Val worked her first shift the following evening, and Nicole sat contentedly drawing pictures and poring over a book the school had lent her, pretending she could read the words.

“The girl sees the sea,” she said, “and wants to go for a swim, but she is afraid there might be sharks.”

The noise of the huge industrial vacuum cleaner drowned out her voice as Val heaved it slowly across the flint-colored carpet.

It was almost midnight and Nicole was fast asleep on a sofa when Val finally finished work. She was bone-weary, muscles aching in places she hadn’t known they existed, but still she had to lift her five-year-old daughter and carry her for a mile all the way back to their apartment. No matter; at least she was free of Tony.

Why didn’t Mom do this? she wondered. When she left her father, why hadn’t she taken Val with her? Val would never have dreamed of leaving without Nicole. It was unthinkable. Had her mother not loved her enough? Or had something happened to stop her?

* * *

Two weeks after she’d left, Val realized that Nicole hadn’t once asked after her daddy. She hadn’t wondered why they were living in a new apartment or when she would see him again, but seemed perfectly content with their altered living arrangements. She had already made friends at her new school and came home requesting her own skipping ropes to practice with.

“Charlie Chaplin went to France, to teach the ladies how to dance . . .” she chanted, a jump for each syllable, and Val laughed. She knew Nicole didn’t have a clue who Charlie Chaplin was.

Peggy came to visit and reported that Tony had been around their house a few times accusing her of aiding and abetting Val’s getaway and demanding to know where she was.

“Fortunately I’m a world-class liar”—she grinned—“and Ken can’t stand the bloke, so he’s backing me up.”

“Thanks, Pegs. I’m sorry he’s bothering you. I suppose I’ll have to call him soon. He has a right to know his daughter is safe.”

“He should bloody well pay you some money to look after her, cheap bastard,” Peggy said fiercely.

“We’re just settling in. I’ll deal with that when I have the strength for a battle.”