The Gilded Cage - Finding My Place

Homeward Bound

My job from that moment was to get all the girls home. Mr Brewster did not waste any time and we were all booked on a late afternoon flight, which meant some rapid packing whilst Bella kept the children busy. I was not sure how they would react to the news, especially about their father not fighting for them, but Mr Brewster rushed back from the court to talk to them himself as a grandfather should, much to my relief. But I knew that I would have to pick up the pieces afterwards, regardless. I left them alone with their tired old grandfather, whilst I prepared Bella and Caris for departure, which I suspected was going to mean running the gauntlet of the press hordes at the gates and possibly then at the airport as well, as the court cases had both been public events. But I did not care. I was going home.

"Give me a good blow, Henrietta." I said, as I held a tissue to her nose. She was in tears, of shock, I think, but I needed to get her dressed, as well as comfort her. Bella was working on an equally distressed Georgina, whilst Mr Brewster and Caris were consoling Philippa. But they were all behaving for me. We had not brought many clothes with us, but Mrs Brewster had sent over a going home outfit, suitable for both the aircraft and the arrival back in autumnal London we hoped, and I soon had her in a simple pale pink and white dress, and a delightful pale pink coat. Perhaps a bit warm for the weather outside, but totally fine for an air-conditioned car and the terminal. Half an hour later, they were all still sobbing quietly, sucking piteously on their pacifiers, but we had them all dressed and in the back of a massive car with tinted windows to try and hide ourselves from any photographers. That made our departure a lot easier than I had feared, because the press people could not even see us when the car swept out of the iron gates and sped rapidly away. Unfortunately, we all had to get out of it once we reached the airport. I sat opposite the girls, with Bella and Caris either side of me, trying to cheer them up.

"Things will feel a lot better once we get you home, Henrietta?" I suggested, leaning forwards to dab at her eyes.

"He never loved us, did he?" She murmured around her pacifier, which was a sin, but I was not going to worry about that, just that once. I took it out of her mouth, and patted her cheek with my hand.

"I think everyone agrees that you will be better off with your grandparents at the moment. If your father sorts out his problems, he can visit you?" I lied, because it was obvious why Bradley Durante had let his girls go. Firstly, they had broken with the studio, which meant that they would not be earning him any big money anymore, and secondly because if he turned state evidence and went into a witness protection scheme, they would be a chain around his neck. I could not see any evidence of him loving his daughters, to be honest, but I could not say that to the girls, and I could not tell them that they were much safer away from him, either. "And the important thing is that you are all safe and loved, and no one from that awful studio is ever going to control you again, little one?"

"But we won't have any money?"

"Henrietta...you don't need any money, dear...your grandfather is a wealthy man...he has just bought us all first-class tickets, after all...all you need to do is be a good girl for him and work hard at your new school...that is your job now?" I told her, although I suspected that the church had bought the tickets, as the Meadvale community rallied round one of their own. But Mr Brewster was a wealthy man, that was no lie. Maybe not in the same league at the Montague family, but certainly not struggling on a pension.

"Will we be allowed to sing...or act?"

"Well...Deepdene has a choir...and I am sure your grandparents will let you appear in the school productions...maybe more...but they will not let anyone treat you like your studio was treating you, little one...it was too much, wasn't it?" I suggested, and she nodded, tears bursting down her cheeks again, so I popped her comforter back in and patted her red cheeks again, as tenderly as possible. I was sure that there were more horrors to come from their treatment by the studio and the odious Miss Wellman, but that would have to wait until the girls were ready to talk about it. And then I had to get them from the drop-off point to the check-in desk, which was a proper nightmare. I took the two older girls, by the hand, and Bella took Philippa and Caris, and we marched the children through a mass of people, all shouting at us and thrusting cameras into our faces. It was so bad for me, but the girls were horrified, including Caris and Bella, and it was such a relief when the airline hurried us through into a private area, away from prying eyes.