be dressed. Off with the sensible and on with the fashionable. Oh, Kay, you will look marvellous.’ Miss Bennet paused and her smile faded. ‘But I can see by your expression that you don’t intend to buy any new clothes.’
‘Oh, I do! And I will. But not yet. I don’t think I need anything special to wear while I’m clearing out a house. Do you?’
Miss Bennet sighed. ‘I suppose not.’
‘All I will need is a couple of warm sweaters and a pair of dungarees.’ Her old friend looked so disappointed that Kay relented a little. ‘Well, I should at least get a decent winter coat, I suppose. Will you come into town with me and help me choose one?’
‘I’d love to. But only if you also buy a hat. I have a weakness for hats.’
‘Oh, of course a hat, and shoes and gloves, too. And how about some fully fashioned silk stockings! Kayser, of course.’
‘Oh, of course.’
They smiled fondly at each other, then to Kay’s surprise she saw that Miss Bennet was trying hard not to cry. ‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘I’m so happy for you.’
‘You don’t look happy.’
‘That’s because I’ve just realised how much I will miss you.’
‘You’re assuming that I won’t be coming back.’
‘I’m hoping that you won’t. I know you don’t like me to criticise your mother – quite rightly – and you won’t hear a word said against that flighty young miss, your sister, but . . .’
‘No, please don’t say anything. Why don’t I make a pot of tea and we can talk about the new fashions? I know you like to look at them in your weekly magazine.’
‘I’m like a child with a new picture book.’ Miss Bennet smiled. ‘How wise you are, Kay. But at least let me tell you that you mustn’t let anyone – anyone – take advantage of you.’
‘I won’t.’ Kay opened her shoulder bag and reached inside. ‘And now, to celebrate, how about helping me eat these chocolate biscuits?’
‘What are we celebrating?’
Kay smiled. ‘I gave my notice in to Sampson’s today.’
‘Where have you been?’ Thelma looked up from the kitchen table where she was sitting alone. ‘I had your lunch ready. Home-made barley broth.’ She pursed her lips crossly.
‘I’m sorry, Mum, but I just had to go for a walk.’
‘ Had to?’
‘To sort things out – in my head, I mean. You see, I’ve given notice and I’ve decided to go to London to deal with Lana’s things myself.’
Her mother’s eyes widened for a moment and then she said, ‘I see. Well, take your coat off and sit down. The broth’s easy enough to warm up.’
Kay decided it was probably better not to tell her mother that she had been to Miss Bennet’s, where she and her old friend had indulged themselves with chocolate biscuits and sherry. Miss Bennet had insisted on opening the sherry, although it had been intended for Christmas when her widowed sister came to stay.
‘If we just have one glass each there will be plenty left for Sarah and me,’ Miss Bennet had said as she had poured the wine into fine, flute-like glasses. Suddenly she had stopped and looked at Kay anxiously. ‘You’re not on your bicycle, are you? I mean, I don’t know if there are any rules about drinking alcohol when riding a bicycle.’
Kay had assured her that she had walked and they had both collapsed into laughter which was tinged with sadness.
‘I think you’ve probably done the right thing, Kay.’
Kay looked up in surprise as her mother set an appetising bowl of broth before her.
‘Do you?’
‘Not because you’ve decided to go to London, but in leaving Sampson’s. You couldn’t go on working there once it became known that you had money. I mean, it would be depriving some other poor girl of a job, wouldn’t it?’
‘Would people have to know about the money?’
‘Of course they would. How else would we explain the new house?’
‘Oh yes, the house. We could say you had inherited the money.’
‘That would be a lie, and even if Lana
‘Oh, I do! And I will. But not yet. I don’t think I need anything special to wear while I’m clearing out a house. Do you?’
Miss Bennet sighed. ‘I suppose not.’
‘All I will need is a couple of warm sweaters and a pair of dungarees.’ Her old friend looked so disappointed that Kay relented a little. ‘Well, I should at least get a decent winter coat, I suppose. Will you come into town with me and help me choose one?’
‘I’d love to. But only if you also buy a hat. I have a weakness for hats.’
‘Oh, of course a hat, and shoes and gloves, too. And how about some fully fashioned silk stockings! Kayser, of course.’
‘Oh, of course.’
They smiled fondly at each other, then to Kay’s surprise she saw that Miss Bennet was trying hard not to cry. ‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘I’m so happy for you.’
‘You don’t look happy.’
‘That’s because I’ve just realised how much I will miss you.’
‘You’re assuming that I won’t be coming back.’
‘I’m hoping that you won’t. I know you don’t like me to criticise your mother – quite rightly – and you won’t hear a word said against that flighty young miss, your sister, but . . .’
‘No, please don’t say anything. Why don’t I make a pot of tea and we can talk about the new fashions? I know you like to look at them in your weekly magazine.’
‘I’m like a child with a new picture book.’ Miss Bennet smiled. ‘How wise you are, Kay. But at least let me tell you that you mustn’t let anyone – anyone – take advantage of you.’
‘I won’t.’ Kay opened her shoulder bag and reached inside. ‘And now, to celebrate, how about helping me eat these chocolate biscuits?’
‘What are we celebrating?’
Kay smiled. ‘I gave my notice in to Sampson’s today.’
‘Where have you been?’ Thelma looked up from the kitchen table where she was sitting alone. ‘I had your lunch ready. Home-made barley broth.’ She pursed her lips crossly.
‘I’m sorry, Mum, but I just had to go for a walk.’
‘ Had to?’
‘To sort things out – in my head, I mean. You see, I’ve given notice and I’ve decided to go to London to deal with Lana’s things myself.’
Her mother’s eyes widened for a moment and then she said, ‘I see. Well, take your coat off and sit down. The broth’s easy enough to warm up.’
Kay decided it was probably better not to tell her mother that she had been to Miss Bennet’s, where she and her old friend had indulged themselves with chocolate biscuits and sherry. Miss Bennet had insisted on opening the sherry, although it had been intended for Christmas when her widowed sister came to stay.
‘If we just have one glass each there will be plenty left for Sarah and me,’ Miss Bennet had said as she had poured the wine into fine, flute-like glasses. Suddenly she had stopped and looked at Kay anxiously. ‘You’re not on your bicycle, are you? I mean, I don’t know if there are any rules about drinking alcohol when riding a bicycle.’
Kay had assured her that she had walked and they had both collapsed into laughter which was tinged with sadness.
‘I think you’ve probably done the right thing, Kay.’
Kay looked up in surprise as her mother set an appetising bowl of broth before her.
‘Do you?’
‘Not because you’ve decided to go to London, but in leaving Sampson’s. You couldn’t go on working there once it became known that you had money. I mean, it would be depriving some other poor girl of a job, wouldn’t it?’
‘Would people have to know about the money?’
‘Of course they would. How else would we explain the new house?’
‘Oh yes, the house. We could say you had inherited the money.’
‘That would be a lie, and even if Lana
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