help.’
This was disappointing, but Vicki was well aware that this could be a futile search. However, she wasn’t ready to give up. ‘Can I ask you to do me a favour? If you see this man again, could you try to get his name?’
‘Ah, well, you’ll have to tell me why you want to know.’
‘He helped me a while ago. If it is the man I’m looking for, he knows me as Vicki, and I would like to see him. I work at the Howards’ ladies’ hairdressing salon.’
The man nodded. ‘I’ll keep an eye out for him.’
‘Thank you very much.’
As a train steamed into the station, Harry said, ‘We can’t do any more here today, Vicki. Let’s go back to my place and see what we can do with this young man.’
Dave ambled along, chatting happily to Harry, leaving Vicki to her thoughts. She hoped the stationmaster would keep his word and let her know if the stranger turned up.
Ten
‘Turn round and show Vicki how well the clothes fit you.’ Harry smiled as he shook his head. ‘He’s almost as thin as you were.’
‘Er …’ Dave looked confused. ‘These are boys’ clothes … but you’re a girl.’
Vicki laughed at his expression. ‘Did you think we were going to put you in a frock?’
He smirked. ‘I was blooming well hoping you wasn’t, but when you said you was going to get some of your clothes for me, I didn’t know what to expect. You didn’t wear these, did you?’
‘Yes, I was desperate to get a job, and everyone wanted boys, so I cut my hair short and dressed as a boy. It worked and the Howards took me in.’
‘Gosh! You’re real clever, ain’t you? I wouldn’t have fought of such a thing.’
‘It wasn’t easy, and I couldn’t keep it up for long.’
He smirked again. ‘Don’t ’spect you could.’
Vicki studied the boy carefully. Now he was clean and wearing decent clothes he looked quite presentable, except for his hair. That was a mess, but she had collected her scissors as well. ‘Sit down, Dave, and I’ll cut your hair.’
He sat patiently while she worked. When she had finished, Harry nodded his approval. ‘Much better. Now, Vicki, didn’t you say I was invited to lunch?’
‘That’s right.’ She replaced the scissors in her bag, and then looked at Harry. He was enjoying himself, and she wondered just what he was planning to do about Dave.
‘Then we’d better get going. Mustn’t keep Flo waiting. Come on, young man, you’ll enjoy Mrs Howard’s cooking.’
‘Er … me too?’
‘Of course. I want you to meet your future employers.’
‘Um … s’posing they don’t want me?’
Harry visibly winced. ‘We’ll have to start work on your speech straight away. And of course they’ll want you.’
Dave sidled up to Vicki as Harry headed for the door, and whispered, ‘Are you sure this is all right? They might just chuck me out.’
‘No, they won’t, Dave. They took in a boy who was really a girl, and they didn’t turn me out when they discovered I had been lying to them.’ She smiled and hurried the boy after Harry. ‘And I’m still with them. They’re good people, so don’t look so worried. You’ll be fine.’
‘If you say so.’ He still didn’t look convinced.
Harry was the first up the stairs. ‘Set another place, Flo. We’ve brought you a guest.’
Dave was trying to hide behind Vicki, and Bob walked over so he could see the boy properly. ‘Those clothes look familiar. Come out, young man, so we can have a look at you.’
He shuffled out from behind Vicki, but still kept close to her.
‘What’s your name, young man?’
‘D … Dave, mister.’
‘Welcome to our home, Dave. I hope you’re hungry, because my wife is the best cook in all of London.’
‘Don’t take any notice of him,’ Flo laughed. ‘I’m only the second best, really. Sit down, everyone. Vicki, will you help me to dish up?’
‘Of course.’ She followed Flo to the kitchen.
‘Where did you find him?’
Vicki told her what had happened that
This was disappointing, but Vicki was well aware that this could be a futile search. However, she wasn’t ready to give up. ‘Can I ask you to do me a favour? If you see this man again, could you try to get his name?’
‘Ah, well, you’ll have to tell me why you want to know.’
‘He helped me a while ago. If it is the man I’m looking for, he knows me as Vicki, and I would like to see him. I work at the Howards’ ladies’ hairdressing salon.’
The man nodded. ‘I’ll keep an eye out for him.’
‘Thank you very much.’
As a train steamed into the station, Harry said, ‘We can’t do any more here today, Vicki. Let’s go back to my place and see what we can do with this young man.’
Dave ambled along, chatting happily to Harry, leaving Vicki to her thoughts. She hoped the stationmaster would keep his word and let her know if the stranger turned up.
Ten
‘Turn round and show Vicki how well the clothes fit you.’ Harry smiled as he shook his head. ‘He’s almost as thin as you were.’
‘Er …’ Dave looked confused. ‘These are boys’ clothes … but you’re a girl.’
Vicki laughed at his expression. ‘Did you think we were going to put you in a frock?’
He smirked. ‘I was blooming well hoping you wasn’t, but when you said you was going to get some of your clothes for me, I didn’t know what to expect. You didn’t wear these, did you?’
‘Yes, I was desperate to get a job, and everyone wanted boys, so I cut my hair short and dressed as a boy. It worked and the Howards took me in.’
‘Gosh! You’re real clever, ain’t you? I wouldn’t have fought of such a thing.’
‘It wasn’t easy, and I couldn’t keep it up for long.’
He smirked again. ‘Don’t ’spect you could.’
Vicki studied the boy carefully. Now he was clean and wearing decent clothes he looked quite presentable, except for his hair. That was a mess, but she had collected her scissors as well. ‘Sit down, Dave, and I’ll cut your hair.’
He sat patiently while she worked. When she had finished, Harry nodded his approval. ‘Much better. Now, Vicki, didn’t you say I was invited to lunch?’
‘That’s right.’ She replaced the scissors in her bag, and then looked at Harry. He was enjoying himself, and she wondered just what he was planning to do about Dave.
‘Then we’d better get going. Mustn’t keep Flo waiting. Come on, young man, you’ll enjoy Mrs Howard’s cooking.’
‘Er … me too?’
‘Of course. I want you to meet your future employers.’
‘Um … s’posing they don’t want me?’
Harry visibly winced. ‘We’ll have to start work on your speech straight away. And of course they’ll want you.’
Dave sidled up to Vicki as Harry headed for the door, and whispered, ‘Are you sure this is all right? They might just chuck me out.’
‘No, they won’t, Dave. They took in a boy who was really a girl, and they didn’t turn me out when they discovered I had been lying to them.’ She smiled and hurried the boy after Harry. ‘And I’m still with them. They’re good people, so don’t look so worried. You’ll be fine.’
‘If you say so.’ He still didn’t look convinced.
Harry was the first up the stairs. ‘Set another place, Flo. We’ve brought you a guest.’
Dave was trying to hide behind Vicki, and Bob walked over so he could see the boy properly. ‘Those clothes look familiar. Come out, young man, so we can have a look at you.’
He shuffled out from behind Vicki, but still kept close to her.
‘What’s your name, young man?’
‘D … Dave, mister.’
‘Welcome to our home, Dave. I hope you’re hungry, because my wife is the best cook in all of London.’
‘Don’t take any notice of him,’ Flo laughed. ‘I’m only the second best, really. Sit down, everyone. Vicki, will you help me to dish up?’
‘Of course.’ She followed Flo to the kitchen.
‘Where did you find him?’
Vicki told her what had happened that
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