Trapped in 1895

Once more Cheryl was accosted by ugly Dan. He was waiting for her outside the black stallion when she finished her shift.

“Climb in, my dear. I will give you a lift home.”

Cheryl was too tired to object so she climbed in the carriage.

“I’m sure this is not you being cortious,” said Cheryl.

“Now now dear, can’t an old man do something nice for an attractive young woman.”

“Oh, give it a rest, what do you want.”

“I want you to deliver a parcel for me.”

“Why can’t one of your thugs or pickpockets do it.”

“Because the rozzers know all my thugs and pickpockets but you would slip by nicely.”

“And why would I do this.”

“Because you owe me a lot of money and I can think of many other ways to pay me back.”

Cheryl surrendered.

“Ok. What should I do.”

He handed Cheryl a piece of paper.

“You go to that address and ask for Mrs Carlisle. Don’t be put off by her attitude. She used to be a madam in one of my brothels. Got lucky and married into nobility. I knows things about her so she comes in useful. She’ll give you a parcel which you will take to King William Street Station, then you will wait there till a man called Davey meets you.”

“How will I recognise him?”

“You won’t. He’ll find you. He knows what you looks like.”

This made Cheryl nervous. She didn’t like the thought of ugly Dan’s men knowing what she looks like.

“What’s in the packet?” She asked.

“Best you don’t know, dearie. If the rozzers nick you for some reason, you can honestly say you were delivering a parcel. Ok, we’re here. Get out.”

Cheryl did and entered the house.

The next morning, Cheryl took an omnibus to the address given. It was in a respectable part of the city, but was a terraced residence. She climbed the steps toward a door with an impressive door knocker. She lifted it and let it drop. It gave a massive bong and immediately opened to reveal an impressive lady. She didn’t speak, but looked haughtily down her nose at Cheryl and thrust the package into her hands, slamming the door shut. Startled, Cheryl stepped backward and nearly stumbled down the stairs. She recovered and hurried off.

She made her way to the Oval Street subway station and took the lift to the platform. She couldn’t believe she was taking a ride on a nineteenth century subway. In the lift, a little man in a uniform took her money and gave her a ticket. The platform was quite crowded, and the atmosphere was stuffy and claustrophobic. A single track ran through the tunnel with a platform on both sides. It appeared people entered the train on one side and were excited on the other.

As the electric locomotive pulled into the station, someone knocked the bag from her hand. She watched in horror as it landed in the middle of the track. The locomotive ran over it. She could do nothing but watch as people entered and left the train. When it pulled away, she stood, staring at the package with the covering torn and ripped off. A young man, seeing Cheryl’s distress and correctly guessed its cause, leapt onto the track and retrieved the book.

“Here you are, Miss.”

She thanked the young man, who jumped back across the tracks. Cheryl examined the package. The covering had been totally ripped off, revealing a diary belonging to a Lord Harrison. After reading just one page, it was obvious what Ugly Dan was doing with this diary. Cheryl took the train to King William Street station and before she got off, she wrapped a scarf around her head, effectively disguising herself. She exited the station without being intercepted. She boarded a horse-drawn omnibus, then walked the rest of the way to his lordship’s house. She knocked on the door and stood, waiting, nervously. It was opened by a butler.

“May I help you?”

“I would like to see Lord Harrison. I have something of his.”

She was expecting to be shown into the receiving room, but the butler left her standing on the steps. A few minutes later, an old man appeared and Cheryl’s skin crawled. A pair of evil looking eyes peered over a hooked nose.

“Do you have it?”

“Y... Yes, I have a diary.”

“Give it to me.”

The old man ripped it from her hands.

“I will remember you,” he declared, and slammed the door shut.

“Huh, you could have said thanks,” she said to the closed door.

Cheryl made her way back to the Black Stallion and Ugly Dan was waiting for her when she finished.

“Well, well, Miss Brown, it appears you didn’t meet with my man Davey.”

“He didn’t meet with me.”

Ugly Dan’s attitude changed for the worse.

“What did you do with the package?”

“I gave it to Lord Harrison.”

A strange silence descended on Ugly Dan, then he burst out in uproarious laughter. Cheryl stared in amazement. This was not what she was expecting.

“Why did you do that, you stupid woman?”

Cheryl drew herself up in indignation.

“I had no wish to be part of a blackmail crime.”

“You’re too late, love. I already got the money. I was returning the diary as part of the deal. You just saved me a tenner. Davey was supposed to take it to him.”

“But why didn’t you want me to take it straight to him?”

“Because he is an evil old man with a long memory. I wanted to spare you any retribution from him by having someone like Davey deliver the book.”

Trying hard not to laugh, he climbed into his carriage.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let everyone know you’re under my protection.”

The carriage pulled off with Ugly Dan laughing loudly, leaving Cheryl wondering what she has got into now.

Cheryl was not long back in the dining room when Ugly Dan popped up again.

“What now?”

“Lord Harrison found you yet

“Nope, now what do you want?”

“I have another job for you.”

“And what if I don’t want to do it?”

“You still owe me two hundred quid. Can you pay it? Ah, I see by the look on your face you have no chance. Do you know I have other ways attractive young women can pay back their debt to me?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Penny Hill has a secret lover. I want you to find out who it is.”

“Mrs. Hill is my friend. You are asking me to betray my friend.”

“She’s your employer, woman. She doesn’t care what happens to you.”

Cheryl knew that wasn’t true.

“What are you going to do with the information?”

“If she doesn’t transfer the Black Stallion to my name, I will expose her.”

“And is this the last? I would have repaid you.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll do it.”

Cheryl knocked on Mrs. Hills’ office door.

“Come in.”

“Ah Cheryl. What can I do for you?”

“Actually, it’s what I can do for you, but first I would like you to buy my debt from Ugly Dan.”

Mrs. Hill whistled.

“That’s some ask. Why would I do that?”

“Ugly Dan has asked me to do something you should know about.”

“And what would that be?”

“First, two hundred pounds and eighty pounds.”

Mrs Hill stared at Cheryl, then turned around to her safe and drew out two hundred and eighty pounds and put it on the table. Cheryl went to pick it up.

“Not so fast. Tell me first.”

“Ugly Dan has found out you have a secret lover and has asked me to find out his name, then he will force you to sign over the Black Stallion.”

Mrs. Hill leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands behind her head.

“Now why I wonder, would Ugly Dan want you to find out something he already knows?”

Cheryl’s jaw dropped and Mrs. Hill leaned forward on her desk and picked up the money.

“Ugly Dan is very interested in you, for some reason. I think you would have found out the name and if you told Ugly Dan he would let me know you did. I would be forced to dismiss you and he would make sure you never find another job. Soon you would be unable to pay Ugly Dan his money and you would be forced into a job of his making, one he could keep you under control.”

Cheryl gulped and felt weak at the knees.

“What... what will I do?”

“First, you pay off Ugly Dan.”

She pushed the money across to Cheryl.

“And under no circumstance do you tell anyone where you got the money from.”

Cheryl eagerly picked the money up.

“You realise I now own you?”

Cheryl did, but at least it was a step up.

“And be careful, Ugly Dan won’t be happy you paid the debt.”

Cheryl decided she needed help and told everything to Harry.

“Don’t hit him Harry, please. You must promise me.”

Reluctantly, Harry agreed.

“I only meet Ugly Dan when he wants to meet me. I need you to find out where I can meet him.”

“Could be in a rough part of town,” replied Harry.

“That’s where you come in.”

Harry tracked him down to that rough part of town.

“Wear very old clothes, preferably not clean and don’t wash for a few days. You need to be invisible. I’ll meet you after work on Friday.”

Cheryl followed orders and a dirty, grubby Cheryl in old clothes, almost rags met Harry, who was similarly attired.

“Perfect. Now we have to walk there.”

An hour later, they were in a dark, menacing lane. Drunk and dead bodies lay everywhere and groups of drunken people staggered by singing loudly. Cheryl was terrified. They turned into another lane and a sign swung over a door. ‘The Dirty Thief’

“In here” said Harry.

He opened the door and stepped in. It was quiet and dark. Groups of people, in threes and fours, sat around talking quietly while waitresses moved between them.

“Over there,” said Harry.

In the corner sat Ugly Harry with a big, bad looking man and a thin evil one. She recognized them both.

“Hello, Dan.”

Ugly Dan looked up in puzzlement, then recognition in his eyes.

“Well, well. Miss Brown. Out of your depths, aren’t you?”

“Only because you’re hard to track down.”

“And what can I do for you?”

Cheryl pulled out a wad of notes.

“I think my debt is paid.”

Ugly Dan became angry. He sprung to his feet and the other two men sprung up as well. He grabbed Cheryl’s throat.

“Where did you get this money? Who gave it to you?”

Cheryl almost lost consciousness when Harry brought his fist down on Ugly Dan’s arms, breaking his grip then planted one on his chin. The big man advanced on Harry and the evil one produced a knife.

“If anyone moves, I’ll put a bullet in the skin.” the barman said. Ugly Dan struggled and stood up.

“You know the rules, Ugly Dan. Anyone fighting in my bar is liable to be shot.”

“Ok, ok,” said Ugly Dan.

“Is my debt paid?” demanded Cheryl.

“Yeah, ok. Now get out of here.”

Harry and Cheryl left quickly. Back at the professor’s house, Cheryl prepared some tea for them both. Mrs Cole took the hint and went to bed.