Page 19 of Strangers in Time

“Hullo,” Charlie Matters said back.

“Why are you hiding behind that tree?”

“Just takin’ a rest,” said Charlie, stuffing his grimy hands into his dirtier pockets.

“Come now, were you hiding from that police motorcar that passed by earlier? Are you in trouble?”

He looked her up and down and came away annoyed. “Just out for a stroll. No law against that. And if I find somethin’ along the way, what business is that of anybody ’cept me?”

She looked over his thin frame and shoddy clothes, and her expression softened. “I could provide some food for you.”

Charlie took a hand from his pocket and waved this offer away. “I don’t take charity.”

“But it would be no trouble. I live right here.” She pointed to the door of her home.

Charlie looked up at the tall white brick face. “What, you mean in all ’a it?”

Her eyes narrowed at his very odd query. “I don’t understand. In all of what?”

He pointed at her home. “I mean do you live in all ’a it or just one of them rooms?”

“Well, I have my own bedroom, but my parents own the whole house.”

“Blimey, you must be rich then, Miss.”

Molly blinked. “What’s your name?” she asked.

“Charlie.”

“Charlie what?”

“Charlie Matters.”

Molly glanced across the street. She didn’t see the man who had been smoking earlier. But part of the darkness seemed a shade darker, as though someone… Her gaze dropped to Charlie’s right hand, where there was a long, reddened cut.

“That’s infected,” she admonished. “You need to wash it thoroughly with soap and then apply topical medicine and cover it with a bandage.”

“Why, I’ve had worse’n that,” scoffed Charlie.

“I have experience with such things and I’m telling you that itisinfected. You don’t want it to turn into septicemia.”

“Septi-what?”

“Septicemia. It’s an infection of bacteria in your bloodstream. That bacteria can then be swiftly carried over your entire body from within. You can actually die from blood poisoning.”

Charlie now stared down at the cut with interest. “How’d you know stuff like that?”

“I justdo. Now, were you hiding from the constables because you’ve stolen something?”

Charlie frowned under this interrogation. “Look here, what’syourname?”

“Molly Wakefield.”

“So why are you standin’ outside your house when you should be in bed, eh?”

“I’m not sure that’s any of your business,” she replied primly. “But never mind that. My father works at the Ministry of Food. Do you know where that might be? I would like to go there. It might be in Whitehall, but I’m not at all certain.”

A bemused Charlie said, “So there really is such a thin’?”

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