True to her word, she only packed underwear, socks, and an extra pair of shoes, and removed a mere two outfits from the armoire. “I . . .” She glanced up at me shyly. “Things are moving so quickly, and I know I shouldn’t try to do too much at once, but I think I’d like some new clothes.”

I gave her a small smile. “We could make a day or two of it. Maybe go to Newcastle to shop.”

Caro nodded and then picked up the picture frame sitting on her bedside cabinet. “My mother and father,” she whispered, placing it gently in her case.

According to Roane they hadn’t been much in the way of parents, but I’m sure they were a far sight better than her aunt Helena.

When Caro dropped to her knees by the floor at the window, I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Her small, elegant hands pried at the floorboards, and to my surprise two boards gave way. She reached into the hole in the floor and pulled out a large shoebox. I stepped forward and peered in as Caro removed the lid. Inside was what looked like a journal, a pile of comic books, and to my surprise, three historical romance paperbacks. They looked like they’d been read many, many times.

Caro smiled tremulously. “My contraband.”

I crouched beside her, incredibly sad that a twenty-two-year-old woman had to hide these things. My fingers brushed the cover of one of the books. “You’re a romance fan.”

Her cheeks flushed a lovely rosy color. “They’re wonderful escapism.”

“They are,” I agreed.

“One of the first things I’m going to do once I have access to my accounts is buy an e-reader and just stock it full of romance novels.”

She sounded so young in that moment, it broke my heart a little. Her aunt had kept her in a perpetual state of confusion—repression versus teenage rebellion. Caro hadn’t been given the chance yet to become an adult. I shrugged off my sadness because she was still so young, and it was happening now. Her life was about to change for the better. I’d called Penny in the early hours of the morning, knowing it was early evening for her in Melbourne, and asked permission to allow Caroline to stay in the second bedroom until we could find her a more permanent situation. Penny, unsurprisingly, had been all for it.

“Buying an e-reader would be the first thing I’d do,” I chuckled as I straightened. “Come on. Let’s pack this stuff too.”

Caro emptied the contents of the shoebox into her suitcase and closed it.

“Ready?”

“Just one last thing.” She reached up behind her neck and unclasped the gold cross.