found ourselves a flat three bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen and a small window conservatory” Felix asked what are the sleeping arangments?,”Vanessa and I have our own rooms, and Akemi and Kitty share one, but it is a big room that they share”

Felix asks, “so why did they have to share and you and Vanessa get your own”?

At this Akemi answers, “That is because Vanessa and Roxy are paying forthe flat and most of the bills, they are great savers”

`Ahhh’ was felix’s only reply, after a couple of minuets ” What kind of job will you be looking for?” felix asked.

Roxy replied, “I don’t know, something where we can put our skills and abilites to use” Felix smiled and cocked an eyebrow and said, “Skills and abilities?, what skills do you have?” Roxanne said to this.”you do ask a lot of questions ..Felix”

Felix smiled and said he was sorry just trying to get aquainted. “Vanessa and I pick things up very quickly and are good linguists” Roxy said but a little suspiously now of Felix,

Akemi then said “they have something called `Photographic memories’, that means anything they see or hear they will remember it instantly and forever, it is because of that skill it has helped them become such good linguists”

“That and because we are interested!” Roxanne put in.

Felix then said “So how many languages can you both speak”?, Roxy replied “we can both speak the same languages, around twelve, Gaelic, Latin, French German, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Russian, Polish, Hebrew, Hindi and Arabic”.

Felix said “thirteen languages..you forgot English” Roxanne smiled seductivly and replied “well we take that one for granted” and winked.

Akemi said and “I can only speak English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Greek..so not as clever”

Felix was still staring at Roxanne, but he said to Akemi “that is very accomplished”, he then said to Roxy,”so well traveled, linguistic, Elephant memory and Beautiful?” Akemi gave a humourus exhale.

Roxy smile and said “you are very kind but I don’t like the elephant bit”

Felix and Roxanne laughed and Akemi just finished that last of the tea, Felix soon took his leave but gave them his card and said he thinks that he would be able to find them good work if they wanted to use `their abillites’..Vanessa included.

Roxanne said thank you and took his card and put it in her purse.

“My brother left the tea shop, and then he said he went to talk to Commander Mansfield Cumming RN about Roxanne and her sisters, I thought that I would tell you sir someone of her abillities and looks could help in some department I am sure, thats why I thought you should know Sir”, Said Basil,

Rothington leaned forward put his fingers together and said “HHMNN, Roxanne Knightly, not far from the tea shop she lives..look her up Basil and Basil..Good job, even if it took you and hour to tell the story” Basil smiled meekly and left the office,.

As soon as Felix had left the tea shop Roxanne turned to Akemi and said, “he was very personable wasn’t he, and his suit was quite expensive for a man who doesn’t speak so well, I don’t think he had a very good education..but he certainly knows things”

Akemi said he could be a criminal and had stolen the nice suit, Roxy dismissed this and said “please, when people rob shops they down get there exact measurements!!, No Akemi there is something about what happened here that I think will change our lives”.

Akemi looked at Roxanne incredulously and said “YOU and Vanessa read into everything”!

Roxanne eventually realised Akemi had drunk all the tea and said, “Your farmer has taught you bad habbits!!” and they both laughed.. Roxy rememebred.”Akemi you forgot to tell me what job you have got!”, Akemi told her that she thought about it, and decied hat she should say it in front of Vanessa.

Roxy shrugged and said “lets get home it looks like rain and I am only wearing this dress”,

They got up payed the bill, and told the woman Kitty will start work tomorrow morning at what time? The woman replied 9:30am, they were all in agreement, the sisters left the shop and made for home.