Lizzie's Secret by Rosie Clarke

our competitors and they employ a designer to think up new styles for him…’
    â€˜Couldn’t we do that?’ Lizzie asked. ‘Mr Winters sells our hats in the West End – I bet he gets more than twice what you charge for them…’
    â€˜Too much outlay for me,’ her employer told her. ‘Right, get back to Ed. We’ve got a larger than normal order for the basic hats this month…’

Chapter 6
    â€˜Oh, I did enjoy that film,’ Lizzie said as she and Beth joined the bus queue. ‘Cary Grant was lovely, and I liked the actress too… What was her name?’
    â€˜Katharine Hepburn,’ Beth said. ‘
Bringing up Baby
! I never realised it meant a leopard cub, did you?’
    â€˜No, I hadn’t seen anything about it, didn’t even know it was on until you said. It was such fun tonight, Beth. I really enjoyed myself.’
    â€˜Me too.’ Beth hugged her arm. ‘We shall have to see if we can get you to a dance next Saturday…’
    â€˜I don’t think my aunt would agree…’ Lizzie was doubtful. ‘You should have heard the lecture I got this morning, telling me to behave tonight…’
    â€˜Why does she treat you as if you’re about twelve? I shouldn’t put up with it if I were you.’
    â€˜I’ve thought of telling her I’m old enough to please myself, but she did bring me up when my parents died. Anyway, I don’t want to upset her at the moment. Uncle Jack isn’t too well and I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for him.’
    â€˜Up to you, of course. Here’s our bus…’ She exclaimed in disbelief as the bus swept on past them without stopping. ‘That’s the last bus home…’
    â€˜I think it was full up,’ Lizzie said. ‘They might have let us get on, even if we had to stand…’
    Beth was silent for a moment, then, ‘We could walk to the tram stop. It’s in the next street and I think it runs a bit later than the bus…’
    â€˜We’ll have to try or we’ll be walking all the way home.’ Lizzie tucked her arm through Beth’s. ‘Good thing I’m not going home…’
    â€˜Mum may worry but she’ll understand. We didn’t miss the bus because we messed about; it just went straight by as if we weren’t there…’
    Lizzie would’ve felt nervous if she’d been alone, and she dreaded to think what her aunt would say if she could see them walking through the streets at this time of night.
    They had to turn off the busy street into a narrow lane to reach the tram stop in the street further up and it was dark. A shiver of apprehension went down Lizzie’s back, and then she heard the heavy footsteps behind them. Her heart began to pound as the steps came nearer and nearer and she longed to turn round to see if they were being followed but resisted.
    They’d almost got to the tram stop when a large dark-coloured car drew into the kerb just ahead of them. A man jumped out and walked back to them and Lizzie’s stomach cramped with sudden fear; this was what her aunt was always going on about, strange men accosting her at night.
    â€˜Ah, I thought I was right – Miss Larch, isn’t it?’ Sebastian Winters tipped his hat to them. ‘I don’t like to see two young ladies walking alone at this hour, especially around here. May I give you a lift in my car? My driver won’t mind if I sit up front with him for once…’
    Lizzie caught the smell of wine on his breath. ‘It’s kind of you, Mr Winters, but I’m not sure…’ she began, but Beth cut in swiftly.
    â€˜You’re the customer Lizzie served with those hats,’ she said and smiled up at him. ‘We’d love a lift. Our bus just went straight past the stop – so if you don’t mind, thank you for the offer. Lizzie is staying with me and I live