for Kitty to raise her gaze and pay full attention, Miss Davis went on in a firm voice, “In just a few weeks’ time, on her sixteenth birthday, Georgie Rogers will be leaving this establishment herself.
It seems to me that it’s also the ideal time for you to make a new life as well. You know that most people prefer babies or toddlers, and that’s why I’m so pleased for you, Kitty. Mr. and Mrs. Connor have been carefully vetted. The authorities won’t keep you here when there is a perfectly suitable couple willing to foster you. This is your chance to be part of a family. maybe your only chance. ” Her face softened.
“You do realise you may not have any choice in the matter?”
Kitty thought about what Georgie had told her, that she had been deliberately bad just to get back here. She didn’t see herself resorting to that, but Miss Davis was wrong when she said there was no choice.
“Please … I don’t want to go to strangers.” She felt as though she was pleading for her life.
“But we were all strangers when you first came here, and you’ve grown to like us, haven’t you?”
“Yes, but I was unhappy for a long time.”
Miss Davis came round the desk. She paced up and down behind Kitty before coming to sit on the edge. The desk groaned and creaked, and Kitty thought it would end up in a heap on the floor.
“Kitty?”
“Yes, Miss Davis?”
“I hope Georgie hasn’t been saying anything to make you afraid?”
Kitty held her tongue. If she let it loose it was bound to tell a lie.
“Ah! I thought as much.” Miss Davis made a mental note to speak to Georgie at the first opportunity.
“I am well aware of the disastrous fostering she experienced although it was largely her own fault, as I’m sure she has told you.”
Again, Kitty was silent.
“You do trust me, don’t you?”
Kitty thought a moment. She had come to trust Miss Davis, but how could she trust her now when she was trying to send her away?
“I
suppose so. “
“Do you recall when you were brought before the assessment board last year?”
“Yes.” She hadn’t liked that at all. Those people meant well, but they didn’t know how she felt. No one did. except maybe Harry, and Georgie.
“I know you resented being brought before the board, but it was only for your own good. Their job is to match you with a couple they believe you will be happy with. They had to ask questions, to get to know you as best they could, so they could make the right decision concerning your future. You do understand that, don’t you, Kitty?”
“Yes, I understand that.”
Miss Davis gave a sigh of relief.
“We’re all here to help you, Kitty.”
“Yes, Miss Davis.” Kitty kept her gaze on the floor. She didn’t want to look up, afraid to acknowledge that she might be sent away against her will.
Returning to her chair, Miss Davis maddened Kitty by drumming her fingers on the desk-top. Her head was down, and her chin buried in the fleshy folds of her neck as she peeped at Kitty over the rims of her spectacles.
“I really thought you would be as delighted as I am at this news.”
“I’m sorry. And I do like the Connors,” Kitty admitted.
“It’s just that I don’t want to live with them.”
There was a moment then, during which Kitty looked at the carpet and Miss Davis looked at her. This lovely girl had come to her frightened and lonely, having seen her own mother leap to her death then her father set fire to the house, yet even in the act of destroying himself, save his only daughter’s life.
This tragic sequence of events had brought the child to this place where Miss Davis, without being drawn into an emotional trap that could only hurt her too, had cared for Kitty with as much love and attention as she could rightfully give.
Now the child had blossomed into a young woman with a dark and sensuous beauty that might even yet be her downfall. Kitty was not tall, neither was she short; she was petite and feminine, with a
It seems to me that it’s also the ideal time for you to make a new life as well. You know that most people prefer babies or toddlers, and that’s why I’m so pleased for you, Kitty. Mr. and Mrs. Connor have been carefully vetted. The authorities won’t keep you here when there is a perfectly suitable couple willing to foster you. This is your chance to be part of a family. maybe your only chance. ” Her face softened.
“You do realise you may not have any choice in the matter?”
Kitty thought about what Georgie had told her, that she had been deliberately bad just to get back here. She didn’t see herself resorting to that, but Miss Davis was wrong when she said there was no choice.
“Please … I don’t want to go to strangers.” She felt as though she was pleading for her life.
“But we were all strangers when you first came here, and you’ve grown to like us, haven’t you?”
“Yes, but I was unhappy for a long time.”
Miss Davis came round the desk. She paced up and down behind Kitty before coming to sit on the edge. The desk groaned and creaked, and Kitty thought it would end up in a heap on the floor.
“Kitty?”
“Yes, Miss Davis?”
“I hope Georgie hasn’t been saying anything to make you afraid?”
Kitty held her tongue. If she let it loose it was bound to tell a lie.
“Ah! I thought as much.” Miss Davis made a mental note to speak to Georgie at the first opportunity.
“I am well aware of the disastrous fostering she experienced although it was largely her own fault, as I’m sure she has told you.”
Again, Kitty was silent.
“You do trust me, don’t you?”
Kitty thought a moment. She had come to trust Miss Davis, but how could she trust her now when she was trying to send her away?
“I
suppose so. “
“Do you recall when you were brought before the assessment board last year?”
“Yes.” She hadn’t liked that at all. Those people meant well, but they didn’t know how she felt. No one did. except maybe Harry, and Georgie.
“I know you resented being brought before the board, but it was only for your own good. Their job is to match you with a couple they believe you will be happy with. They had to ask questions, to get to know you as best they could, so they could make the right decision concerning your future. You do understand that, don’t you, Kitty?”
“Yes, I understand that.”
Miss Davis gave a sigh of relief.
“We’re all here to help you, Kitty.”
“Yes, Miss Davis.” Kitty kept her gaze on the floor. She didn’t want to look up, afraid to acknowledge that she might be sent away against her will.
Returning to her chair, Miss Davis maddened Kitty by drumming her fingers on the desk-top. Her head was down, and her chin buried in the fleshy folds of her neck as she peeped at Kitty over the rims of her spectacles.
“I really thought you would be as delighted as I am at this news.”
“I’m sorry. And I do like the Connors,” Kitty admitted.
“It’s just that I don’t want to live with them.”
There was a moment then, during which Kitty looked at the carpet and Miss Davis looked at her. This lovely girl had come to her frightened and lonely, having seen her own mother leap to her death then her father set fire to the house, yet even in the act of destroying himself, save his only daughter’s life.
This tragic sequence of events had brought the child to this place where Miss Davis, without being drawn into an emotional trap that could only hurt her too, had cared for Kitty with as much love and attention as she could rightfully give.
Now the child had blossomed into a young woman with a dark and sensuous beauty that might even yet be her downfall. Kitty was not tall, neither was she short; she was petite and feminine, with a
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