‘I have a proposition to put to you, Briony, which, if you agree, will really bring us in money.’

Briony lit a cigarette. Blowing out the smoke in a large billowing cloud, she said, ‘Go on.’

Mariah sat back in her chair, her large breasts heaving under the strain of her tight bodice. Briony wondered briefly if they would escape their confines and burst out into the warmth of the room.

‘There’s a house up for sale, Berwick Manor. It was used through the war as a hospital. The place is in a right mess. It’s going for a song, and I mean a song. The thing is, between us we could restore it. It’s perfect for what we’d want. It stands in its own land, it’s big, it’s got plenty of rooms. We could really make it pay.’

Briony nodded.

Mariah took a deep breath. Briony was not making this easy for her.

‘If we both invested equal amounts of capital in it, we could make it a showplace. Private functions, our best girls working there, catering for the elite. I know you have a few faces. Well, so do I. We could double up our clients and our takings. It’s a good investment.’

Briony smiled slowly.

‘I know the old manor. Who don’t? We walked past it often enough when we was kids pea picking. Kerry used to say, “I wish I lived there!” It’s a nice property, you’re right. It’s in a good location, too. We could cater to the London mob without them having to go too far. We could have weekend parties like, theme parties. Ancient Greece, French nights!’

Briony’s enthusiasm pleased Mariah who knew now that the idea was sold. All she had to do was collect the collateral.

‘Yeah, we could start them Friday and they could go on ’til the Sunday night. There’s a banqueting hall there where the punters could eat, plus plenty of outhouses for livestock and that. It could pretty much be self-contained. The grounds are enormous, acres of fields, even the old Berwick pond, ducks and all! It’s very picturesque, perfect for the monied man. Near to London and discreet. Just the place for a weekend in the country.’

‘How much is this going to rush me then? Only if it’s going for a song, it must need a lot of work on it.’

‘Oh, it does, Bri. I’m not gonna try and spin you about that, girl. It needs a major redec for a start, from carpets to curtains. It ain’t been touched since 1919, then it was boarded up and put on the market. In the last six or seven years it ain’t even seen a broom. But think of how it could be!’