Page 94 of Darling Girls

‘Al,’ she said. ‘Why are you crying?’

‘Shit.’ Alicia wiped at her face. ‘Shit, sorry.’

‘Don’t be sorry,’ Meera said. ‘Just tell me what’s going on.’

But Alicia was already sitting up, retrieving her shirt from the floor. ‘Nothing. I just . . . I can’t do this.’

As she pulled on her clothes, Alicia hated herself. She should have known this would happen. She couldn’t have a normal relationship. She was an idiot to get swept up – and, worse, to allow Meera to think something could happen between them.

Meera pulled her own clothes on and sat silently on the bed beside Alicia.

‘I can’t talk about it,’ Alicia said, pre-empting Meera’s questions.

Before Meera could respond, there was a knock at the door.

‘Alicia?’ It was Norah.

‘Not now, Norah,’ Alicia called.

‘I’m sorry if you’re having kinky lesbian sex, but it’s anemergency.’

‘Norah,’ Alicia replied. ‘For God’s sake –’

The door opened. Guess it wasn’t locked after all.

‘Isaidit was an emergency,’ Norah told her. ‘I need you to come out here. Now.’

48

NORAH

After rousing Alicia and Meera, Norah flew back outside and ran towards Jessica and Miss Fairchild.

‘Get your hands off her!’ she cried, breaking them apart with such force that Miss Fairchild hit the stone wall of the cottage hard. Jessica would have fallen backwards in the opposite direction had Norah not caught her elbow and righted her.

‘You violent little thug!’ Miss Fairchild gasped. She sounded winded. ‘You can’t help yourself, can you?’

Norah was also out of breath. She tasted bile. She looked at Jessica, who was teary and shamefaced. It was hard to tell from her expression if she was happy or sad to have been interrupted.

Alicia and Meera emerged from the cottage. ‘What the hell is going on?’ Alicia demanded.

Miss Fairchild hesitated. The presence of Meera had rattled her, Norah realised. She’d always had different personas for outsiders, and it was funny watching as she floundered, unsure which mask to wear.

‘I was talking to Jessica when Norah assaulted me –again.’

‘I was protecting Jessica,’ Norah said. ‘Miss Fairchild washuggingher!’

Alicia’s gaze moved to Jessica. She looked as appalled as Norah felt.

‘Jessica didn’t need protection,’ Miss Fairchild said. ‘She was just fine – weren’t you, Jessica?’

They all looked at Jessica, who gaped back at them like a little girl.

Alicia walked over and put an arm around her shoulders.

‘I think you should go, Miss Fairchild,’ Alicia said.

Miss Fairchild held her hands up, perhaps in an attempt to appear reasonable for Meera’s sake. ‘Listen. I know things ended badly between us, but don’t you think this could be an opportunity – now that we’ve been brought back together again after all these years?’