Kay, Shirley and Jane were sitting with mugs of cocoa at the kitchen table. This was the room they inhabited most, for although the sitting room was attractive and had the benefit of a sofa and armchairs, it never got quite as warm as the kitchen when the fire was going full blast. ‘Don’t, you’re making me feel guilty,’ Shirley said. ‘There’s no need to feel guilty,’ Kay told her. ‘We quite understand that your mother will want you to come home.’ ‘And that’s another thing I feel guilty about.’ Shirley sighed. ‘I don’t really want to go home. Fancy having to face that long train journey when I’d rather be here with you two. I mean, I love my family, they couldn’t be nicer, it’s just that since coming up to London I’ve felt as though I’m a proper grown-up person, not a kid any more.’ ‘Don’t worry, that’s quite normal,’ Jane said. ‘When you get older it will change again and you’ll look forward to going h-home.’ Jane suddenly faltered and grasped her mug with both hands.
