Free The Reluctant Sinner by June Tate

all our takings which pays for the use of the room. She gets four shillings out of every pound and of course the profit on the drinks they buy. You being an innocent could make bigger money to start with. Especially the first man who took you.’
    ‘One young man told me he’d be willing to pay twenty pounds to take me to bed when he knew I was a virgin,’ Daisy told her.
    ‘There you are, what did I say and you could demand that she chooses carefully the punters she sends you. Not every Tom, Dick or Harry.’
    ‘Oh, Stella, you make it sound all so easy. I’d be terrified.’
    ‘Come on, it’s time to go downstairs. You don’t have to make a decision now.’
     
    Daisy was getting desperate, especially when she went to visit her father the next afternoon and was handed another bill for medication, morphine for the pain and extra nursing. After paying that, she had very little money left until her stint in the bar at the weekend. But she wouldn’t have enough to cover the bill thefollowing week with all the extra charges. She didn’t have a choice; she would have to bring him home. But when she spoke to her father, she was in a bigger dilemma than ever.
    Fred took Daisy’s hand as she sat beside his bed. It broke her heart to feel the bones in his hands where he’d lost so much weight.
    ‘You know, Daisy,’ he said, ‘I’m so grateful to the doctor for sending me here. The nurses really know what they’re doing and take such care of me. Your mother could never manage me now, it would be far too much for her, but at least I don’t have that to worry about.’ He gave a wan smile. ‘This is not a bad place to finish my days you know.’
    She knew then she would have to let him stay in the nursing home and would have to find the money to pay the bills. There was no other option open to her. She would have to accept Flo’s offer. Her heart sank at the very idea, but now she really had no choice.
     
    The following day she went to pay Flo a visit at her private address and stood waiting for the door to open, her heart pounding, her hands trembling.
    ‘Come in, love,’ said Flo when she saw who was waiting. So, as she thought, young Daisy needed money real bad. ‘Sit down,’ she said as they walked into the living room.
    ‘So, Daisy, I assume that you have come about my offer?’
    ‘I need the money,’ Daisy said. ‘But I want to know just how much I’ll earn. I’m not selling myself to anyone unless I know it’ll be worth every penny!’
    There was a definite tone of defiance in her voice and Flo knew that her proposition would have to be a good one. ‘Well, Daisy, in as much as you are a virgin, I want to get the best price from my punters.’
    ‘You’re not putting me up for a bloody auction I hope!’ Daisy was appalled.
    ‘Not exactly. But I’ll make it known among a selected few and we’ll see what transpires. Believe me, there’ll be no shortage of punters.’
    ‘But that’ll take time and I want the money now. I can’t afford to wait.’
    ‘I’ll give you some money up front.’ She took a ten-pound note out of her wallet and held it out.
    Daisy was not a fool. She’d given the matter a great deal of thought once she’d decided to go down this road and she was going to get as much money as she could. Once her father had ended his days, she was not going to work for Flo a minute longer than was necessary. She intended to make enough money so that eventually she would be able to open her own business. Stella was saving for a future and so would she. After all, she was making the supreme sacrifice in her eyes, so it had better be worthwhile!
    She looked straight at Flo and said, ‘Oh, no. That’s not nearly enough!’
    Flo Cummings was taken aback. She thought she was on to a good thing. Young Daisy, sweet and innocent, she’d make a packet from her while she could. After all, once her virginity was sold, being new to the business only held a certain cache for a while. After that