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to the safe secreted behind the strange painting his friend Picasso had given to him. Running her fingers along the back of the top desk drawer, she triggered the mechanism that opened the secret compartment. She snatched the key and paused, listening for any noise in the hallway. Satisfied, she took down the picture and opened the safe. Her father kept a folder full of old papers there, along with the extra household money. She grabbed the pound notes and then hesitated. Perhaps she ought not to leave his papers here when they closed up the house? Well, she could decide on that later. Carefully, she shut the safe and returned the painting to its proper place, tucking the notes away in her purse and slipping the key back into its hidden compartment. Then she tiptoed back upstairs to her room, pulled her new Lucile wool coat out of the wardrobe, and went to find Katie.
    The pale autumn sun shone as they walked down Brook Street, and the sidewalks were crowded with people wanting to enjoy the last bit of warmth before the rains. Children, the girls in their enormous hair bows and boys in their knee breeches, scampered about on the sidewalks, hindered only by their stiffly starched nannies. Harried housekeepers and maids ran errands, hoping to get back in time for their afternoon tea. In the streets, hansom cabs, broughams, and victorias vied for room among the ever-increasing multitude of motorcars. The acrid scent of exhaust now competed with the good, clean, grassy smell of horse manure.
    It was an obscenely beautiful day for having just lost her father, and Victoria remained silent as she and Katie walked slowly down the street to Miss Fister’s school. It wasn’t a long walk, but as always, Victoria was winded by the time they reached their destination. She and Katie sat on a bench near the school to rest.
    “Are you all right, Miss Victoria?”
    Victoria smiled at her friend and concentrated on breathing in and out slowly, as the doctor taught her to do. “I’ll be fine.” She took a few more careful breaths.
    “I’m desperately sorry about your father, miss. He was a good man, the way he paid my way to the school and all.” Katie’s freckled face puckered as if she was trying not to cry.
    Victoria’s throat tightened, which didn’t help with her shallow breathing. She patted Katie’s hand in answer.
    Having recovered, she told Katie to sit tight and entered the old brick office building where Miss Fister’s school resided. Miss Fister wasn’t in and Victoria was disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to say good-bye to her teacher, but she wrote a short note explaining the situation and left her address with the clerk, along with the remainder of her and Katie’s course fees.
    “Is everything all right, miss?” Katie’s dark red brows knitted together when Victoria rejoined her in front of the school.
    “Yes, I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of after I’m gone. I’ve paid the fees off for both of us.” Her generosity buoyed her step as they headed toward home. No wonder her father had been so giving. It felt wonderful.
    “Oh, thank you, miss!”
    On impulse, Victoria linked arms with Katie. “You’ve been a good friend, keeping my secret.”
    Katie’s eyes widened. “Well, it’s my secret, too. Hodgekins would say I didn’t know my place if he knew.”
    “You’ll make a good secretary someday.”
    “I hope so. That day may come sooner than we think.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, on account of your uncle selling the house and all. The staff is all in a dither about losing their jobs.”
    Victoria stopped and clutched Katie’s arm. “Where did you hear that?”
    “From Hodgekins, of course. Your uncle told him that the house will probably be sold by next summer. He wanted the staff to have time to look for other employment.”
    Victoria’s knees buckled and Katie caught her around the waist. “Miss!”
    Black spots appeared in front of her eyes and her chest got