Page 13 of Darling Girls

‘People see this place and think we’re wealthy,’ Miss Fairchild often said. ‘But if we don’t keep on top of our costs, we could lose everything in a heartbeat, do you understand?’

Jessica didn’t really, but she nodded. She knew that Miss Fairchild was careful with money. She made a small income by renting out paddocks to neighbouring farms, and she was given a stipend with which to care for Jessica, but it wasn’t a lot. To make it last, they needed to be frugal. Electricity and gas were a luxury. Food had to be bought on special or past its best-before date. Clothes were purchased at op shops or made on the sewing machine.

‘Waste not, want not,’ Jessica would say, parroting one of Miss Fairchild’s favourite phrases.

‘Quite right, darling girl.’

By the time Jessica was ten, Miss Fairchild’s money concerns were becoming more of an issue. Interest rates were going up and, according to her, they needed to tighten their belt. But they lived so frugally that even Miss Fairchild was forced to admit there wasn’t much left to tighten.

‘Did I pay the electricity bill?’ she’d ask from time to time, her eyes widening as she tried to recall. She always had paid it, and Jessica tried to reassure her of this, but Miss Fairchild could never relax until she’d checked for herself.

‘I did,’ she said, as if someone was reprimanding her. ‘See? I did pay it.’

When things got really bad, Miss Fairchild stopped sleeping. Jessica knew this because she often felt her slip from the bed in the night and tiptoe down the stairs to ‘balance the books’. Often, on those nights, she never came back to bed.

One day after school, the doorbell rang. It was . . . unexpected. They didn’t have visitors at Wild Meadows. The only time the doorbell rang was when a package was delivered, and that was always first thing in the morning. Jessica was so surprised she actually screamed. ‘Who isthat?’

Miss Fairchild smiled and smoothed Jessica’s hair back from her face. ‘No need to overreact, darling girl. Shall we answer it?’

It was Scott Michaels, Jessica’s social worker.

It was odd. Usually when Scott was scheduled to visit, Miss Fairchild made sure they had the house in tiptop shape – even more so than usual – and Jessica was dressed in her nicest clothes. Not today.

It had been a while since Scott had been to Wild Meadows. At first he’d come every few months. On those occasions, they’d sat alone in the living room while he read out questions from a sheet of paper, ticking off each item on his list with a lead pencil. Jessica always gave Miss Fairchild a glowing report. She supposed that was why he’d decided it wasn’t necessary to show up anymore.

‘Hello, Jessica,’ he said to her now, smiling to reveal small yellow teeth. He was just as she remembered: thin and weedy, with dirt under his fingernails. As usual, his shirt was unbuttoned a little too far, and a tuft of black chest hair was visible.

Jessica had always felt uncomfortable around Scott. She couldn’t put her finger on why – he was always polite, and he’d certainly found a wonderful home for her. Yet, the feeling remained. In light of this, when Miss Fairchild told her to go and play while she talked to Scott in the living room, she felt relieved.

She didn’t go and play, of course. Jessica was a good, well-behaved child, but she could eavesdrop just as well as the next kid.

‘There is a girl, around Jessica’s age, available for placement now,’ Jessica heard him say. ‘As far as payment goes, the allowance would be the same as you’re paid for Jessica. It will start the day she is placed with you.’

So this was why Scott was here, Jessica realised.Thiswas how Miss Fairchild was going to ensure that they didn’t run out of money.

‘I’ve got to be honest, though,’ the social worker continued. ‘She’s pretty troubled. She’s been in and out of care since she was six and has had several violent episodes. She’s claimed some predatory behaviour from her current foster father, but I must admit, I have my doubts; she could be –’

‘I’ll take her,’ Miss Fairchild interrupted.

Scott laughed. ‘I know you’re desperate, but you might want to take a look at her report before agreeing to anything.’

‘I said I’ll take her.’

‘All right,’ he said, as if he thought she was crazy. ‘I’ll get the wheels turning then.’

Jessica could tell from the noises in the room that he was standing up. She crept out of the hallway and slipped into the kitchen. As the two adults walked towards the front door, she heard Scott say, ‘I can also organise for the clothing and miscellaneous allowance to be released immediately, if that helps.’

‘That would be great,’ Miss Fairchild said.

When she’d closed the door behind him, Miss Fairchild called: ‘Jessica, you can come out now!’

Jessica slunk into the hallway.

‘I assume you heard?’

‘Another girl is coming to live with us?’

Miss Fairchild nodded. ‘I’m sure it feels strange – and itwillbe strange for a while. Change is hard for everyone. It will be especially hard for this new girl.’