'I never saw David again after that, but Daddy did, after I told Mum what happened, and she called Daddy at work and told him. Daddy wouldn't believe my account until he talked with David himself.' She gave a little laugh through her tears. 'When Daddy finally got the full picture, he nutted David a good one. Pow!' She screwed up her face and slammed her fist into her hand. 'Ow.' She shook her hand, wincing before continuing. 'David's Dad came over to talk to my parents after that. When Dad was done talking to him, he left, telling Dad, "You should have told me, first. I'd have broken his head, not his nose."
'So that's what's going on in the wonderful life of Tessa,' she concluded, shrugging, unable to look in Pamela's direction. 'So, what do you think now? Am I a tramp who doesn't deserve to be given the time of day?'
'I think you're being very brave,' Pamela told her truthfully. 'As for your David . . . ' She paused to consider her words, carefully. At last, she said slowly, 'People don't always say or do what they mean. It could be he was just scared-'
'David?' Tessa said, raising an eyebrow in tired contemplation. 'He used me, right from the start. I knew it too. But I loved him so much . . . I couldn't seem to help myself. I knew he was bad news, but I talked myself into believing that he'd change one day. Would you believe that even his parents tried to warn me off him? Well, they did. I'm such an idiot! What more warning could I possibly have wanted, if his own parents thought he was a bad gamble?'
Instead of talking further, Pamela instinctively put her arm around her friend. The dam burst then, and Tessa put her head on Pamela's shoulder and began weeping uncontrollably.
'Will you . . . are you still going to be my friend?' Tessa sobbed.
Putting her arms around her best friend, Pamela said with a confidence that was entirely new to her, 'Always. Always and forever. If any man ever tries to hurt you again, he'll have to go through me, first.' Her gaze straying to the wood beyond, Pamela thought to herself, 'No matter who he is.'
It was a perfect day, with a light breeze and white billowing clouds in a crystalline pure blue sky. Pamela was far from the mansion, sitting cross-legged in the tall grass, watching over little Jennie who chased anything that hopped, crawled or flew, thankfully without any success. Pamela glanced once or twice towards the mansion to see Theo on his balcony, sitting in his chair and keeping an eye on the pair. She gave him a wave and he waved back. Even at this distance she knew he smiled.