“Very true,” Stephanie said with a big grin, glad that Mable agreed to come with her.  There was also a chance that the kittens would no longer be there when they returned.  Maybe they weren’t actually lost at all or their mother would come and rescue them while the two girls were gone.  She hoped they stayed, or the raw meat would all go to waste.

“Come on!”  Grabbing her new friend’s hand, Stephanie led her back along the shore, only dropping it when she spied a pretty shell to put in her basket.  It took them about ten minutes to reach the row of brand new houses on the other side of the beach, painted in pretty pastel colors.  They were large and simply constructed, perfect for middle-class families with several children.

Stephanie headed toward a mint-green house at the end of the street.  “This is where I live with my aunt, uncle, and cousins.”  She said nothing about her own parents.  It still hurt when she thought of them.  “We just moved in a couple of weeks ago, shortly after I moved here from London.”

She grabbed Mable’s hand again.  “We’ll go to the back entrance.  It’s usually used for deliveries and the kitchen is close by.  Nobody will see us.  Well, the maids might, but they’ll never tell.”

As they walked around the house, Stephanie glanced over at Mable.  “Where do you live?  Is it close to the beach?”