A cold breeze found its way through her threadbare shawl, causing the young woman to pull it closer about her shoulders. It reminded her of the chill she felt going down her spine that morning when she picked up the dirty newspaper that a gentleman had dropped on the filthy east-London street. “Another Murder in White Chapel!” the title had screamed, immediately catching her attention. The title alone would bring a chill to anyone in London . Even if they didn’t read the paper the gossip around town was focused around this ‘Jack the Ripper’ person who was killing the East End prostitutes. “Did ye see the paper this mornin’?” she asker her companions as she picked up a dirty pewter cup and gulped down some ale. The dirt on the cup wasn’t surprising given the tavern. She looked around at the familiar dirt floor and dusty windows thinking of all the horrible things that had been going on lately.
Her friend Mary, a tall and beautiful red head answered the question after a moment, “Of course we didn’ read the paper Marcy… You know very well we canna read. Tell us what you saw in it.”
Marcielle knew that she was an oddity among the Ladies of the Night, but even after her long years in this life she sometimes forgot how strange it was for a whore, she shuddered as she thought the word, to be able to read.
“It said that they found anotha victim in Whi’echapel last nigh’, and there she was ripped up worse than the otha three.”
“Why doesn’ scotlan’yard or some’en jus catch this killa finally?” Mary asked.
“Oh you know them types, don’t give no thought for whore dyin’” she replied taking another sip of her ale. “We better get goin’ if we want any customers of our own tonigh.”
“Tha’s true enough.”
At this they both set a small coin on the table and walked out the door. The walked in companionable silence for a few blocks before Marcielle took off down a dark alley with thoughts of that ‘Ripper’ gentleman still on her mind.
Suddenly she didn’t feel safe alone in the dark alleyway she was walking down. It was late, but they had yet to light the gas lamps around the main roads. Her ears perked up a bit at the sound of swishing material behind her, and suddenly a rock went skittering down the alley the sound echoing ominously. This scared her so badly that she ran down the rest of the alley and turned the corner onto the road, She leaned against the rough brick of the building her fear audible in her breathing.
She chided herself for her behavior, after she calmed down a bit. After all, what was she; a timid rabbit of a girl, to be scared of every sound in the London night? She straightened her faded blue dress, tugging the bodice down to make it appear that at the slightest look her breasts would tumble out. To add to this effect, she unfastened the first two buttons. Looking across the street for potential customers from the theatre, she realized that she was too early. Cursing herself, she looked up and down the street for a potential customer to take up her time while she waited for the show to get out.
A man who was passing by stopped to leer at her and she smiled at him, looking him over coyly.