Page 76 of Darling Girls

35

ALICIA

BEFORE

‘Miss Fairchild did that to me,’ Jessica whispered. They were in Jessica’s bed, lying side by side like a row of sardines under the blankets in their shortie pyjamas. Jessica was in the middle and Alicia and Norah each rested a head on her shoulder. ‘In the pool. She “taught me to swim”.’ Jessica grimaced as she said the words. ‘She told me she would catch me. Shepromised. Then she let me flail around under the water until I blacked out.’

Alicia felt a tear from Jessica’s face hit her cheek. It invoked a swell of fury in Alicia. She clenched her fists.

‘That’s fucked up,’ Norah said.

‘Yes,’ Alicia agreed wholeheartedly. ‘So fucked up. It’s child abuse. It’s . . . it’s attemptedmurder.’

‘She wouldn’t have let me drown,’ Jessica said. ‘Or Amy. She would have grabbed her eventually.’

‘Jessica!’ Alicia cried. ‘Tell me you’re not still defending that woman. Whocaresif she would have saved her – or you?’

Jessica’s expression was tragically, desperately uncertain. ‘I guess you’re right.’

‘We have to tell someone,’ Alicia said. ‘A teacher. The police.’

‘She’ll just deny it.’ Jessica sniffed and propped herself up on her elbows. ‘And even if they do believe us, what then? We’ll have to leave Wild Meadows. We could end up anywhere. What are the chances that they’ll let us stay together?’

They’d talked about this before, of course – and each time they’d decided to keep quiet out of fear of being separated. But this time was different. They all knew it.

Alicia glanced at Norah, who stared determinedly at the ceiling.

‘It’s a risk we have to take,’ Alicia said. ‘I know it’s scary, but . . .’

Jessica wiped her face with her forearm. ‘Just slow down, Alicia. We need to keep a closer eye on Amy, that’s all. Maybe we can take it in turns to stay home with her, like we did with the other babies?’

‘And if she doesn’t let us stay home?’ Alicia said. ‘What then? We can’t protect Amy if we’re not here.’

Alicia looked at Norah again. Her face was carefully blank, but Alicia saw the effort it was taking to hold back her emotions. They all knew there was no one more terrified of them being separated than she was.

‘I agree with Alicia,’ Norah said, her gaze still fixed on the ceiling. ‘Wehaveto tell. We’ve already waited too long.’

Amy’s face lit up when they entered the kitchen for breakfast the next morning. She dropped the piece of toast she’d been smearing all over the tray of her highchair and began waving her hands about.

Miss Fairchild huffed. ‘Great. Now she’ll never eat her breakfast.’

‘Hello, Amy,’ Norah said brightly, picking her up out of her highchair and spinning her about. Amy giggled hysterically.

‘Norah,’ Miss Fairchild cried. ‘I’m the only one who –’

‘Wheeeee!’ Norah cried, ignoring her and spinning Amy faster.

It would have been funny seeing Miss Fairchild’s confusion, had Alicia not worried it might tip her off that something was wrong. Jessica must have had the same thought, because she chose that moment to say, ‘We’d better go, guys.’

The moment she said it, Amy broke into heart-rending sobs. ‘Nooooooo,’ she cried, betrayed. ‘No go!’ She looked at Norah and Jessica imploringly, her face desperate.

‘We’ll be back after school,’ Alicia said, as the child put her chubby arms around Alicia’s leg.

‘That’s enough,’ Miss Fairchild said, prising her away. ‘For goodness’ sake, what a fuss!’

‘Bye,’ they said to her inadequately, then they hurried from the house so quickly that Jessica forgot her schoolbag and had to run back for it.

As Norah and Alicia waited for her, they consoled themselves with the fact that with any luck, after today, they’d never have to do this again. Of course, if they were wrong, it meant they’d be making things worse for themselves. And not only that, they’d have made things a whole lot worse for Amy.