She was still unsure of what he was going to do, knowing from grim experience that he could be unpredictable, so when he said, ‘I blame Howard for this, he should never have let them three into the house,’ she sagged with relief. She had realized within twenty-four hours of moving in that Daniel called the shots and Howard did what he was told, same as most folk Daniel came into contact with. Howard was the one who let the customers in and out and remained in the house, but Daniel was always out and about somewhere. Daisy had told her that Daniel had a finger in plenty of pies and had some other girls working the streets for him. They were lucky, Daisy had said, that they had a room each here and weren’t one of his lassies working the docks or the pubs. Some of them had come to a sticky end. Funny, but she didn’t feel lucky, Ellie had said back, to which Daisy had just shrugged. The top two rooms of the house had been converted into one, and it was here that Daniel ran his gambling den most nights. After this finished in the early hours it was understood that she and Daisy ‘entertained’ any gamblers who felt so inclined.

Daniel turned, opening the door as he said, ‘Put something on and come down to eat,’ and for a moment she found it difficult to obey his command for amazement that she had got off so lightly. Gratitude that he wasn’t going to beat her or worse brought her scrambling to comply, and once she had pulled on a dress and knotted her hair at the back of her head she found him waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

Just as he had caught hold of Ruby’s arm, he now did the same with Ellie, his voice quiet as he murmured, ‘I let your pal leave here in one piece this time but that don’t mean I’m going soft. You know that, don’t you?’

He had propelled her to the top of the steep narrow stairs as he’d spoken, and she looked down, the terror he always inspired making her stammer as she said, ‘Ye–yes, I – I know.’

‘Good.’ He held her arm for a moment more and then said softly, ‘Stop trembling. I’m not angry with you, not this time. Come and have a bite and something to drink. You’ve put on a bit of flesh the last few months but you’re still too scrawny. Men like a lass with a bit of meat on her bones. I need to fatten you up.’

It was for all the world as though he was talking about a cow being fattened up for market, and as she followed him down the stairs, Ellie reflected that was exactly what she felt like. Cash on the hoof.

Chapter Eleven