Secrets at Bletchley Park by Margaret Dickinson

Author:Margaret Dickinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Thirty-Three

‘Do you think we should?’ Victoria asked Constance worriedly.

‘Should what, Vicky?’

‘Meet up with those two young men. Charlotte seems determined to.’

‘Well, we won’t if you’re not happy about it.’

‘But – but I don’t want to spoil your fun if – if you want to.’

Constance returned from the mirror where she’d been brushing her long, dark brown hair and came and sat down beside Victoria on the bed. They were getting ready together in Victoria’s room.

‘Vicky, we’re friends now, aren’t we?’

‘Of course. Why do you ask?’

‘Because I saw the look in your eyes when those two young men came over and I want to know why you were so terrified. We’re all wary of young men we don’t know – we have to be – but we’re not all quite so frightened as you obviously were. Now, whatever you tell me is just between the two of us. I won’t tell the others.’

‘I’m being silly, I know that,’ Victoria said in a small voice, ‘but I’ve never been used to young men. I – I had a governess at home. Then I went to Miss Taylor’s and now here.’

‘Didn’t you have any friends at home?’

Victoria shook her head. ‘Mother never allowed me to have friends. I spent all my time with Miss Gilbert, my governess, until I went to boarding school.’

‘No one? Not even girls?’

Again Victoria shook her head, feeling very foolish. It sounded strange and rather pathetic even to her own ears.

Constance was tempted to say ‘You poor thing’ but she bit back the words when she realized they would sound critical of Victoria’s mother.

‘I can see how that could happen,’ she murmured instead. ‘I was lucky, I suppose. I have two older brothers and I was allowed to mix with their friends.’ She squeezed Victoria’s hands. ‘Don’t worry. Stick with me. I’ll look after you, but you ought to know – because perhaps you won’t recognize the signs – that the good-looking one called Kurt has his eye on you.’

‘Oh, but he can’t – I mean – Charlotte said . . .’

Constance laughed out loud. ‘I rather think that young man will make up his own mind about who he likes, never mind Charlotte’s flirting. Now, come on, time we were going down.’

They spent the evening with the two Germans and Kurt made no attempt to hide his interest in Victoria. Even she, in her naivety, could see it.

For the first part of the evening, Charlotte tried to prise him away from Victoria’s side, but when she found it wasn’t working, she turned her flattering attentions on Leon. He was far more receptive to her wiles. Both Constance and Georgina were amused rather than put out because the other two girls were getting all the attention. When a local band began to play dance music, Kurt held out his hand to Victoria. Leon was already leading Charlotte onto the floor.

Constance nudged Victoria. ‘Go on. You can put all those dance lessons we’ve been having recently to the test. Nothing can go wrong, Vicky.

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