The week after, she met with no greater success. After a month or more of fruitless searching Lissa had almost given up hope of ever finding a place of her own. Everywhere was either too big or too expensive. A winter let would have been easy to find, but with summer coming, the landladies could make more money out of the growing numbers of holiday makers. She paid the Colwith family a small sum each week in return for her bed and board and she and Jan got along famously. Lissa had even grown used to the eccentric behaviour of Jimmy and Renee. But she avoided any contact with Derry. Fortunately he was out most of the time, either at work, or with his skiffle group. He enjoyed boasting of their success, of the way the girls would scream whenever he made an appearance. The moment he swaggered in through the door each evening he would jauntily challenge them with his disarming grin and claim to be worn out by their ardent attentions. Lissa refused to listen and would find some excuse to go upstairs.
