you, I knew you were that girl. Tell me the reason for your deception.’
Knowing there was little point in hiding anything from this man, she began at the beginning. By the time she had finished, he was nodding his head. ‘So this was the only way you felt you could survive.’
‘I didn’t know what else I could do, sir.’ She cast an anguished look at him. ‘Are you going to tell Mr and Mrs Howard?’
‘No. That’s for you to do when you’re ready. But don’t leave it too long. They are not fools.’
‘I know, sir,’ she said earnestly. ‘They have been so kind, and it worries me that I’m telling them lies, but I’m terrified they will make me leave.’ She turned her back on Harry, shaking with emotion and fear. ‘I’m so happy here, and if I have to go back on the streets … Well, I couldn’t stand that again, sir. I couldn’t!’
‘That is unlikely to happen again, my dear. I gather they have become very fond of you. You have friends now, and that includes me. So I want you to come and see me when you need help. Will you do that?’
‘Thank you, sir. You’re very kind.’
‘I can hear a “but” in your voice.’
Vicki took a deep breath. ‘I have had to rely on myself most of my life, and I find it hard to do anything else, but I will promise to see you when it is time to try to find Bill.’
‘Good.’ He smiled. ‘I look forward to seeing you then. Take care of that book, because I will need to study it again.’
As he walked away, Vicki felt a huge surge of relief. He wasn’t going to reveal her secret. She had a little longer.
Seven
How quickly this year had flown! They had been such happy months, but Vicki knew she couldn’t put off telling Mr and Mrs Howard the truth about herself any longer. Christmas was only two weeks away and she had decided that the New Year would be the right time to own up to her deception. The Howards had welcomed her into their home and made her feel safe and cared for, for the first time in her life, so she wanted to buy them each a little present to show her gratitude. She wandered round the busy Christmas market, wondering what they would like. She mustn’t spend too much, of course, in case she needed money later. Her insides clenched in pain at the thought of being out on her own again, but it had to be faced. Harry had kept his word and not told them who she really was, but the deception was becoming very difficult to maintain. She looked like a girl. There was no getting away from that fact now, and she was too fond of the Howards to deceive them any longer. She had been saving hard, so she would at least have some money for a while, but how she prayed that she wouldn’t have to survive out there on her own again. Even so, she wouldn’t blame the Howards if they were angry and told her to leave.
She swiped a tear away from her eyes and took a steadying breath. But there was Christmas to enjoy first.
‘We’re getting more and more ladies wanting their hair done.’ Bob smiled at his wife. ‘And it’s all down to your skill, Flo. Word is spreading fast, and using part of the barber’s isn’t good enough.’
‘I agree. It can get a bit crowded, but I don’t see what we can do about it.’
‘I might have the solution.’ Bob pulled out a chair from the table. ‘Sit down and we’ll talk about it.’
‘I know that look in your eyes.’ Flo smiled as she sat down. ‘Just what are you planning?’
‘What do you think about expanding our business?’
‘Well, we’re certainly getting a lot of trade. But we haven’t got the space to expand.’
‘The shop next door will be vacant in January, so how about opening a ladies’ salon?’
‘I’d like that, Bob,’ Flo told him eagerly. ‘And that place would be perfect.’
‘That’s what I thought you’d say.’ He gave a knowing smile. ‘I’ve already said we’d take it.’
Flo laughed. ‘What if I’d said no?’
‘Then I would have had to talk you into it.
Knowing there was little point in hiding anything from this man, she began at the beginning. By the time she had finished, he was nodding his head. ‘So this was the only way you felt you could survive.’
‘I didn’t know what else I could do, sir.’ She cast an anguished look at him. ‘Are you going to tell Mr and Mrs Howard?’
‘No. That’s for you to do when you’re ready. But don’t leave it too long. They are not fools.’
‘I know, sir,’ she said earnestly. ‘They have been so kind, and it worries me that I’m telling them lies, but I’m terrified they will make me leave.’ She turned her back on Harry, shaking with emotion and fear. ‘I’m so happy here, and if I have to go back on the streets … Well, I couldn’t stand that again, sir. I couldn’t!’
‘That is unlikely to happen again, my dear. I gather they have become very fond of you. You have friends now, and that includes me. So I want you to come and see me when you need help. Will you do that?’
‘Thank you, sir. You’re very kind.’
‘I can hear a “but” in your voice.’
Vicki took a deep breath. ‘I have had to rely on myself most of my life, and I find it hard to do anything else, but I will promise to see you when it is time to try to find Bill.’
‘Good.’ He smiled. ‘I look forward to seeing you then. Take care of that book, because I will need to study it again.’
As he walked away, Vicki felt a huge surge of relief. He wasn’t going to reveal her secret. She had a little longer.
Seven
How quickly this year had flown! They had been such happy months, but Vicki knew she couldn’t put off telling Mr and Mrs Howard the truth about herself any longer. Christmas was only two weeks away and she had decided that the New Year would be the right time to own up to her deception. The Howards had welcomed her into their home and made her feel safe and cared for, for the first time in her life, so she wanted to buy them each a little present to show her gratitude. She wandered round the busy Christmas market, wondering what they would like. She mustn’t spend too much, of course, in case she needed money later. Her insides clenched in pain at the thought of being out on her own again, but it had to be faced. Harry had kept his word and not told them who she really was, but the deception was becoming very difficult to maintain. She looked like a girl. There was no getting away from that fact now, and she was too fond of the Howards to deceive them any longer. She had been saving hard, so she would at least have some money for a while, but how she prayed that she wouldn’t have to survive out there on her own again. Even so, she wouldn’t blame the Howards if they were angry and told her to leave.
She swiped a tear away from her eyes and took a steadying breath. But there was Christmas to enjoy first.
‘We’re getting more and more ladies wanting their hair done.’ Bob smiled at his wife. ‘And it’s all down to your skill, Flo. Word is spreading fast, and using part of the barber’s isn’t good enough.’
‘I agree. It can get a bit crowded, but I don’t see what we can do about it.’
‘I might have the solution.’ Bob pulled out a chair from the table. ‘Sit down and we’ll talk about it.’
‘I know that look in your eyes.’ Flo smiled as she sat down. ‘Just what are you planning?’
‘What do you think about expanding our business?’
‘Well, we’re certainly getting a lot of trade. But we haven’t got the space to expand.’
‘The shop next door will be vacant in January, so how about opening a ladies’ salon?’
‘I’d like that, Bob,’ Flo told him eagerly. ‘And that place would be perfect.’
‘That’s what I thought you’d say.’ He gave a knowing smile. ‘I’ve already said we’d take it.’
Flo laughed. ‘What if I’d said no?’
‘Then I would have had to talk you into it.
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