“Would you be so kind as to draw a small bird on the piece of paper in front of you,” Val said.
“Excuse me?” Simon asked.
“Please.” Val said.
Simon looked at the two men before him and then picked up his pencil. He drew a rather awkward and silly looking bird and when finished handed the paper to Val.
Felix stifled a laugh and Val looked down at the page. “Thank you. Have you ever known a woman by the name of Irene Derry?” He slipped the drawing inside his jacket pocket.
Simon frowned. “I don’t think so. It doesn’t sound familiar and I have a good memory for names.”
“Do you have any other relatives?” Val asked.
“I have a brother. He lives on the coast. Our parents are dead.”
“Thank you for your time Mr. Eastoft. You’ve been most generous.”
“Is this investigation ongoing?” He asked.
“It is. But I believe we’ve been given the wrong information. Thank you for your time, Mr. Eastoft.”
“Please allow me to have my clerk Mr. Bowler see you out,” he said kindly.
Once outside, Felix stared back at the small modest building while Val pulled his gloves on.
“What do you make of that?” Felix asked.
“Very interesting,” Val responded.
???
Caroline looked about her at the assembled group of women. They had each brought their knitting or sewing and some had already begun their projects. She smiled at Prudence who sat stiffly by the fire knitting. Victoria, Lady Lyttleton, was seated close to the fire with her knitting in hand.
“Thank you all for coming. I have such exciting news. My father’s estate agent and I visited one of the properties this week and I think it will work. I have decided that even though I cannot own the property I will be the manager. I would like to start a Guild, possibly the London Housing Guild. Once the property is renovated, the people we choose to live there will need help and we can—“
“What sort of help?” Cleo Goodey asked.
“Well. We will collect the rents, visit with them, talk to them and see what they need,” Caroline said excitedly.
“What sort of people will they be, these tenants?” Cleo wondered.
“They’ll be chosen by the Guild, but they will be people in need. People who require our help, people—“
“Prostitutes?” Cleo demanded.
“If that’s who has a need for housing,” Caroline nodded. “Then yes. Prostitutes will be housed.”
Cleo shook her head. “Caroline. Good, decent people can’t be around those kinds of people. What would my husband think? And you!? You’re unmarried. What sort of man will want to marry you when you consort with streetwalkers?”
Lady Victoria Lyttleton tasted the tea and then set her cup aside. “My dear Caroline. I have far too many charities to take on one more. The meetings alone are exhausting. But I will support you financially. I believe in you and what you are doing.”
Car
oline smiled at the older matron. “Thank you Lady Lyttleton.”
“I think it’s a marvelous idea,” said Stella Oakley. “I absolutely want to be a part of this. The people in the slums need a second chance.”
Gladys Clifton shook her head. “I agree with Cleo. It isn’t seemly for you to be around those women and you have your reputation to think about.”