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CHAPTER TEN
Brede cleared up sthe mess of sand and water, put away a jigsaw, sorted
out a jumble of toys. End of the day jobs. Not many children were
left in the nursery now. Mothers had been coming in and out for
the last half hour collecting their children. Brede kept an eye
on the clock hoping that everyone would come on time and she would
not be kept late. There were usually one or two mothers who rushed
in at the last possible moment full ofindignantly spilling out tales andof delayed buses or being kept late at work.
"Anything the matterwrong Brede?" asked the matron.
Brede looked up, startled, from where she knelt on the floor
amongst the toys.
"Are you all right, Brede?"
"Yes." Brede pushed a strand of hair from her eyes.
"You've looked very troubled all day. Are you sure? Anything
wrong at home?"
"Well..."
"Is it your mother? She must be getting near her time. Would you
like to get away now. I'll finsih off for you."
Brede thanked her, gratefully. She went up to the cloakroom and
took off her overall. There would still be time for her to get
across the town to the department store where Sadie worked.
She had to wait for a bus and when it came it seemed to travel like
a snail out for a Sunday stroll. The shop would shut at six, she
hoped, not before. She must catch Sadie before she left.
She alighted at the City Hall and ran through the crowds to the
