Read Forgotten Child for Free Online Page B

vehicle pulled up and she saw a fellow member of the WI behind the wheel.
    ‘Mrs Lavender, Delia, I can see you’re on your way out, but I’m glad I caught you,’ Penelope Grainger said as she wound down her window. ‘As you know we’re having a fundraiser next week, but Mrs Brunswick has had to bow out. Could I put you down to take her place on the cake stall?’
    ‘Yes, of course,’ nodded Delia.
    ‘Will you still be contributing some of your lovely walnut cakes? They always go down so well.’
    ‘Yes, I’m making a half a dozen.’
    ‘Wonderful, but I must go. You know how it is, things to do and all that.’
    ‘Yes, I know what you mean. I’m just on my way to my daughter’s school.’
    ‘Oh dear, is there a problem?’
    ‘No, it’s an appointment with a careers adviser.’
    ‘My daughter, Fiona, was determined to follow her father into medicine, and though it’s jolly hard work, she loves it. Does your daughter have a career in mind?’
    Delia swallowed, once again cursing the fact thatshe had no idea what Jennifer was capable of. Penelope Grainger’s husband was a consultant, and her daughter had attended a private school. In fact, other than seeing the woman at WI meetings, they didn’t mix socially. Of course in this instance that could work in her favour – hopefully the woman unaware that Jennifer attended a state secondary school. Delia would have given anything to join Penelope’s social circle, but her aspirations had come to nothing as yet.
    ‘I think she’s interested in law,’ Delia lied, ‘but if you’ll excuse me I really must go now.’
    ‘Righto, I’ll see you next week,’ Penelope said, giving a small wave before driving off.
    Delia glanced at her watch. Only a few minutes had passed and she still had plenty of time, but nevertheless her pace was brisk as she continued her journey. Law! It had been the only thing that had popped into her head, and now sounded idiotic, especially as she doubted if Jennifer was capable of anything other than cleaning the chambers.
    Jenny and Tina were waiting to see the careers adviser when Tina hissed, ‘Jenny, I know you said my parents can’t stop me, but when we leave I’m still gonna do a runner.’
    ‘All right, but we’ll need to find a bedsit. Have you got an area in mind?’
    ‘Not really, but somewhere that’s got a bit of life. How about Chelsea?’
    ‘It isn’t a huge distance away, but if you want to move there it’s fine with me.’
    There was silence for a moment, then Tina said sadly, ‘It’ll be ages before we can save enough to leave. Any landlord will want about a month’s rent in advance, but my mum will want me to stump up at least half of what I earn.’
    ‘Tina, we’ll look for somewhere to live as soon as term’s over – we’ve got to get you away from your father as soon as possible. Thanks to my dad I’ve got some savings, enough to pay the rent for at least a month, maybe more. Mind you, if you still want to do a runner, you’ll have to pretend that nothing has changed until we leave. If the careers adviser arranges a job interview then go, otherwise your parents will guess that something’s up.’
    ‘Yeah, good thinking,’ Tina agreed. ‘As for the rent, I’ll pay you back as soon as I can, honest I will.’
    ‘Don’t worry about it. You’re my best friend, and that’s what matters, not money.’
    ‘You’re more than a friend to me, Jenny. You’re more like a sister, and a better one than Mandy.’
    Jenny felt a surge of pleasure. It was nice to think that Tina saw them as sisters.
    ‘Jennifer, there you are,’ her mother said as she walked up to them, looking immaculate but slightly harassed. ‘I was held up twice but thankfully it seems I’ve arrived in time.’
    ‘I haven’t been in yet, but I’m next.’
    ‘Please have the courtesy to move along so I can sit down,’ her mother then said, looking haughtily at Tina.
    As the door opened beside her and a girl came out, Jenny