Shrines of Gaiety

Nellie meets with the head of the Frazzini gang. The Frazzini gang has taken revenge for Aldo’s death by capturing a member of the Pierrot gang (the rival gang who shot Aldo). Before killing the Pierrot gang member, the Frazzini gang tortures him; they thus learn that Maddox instigated the gang fight at the Amethyst. The Frazzini gang shares this information with Nellie.

Niven confronts Landor about Landor’s following Gwendolen. Niven asks if Landor is working for Azzopardi. Landor reveals that he’s working for Nellie. Niven realizes “that Gwendolen must be working for one of Nellie’s enemies. Azzopardi or Maddox. She could be in danger from either of them, but the greatest threat to her safety must surely come from his mother” (294). That night, Niven is awoken by Nellie in the middle of the night, telling him to get up—there’s an emergency.

The narrative shifts to Freda, waking up on a park bench: “Freda was homeless and penniless, not to mention Florence-less” (297). Sitting in a park, Freda is horrified to see a pelican eat a pigeon, and feels “an unfortunate kinship with the poor pigeon, for she, too, had been snared and devoured by a beast of prey” (298).

The narrative shifts back to the Cokers. Edith is in the hospital; she almost died from a “botched” abortion—this was the emergency that caused Nellie to wake up Niven in the night. Back home, Nellie tells her children that she’s hired Gwendolen to run the Crystal Cup. They’re distraught. Betty points out that “[s]he’s not family. In fact, she’s a complete stranger to us. She might be a Trojan horse, for all we know” (302). Shirley theorizes that Gwendolen could work for Frobisher and be a spy and predicts “The Fall of the House of Coker” (302).

Frobisher arrives to work, where he’s told that a Pierrot gang member has been found in the Thames with his throat slashed. This is the Pierrot gang member that the Frazzini gang killed. Additionally, an unidentified girl has been pulled from the Thames wearing only a crucifix. Gwendolen arrives at the police station and gives Frobisher her account of the brawl at the Amethyst. Gwendolen also tells Frobisher that she’s going to work for Nellie: “Isn’t that perfect? I shall be able to report back to you from the inside. A secret agent!” (311).

Gwendolen gives Frobisher photos of Freda and Florence, which she’s recently received from the girl’s families. When Frobisher goes to lunch that afternoon, he sees Oakes out front, talking to a young girl who looks skinny and starved. Frobisher gives the girl some money and tells her to get some food. Later, it will be revealed that the girl is Freda—she’s so much changed by her time in London, Frobisher doesn’t even recognize her, despite having just seen a photo of her.

The narrative jumps back, giving Gwendolen’s point of view on her meeting with Frobisher. At the station, Gwendolen talks to a girl who brings to mind Eliza Doolittle (of George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion) and who has been arrested for solicitation, dope, and thieving. Gwendolen wonders, “[w]as this where Freda was heading?” (318). Gwendolen makes herself at home in her new room above the Crystal Cup. Meanwhile, on the street below, Niven is keeping watch, looking up at Gwendolen’s window. Niven stands watch until Gwendolen turns off her light, indicating that she’s safely in bed.

Frobisher is walking the city streets when he passes a pawn shop. A brooch in the shape of a bird catches his eye and he purchases it to give to Lottie. Unbeknownst to Frobisher, the brooch belonged to Freda and Florence—the girls pawned it when they ran out of money. Lottie is pleased by the gift and Frobisher, who seems to be developing a crush on Gwendolen, is relieved: “All thoughts of Gwendolen Kelling were thankfully banished for now” (328).

Edith wakes up in the hospital. Her secret lover is there to visit her—she lies about the “botched” abortion (it was his child) and tells him that she ended up in the hospital because of blood poisoning. Finally, the narrative reveals that Edith’s secret lover is none other than Maddox. Nellie arrives at the hospital and is shocked to spy Maddox and Edith together; she quickly figures out what’s going on: “All the time [Nellie] had been in Holloway, Maddox had been seducing Edith. Edith was the key to the Coker empire—turn her and you had entrance. The books, the money, the connections, how it all worked” (333).

The narrative jumps back in time and shifts to Freda’s perspective. Freda is walking the streets when she encounters Oakes—and Frobisher, who gives her some money for food. After Frobisher leaves, Oakes steals the money that Frobisher gave Freda. Oakes tells Freda, “[i]f you want to earn money, then I know a way. Do you? Want to earn money?” (338). Oakes gives Freda a paper with an address on it and tells Freda to go there and ask for Dame Wyburn. Freda goes to the address—but then retreats. She rightfully suspects that Dame Wyburn runs a sex work ring and realizes: “Girls were currency in the capital and she would be bought and sold, traded again and again until she was worthless. Freda straightened her back and put up her chin. She was not that girl” (343).

Ramsay is walking the streets when he is approached by Freda. Freda tells Ramsay that she wants a job dancing. Ramsay introduces Freda to Nellie, who gives Freda a job as a dancing hostess at the Amethyst. That evening, Ramsay goes to the Spieler that Vivian invited him to the week prior. Ramsay loses and racks up a large gambling debt. Ramsay realizes that Vivian has set him up. Azzopardi arrives and introduces himself to Ramsay. Azzopardi tells Ramsay that he’s taken on Ramsay’s debts: “It means that now you owe them all to me, and me alone. […] I will be in touch about it” (353).