‘No. That’s not true.’

He held her there, fixing her with that stare while he weighed up what she’d just told him. She could almost hear the cogs whirring in his brain. Then he said: ‘Beezer thought he saw me, you say? Going into the nursery?’

Milly nodded dumbly. As a boy, he’d been weedy; thin. Now as a man he was very strong, while she was flabby and weak.

‘He must have been off his head on something,’ said Harlan. Suddenly he let her go. ‘And Mills – bear this in mind. I wasn’t there. Beezer imagined it.’

Her arm where he’d gripped it was throbbing with hot pain. Her mind was racing, any minute now he was going to warn her not to tell anyone. But she’d already told people. She’d told Belle. She’d told Mum. And Mum had told Dad.

‘Who’ve you told, Milly?’ he demanded.

Milly licked her dry lips. She could lie. But he’d get the truth out of her; she knew he would.

‘I told Mum. She told Dad, but I don’t suppose he believed her anyway, and . . .’ Her voice tailed away.

‘And?’ He gripped her arm again and she let out a cry. ‘And, Milly?’

‘I told Belle.’

84

Belle asked Milly where the Stone manufacturing bases were. No one had ever told her anything about them.

‘Why d’you want to know that?’ asked Milly.

‘Because I want to do something. Work at something.’

Milly looked at her old pal in amazement. ‘But you don’t have to.’

‘I know I don’t have to. I want to. I’m bored with hanging about doing nothing. I want to do something with my life, OK?’

‘Well yeah. Sure. If that’s what you want.’

‘So . . . ?’ Belle looked at Milly expectantly.

‘I don’t know where they are. How would I? You know the parents don’t like us even asking about the business. And anyway it’s dull as fuck. Sofas and armchairs? Beechwood frames and fabrics? Not exactly exciting, is it?’

‘You really don’t know where the business addresses are?’

‘I really don’t. Harlan does, but he never talks about any of it. And me? Kept in the dark and fed bollocks, that’s me.’ Milly pouted. It was one more example of her being treated like the useless one, while Harlan was the favoured son, granted all the inside knowledge. All right, she didn’t want to know about the bloody business that kept them all in such style, but still – it did sting.

‘So how are we going to find out where they are?’ asked Belle.