
The way women used to fight other women for the attention of one man

She came from the lowest class so it's clear she doesn't want to lose the life she lives now even more than some of the other girls. To survive and live a better life, the easiest and sometimes only way for a woman was to get (and hopefully keep) the affections of a wealthy and/or powerful man. The stress and tension is real. Thankfully we're born in better times where we needn't worry about being possibly sold into "legal" prostitution by our families just to survive
Oh you sweet summer child