my fault, was it, Harry?” She had to believe that.
He shook his head and his smile warmed her.
“No, Kitty. You mustn’t think it was your fault. Your mum and dad did what they wanted to do.
I don’t believe anything you said would have made any difference. “
“Georgie told me that.”
“Then she really is a friend.”
“You’ll like her.”
“I like her already.”
“Harry?”
He didn’t speak, but inclined his head to one side. His gaze was enough.
Kitty’s heart was racing. She didn’t want him to go, but neither did she want him to stay. This place was her punishment, not his.
“Do you think I’m too young?”
“Too young?” Not quite certain what she meant, he quietly regarded her. He had always thought Kitty very beautiful, with her dark hair and wonderful eyes. She was gentle in nature, with a sense of humour and a strong bold heart, yet she had a certain vulnerability that made him feel protective towards her . made him feel like a man.
“Too young for what. Kitty?”
Her grip tightened in his, and her eyes clouded over.
“I don’t know,” she replied softly.
“Only I don’t feel too young.” She paused to assemble her thoughts.
“I feel lost, and afraid. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep like a baby. But I don’t feel too young.” In fact she felt old, almost as though her life had already been lived.
When she shuddered, he took her in his arms.
“You’ve been through a lot, Kitty,” he reminded her.
“It’s no wonder you’re lost and afraid.”
Easing her from him, he looked down into her face.
“What if I told you cried myself to sleep?” It was difficult for him to confess that fact to anyone, let alone Kitty. But if it helped her then he could swallow his pride.< p>
“I cried once when they took you away, and again last night when I knew I was coming to see you.”
Kitty was so astonished she laughed and cried at the same time.
“So you see, you’re not alone, and you’ve nothing to be ashamed of.”
Placing the tips of his fingers under her chin he raised her gaze to his.
“And, for whatever reason you need to ask … you are not too young.” It seemed all his life he had loved her, and never more than in that moment when she looked up at him with soft dark eyes.
“Will you come and see me again, Harry?” If he said no, she couldn’t bear it.
“Try and stop me.”
“Your dad might try and stop you. He doesn’t like me.”
“No one will stop me from seeing you, Kitty.” His voice was hard. She had never heard him talk like that before.
“Goodbye, Harry.” Reaching up, she meant to kiss him on the cheek.
He held her away for a moment, then bent his head and kissed her full on the mouth.
“Goodbye, Kitty,” he whispered.
“I love you.”
Long after he’d gone, those words echoed in her head.
“I love you’, he’d said. Did he mean he loved her like a friend? Did he mean he loved her because he was sorry for all that had happened to bring her here to this place? Did he mean he loved her like a brother? Or did he mean he loved her in the way grownups loved each other? She wasn’t sure she wanted that. After all grownups started out loving, and ended up hating.
Kitty decided to take Harry’s love as being the love of a friend. Yet, deep down, somewhere so deep she could barely recognise it. Kitty sensed that the love between her and Harry would carry them through all the years. She knew instinctively that what they had would never turn to hate, and that somehow the same strong love that flowed between them now would endure and survive, in spite of any obstacles life might put in their way.
From now on, that would be Kitty’s dream. that one day, she and Harry would be together for all time. It was to be a dream that would light her way through the darkest years to come.
PART TWO
1977 Chances
Chapter Four
“I have some good news for you, Kitty.” Miss Davis had a soft spot for Kitty but knew better than to show
He shook his head and his smile warmed her.
“No, Kitty. You mustn’t think it was your fault. Your mum and dad did what they wanted to do.
I don’t believe anything you said would have made any difference. “
“Georgie told me that.”
“Then she really is a friend.”
“You’ll like her.”
“I like her already.”
“Harry?”
He didn’t speak, but inclined his head to one side. His gaze was enough.
Kitty’s heart was racing. She didn’t want him to go, but neither did she want him to stay. This place was her punishment, not his.
“Do you think I’m too young?”
“Too young?” Not quite certain what she meant, he quietly regarded her. He had always thought Kitty very beautiful, with her dark hair and wonderful eyes. She was gentle in nature, with a sense of humour and a strong bold heart, yet she had a certain vulnerability that made him feel protective towards her . made him feel like a man.
“Too young for what. Kitty?”
Her grip tightened in his, and her eyes clouded over.
“I don’t know,” she replied softly.
“Only I don’t feel too young.” She paused to assemble her thoughts.
“I feel lost, and afraid. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep like a baby. But I don’t feel too young.” In fact she felt old, almost as though her life had already been lived.
When she shuddered, he took her in his arms.
“You’ve been through a lot, Kitty,” he reminded her.
“It’s no wonder you’re lost and afraid.”
Easing her from him, he looked down into her face.
“What if I told you cried myself to sleep?” It was difficult for him to confess that fact to anyone, let alone Kitty. But if it helped her then he could swallow his pride.< p>
“I cried once when they took you away, and again last night when I knew I was coming to see you.”
Kitty was so astonished she laughed and cried at the same time.
“So you see, you’re not alone, and you’ve nothing to be ashamed of.”
Placing the tips of his fingers under her chin he raised her gaze to his.
“And, for whatever reason you need to ask … you are not too young.” It seemed all his life he had loved her, and never more than in that moment when she looked up at him with soft dark eyes.
“Will you come and see me again, Harry?” If he said no, she couldn’t bear it.
“Try and stop me.”
“Your dad might try and stop you. He doesn’t like me.”
“No one will stop me from seeing you, Kitty.” His voice was hard. She had never heard him talk like that before.
“Goodbye, Harry.” Reaching up, she meant to kiss him on the cheek.
He held her away for a moment, then bent his head and kissed her full on the mouth.
“Goodbye, Kitty,” he whispered.
“I love you.”
Long after he’d gone, those words echoed in her head.
“I love you’, he’d said. Did he mean he loved her like a friend? Did he mean he loved her because he was sorry for all that had happened to bring her here to this place? Did he mean he loved her like a brother? Or did he mean he loved her in the way grownups loved each other? She wasn’t sure she wanted that. After all grownups started out loving, and ended up hating.
Kitty decided to take Harry’s love as being the love of a friend. Yet, deep down, somewhere so deep she could barely recognise it. Kitty sensed that the love between her and Harry would carry them through all the years. She knew instinctively that what they had would never turn to hate, and that somehow the same strong love that flowed between them now would endure and survive, in spite of any obstacles life might put in their way.
From now on, that would be Kitty’s dream. that one day, she and Harry would be together for all time. It was to be a dream that would light her way through the darkest years to come.
PART TWO
1977 Chances
Chapter Four
“I have some good news for you, Kitty.” Miss Davis had a soft spot for Kitty but knew better than to show
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