Chapter 22

As they drove home the next morning the girls were still bubbling with excitement. They had splashed out the evening before and used up the balance of their food allowance by going à la carte. That had introduced them to some novel flavours and they had really enjoyed the experience. The van though was the real root of their exuberance.

Isobel dropped Becca off first. Tom had invited Nell to spend the day with him and she was thrilled when Mary gave her permission to do so. They did join in the conversation in the car but held hands in the back throughout the journey. Tom reluctantly let go to help Becca with her suitcase.

Becca let herself in, dropped her suitcase in the hall and called Steven.

"Hello, little one. Welcome home," he said emerging from his study and opening his arms. Becca hugged him tight and he her.

"We've had a lovely time but I missed you," she said.

"Good! I want to hear all about it."

Becca hid her disappointment that he ignored the fact that she had missed him.

"Are you ready for coffee?"

"Always."

She said nothing as she prepared the coffee and put a plate of his favourite chocolate digestive biscuits on the table.

"So, tell me all," he said at last.

She told him in detail.

"Little tick!" he exclaimed about Ray.

Becca laughed. "That's exactly what I said."

Steven laughed with her.

"I wish you could have seen some of those outfits," she said. "Nell looked absolutely stunning in some of them."

"I'll bet you looked even more stunning in some of yours."

"Well, a little bit more mature perhaps but she's jolly pretty and Tom's mad about her."

"Good for him. What does she think about him?"

"The same. They're sweet together because they're both so shy but they held hands all the way back in the car this morning and he did kiss her on the nose after the Ray thing."

"And he hasn't kissed her again?"

"Probably but I didn't see them. I bet they do today though."

"Good for them."

"I haven't had a kiss from you though."

"Oh, Becca, I'm sorry. All the excitement!"

She came round the table and sat on his knee, took his head in her hands and kissed him, hard.

"I love you, Uncle Steven, just as I always have and I still won't push you but that's why I missed you."

Stephen took a deep breath. "And I still love you, my precious little one, but I haven't changed my mind."

Becca sighed. "Anyway," she said, "I haven't told you the big story yet."

"Go on then."

"Brain Brothers are giving us a second-hand van so that we can expand our business."

"Wow!"

"They offered us a choice of three and we picked one." She chuckled. "The biggest but it was the only one we could get the ladders on and all the kit plus a crew. They're going to go over it mechanically and then tart it up. It'll have 'Decorating Damsels' on it and a smaller sign saying 'Donated by Brain Bros'."

"That's very generous of them."

"Isn't it? They said it was because of the work we're doing for orphans."

"Quite right too! I'm very proud of you, Becca darling."

That was the first time he had called her darling and he could well have used it to a daughter but Becca felt her heart swell.

"So, my sweet, driving lessons."

"Yes. For me and one other to start with." She laughed. "It can't be Nell. She can't reach the pedals."

Steven laughed with her. "Who's it going to be then?"

"I don't know yet. Some of the girls may not want to drive. I thought I'd bike round and visit the three jobs this afternoon, tell them the news and see who would like to learn to drive."

"That sounds a good idea."

He was thinking. Two series of driving lessons would take a fair whack of the girls' profits. He might be able to wangle some free training with his friends in the police. He said nothing more.

Becca looked up at him but restrained the impulse to kiss him. "I must go and unpack," she said and slid off his knee. "Got any interesting cases?" she asked.

"Not really. Two suspected unfaithful husbands, one supposedly wayward wife and a couple who've lost their daughter. I think she may have done a Rebecca but we're still looking."

"What are her parents like?"

"Dull as ditchwater and holier than thou."

"I hope you don't find her."

"Becca-a!"

She smiled at him and went to pick up her case from the hall.

Quarter of an hour later, Becca stuck her head round Steven's office door. "Is it all right if I ring round three or four driving schools?" she asked.

"Go ahead, poppet!"

She did so and then rather disconsolately went about dusting and vacuuming. She prepared lunch and called Steven to it.

"Why the glooms?" he asked.

"All the driving schools want a hundred and fifty odd quid for an eight week course of twelve lessons. Oh, we can afford it but it's so long. That van's going to sit about for six weeks not earning us any money. Its sparking plugs or something will go wrong in that time too, I'll bet."

Steven chuckled. "Don't worry. It'll still get used. None of us drivers can wait to get the roof racks off our cars."

Becca smiled at him but she wasn't mollified. "There must be a quicker way," she grumbled.

"Only if you offer them more cash."

"Well, I'm not doing that."

"So you're stuck with it."

"Grrr!"

As soon as she had washed up Becca leapt on her bicycle and visited the three jobs they were doing. There were no problems and all the girls were delighted to see her. They were all thrilled about the van.

"We need to train another driver," Becca said. "I need to be one because I've got to get round all the sites and make sure you're behaving yourselves." That drew predictable raspberries from each group of girls. Becca ignored them. "I'm going to restrict the choice to Molly, Jane and Kim. Nell, poor love, is so small she can't reach the pedals."

Kim was not keen. I wouldn't mind learning to drive a car," she said, "but not a great big van."

Molly and Jane were keen so, as they were working on different sites, Becca tossed a coin. Molly won so Becca bicycled back to tell Jane the bad news. She took it well.

"When we can afford it," she said.

Becca was pleased with the outcome as Molly was the sturdier of the two.

In the meanwhile Steven had rung another old friend.

"MT Section, Sergeant Nicholson!"

"Hello, Nick. Steven."

"Hello, mate! I haven't heard from you or of you for a long time. Been keeping your head down after the children's home?"

"Something like that. How are you all?"

"Gwen's fine. Gordon's in his school junior football team and Tilda's decided she's going to be a ballet dancer. Got a fixation on Moira Shearer after we went and saw 'The Red Shoes'."

Steven chuckled. "Good for them!"

"What about your niece though? The 'Decorating Damsels' have created quite a stir. People are pretty taken with what she's doing for orphans not to mention the quality of their work."

"I'm very proud of her, Nick, and it's because of her that I'm ringing you."

He told him about the van and the problems with the local driving schools. "Youthful impatience," he added.

"Maybe," said Nick, "but she wants to expand and help more of those kids."

"Yes," said Steven simply. He had not wanted to push that avenue.

"Right! Starting next week, nine to eleven and eleven to one Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'll put one of my advanced instructors onto it."

"Can you really afford to do that?"

"Hope so. I mean if there's a major crisis I'll have to cancel at short notice but it should be OK. They'll probably still have L-plates up when the van's ready but at least they'll be able to drive it at the presentation."

"Nick, you're a star."

"Yup! No, old mate. I'm prepared to pull out the stops for you and those girls."

"Bless you, Nick," said Steven heartfeltly.

"Cheers!"

The telephone went down.

To say that Becca was pleased would be an understatement. She was thrilled. Steven had to push her away.

Becca decided that Molly should go to the earlier lesson so that she could go round the sites and troubleshoot as necessary first thing. She deputed that to Molly while she was training.