Just Like the Other Girls - Claire Douglas Page 0,36
Fiona perched on the velvet sofa that was the colour of ink, Katy’s old brown suitcase at their feet. Elspeth stood by the fireplace. She seemed on edge, jiggling about as though she needed the loo. On the coffee-table there was a tray of little cakes and a jug of lemonade. Katy still had the annoying butterflies flapping around in her stomach but she could really eat one of those French Fancies. The yellow ones were her favourite. She didn’t dare ask, though, and Elspeth didn’t offer. Instead she stood there wringing her hands and fidgeting, her beautiful face crumpled with concern. ‘I don’t know where they’ve got to,’ she said, to nobody in particular. ‘I wanted Viola to come here to greet you.’
Katy heard Viola before she saw her. A screech and a high posh voice shouted, ‘Get off me! I said I’m coming!’ And then there she was, standing in the doorway, resplendent in a pink gingham dress with long white socks that wrinkled around her ankles. There were grass stains on her knees. She was pretty, like Isla at the home, with long white-blonde hair and a perfect oval face. Katy had already been told that Viola was eighteen months older than her, although two school years above, which would make her nearly thirteen. She didn’t look it, though. She looked young and innocent in that dress. It was more like something an eight-year-old would wear. She had a matching Alice band atop her long fine hair that she’d pushed forward too much so it made her ears stick out. She scowled at Katy and Katy’s heart plummeted. She’d really hoped they would become best friends as well as sisters. Elspeth moved so that she was standing behind Katy, her arms around her. She liked being in Elspeth’s arms. It made her feel wanted and she smelt sweet, like Love Hearts. ‘This is your new sister,’ she said, to Viola. ‘I hope you’ll make her welcome.’ Then Elspeth turned to Fiona, not bothering to lower her voice: ‘It will do Viola good to share. She’s becoming a little spoilt. I couldn’t have any more children, sadly.’
‘I. Am. Not. Spoilt,’ cried Viola, stamping her foot.
‘Now then, Viola, that’s not polite, is it?’ said Huw, who was standing beside Viola in the doorway. She stuck out her tongue at him and ran off. They all stood in silence as her shiny patent sandals clomped across the tiles in the hallway.
Elspeth sighed theatrically. ‘I don’t know what we’re going to do with that girl.’ She turned to Katy. ‘But it’s not something you need to worry about. I’ve been told you’re a good girl.’
Fiona stood up, looking concerned. ‘Is Viola going to come around to having Katy here? I don’t really want to leave Katy in a hostile environment.’ She glanced at Katy worriedly. As far as social workers went, Katy knew she was lucky. Fiona genuinely seemed to care about her welfare, which wasn’t the case with her last one, Derek, who had told her to put up and shut up when she was placed with a foster family who used her as an unpaid skivvy. Luckily he was sacked and Fiona replaced him, with her freckled face and warm smile. She could see how unhappy Katy had been at the Morgans and had whisked her out of there and back into the children’s home within the day.
‘Why don’t you go and find her in the garden? I’ll show you. Come on.’ Elspeth held out her hand to Katy and led her through the library, then outside and down a few steps onto a terrace. ‘She’ll be in that tree house, I expect.’ Elspeth made an encouraging face and Katy tentatively walked across the huge garden, wanting to please her new mother. When she got to the back of the garden where the tree house was a hand pulled her to the ground. It was Viola’s.
‘You’re not wanted here,’ she hissed at her, surprisingly strong for such a slight girl. ‘I’m going to make your life hell and then you’ll be begging to go back to that puky home like hideous Tommy.’
Katy stared into the girl’s perfect face in shock. How could something so pretty be so … so mean? She felt her eyes fill with tears.
‘Oh, great. Another weakling,’ said Viola, getting to her feet and dusting off her dress. ‘No wonder your real parents didn’t want you. I’ll break you within a week.’