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“I was born ready, darling.”
Vickie laughed. She was set for a different sort of adventure tonight. Besides, she guessed once she’d learned about what the Black Hearts Club was about, she’d lose interest, and tomorrow she could get back to working on her cases. They were, after all, going out on a Thursday night too, something she hadn’t done for a very long time.
“We’re here.” The driver brought the steamcar to a stop.
“Not a minute late, thank you,” said Ruby, checking her wristwatch.
Vickie peeped out of the tinted window and spied the number 37 on the top of a narrow door. This was it. She was about to find out what this club was really about.
“We will call when we’re ready to be picked up,” said Vickie as she undid her seat belt. How long were they going to be? An hour? Longer? The excitement built inside of her. Yet, it was as if she was stuck in the steamcar, looking out the window at the darkened row of shops on this side of the street. No one was around. No line up. No security guard at the front.
Down the street, there were some comings and goings as expected at the gentlemen’s club and a tea room that was open late. Other than that, the street was relatively quiet. She hadn’t noticed the door before. It was nondescript, wooden, with peeling dark gray paint on the front. Whatever it led to was nestled between the finery shops that she often visited, and this wasn’t a place she’d give a second glance.
“Well…” Ruby raised her eyebrows at Vickie. “Shall we?” Her deep and husky voice didn’t come close to fooling Vickie. In an act of recklessness, she didn’t care. What could be the worse to happen if they were found out? Kicked out and banned for life. She could live with that.
“Let’s go have some fun…husband.”
Chapter 3
Ruby marched up to the door and paused for a moment as if expecting it to open or for someone to push out a secret flap to spy though to check who was there. When the door didn’t open, she turned the handle and pushed, then she paused.
“After you, darling,” she said in a soft, deep voice.
Vickie grinned at the chivalrous behavior that Ruby was trying to exhibit, something that George would’ve done if he were here. Vickie was beginning to be happy that he wasn’t as this was going to be much more adventurous.
“Don’t talk,” Vickie mouthed as she moved past her. Stairs led down, and she took a deep breath before descending. Her heeled boots clicked on the wooden stairs, echoing in the small space. Lights along the wall gave off a dull orange glow that barely allowed her to see each step as she descended. Ruby followed close behind, her shallow breathing further setting Vickie’s nerves on edge.
At the bottom of the stairs, the space opened up enough for the women to stand next to each other. They stood shoulder to shoulder. A bulb above flicked on flooding the small space with light and causing them both to jump. They giggled, then Vickie quickly glared at Ruby to stop laughing like a woman.
There was nothing that gave anything away about what they were about to enter into. The walls were a dirty cream, a few water stains near the top of the wall to their left, and dark marks on the scuffed wooden floor.
A door to their right had recently been painted and shined with a black gloss, looking very much out of place with the drabness around them. Obviously, this was the direction they were expected to go. This time, Vickie reached out to open the door, impatient to find out what this was all about. The suspense was building inside of her, and she could imagine it would be driving Ruby mad to have to wait this long to be welcomed into the club.
The door wouldn’t open. Vickie rattled the brass doorknob in frustration.
“Hello?” she called out loudly, knocking on the door.
Nothing happened.
“Maybe we got it wrong,” said Vickie and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Ruby grabbed her elbow to stop her.
“Don’t tell me you know the secret password?” Vickie couldn’t help the sarcastic tone to her voice.
Ruby looked in disgust at Vickie. “Wait,” she said softly.
Vickie decided she would count to one hundred, and then she would leave. She got up to ninety-one when the door clicked open. There stood a woman a few years older than them, her brunette hair a styled mess of curls that cascaded down to her waist. She wore a dark blue princess-line dress and looked something like a mystic she’d read about in the newspaper—a gold-braided metal band on her forehead, her lips a bright red, and eyes dark with lots of makeup.
“Invitation,” she said, her face stone cold.
Vickie took out the black paper heart from her handbag and handed it over.
The woman’s thin fingers unfolded it quickly. She looked elegant and sophisticated, and it was the first indication of the standard of the club. Though Ruby did have excellent taste, the Black Hearts Club had to meet that expectation.
The woman looked up at Vickie, her dark green eyes felt like they were looking into her soul. Then she did the same to Ruby. Vickie couldn’t help holding her breath. This was it. They were going to be caught out and sent back up the stairs. She was beginning to think that might be a good outcome. Then they could go to the tea room, have a cup or something stronger, and go home.
She handed back the invitation.
