Fallen Angels

by Tara Hyland

  Ronan watched with amusement as Cara squirmed under his questioning. The truth was, when Mel had told him that the Irish girl wanted to come to work here, his immediate reaction had been, ‘No way.’ The last time he’d seen Cara must have been a few months ago now, and she’d been nothing more than a skinny little waif – hardly the type he could employ as a waitress at a sophisticated place like Eclipse. So today, he’d been pleasantly surprised when this tall, attractive, dark-haired young woman had walked into his office. Although she wasn’t beautiful, she was definitely striking, and she really had the most incredible legs he’d ever seen.

  Still, he wasn’t rushing into giving her a job. He couldn’t imagine overprotective Annie Connolly wanting her precious charge working here.

  ‘And what does Annie make of all this?’ he asked.

  ‘She’s fine with it,’ Cara answered quickly.

  Too quickly. Ronan could tell the girl was lying. He bet she hadn’t even given it a thought. ‘You sure?’ His tone let her know he didn’t believe her.

  ‘Yes.’ Cara’s green eyes flashed, as she finally snapped, ‘And even if she wasn’t, I’m old enough to make my own decisions.’ Clearly fed up with all his questions, she made a move to stand up. ‘Look, if you don’t want to employ me, then that’s fine. I can always go elsewhere.’

  Ronan laughed at her uppity tone. ‘All right, love.’ He held up his hands in mock surrender. ‘Keep your knickers on. It was only a simple question.’ He gave a shrug. ‘And if you’re that keen, then I’ll give you a go. At least if you’re here, I can keep an eye on you – make sure you don’t get into any trouble.’

  ‘Thanks, but you needn’t bother,’ Cara said tartly. ‘I think you’ll find I’m able to look after myself.’

  Ronan laughed again. ‘I can well believe that.’ She’d developed a mouth on her, that was for sure – which was good, because he couldn’t employ a shrinking violet here. Sometimes the customers got leery, and she needed to be able to handle herself.

  ‘So,’ Cara said impatiently. ‘Have I got the job?’

  ‘Yeah, why not? Just get out of here, before I change my mind.’

  Chapter Forty

  London, June 1965

  ‘My feet are killing me.’ Putting her hands on the smooth mahogany bar for support, Melanie stepped out of her heels, immediately shrinking three inches.

  Cara shook her head in mock rebuke. ‘If Ronan catches you out of uniform, there’ll be hell to pay.’

  ‘That’s the least of my troubles.’ Mel rubbed the sides of the corset that she was wearing. ‘I think Donna pulled this too tight. I don’t half feel ropey – like a turkey trussed up for Christmas.’

  ‘You and me both,’ Cara laughed, looking down at her skimpy costume.

  There were strict rules at the club, and Eclipse’s Manager, Ronan, was fastidious about enforcing them – especially when it came to what the girls wore. All the cocktail waitresses were expected to dress identically, and they were forever bitching about how uncomfortable it was, although Cara suspected that, like her, most of them secretly loved the slinky uniform. She always felt sexy just stepping into it in the evenings: the black satin teddy with tuxedo tails, full-length black opera gloves, fishnets and heels. At the start of being hired, each girl had a meeting with the club’s dressmaker, to ensure her costume fitted perfectly. Cara reckoned the woman must be some kind of miracle-worker, since whenever she put the basque on, she went from looking like an ironing board to having an hourglass figure.

  Along with the uniform, the girls were all expected to wear their hair up, and to be fully made-up at all times. It was a sexy, high-class look, which pretty much summed up Eclipse. Housed in an intimate cellar room of a Soho townhouse, every detail had been perfectly thought out. The nightclub’s low lighting, burgundy carpets and plush velvet banquettes made it a deliciously seedy and decadent place, full of old-style glamour, which was why it attracted such an illustrious clientele. Looking around tonight, Cara could spot a couple of movie stars, a government minister and a high-ranking member of the Royal Family, all without too much effort.

  Cara had been working at the club for a year now, and she’d never been happier. It was an easy gig. As Ronan had warned her during that interview, other than delivering drinks, her main task seemed to be to parade half-naked around the place, providing colour and company as required. And while Cara could appreciate it was a little mindless, she liked the idea that men were prepared to pay to spend the evening with her. For someone who had always considered herself to be an ugly duckling, it was nightly validation that she had turned into a swan.

  As Ronan had predicted, Annie wasn’t especially happy about Cara’s new job.

  ‘What do you want to be doing that for?’ she’d said, when she heard.

  Even though Cara had had little formal education, she was obviously a smart girl, and the older woman had hoped that one day she would get a good job for herself, marry someone respectable who doted on her and settle into one of the more affluent London suburbs. That was growing less likely now, and Annie couldn’t help feeling somewhat responsible for the girl falling into this underground lifestyle. But Cara seemed happy enough, so there wasn’t much she could do about it.

  Since coming to work at Eclipse, Cara felt that she’d finally started to grow up. Last month, in May, she had turned eighteen. The Connollys had held a little party for her, and Annie baked a cake. The next night, she’d gone out to the Clapham Grand with a few of the girls who worked at Eclipse, and got chatting to a boy called Grant. He insisted on seeing her home, and that night she’d had her first kiss. Annie met him and approved. He lived in Surrey and had a good job as a civil servant. They went out a few times after that, but Cara sensed he was keener than her, and so she broke things off with him, as gently as she could. She knew that she could never feel the same way about him as she did about Danny, and it wasn’t worth pursuing something with no future. Gone were the days when girls settled down with the first man who asked them. This new decade was about women having choices, and she was determined to make the most of it.

  ‘You still up for tomorrow?’ she asked Mel now.

  ‘Yeah, can’t wait.’

  They both had the night off then, and they were planning to go out with some of the other girls. The hostesses all got on well, and Cara had made some good friends at Eclipse, helping the other waitresses out whenever she could. She loved the camaraderie between the girls, and that feeling of belonging.

  Groaning, Mel slipped her shoes back on. ‘S’pose I’d best get back to it,’ she said reluctantly.

  ‘If you’re feeling that bad, why don’t you go on your break?’

  The other girl pulled a face. ‘I already did, an hour ago.’

  Cara wasn’t surprised to hear this. Mel was notoriously work-shy. The only reason Ronan kept her on was because, when she was around, the customers loved her bubbly personality.

  ‘I’ll cover for you,’ Cara offered, as she so often had in the past.

  The redhead’s eyes lit up. ‘You sure?’

  ‘Course.’ Cara made little shooing motions with her hands. ‘Now, go on with you.’

  Mel didn’t need any further encouragement. She hurried away.

  Up in the viewing room, Ronan Carter stood with his boss, Finnbar Sullivan, looking down at the club below. The two-way mirror allowed them to see what was going on, with no one aware that they were watching.

  ‘That kid of Annie’s working out all right?’ Finnbar’s eyes were on a tall, slim, dark-haired girl, standing at the bar.

  Ronan followed his boss’s gaze. ‘Who, Cara? Yeah, she’s a good little worker.’

  He watched as Cara picked up a trayful of drinks and started heading towards Mel’s section. He immediately guessed what had happened – the redhead was always crying off from work, and Cara invariably picked up the slack for her. She was good like that, always happy to cover a shift if one of the other girls was sick or had a family emergency.<
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  ‘They’re a good-looking bunch, aren’t they?’ Finnbar mused, casting one last glance over the clubroom below. Satisfied that everything was running well, the gang leader turned from the window and went to sit down. He took out a cigarette. ‘Danny’s out soon,’ he said, as he lit up.

  Ronan nodded. He’d already heard, and he was pleased for the lad. He wouldn’t have fancied spending eighteen months in jail. But then, he was a very different person to Danny Connolly. Ronan wanted more than to end up as some low-level thug. Danny, on the other hand, was a hothead, always spoiling for a fight. He was happy enough to do his time, seeing it as part of the life he’d chosen. He didn’t realise how hard it was on those who loved him.

  ‘Annie’ll be pleased to have him back,’ Ronan commented.

  And she wouldn’t be the only one, he thought, his eyes lingering on Cara for a moment longer. Everyone at the club knew about her crush on Danny – it was something of a running joke. Of course, she’d changed a lot this past year. Ronan remembered back to the first time she’d come to his office, when she’d been all prickly and defensive. She’d matured since then, grown into a poised, sophisticated young woman. It’d be interesting to see what Danny made of her now that she was all grown up.

  Cara was working at Eclipse the night that Danny got out. Although everyone had known that his release was imminent, they hadn’t known the exact date. But around nine that evening the whispers started – Danny Connolly was back in town.

  Cara greeted the news with the same air of detached nonchalance with which she treated everything these days. He’d been away for nearly two years, and she liked to think that in that time she’d grown up, that she was no longer the faithful little puppy who had followed him around. Although she’d kept writing to him weekly, that didn’t mean she was going to fawn all over him. In fact, she’d been seeing Charlie, one of the bouncers from the club, for the past few weeks. And even if she did still think of Danny occasionally, she was too old now for stupid infatuations, she told herself as she stood by the bar, waiting for her drinks order to be filled. She was past mooning over Danny Connolly and she wasn’t going to waste time on him any longer.

  She froze, mid-thought. Because just as she’d been vowing to greet his return with the casual indifference it deserved, the man himself walked into the club. Seeing him, with his rough, dark handsomeness, she felt the old familiar tightening in her stomach, and she knew that despite her good resolutions, Danny was still in her system and under her skin.

  He didn’t see her at first. There were too many people surrounding him, slapping him on the back, offering to buy him drinks. It was like the King had come home. Cara hung back, unsure how to greet him after all this time.

  Mel spotted her skulking at the bar and came over. ‘Aren’t you gonna go and say hello?’ the redhead asked. ‘I thought you’d be first in line. Bloody hell, you’ve done enough pining after him these past months to last a lifetime.’

  ‘No, I haven’t!’

  Mel snorted a laugh. ‘Yeah, right.’

  Ignoring her friend, Cara moved off to deliver her drinks.

  It was a good hour and a half before Danny finally insisted on going up to the bar himself to buy a round. Cara knew this was her moment.

  Luckily, she was looking good. She always did these days. Smoothing her hands over the black corset, she nervously touched her dark hair, tamed into a sophisticated bouffant, and prepared to meet him.

  The crowds parted as Danny came up to the bar. It was Friday night, and as usual the place was being mobbed. He sat up on a stool, waiting to be served. He looked good, she saw: older, worldlier, and he’d bulked up, too. He already had a wallet full of cash, and was busy counting out his money when Cara walked over.

  ‘All right, Danny?’ she said softly.

  Hearing the familiar voice, he glanced up. He looked confused for a moment, and then, finally working out who it was, he did a double-take. ‘Cara?’ he stuttered.

  She heard his disbelief – tried to stem her excitement – and gave him what she hoped passed for a cool look. ‘Who else?’

  ‘Blimey!’ he guffawed, shaking his head a little in disbelief. ‘So the ugly duckling finally turned into a swan!’

  The comment hit straight in her gut. So, he still wasn’t going to take her seriously? Well, the old Cara might have pined for him, but the new one wasn’t going to be so stupid. ‘I just wanted to say that I’m glad you’re home,’ she said stiffly.

  She made to turn away, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. ‘Hey, don’t be like that,’ he pleaded. ‘What I meant to say is – you look great. I think I’ve been inside for so long I’ve forgotten how to compliment a lady.’

  It was the hangdog expression that did it for her, the one she’d seen him use on so many other girls over the years, when he’d been caught doing something bad and wanted to get back in their good books. It was the first time he’d used it on her. She started to soften, and caught herself. There were always too many women pandering to Danny; it was time to stand back and let him do the work.

  ‘I don’t need your compliments, Daniel Connolly,’ she said archly, shaking his hand off. ‘There’re enough other men queuing up to give them to me.’

  With that, she walked off. She could feel him staring after her. It took all her willpower not to look back.

  Chapter Forty-one

  ‘How does it feel then, son? Being back on the outside?’

  Finnbar leaned back in his chair, tucking his hands behind his head. Danny stood calmly in front of him, refusing to be intimidated. They were in the back room of Eclipse, which acted as a makeshift headquarters for Finnbar’s crew. Danny had been summoned there for a meet, his first since getting out of prison a fortnight ago.

  ‘It’s not so bad.’ Danny grinned. ‘There’re more birds out here.’

  Finnbar chuckled. ‘Yeah, and knowing you, you’re making the most of it, right?’

  The two men grinned at each other, and for a moment there was affinity between them; they were all boys together.

  In fact, while Danny had spent the past fourteen days savouring his freedom, now he was itching to get back to work. Danny was an ambitious lad; he’d grown up with nothing and being no one, right at the bottom of the pile. He’d seen his mother waste almost a decade of her life with a loser and a bully, and he was determined to be a better man – and for him, that meant being a good provider, even if that entailed straying outside the law from time to time. His upbringing had made him crave money and status in a way few others could understand. He’d been waiting for the word from Finnbar, and Danny assumed it would be business as usual. Having done his time and refused to grass the leader up, there were certain expectations that he would be looked after. But then again, you could never take anything for granted.

  Now, Danny cracked his knuckles, something he always did when he was unsure of himself but wanted to pretend otherwise.

  ‘So what’s the score? Got anything that needs sorting?’ It was his way of asking if he was still ‘in’.

  Finnbar smiled at his obvious eagerness. ‘All in good time.’ The large Irishman got up then and walked over to the wall safe. Taking out a thick envelope, he handed it to Danny.

  ‘I reckon after that two-year stint you could do with a few more days off. But meantime, this should compensate you for your trouble.’

  Danny’s eyes widened as he saw the wad of twenties. It was far more than he’d been expecting. Finnbar had taken care of his mother while he was away, and that had been enough of a gesture as far as Danny had been concerned. This showed exactly how much gratitude the gang leader felt.

  ‘That’s very generous of you, sir.’

  Finnbar gave a satisfied smile. ‘As everyone knows, I like to reward those who are loyal to me.’ Then his expression hardened. ‘Just as I punish those who aren’t.’

  There was a warning behind his words: You might be in favour now, but if you step out of line, I’ll have you, my son. But
Danny was too chuffed with how the meet had gone to notice. He was still in with Finnbar, he had money in his pocket and a few days left to call his own. As he left Eclipse, he knew exactly what he was going to do with the cash: get a place of his own.

  He hadn’t been able to settle back into living at home since coming out of the nick. At twenty-one years old, he was beyond taking orders from an old woman, even if she was his mum. He loved her dearly, but it was becoming a bit embarrassing bringing his friends back. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if they’d moved to a better place in a fancier area. But whenever he brought the idea up with her, she didn’t seem interested.

  ‘All my friends are here,’ she’d say, casting an eye out onto the street. ‘What’s the likes of me going to do for conversation somewhere la-di-dah?’

  Well, maybe she was happy to stay in their old neighbourhood, but Danny wasn’t. As of today, he was moving up in the world, and everyone was going to see that.

  ‘Cara! Wait a second!’

  Hearing someone call her name, Cara stopped in the street and turned. Her heart sank as she saw that it was one of the customers from the club: a well-spoken chap called Hugo, who was out on his stag night. He was alone, which meant he’d ditched the rest of his friends to come after her.

  ‘What do you want?’ Cara asked nervously as he drew level with her. She was pleased at least that she’d changed into jeans after her shift; it would have been horrible standing there half-naked in her costume.

  ‘To see if you’d like to go on somewhere.’ Seeming to sense her wariness, Hugo gave her a winning smile. He was a good-looking guy, only a few years older than her, with sandy hair and blue eyes. Perhaps if she’d met him on neutral ground she might have had a drink with him, but apart from knowing he was about to get married, Eclipse had a strict policy against its waitresses dating customers.