Buying the Virgin

Chapter 94: The Girl Who Was Hunted - Chapter Ten

ELIZABETH

Charlotte nods, relaxing a bit, unfolding her arms. Will regards her, chin resting on his fist.

“You don’t like the Police much, do you Charlotte?”

“Not much, no.”

“Why not? I think there’s more to it than this misunderstanding over James.”

The folded arms are back. “Because on the half dozen or so occasions I ran away from Blessingmoors, every single time, the Police caught me and took me in, and regardless of anything I tried to say to them, delivered me right back there to have the shit beaten out of me.”

Will rubs his lower lip thoughtfully. “So, why did you agree to help us at all?”

“Because Mr Haswell asked me to.”

Will looks startled. “Mr Haswell? Richard here?”

“Yes.”

“What has he to do with it?”

“I owe him.”

Richard doesn’t look up, instead, paying close attention to his lamb in mint.

Will continues. “And you pay your debts?”

“I do.”

“Do you think this pays your debt to Richard?”

“Nope. I reckon I owe him a bit more than this.”

Will pulls a document wallet from his briefcase. “So, Charlotte, about Blessingmoors, I have your file here, taken from the records on the premises at the time it was closed down….”

She looks uneasy, shuffling in her chair. Michael’s hand snakes out, taking hers.

Will continues. “I have to say that it doesn’t look too good. It says here that you were in trouble numerous times for all kinds of petty crimes…. shoplifting.”

“I’m not a thief.”

“That’s not what it says here.” Will waves the file he is holding.

“It’s still not true. How can I have been a shoplifter when they never let us out?”

“So, you’ve never stolen anything from a shop?” Will raises an eyebrow, looking sceptical.

“Well, yes, I did, but it was when I was trying to run. I was a kid. I had no money. I had to eat…”

He says nothing, simply nodding as he writes a note in the margin.

“Drugs….”

“I’ve never touched drugs.”

“Not ever?”

“Not ever.”

Charlotte, already, that Blessingmoors was rife with

matters. Yes, they were there. And no, I

sighs, then scribbles in

a warden? On

bit is true.” She hangs her

“What were the circumstances?”

they were trying to… you know. Other times, it…. just kind of burst out of

know’…. you

up with one of

reported earlier this year for assaulting a customer in ‘Francesca’s’ tea rooms in the City? Although the charges

did happen,

Two drunken louts were trying to…press their attentions on Charlotte and

but pencils in

records have you listed as disruptive, and a

Master interrupts. “But Charlotte loved school. She’s told us about it

that was the school when I was with my foster family. Yes, it was great there. The school at Blessingmoors,

“Why not?” asks Richard.

anything beyond basic reading and writing. I’d got all that by the time I was

about Charlotte, is that according to our records, you now co-habit with two men, Mr James Alexanders and Mr

see what that has to

is that I am

“Sorry?”

a great deal of money from their…. trade… and can afford the best of legal representation. If you

at his words,

I am

you can eyeball a solicitor and say that you only stole because you were a child, and you were hungry. Or that your personal arrangements are none

to, yes, I could do it….

“Yes?”

anything else in that

at

“Anything earlier?”

stares at her for a minute. “Yes,

whispers, her eyes big.

the file to her, sliding it across the table. “Here,

up the file, Michael’s eyes following

*****

CHARLOTTE

of words, phrases…’Ward of the court’….’, …taken into

the paper, an old photograph, tiny, curled up at the corners and

young, pale-skinned and red-haired. Her eyes are badly shadowed. She looks

*****

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