Chapter 14

Becca spent a busy Saturday as she wanted to make a really good supper for the girls but also had her household chores to do. She made an early morning trip to the butcher, choosing lamb chops that she would season with mint, cook in a casserole with carrots and onions and serve with mashed potatoes and spinach. She also made a Queen's Pudding.

Steven said he would join them all for dinner but would keep out of their way before and after. He opened a couple of bottles of red wine and left them to breathe. Becca was able to offer the girls white wine or soft drinks beforehand. All the food was bought with Becca's earnings. She would not hear of Steven contributing.

"It's a business dinner, darling, and you're not going to spend a penny on it. I shall replace the wine."

"In that case, little one, you ought to be charging it to company funds."

"Maybe in the future but not this time. They're my friends."

The girls arrived together shortly after seven in one of the vans. They were all wearing pretty dresses. Becca was wearing a dress too but had been careful to make sure she did not upstage them. Steven was there to greet them with Becca.

"I think I made the right decision," he said after they had all given him a hug and a kiss.

"What was that," asked Maisie.

"To disappear until dinner. Seven lovely girls all looking so pretty would be bad for my blood pressure."

"I'm glad you said seven," said Becca smiling lovingly at him.

Steven kissed her forehead, poured himself a drink and vanished.

As ever the girls congregated in the kitchen and helped themselves to the drinks indicated by Becca. There were bowls of crisps on the table and on the side.

"Have I upset you and Tom?" Becca whispered to Nell.

Nell shook her head. "Tell you later," she whispered back.

Becca waited until they were all sitting round or on the table. She leant against the draining board.

"Let's get it over with," she said, "and then we can have a party."

There was silence and then Jane said, "We don't want to leave the Damsels until we get married. We love the work and we're all friends."

Becca nodded. "Bye bye, Nell," she said.

Nell smiled happily and stuck her tongue out. Everyone laughed and the tension was broken.

"I was hoping you'd say that," said Becca, "because that's the way I feel too. I also think we're doing a worthwhile thing providing a stepping stone for the girls leaving the home."

"I think that's the most important thing," said Kim.

Nell smiled fondly at her friend. "Me too," she said.

"So," said Becca, "we're going to have to expand and diversify."

The girls nodded.

"You know you suggested outside catering off the top of your head," said Jane.

"Yes."

"Well you may have learned how to cook but the rest of us are hopeless except at opening and heating tins so I wondered whether we might branch out into house cleaning. We wouldn't need any training for that after the home."

"Brilliant!" exclaimed Becca. "What does everyone else think?"

"Good idea," said Heather and all the others nodded.

"Shall we go for it?"

The girls all nodded again.

"Any other ideas?"

There was silence.

"Well," said Becca, "I wondered about gardening."

"Yes," said Molly nodding vigorously.

"Uncle Steven came up with an idea too, setting up an agency for girls to get training and jobs."

The girls gazed at her in silence until Kim breathed, "Yes, oh yes! That's a wonderful idea."

"Well, we don't have to rush into any of this but the way I see it is that we are each going to have to take over an area of responsibility. One of our selling points is having teen-aged girls doing the actual work. I was wondering, Nell, whether you'd take over from Mary as accountant."

"I'd love to but I don't know how long I shall be about. Tom and I plan to marry as soon as he finds a job after university. It may not be local."

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it. What about the other things we've talked about?"

"I'd be happy to run the cleaners," said Jane.

"I'd prefer to stay with the painting," said Heather.

"Me too," said Maisie.

"I'll do the gardening," chipped in Molly.

"Um," said Kim shyly, "do you think I could do the agency?"

"Yes if you'd like too," replied Becca.

Kim smiled happily.

"That means there's nothing left for me except the catering and that's in the dim and distant future," Becca continued looking mournful.

"Yes there jolly well is," replied Molly. "You're the gaffer."

"Are you sure?"

"Becca love," said Nell gently. "You always have been."

The others nodded.

"Thank you," said Becca quietly.

There was a period of silence and then Becca said, "As I said, we don't have to rush into any of this. We've got four more girls from the home joining us over this year and I've also had applications from other girls who, at the moment I've turned down. On the other hand we could possibly start the cleaning and the gardening this spring if I was to take on the outside girls."

"Do you think the outside girls would fit in?" asked Heather.

"I don't honestly know but we could interview them and explain to them that if they didn't fit we would feel obliged to sack them."

"Couldn't we take them on three months' probation?" asked Kim.

"That's a much better idea," said Becca approvingly. "Why don't we work on that and Kim and I can think about the agency, which I haven't a clue about, and the catering."