Just to satisfy her curiosity, of course. After all, one couldn't expect the local constables to think of everything.
CHAPTER
5
Polly leaned her bicycle against the garden shed and hurried into the house. Ma would be out shopping most of the morning, and she wanted to make sure she was out of the house before Ma got back. Ma didn't know she had the day off and was going on a picnic at the seaside with Sam. She'd carry on something awful if she knew.
Polly opened cupboards, snatching whatever she could find for the picnic. Not that there was much to choose from. She took down a tin of sardines, started to put it back, then changed her mind and stuffed it inside her old school satchel, along with the bread and small square of cheese she'd found in the larder.
Two apples sat in a dish on the sideboard. They looked a bit wrinkled, but Polly grabbed them up and threw them in with the rest of the stuff. She found two bottles of cream soda in the cupboard over the sink, and emptied the tin of broken biscuits into a paper bag. Percy sold thebroken ones off-ration, so she didn't feel so guilty taking them.
Heaving the heavy satchel over her shoulder, she rushed out of the house and started walking up the hill toward the Manor House. Sam had promised to come down in his jeep and fetch her. She didn't want him at the house when Ma got back from shopping. If Ma knew how she felt about Sam, she'd have kittens. She'd put a stop to her working at the manor, that was for sure.
The trouble was, Ma knew Sam was a lot older than her. What Ma didn't know was that Sam thought she was twenty-one, when really she'd only just turned sixteen. Sam was twenty-four, and would probably have nothing to do with her if he knew how old she really was.
Marlene kept saying she should tell him, but she wanted to wait until she was sure he was madly in love with her before she told him. One day she was going to marry him and go to America with him. Polly smiled blissfully as she indulged in her favorite daydream. A house in Hollywood near the sea, with a swimming pool and everything like she saw in the films at the cinema. A house just like the film stars lived in, that's the house she wanted. And Sam was going to get it for her. One day.
So absorbed was she in her dream, it was a shock when the star of her elaborate fantasy roared down the hill toward her.
As always, her first sight of Sam took her breath away. With his brown eyes and thick, dark hair, he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever set eyes on. But it was his voice that really sent her, a deep drawl that thrilled her to the bone.
She'd lie in bed at night, hearing his voice over and over in her mind. He'd kissed her only a few times, but she could remember every second his lips had touched hers, and the weird but exciting feelings she got whenever he was that close to her. Marlene kept warning her to watch herself with him. She told her shocking stories about what men did to young girls when they got heatedup. But so far, Sam had been the perfect gentleman.
In fact, Polly thought wistfully as Sam pulled up beside her, she sort of wished he
would
try something. Not that she'd let him go all the way, of course. But it would be nice to know he wanted to.
"Hey, gorgeous!" Sam grinned down at her, flashing white teeth. "Looking for someone?"
She smiled happily back at him. "Go on with you. You know I was looking for you."
"Well, what are you waiting for, sugar? Hop right in." He patted the seat next to him, and held out his hand for the satchel as she swung it off her shoulder.
Seated next to him, she let the wind take her long black hair as they started off, enjoying the feel of it streaming behind her. "You know how to get to Yarmouth?" she asked, as they turned off at Muggins Corner.
"Sure. I checked it out on the map."
"Well, we're not going to get very far if you keep driving on the wrong side of the road."
"Oh, shit!" Sam swerved to the other side of the road. "Sorry. I do okay
CHAPTER
5
Polly leaned her bicycle against the garden shed and hurried into the house. Ma would be out shopping most of the morning, and she wanted to make sure she was out of the house before Ma got back. Ma didn't know she had the day off and was going on a picnic at the seaside with Sam. She'd carry on something awful if she knew.
Polly opened cupboards, snatching whatever she could find for the picnic. Not that there was much to choose from. She took down a tin of sardines, started to put it back, then changed her mind and stuffed it inside her old school satchel, along with the bread and small square of cheese she'd found in the larder.
Two apples sat in a dish on the sideboard. They looked a bit wrinkled, but Polly grabbed them up and threw them in with the rest of the stuff. She found two bottles of cream soda in the cupboard over the sink, and emptied the tin of broken biscuits into a paper bag. Percy sold thebroken ones off-ration, so she didn't feel so guilty taking them.
Heaving the heavy satchel over her shoulder, she rushed out of the house and started walking up the hill toward the Manor House. Sam had promised to come down in his jeep and fetch her. She didn't want him at the house when Ma got back from shopping. If Ma knew how she felt about Sam, she'd have kittens. She'd put a stop to her working at the manor, that was for sure.
The trouble was, Ma knew Sam was a lot older than her. What Ma didn't know was that Sam thought she was twenty-one, when really she'd only just turned sixteen. Sam was twenty-four, and would probably have nothing to do with her if he knew how old she really was.
Marlene kept saying she should tell him, but she wanted to wait until she was sure he was madly in love with her before she told him. One day she was going to marry him and go to America with him. Polly smiled blissfully as she indulged in her favorite daydream. A house in Hollywood near the sea, with a swimming pool and everything like she saw in the films at the cinema. A house just like the film stars lived in, that's the house she wanted. And Sam was going to get it for her. One day.
So absorbed was she in her dream, it was a shock when the star of her elaborate fantasy roared down the hill toward her.
As always, her first sight of Sam took her breath away. With his brown eyes and thick, dark hair, he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever set eyes on. But it was his voice that really sent her, a deep drawl that thrilled her to the bone.
She'd lie in bed at night, hearing his voice over and over in her mind. He'd kissed her only a few times, but she could remember every second his lips had touched hers, and the weird but exciting feelings she got whenever he was that close to her. Marlene kept warning her to watch herself with him. She told her shocking stories about what men did to young girls when they got heatedup. But so far, Sam had been the perfect gentleman.
In fact, Polly thought wistfully as Sam pulled up beside her, she sort of wished he
would
try something. Not that she'd let him go all the way, of course. But it would be nice to know he wanted to.
"Hey, gorgeous!" Sam grinned down at her, flashing white teeth. "Looking for someone?"
She smiled happily back at him. "Go on with you. You know I was looking for you."
"Well, what are you waiting for, sugar? Hop right in." He patted the seat next to him, and held out his hand for the satchel as she swung it off her shoulder.
Seated next to him, she let the wind take her long black hair as they started off, enjoying the feel of it streaming behind her. "You know how to get to Yarmouth?" she asked, as they turned off at Muggins Corner.
"Sure. I checked it out on the map."
"Well, we're not going to get very far if you keep driving on the wrong side of the road."
"Oh, shit!" Sam swerved to the other side of the road. "Sorry. I do okay
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