Page 80 of Strangers in Time

Oliver stepped up. “She can stay with… with my wife and me. We’re friends of the family. We were here visiting Molly while her parents were gone. We went to the Underground when the sirens sounded.”

The constable glanced at Charlie. “And you, lad?”

“He’s my son,” answered Oliver promptly.

“Right then. Well, good luck to you all.”

He hurried back over to where Molly’s home had once stood.

Molly said, “Where do Charlie and I go now? An orphanage?”

She glanced at Charlie, who stared dully back at her.

“I think we can allow that discussion to wait for another time,” said Oliver.

“Mrs. Pride must be given a proper burial, but I’m not sure how to manage it. What little monies we had were inside the house.”

“Does she have family?” asked Oliver.

Molly slowly shook her head. “None that I know of. Her husband died before she came to work for us. She never mentioned children.”

“Siblings, perhaps?”

“I don’t know. It seems quite stupid on my part but we never talked about any of that,” she added guiltily.

“Well, let’s go to the bookshop and we can think things over. We’ll come up with something.”

They walked off through the smoke and destruction of the night’s bombing, past fresh rubble, and bodies under bloody sheets, and the wounded being loaded into vehicles, and slowly made their way to Covent Garden and The Book Keep. Oliver unlocked the door and ushered them in.

“I have a spare room that you and Charlie can use. Imogen keptitems from her younger days that I still have and that might fit you, Molly. And I had a cousin’s son who lived with us early on in the war and who was around your size, Charlie. He left some odd bits of clothing behind.”

It was evident to both Molly and Charlie that Oliver was trying his best to remain optimistic in the face of such stark challenges.

“I have food… um, enough,” he added feebly. “And a good deal of tea.”

Molly gasped. “My ration book. It was in the house.”

Charlie said, “Gran had my book. It’s long gone by now.”

Oliver said, “It only costs a shilling to replace a lost ration book. However, it might be… difficult, since you both would have to appear in person to claim a new one. And there would be troublesome questions. Oh, before I forget, we should talk about your schooling.”

“I’m of age, all done,” said Charlie immediately.

Molly added, “I am as well, but I hope to sit for my exams next year when I turn sixteen.”

“All right,” said a relieved Oliver. He rushed off to make tea, while Charlie found himself staring at the repaired front door. Molly caught his eye.

“Charlie, is something wrong?”

He turned to her with an angry look. “Pretty much everythin’ is wrong, for both of us. Don’t youseethat? Weareorphans. Least I am, and you’re close to it. They’ll put us in some place with a bunch of other kids nobody cares about.”

“That’s not how it works, Charlie.”

His features tightened and he snapped, “Itishow it works. I got mates. I know what happens to… to people like that.” He glanced at the door again, and his anger faded to melancholy.

Oliver returned with the teacups and a few biscuits on a tray.

They drank the tea and Charlie had two biscuits, while Molly had one. She ate it with a detached air, as her gaze ran mindlessly over the shelved books.

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