Tilly kept her expression clear, but the thought of this small, pale woman living in such a place made her weep. Even she had heard of Flower and Dean Street, which was in the heart of the Spitalfields rookery, one of the most notorious slums in London.
“And you live there alone?”
She nodded. “I have a dog,” Ruby added quickly, as if that made everything all right.
“What work do you do?”
“I take in sewing.”
Tread carefully, Tilly, she thought as Ruby lifted her chin. She was feeling threatened, and sometimes pride was all some women had to hold on to.
“Do you really? Are you very busy at the moment? Because I’m in desperate need of someone to help me here. You see, there are still curtains to be hemmed correctly. And I have a need for napkins and many other things.” She saw a flash of excitement in Ruby’s eyes that was just as quickly extinguished.
Hope was a dangerous thing for some people, as it had once been for Tilly.
“In fact, I would like to employ someone full-time to fix torn hems and help out around here. There would also be some cleaning, and the position would be a live-in one.”
Tilly made herself shut up and continue to write notes. She was often someone who worked on impulse, and something inside her had been screaming at her to help this woman from the moment she’d seen her. Of course, there was also Margaret to consider if Ruby agreed, as she would have to work with her, but she wanted to do something for this sad and terrified woman.
Was she wrong to offer the position without knowing more about Ruby? Yes, but then had her parents not gone on instinct, Tilly’s life would have differed vastly from the one she lived today.
She’d done things like this before, and sometimes it had not worked out as planned, but looking at the woman before her, she knew she had to do something.
“I-I can’t…” The words fell away as Tilly turned to look at Ruby. “My dog. I will not leave him, you see.”
“Would he be a good guard dog? Because I’ve been thinking about getting one for those purposes. There are plenty who are not happy about this club, Ruby, and a growling dog may deter them should they continue to vandalize the property.”
She watched Ruby struggle with her needs and her pride to understand that someone was suddenly giving her something she’d never believed she’d ever again have. Hope.
“Of course, I expect your dog to be well-behaved and not bite any of our members. The men out there, however”—she waved at the wall behind Ruby—“he is more than welcome to take regular bites out of.”
“Y-yes,” she whispered. “I fear I cannot come for a week, as I have?—”
“That will work well,” Tilly assured her, waving her explanation aside. “So, would you like to take up employment in this establishment, Ruby?”
A single tear slid down her cheek. “Yes, please, Miss Wilson,” she whispered. “I would like that very much.”
CHAPTER 4
After she’d seen Ruby out, Tilly tried to focus on anything but that young woman’s plight. She lived in one of the worst slums in London, alone, with only a dog to care for her. If that were not bad enough, she’d also lost her sister and had been looking for her ever since.
Tilly would be no different if she had a sibling. She’d never give up hope of finding them.
Leaving her office, she headed to find Violet and her sisters. The door opened as she passed, and in stepped a gaggle of women whom she knew—not well, but well enough from society.
“Duchess.” Tilly sank into a deep curtsy as the Duchess of Raven approached her.
She was one of those women who did not seem to age. With her rich, dark hair and stunning eyes, she was considered one of society’s beauties.
“Miss Wilson, you’ll forgive us for just arriving, but as we’ve never joined a club before, my husband told me we should appear. He doubted there would be stuffy, outdatedregulations governing your club, like there are his. So here we are.”
She then introduced her sisters, sisters-in-law, and several other women marriage-related her too. Most Tilly knew from society, but some she’d not met.
“I am so pleased to welcome you to The Iris Club, ladies.”
She and Violet had thought long and hard about who they wanted to join and how they would go about accepting new members. She knew dues were paid in gentlemen’s clubs, but as they were using the Pavlov money to run this place—for now it was not necessary.
Tilly was also aware that having your membership accepted was quite a long drawn-out process for men, which included nominations, committee reviews, and ballots or votes, plus social credentials.