‘Because you trusted your father, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not your fault, Liv, you were fourteen and still a child yourself.’

‘What a mess!’ Olivia said miserably. ‘How could I be related to someone so heartless?’

Maude shrugged. ‘Maybe it’s because he thinks with his head and not his heart?’

‘Maybe,’ Olivia agreed.

Maude shrugged. ‘It’s the only thing that makes sense. Either that or he’s psychotic …’

Olivia’s mouth rounded. ‘They do say people who are psychotic show no emotions, and that’s Dad to a tee.’

Maude gave a short snort of laughter. ‘I was being facetious! He’s not that bad. Psychos go round murdering people for no reason, like Jack the Ripper. Your dad might be a bit of a Scrooge, but that doesn’t make him psychotic.’

Olivia relented. ‘All right then, maybe he’s not that bad, but I don’t think he’s more than a stone’s throw away …’ She stopped dead. ‘Good God, Maude, you’ve hit the nail on the head! My father’s exactly like Scrooge. Look how Scrooge treated Bob Cratchit! Dad’s exactly the same with his workers, and couldn’t you see Scrooge giving his grandchild away if he thought it would be better for his business?’

Maude nodded without hesitation. ‘And you having a child with one of your dad’s employees would have made him the topic of hot gossip in the industry. He’d lose respect, and possibly clients. His reputation could’ve been ruined.’

‘And Scrooge gave up the love of his life because he devoted himself to his firm, just like Dad with Mum. Because he was loving once, Nana told me; it was when his father died and he had to take over the factory that he changed.’

Maude raised her brow. ‘Suddenly everything falls into place, doesn’t it?’

Olivia nodded. ‘I never understood why, but I do now, although I’m not saying I approve and I certainly couldn’t be like that …’

‘That’s because you think with your heart not your head,’ Maude interrupted.

Olivia glanced at the clock. ‘We’ve got hours yet, which’ll seem like days if we sit here waiting.’

Maude brightened. ‘How about we go and see what they’re playing at the cinema? We don’t have to go far, they’ve got one on base.’

‘A cinema on base!’ moaned Olivia. ‘You’re spoilt, Maude Harris!’

Maude laughed. ‘Funny how when we were on a base with a cinema all we wanted was to get our legs loose in the town!’

‘True,’ conceded Olivia, ‘but you never appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone.’

The girls spent the rest of the evening watching the main feature, A Day at the Races, featuring the Marx brothers. As they left the cinema, Olivia turned to Maude. ‘Thank you. That’s just what I needed to help me unwind.’