perfect little figure and a graciousness that caught the eye. With that rich black hair and magnificent glowing brown eyes, she stood out in a crowd.
Unsettled by the prolonged span of silence, Kitty spoke her fears.
“Will they make me go against my will?”
The woman was suddenly afraid for the child. But her answer was dictated to her by higher authorities.
“We’ll have to see,” she answered warily.
“We mustn’t forget you’ve been here almost two years now. You are still a minor, and someone has to take responsibility for you. The Connors have offered you a good home. I believe we would all be failing in our duty if we didn’t at least give it a try… and that includes you, Kitty.”
“Can I please go now?”
“For the moment.” She waved a hand and looked away. Sometimes this job could get to you.
Days came and went and soon it was Friday. As usual, 60
Kitty said cheerio to her schoolmates and ran the half-mile to the factory where Georgie worked. The house-rules didn’t allow Kitty to make any detours from school, but if she ran really fast, she could reach the factory and be back with Georgie before anyone realised she was a few minutes late.
Her friend was watching out for her.
“I won’t be long,” she called through an upper window.
Kitty sat on the low wall that fronted the factory. Here in this pleasant white-painted building, they made plastic macs, rubber diving suits, and all manner of containers. When Kitty asked Georgie how she liked working there, she answered, “We throw things about and have a laugh, and there’s a bloke who works in the cutting-room who fancies me rotten… he’d give anything to get his leg over.”
You never got a proper answer from Georgie, so Kitty took it all with a pinch of salt.
While Kitty waited, the March breeze blew a sheet of newspaper down the street. When it attached itself to her leg, she picked it up and began to read. She was still reading when Georgie crept up behind her and shouted:
“BOO!”
Kitty nearly jumped out of her skin.
“You’re wicked,” she laughed.
“What’s that you’re reading, gal?”
“It’s a newspaper, and it’s two months old,” Kitty told her.
“It must have blown out of one of those rubbish bins.” She pointed to a row of giant bins standing in a yard some short distance away; one of them had a lid missing.
“It’s all about politics,” groaned Kitty. Pointing to one headline, she read out, “Riots in Cairo,” and another announced,
“Jimmy Carter Sworn in as 39th President of the US’.
Peeping over Kitty’s shoulder at the newspaper, Georgie was open-mouthed at the sight of a big-breasted woman advertising bras.
“Bloody hell, gal!” she cried.
“Look at them boobs! I wouldn’t want to get caught in the eye with one of them.”
They laughed all the way back, and they laughed as they went up the stairs to get washed and changed. They were still chuckling as they came down to the dining room, and lighthearted when the meal was over. However, when everyone settled down to watch television or play a game of snooker, Kitty drew Georgie to the far end of the room where they sat talking until the bell summoned them for bed.
“Have you heard anything more about the Connor family?” Georgie asked anxiously.
Kitty’s spirits fell. She had tried so hard to put all that out of her mind, but there was no escaping it.
“Miss Picton told me just now,” she revealed, “I’m to report to Miss Davis at ten o’clock in the morning.” She had butterflies in her stomach just talking about it.
Georgie was philosophical as usual.
“Don’t think the worst,” she pleaded.
“Maybe she just wants to tell you the Connors don’t want you after all?”
Kitty didn’t argue the point, but she instinctively felt there was more to it than that.
“What about you?” she asked, deliberately changing the subject.
“Did the foreman say you can stay on permanently when you leave
Unsettled by the prolonged span of silence, Kitty spoke her fears.
“Will they make me go against my will?”
The woman was suddenly afraid for the child. But her answer was dictated to her by higher authorities.
“We’ll have to see,” she answered warily.
“We mustn’t forget you’ve been here almost two years now. You are still a minor, and someone has to take responsibility for you. The Connors have offered you a good home. I believe we would all be failing in our duty if we didn’t at least give it a try… and that includes you, Kitty.”
“Can I please go now?”
“For the moment.” She waved a hand and looked away. Sometimes this job could get to you.
Days came and went and soon it was Friday. As usual, 60
Kitty said cheerio to her schoolmates and ran the half-mile to the factory where Georgie worked. The house-rules didn’t allow Kitty to make any detours from school, but if she ran really fast, she could reach the factory and be back with Georgie before anyone realised she was a few minutes late.
Her friend was watching out for her.
“I won’t be long,” she called through an upper window.
Kitty sat on the low wall that fronted the factory. Here in this pleasant white-painted building, they made plastic macs, rubber diving suits, and all manner of containers. When Kitty asked Georgie how she liked working there, she answered, “We throw things about and have a laugh, and there’s a bloke who works in the cutting-room who fancies me rotten… he’d give anything to get his leg over.”
You never got a proper answer from Georgie, so Kitty took it all with a pinch of salt.
While Kitty waited, the March breeze blew a sheet of newspaper down the street. When it attached itself to her leg, she picked it up and began to read. She was still reading when Georgie crept up behind her and shouted:
“BOO!”
Kitty nearly jumped out of her skin.
“You’re wicked,” she laughed.
“What’s that you’re reading, gal?”
“It’s a newspaper, and it’s two months old,” Kitty told her.
“It must have blown out of one of those rubbish bins.” She pointed to a row of giant bins standing in a yard some short distance away; one of them had a lid missing.
“It’s all about politics,” groaned Kitty. Pointing to one headline, she read out, “Riots in Cairo,” and another announced,
“Jimmy Carter Sworn in as 39th President of the US’.
Peeping over Kitty’s shoulder at the newspaper, Georgie was open-mouthed at the sight of a big-breasted woman advertising bras.
“Bloody hell, gal!” she cried.
“Look at them boobs! I wouldn’t want to get caught in the eye with one of them.”
They laughed all the way back, and they laughed as they went up the stairs to get washed and changed. They were still chuckling as they came down to the dining room, and lighthearted when the meal was over. However, when everyone settled down to watch television or play a game of snooker, Kitty drew Georgie to the far end of the room where they sat talking until the bell summoned them for bed.
“Have you heard anything more about the Connor family?” Georgie asked anxiously.
Kitty’s spirits fell. She had tried so hard to put all that out of her mind, but there was no escaping it.
“Miss Picton told me just now,” she revealed, “I’m to report to Miss Davis at ten o’clock in the morning.” She had butterflies in her stomach just talking about it.
Georgie was philosophical as usual.
“Don’t think the worst,” she pleaded.
“Maybe she just wants to tell you the Connors don’t want you after all?”
Kitty didn’t argue the point, but she instinctively felt there was more to it than that.
“What about you?” she asked, deliberately changing the subject.
“Did the foreman say you can stay on permanently when you leave
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