Stuffing the notes out of sight, Lottie gave him a wary glance. ‘I earned it, what d’yer think?’

He quickly changed tactics. ‘None o’ my business,’ he slyly apologised, stroking his hand over her shoulder. ‘Only you shouldn’t be walking about with all that cash on you, especially like that…’ he flicked her pocket ‘… where any Tom, Dick or Harry can see it. There’s some artful buggers round this fairground, and I should know.’ ’Cos I’m one of them, he thought, though he wasn’t about to tell her that – at least, not until he’d got what he wanted out of the silly bitch.

‘I can take care of myself!’

He grinned. ‘I’m sure you can.’ A thought occurred to him. ‘’Ere! I’m no cradle-snatcher! How old are you?’ It was no matter. He had her in his sights and was not about to let her loose.

‘I’m eighteen.’

‘Liar.’ Snaking out his tongue, he licked her on the neck, making her giggle. ‘You’re never eighteen!’

‘All right, I’m sixteen. Why d’you want to know?’ Lies became easier the more you told them.

Tantalisingly, he licked the inside of her ear and said huskily, ‘If I’m about to take you to bed, I need to know if you’re old enough.’

‘What makes you think I want to go to bed with you?’

For a brief minute her coy manner had him foxed, then she smiled up at him and he knew he had her. ‘Oh, you want me all right,’ he whispered. ‘I can always tell.’

‘I’m not one of your easy girls!’ Anger coloured her face.

‘Aye aye – looks like I’ve got a fiery one here. But that’s all right – it’s more fun.’ He laughed, a low, sarcastic sound that should have warned her. Instead, she was excited.

‘Nobody’s managed to tame me yet,’ she boasted.

‘I’ll bring you to heel my girl, given time.’

‘Hey, Romeo and Juliet! Do your courting somewhere else. I’m waiting to start up! Get your arses off my bloody machine!’ As the man yelled out, the Waltzer started up and began to move, with them still on it.

Returning the banter, the young man shouted, ‘Come on, Will, switch it off.’

Grinning, the other man threw a switch, and the machine began to gather speed.

‘We’d best get off. That’s my mate, and he’s mad as a hatter.’ Taking her by the arm, he propelled Lottie down the steps and on to firm ground. ‘Right then, let’s get a proper look at you.’ Legs astride and arms folded, he regarded her from top to toe.

Lottie was thrilled. ‘Like what you see, do you?’

‘Depends.’

‘On what?’

‘On how well we get on.’

Lottie grinned. ‘We’ll have to see, won’t we?’

‘I expect we will.’ But he did like what he saw, and what he saw was a good-looking girl with money in her pocket and a gleam in her eye that promised endless hours of pleasure… until he tired of her, as he had all the others. ‘What’s your name?’