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Shelley, resolved, took a deep breath and looked at Claire, ‘It’s for your birthday. Isn’t it beautiful?’ Claire shouted and smiled. Hilda appeared, drying her hands on her apron. ‘Aren’t you the lucky one, Claire Lewis? Your Mummy brings you lovely things, not like some people I could mention.’ Together they put the dress on Claire’s thin, awkward body. ‘That dark red makes her hair look almost white,’ said Hilda, admiringly. ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ said Shelley. ‘So she is.’ When Shelley could bring herself to leave, she kissed Claire, who immediately began to cry. ‘Take no notice of them tears,’ said Hilda. ‘They’re going over to school now. Shelley, can she keep the frock on? Just to show them?’ ‘You know she can,’ Shelley said.
One thing remained for her to do on her return. She took the black dress from the wardrobe, went to the kitchen. From the drawer she took a box of matches, then hesitated. She wanted to take the dress into the garden, spread it out on the stack of leaves, onto what Charles called his fireplace, but she stopped. She returned the matches to the drawer, carefully placed the dress in the back of the car, drove to the village. The assistant was busy with something in the back. Shelley waited by the little desk until the woman emerged.
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I Never Wear Black 7 |
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46 |
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All work within this periodical is copyrighted by the authors and Big Pond Rumour, January 2008. No part is to be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the authors and Big Pond Rumour Press. |