Chapter Seventeen

‘I was wondering if you could tell me which way it is to the post office?’ Kitty asked her mother late the following morning. ‘I’ve written to Sunday and Tom and my friend, Ben, and I need some stamps.’

‘Oh, you don’t need to trouble yourself with things like that. That’s what we have servants for,’ Ruby told her as she daintily stifled a yawn with her hand. ‘Just pop them on the tray over there with my mail and one of the maids will post them later.’ It was almost twelve o’clock, but Ruby had only just got up and was still clad in her peignoir. Kitty had rarely seen her up and about before lunchtime.

Crossing to the tray, she laid her letters on it.

‘Don’t worry,’ Ruby told her as she helped herself to a cup of coffee. ‘I have written to Mr and Mrs Branning and given them our full address so no doubt they’ll be writing to you very soon. If they’ve forgiven you for leaving them so abruptly, that is.’

Kitty blinked. Her mother might have a point. She had left Treetops in rather a rush, despite being fully aware of how upset Sunday was about her sudden departure. But surely Sunday wouldn’t have expected her to miss the chance of meeting her birth mother? The girl tapped her lip with her forefinger. Never mind. In her letter she had told them truthfully how very much she missed them all, so Sunday and Tom were bound to respond when they received it. Feeling slightly happier, she then asked, ‘Did you have anything planned for this afternoon?’

‘What?’ Ruby already had her head buried in the latest copy of the Ladies Home Journal magazine. She was a great fan of the fashion section inside it. ‘What did you say, dear?’

‘I said, have you got anything planned for this afternoon – for us, I mean?’

‘Oh … no, no, I’m afraid not. I have a performance tomorrow evening and I always like to rehearse then rest the day before so that I look and perform at my best.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Kitty couldn’t help but feel let down. But then she brightened a little when she asked, ‘In that case would you mind if I went out for a while? I could take myself off and do a bit of sightseeing.’

Ruby raised an eyebrow. ‘On your own? What if you get lost?’

‘I shall be fine,’ Kitty said as Miss Fox joined them. ‘I can always hop in a cab and give them this address if I do get lost, and they’ll bring me home.’

‘Hmm!’ Miss Fox didn’t look any too pleased with the idea. ‘I’m not so sure it’s safe for a young lady like you to be out and about by herself. There’s pickpockets and all manner of rogues just waiting to rob you blind.’

‘Oh, Foxy, stop fussing,’ Ruby scolded with a giggle. ‘She’s not a child.’ Then to Kitty: ‘Just be sure to stay in the places where there are lots of people and don’t venture into the back streets.’