Mandm

More dresses from Rachel

As they neared the shops, Midge asked "Shall we see if Rachel has anything else we could wear? We've only got these dresses, we could all do with more." Molly agreed.

Kitty immediately said "Chloe and I have no money, we can't expect you to pay for clothes for us."

Midge and Molly stopped dead in their tracks, stopping Kitty and Chloe with their arms that were round their waists. Molly turned to Kitty who was outside her, Midge to Chloe. In their alternate speaking mode, "Don't say" "that. We" "can spend" "our money how we" "like. It's what" "we want to do," "so we don't want to hear that again" ‑ the last part said by both.

Midge and Molly started hugging Chloe and Kitty, arms round their shoulders, full kisses on their mouths. The two hugging pairs became one foursome. Midge and Molly in unison, "We love you, we want to do this for you." All four started crying, none of them could say anything for a while, until Kitty managed "You're wonderful, let's go to Rachel's."

They raced to Rachel's shop. Molly and Midge arrived first at exactly the same time, squeezing side by side though the door. Kitty was there in another second, she went through the door, stopping to one side of it. Chloe was right behind, as she ran in, Kitty put out her foot and tripped Chloe who went flying, landing on her front, her head almost touching a pair of lady's shoes. She lifted her head, saw that there were legs coming out of the shoes. "Oh, hello" she said. Then, pushing herself up on her arms, head right back to look up at the lady's face,"Hope we didn't startle you." she got herself to her feet, smiled to the lady as she brushed herself down. The lady stood there just staring, her husband said "But she tripped you, I saw it."

"Of course she did, she's my friend." "Aren't you hurt?" "I'm fine. Mind you, these took a bit of a knock." She cupped her breasts with her hands, moved them up and down, the man now was staring, open mouthed. Meanwhile Molly and Midge glanced at each other, they shouted "Her knockers took a knock!" Which immediately had all four girls howling with laughter. The man, his wife, and Holly were soon laughing, at which time Rachel appeared out of the workroom to see what all the commotion was about. The lady turned to her, managed to get out "Her knockers took a knock."

Rachel, not having seen any of what happened, shook her head, slightly surprised at the lady's language. But seeing the four girls there, she muttered "Oh, them. Not surprised there's a rumpus."

The man recovered enough to say, "Look, we were at the funeral, we knew your parents a bit, we're so sorry." All the girls stopped laughing, Molly and Midge went into a hug, sobbing. Kitty explained "Underneath all this they are both grieving dreadfully, they have to pretend to be happy or they'd do something really bad." "Like at the funeral?" the lady asked. Chloe nodded, "Probably worse."

The lady went to Molly and Midge, hugged both of them, said "I'm so sorry." She got a hug from both the twins, they separated, Molly said, "Thank you. And we are sorry for interrupting you, please, we're in no hurry, carry on. You won't notice us." Hubby: "Impossible not to notice."

The lady muttered "Men." The husband handed a credit card to Holly to complete their purchase.

Rachel had gone to the girls, now in a tight group, all three girls are taking it in turns to gently massage Chloe's breasts. Chloe, of course, was loving it, any soreness long forgotten. Rachel looked a bit perplexed at what the girls were doing, she asked "What happened?" Kitty, with an overly innocent look on her face, said "She fell as she went by." Midge piped up "With a little help from her friend." Molly added "All she needs is love." Once again the girls were laughing uncontrollably. The lady customer shook her head, smiled at the girls, gave them a wave, walked out. She was followed by hubby carrying a carrier bag in one hand, he too waved with the other, at the same time giving them a wink. He hurried out of the shop.

"All right", said Rachel, giving each a brief hug in turn, "Assuming you didn't come here just to cause chaos, what can we do for you?"

"We want some clothes", Midge and Molly together. Kitty said "We've only really got these" indicating her own dress "we'd like something else to wear."

"What sort of thing are you after?"

Midge: "Just everyday dresses, sort of like these, but perhaps with short sleeves?"

Molly: "Light colours, small floral patterns?"

Kitty: "Sized so they can fit any of us?"

Chloe: "Molly won't want them any longer."

Kitty, looking at Chloe, "Molly isn't the only one."

Rachel, after she'd stopped laughing: "All right, I know what you're after. Normally we don't sell that sort of dress, our customers usually want something, let's say, a little more formal. But, what you are after I could run up very easily, but I would need material. Let me show you some patterns, come into the workshop."

She led them to her workshop computer, pulled up a web site, a few clicks and she brought up photographs of materials. Some more clicks, she'd narrowed it down to light cotton, small floral designs, many colourways. "See what you like amongst these."

None of the girls were familiar with using computers. "Just a moment, I'll get Holly to give you a crash course. Whoops, wrong word to use with you four."

She went out to ask Holly to show them how to use the mouse, Holly came in and showed them how to move the screen pointer, how to scroll, how to click.

Kitty took over, she picked it up instantly. With a warning from Holly not to click on anything other than a thumbnail to bring up a bigger image, Holly stood back to watch.

The girls, with much excitement, lots of pointing, clicking, scrolling, pushing and pulling of Kitty's mouse hand, eventually homed in on four patterns. Holly went into the shop to fetch Rachel, who sat at the computer. She had some difficulty because all four girls were leaning over her, but managed to find that all prints were available, she placed the order. "They should be here in a couple of days.

"Now, dress patterns. I could easily use one of the dresses you are wearing as the main pattern, we know the one size fits all of you. Oh, I refuse to make the skirts any shorter.

The girls all nodded, Kitty said "That's fine, we like these dresses." Molly added "But the skirts not any longer."

Rachel, shaking her head at Molly's remark, "All right. We just have to add the sleeves. Let's find some pictures of dresses, we can pick the style you want. Or, you can leave it to us, Holly is very good with styles."

A quick glance between the girls, all nodded to each other. From Kitty: "Let Holly decide."

Rachel continued, "I will have to charge you for these. Or, I've been thinking, I'm not sure if this would be all right, but I could ask you to put on your black dresses and have them photographed, I'd love to have your pictures life size on the wall here. That would be payment enough. But only if you would like to do it, and it might need the permission of your guardians. What do you think?"

Molly instantly said "Love to." Midge nodded, of course if Molly wants to, so does she.

Kitty said "Me too."

Chloe: "I'm with Molly."

Seeing about photographs and home tutoring

Rachel: "I'm wondering if we could all go to see Daniel, see what his thoughts are about Molly and Midge, and how much pull he has with Child Services, who I understand are in charge of Kitty and Chloe. If I set up a meeting with him, would that be all right?"

Nods from all four girls.

At that moment Kitty's phone rang, she looked at its display, "It's Daniel" she said. She answered it, listened for a bit, then "We're at Rachel's now, we could come straight away." She listened a bit more, then "Just a moment." She turned to Rachel, "Could you come now?" "Yes, not particularly busy, Holly can mind the shop."

Kitty asked Daniel if Rachel could come with them, something they all wanted to discuss. She listened, then said "See you in five."

Kitty: "Yes, if we go right away, he has a little spare time."

Molly: "Let's go!"

The four girls ran for the workroom door, this time Molly went down ‑ it's possible she just decided it would be fun. The other girls jumped over her, kept running. Rachel helped her up, "Are you all right?" "Course." She chased after the others, ignoring the scrapes on her knees. Rachel followed at a more sedate pace, nodding to Holly to mind the shop. When she reached Daniel's, the girls were already in his office. Audrey asked Rachel to wait for a bit, Daniel needed a talk with them first.

When the girls arrived at Daniel's, Audrey told them they could go straight in. They piled through the door, threw themselves onto the four chairs he'd arranged for them, then "Hello", "Hello", "Hello", "Hello", one after the other along their line. Daniel couldn't help but laugh at them, "You are incorrigible" he said.

"Now, I have something important to tell you. I've been looking into things about leaving school. I'll start with Midge and Molly. Legally you are old enough to leave school, but your parents wanted you to continue your sixth form education, hopefully to go on to university. We all know you are bright enough, but is that what you want?" "Definitely" from Midge.

Daniel continued "I also know you've been educating yourselves, been going to the library when you should be in school. I won't worry about that, because, according to the library people, you only wanted text books, you studied them, you apparently did a lot of exercises. I think you've mentioned before your teachers weren't very good at teaching."

Chloe: "Gross understatement."

Daniel: "Would you consider learning at home with a tutor?"

"Absolutely" came the immediate reply from the twins. Then, alternating, "Much better," "we could learn at" "our own" "pace."

Daniel: "Kitty and Chloe, I've had a discussion about you with the child support people, I've dealt with them before. They said that, if I arrange for you to have a tutor, they could switch the funds they control in your name from the school to help pay for that. I'm not sure about the paperwork, but we could work it and let the paperwork catch up. Would that suit you two?"

Kitty and Chloe were both lost for words, both started crying, both nodded. Molly and Midge, in unison, "That's a 'yes'."

Kitty managed "That sounds brilliant, but what about finding a tutor?"

Daniel: "It so happens I know a couple a few doors from my house, I've had a word already, I thought you would go for it. They are used to dealing with small groups of children, though you would be the most troublesome they have ever encountered" ‑ that last bit said with a grin. "I could get them to meet you, preferably at your house, they like to see where they would be working. They also said they are quite busy, they would want to do a fair amount remotely using Zoom. We'd have to sort computers and so on, but that's easy."

Molly jumped up, more or less threw herself across Daniel's desk, and, ignoring everything she was lying on, she gave Daniel a kiss on the mouth. "That's from all of us" she said to a somewhat taken aback Daniel.

She heaved herself back, looked a little surprised to find some blood on her dress where her stomach had landed on a desk tidy, there was also blood on the point of a broken half of a pencil lying there. "Are you all right?" asked Daniel. "Of course." Molly squeezed her tummy where the point had gone in, the blood on her dress spread a little. "Ooh, this is fun." Daniel looked concerned, Kitty took no notice, just sat looking at her fingernails. Midge was laughing at Molly. Chloe said "Ignore her, she's just showing off."

Molly stopped squeezing, the spreading of blood slowed to a slight seepage then stopped. She looked up, "Sorry", she said. "I'm fine, Chloe's right, please ignore me."

Daniel, under his breath: "Impossible" then, out loud, "How about I bring them round about six this evening?" "That'll be fine" from Midge. Daniel: "Oh, please make sure you have clothes on." Molly: "Must we?" "Yes, or they won't be able to see you." Midge: "We'll be decent." Molly pouted, but didn't argue.

Daniel continued, "If they are happy to take you on, and I emphasise 'if', they will advise on what computers you need for schooling and so on. I will get them for you, pay for them out of your trust fund. I know your house already has internet connection, so that shouldn't be a problem. Which reminds me, we'll have to put all the services, rates, insurance and so on into Samuel and my names as trustees. I can have a ferret this evening, find the relevant paperwork. Would that be okay?"

Midge nodded, both she and Midge had moist eyes as they were reminded their parents were no longer there. Daniel, who had tried to avoid talking about their parents, said "Okay, what's this about you and Rachel? Shall we get her in?" Four nods. Daniel pressed a button on his phone, said into it "Ask Rachel to come in, please."

As the door opened, Chloe jumped up, and with a bounce landed sitting on Molly's lap. "Only four chairs" she said. Molly put her arms round Chloe to stop her sliding off, both looked pleased with themselves.

Rachel sat down in the vacated chair. She and Daniel looked at each other, both shook their heads.

Daniel spoke, "Right, what's this all about?"

Rachel explained that she wanted to have the girls photographed and used as large pictures on her shop walls.

Daniel asked the girls if they were okay with this. Midge replied, suddenly very serious, "We said we wanted people to see what our parents had produced." Molly: "We think the dresses do that perfectly." Midge: "We would like everyone to see. If that helps Rachel" Molly: "She deserves it." Midge: "And she will make us some dresses" Molly: "For nothing."

Chloe added "Kitty and I would like it as well."

Kitty: "Chloe just likes to show off, I can't let her do that on her own. But are we allowed to do it?"

Daniel: "I'm sure you don't need any special permission, I think you can go ahead. But you must keep the pictures respectable, understood? Particularly you, Molly?"

Molly put on a pained expression, "Why pick on me?" Daniel replied "I've met you before."

Daniel turned to Rachel, "Do you have a photographer in minds?"

Rachel: "Yes, Derek, my brother‑in‑law, he's married to my sister Riana."

Daniel: "Oh, I know his shop, just along the street, he does weddings, family photos."

Rachel: "He's the one."

Daniel: "I think we are all happy, then. Look, I'm going to have to push you out, I have to prepare for my next appointment. I'll see you girls this evening."

Molly more or less threw Chloe off of her lap, once again Chloe went flying. She picked herself up, put her hands on her breasts, said "Not knocked this time." All four girls dashed for the door, crashed their way through, one of them yelled to Audrey "'G'bye" and they were out.

Rachel turned to Daniel, smiling and shaking her head, "Will they ever grow up?" Daniel replied "I sincerely hope not." Rachel thanked him, said goodbye, went after the girls. She found them just outside on the pavement, apparently arguing about which way to the photographer's. "It's this way, let's see what he says."

At the photographer's, Chloe gets a crush

The four followed Rachel. She turned once, she couldn't hear them. They were close marching in line behind her, hands on the shoulders of the one in front, apparently keeping perfect step with her. She shook her head, carried on until she reached the photographer's. She stopped, and was promptly pushed into by Midge, who was at the front of their line, the others behind Midge simply hadn't stopped. "Sorry" they all chorused. Chloe said "It's Molly's fault." Molly: "Why do I always get the blame?" Kitty: "Because it's always your fault."

Rachel yelled "Can't you ever behave?" Midge said "We always behave." Chloe: "Only usually it's badly."

Shaking her head, Rachel opened the photographer's door, they went in without drama.

Inside was a girl behind a counter. She looked up, came round, greeted Rachel with a hug and a kiss. They broke off, Rachel said "Introductions. This is Riana, my sister. These young lad… I was going to say ladies, but they are anything but, somewhere between six‑year‑olds and hooligans, are Kitty, Chloe, Molly, and Midge. You won't be able to tell Molly and Midge apart by looks, but the more troublesome one is usually Molly."

Riana said "Hi, girls." Molly, Midge and Kitty all said "Hi." Chloe was just staring at Riana, mouth slightly open, tip of her tongue visible, sliding just a little way left and right over her top lip. Kitty gave Chloe a prod, "Say 'Hi' to the lady." Chloe blinked, said "Hello, Riana. What a lovely name." Riana looked at her, smiled, "'Chloe' is pretty nice, too." Riana stayed looking at Chloe for a few seconds, then pulled herself away. "I'll get Derek. He's going to love you four."

She opened a door labelled 'Studio', put her head in, said "They're here."

Derek emerged. He said "Hello. Wow. You are even prettier close up." Riana introduced him, "This is my husband Derek." She pointed to Kitty, said "Kitty", indicated Molly and Midge "Molly and Midge, but I've lost track of which is which already." She touched Chloe on the shoulder Chloe shivered slightly ‑ "This is the delightful Chloe."

Derek quietly said to Riana, "Business, not pleasure."

Riana looked at him, nodded, but went back to staring at Chloe, who was staring back at her.

Derek, shook his head, then "Come into the studio, we can sit down in there. Anyone want any tea or coffee?

The twins looked at Kitty, she nodded. Midge (or was it Molly?) said "Tea would be nice, please."

Derek: "Riana, would you mind?"

Riana nodded, took her eyes off Chloe, went through a door labeled 'Private'. Derek said "Follow me", he led them into the studio. It was a large room, the all‑white walls made it look very bright. At one end there was a raised stage, a few large lights on stands scattered around, three tripods held cameras. There was a desk against one wall, a computer with two large displays, a table with a printer, a filing cabinet and a large cupboard to one side.

Near the entrance there were a couple of settees, some chairs, they were arranged around one side of a pair of coffee tables, the open side facing the stage.

Molly, Kitty and Midge more or less threw themselves on one of the settees, leaving enough space for Chloe to be with them, but she quietly went to the other settee, she sat somewhat primly at one end, hands on her lap.

Kitty, looking at the twins, "Oh, my." They looked back at her, both winked.

Rachel sat on one of the chairs, Derek on another.

Derek said to Rachel, "Tell me in a bit more detail what you want. Whatever it is, this is going to be a pleasure, these are wonderful subjects."

Rachel asked "You remember their black dresses?" Derek nodded, "Beautiful." Rachel continued "I want a picture of the four of them, preferably life size, to put on a wall in my shop. They are probably my best work, and on these girls …" She stopped, a little emotional. She controlled herself, "I want the best possible quality, I want to see every thread of the lace."

Derek: "I understand. The quality of photograph I can manage, but I don't think it will be cheap, large photographic reproductions are going to be expensive, I've never had any done that sort of size before. Posters we could do, but they wouldn't be of sufficient quality."

As he was saying that, Riana came in pushing a trolly with two teapots, two milk jugs, and some mugs. "Sorry, we don't have enough cups and saucers." She unloaded the trolly onto the coffee tables, pushed the trolly to one side. She went to Chloe's settee, sat in its centre, just touching Chloe. Chloe shivered again, but sat looking straight ahead, hands still on her lap. Derek and Rachel glanced at each other, both shook their heads. The other girls gave each other little nudges.

"Riana" said Derek quite loudly. She looked at him, smiled, nodded. "Can you find out who does photographic prints about eight feet by six, and how much?" Riana shook her head, "No one. I looked for this when Rachel first told me what she was after. Largest I can find is just under four feet by just over two feet seven, but not really expensive, a little over a hundred pounds."

Derek looked at Rachel, "It looks like we can't do what you want, what are you thinking?"

Rachel: "Well, maybe that's a blessing in disguise, perhaps several smaller ones making up a collage, different views, fronts and backs, standing, walking, whatever shows up their dresses for me."

Derek: "That sounds good. I could spend a morning, some studio shots, then outside with them walking?" Rachel nodded. Derek asked the girls "Would you all be happy doing that?" The three on the one settee all nodded, Chloe was just staring down, still just perceptively shivering. Kitty: "Yes, we all are, including Chloe." Chloe looked up at the sound of her name, unaware of the question. Derek shook his head, said "Okay. Oh, I'll pour the tea. Milk everyone?" Three of the girls nodded. "Anyone for sugar?" Three shook their heads.

He poured out tea into mugs, carried three to Midge, Molly and Kitty, two to Chloe and Riana. He gave Riana a kiss on her forehead, she smiled up at him and, mouthed 'It's okay'. He gave one to Rachel, and with a slight grin he said very quietly, "I hope this doesn't end badly." Rachel: "I think they'll be all right."

Rachel and Derek started chatting about possible shoots, poses, angles. After a while, Derek said, "Look, I've only seen the dresses the once and from a distance. I'd like to see them being worn to get a better idea."

Molly and Midge glanced at each other. Then Midge: "We could run home now." Molly: "Get them all." Midge⁠: "Ten minutes" Molly: "Tops." Derek and Riana had never heard this sort of speaking before, both laughed. Derek looked at Rachel, she nodded.

Derek: "Your tea will get cold."

Molly: "Back before then."

Midge and Molly put heir teas on the coffee table, jumped up, raced to the studio door. It was closed, Molly yanked it open, tried to get through before Midge, which resulted in them bouncing off the door frame. The same thing could be heard as they exited the shop.

Kitty grinned, Derek asked "Are they always like that?" Rachel replied "You should see them when all four try to get through a doorway at once."

Derek looked at Riana and Chloe. He went over to Kitty, sat beside her. Using his head to indicate Chloe and Riana, he quietly asked "Will she be all right?" Kitty said "I think so. She's had crushes on other girls in the school before, they've always come out of it as friends. Not seen her quite this bad, though. Is Riana all right? Do you mind?"

Derek: "I don't know what I can tell you at your age. Let's say Riana gets crushes too, which I don't mind. If anything it helps our own relationship." Kitty nodded, "I think Chloe will be okay. She has good friends." Derek: "Yes, I can see that." Riana and Chloe made no sign of having heard any of this. Derek got up, went back to his seat.

The five sat there quietly. Rachel, Derek and Kitty sipping their tea, Chloe and Riana seemingly unaware of theirs.

A few minutes later, two somewhat out of breath girls came through the shop's front door, but without the crashing that had happened when they left. They came into the studio, each carrying a shopping bag held carefully flat on its side, Midge's was balanced on one hand so she could deal with the doors.

The twins took out the dresses, passed one to Kitty, put one on Chloe's lap, kept one each for themselves. Chloe looked at the dress, smiled, carried the dress into the open space, placed the black dress on the floor. Facing Riana, she rapidly undid all the buttons on her dress, dropped it on the floor, stood there still looking at Riana. Derek had already run out of the room, Midge and Molly were both grinning, Rachel wasn't sure what to do.

Kitty got up, went to Chloe, picked up her black dress, quietly said "Put this on." Chloe looked at her, grinned, took the dress, slipped it over her head, Kitty did the zip up, Riana staring at Chloe the whole while. The other three girls dropped their dresses, Riana glanced at their bodies when they were naked, but she always returned to looking at Chloe, still standing there, still looking back at her.

The three girls giggled their way into their black dresses and helped each other with the zips. Molly and Midge went to Chloe, each took one of her arms, they started to march her towards the stage. This seemed to bring Chloe out of her trance, and with Kitty following, they got up onto the stage, turned to face straight out towards the centre of the studio. They lined themselves up, Midge and Molly in the middle, Chloe outside Midge, Kitty outside Molly. They stood up almost at attention, but with arms round each others' waists. Chloe called out "We're ready."

Rachel opened the door for Derek to come back in. "They're decent." Then to herself, "Or as near decent as they ever are."

He came back in. "Don't you ever do that to me again. I'm a very happily married man."

Derek went towards the stage. He looked at them, "That is not a nice way to pose."

Quick glances between themselves, Chloe and Midge got into a very intimate hug, as did Kitty and Molly, in both cases the one with the skirt slit on the left of each pair had that leg curled round the other girl, showing a lot of thigh. "NO" screamed Derek. He turned to Rachel, "I'm never going to forgive you for lumbering me with this lot."

"Look, he said to the girls, "Just stand there. I'm going to take a couple if photos, just to see how the camera likes you, and to see how your, I must say gorgeous, dresses come out."

The girls detached themselves from each other, just stood closely, holding hands with each other.

Derek went to one of his cameras, moved it square on in front of them, checked the viewfinder, made a couple of adjustments. "Okay. Just with the lighting as it is, it'll be wrong, but it gives me a starting point."

He took a couple of pictures, made an adjustment, took two more. He repeated this a few times. Satisfied, he said "Okay, let's see what we've got."

He turned to his computer, woke it up, muttered "Still downloading … nearly there⁠ … got 'em."

The screen came up with ten thumbnails. He looked at them, "Too dark … better … these three look reasonable … and those too light. Okay."

He brought up the first of the better three, the girls almost filling the screen. "I have to say, the camera likes you." He zoomed in on Molly (or possibly Midge) to her stomach. The lace was indistinct, it was in focus but it was lost in apparently too dim lighting.

The girls came running from the stage to see. Somehow Chloe fell over, Riana ran to her, "Are you all right?" "Help me up please?" Riana took Chloe's hand, started to pull her up. Chloe knelt, then, pressing herself against Riana's front, slid her way up. Chloe said "Thank you."

Chloe smiled, moved back, then ran to the three girls crowding round Derek's chair, crashing into Molly who in turn banged into Derek's chair.

"Good god, somebody help me!" He forced his chair back against the girls, trying to concentrate on the screen.

He pulled up a little window, it showed a graph with a line running from bottom left to top right.

With his mouse he dragged the line up a little near its lower end, the lace and the skin behind it showed up a bit more. "What I expected, let's look at the next one." He pulled up the next image, "A little better."

This time he zoomed to Molly's chest to look at the lace over her cleavage.

"Ooh, nice" from Molly.

"Shut up, I'm looking at the lace, nothing else."

"Don't believe you" from Kitty.

"Look, I'll put you all outside if you can't behave."

He zoomed in even closer, tiny blonde hairs were clearly visible on the skin.

Midge couldn't help herself. "I didn't know you have a hairy chest." To which Molly replied "If I have, so have you."

Derek, looking at the lace, muttered "Every one of us, male or female, has hairs all over. Female ones are generally less prominent except on their heads." Before any of the girls had time to say anything, he added "And in some other places, you don't need to tell me."

He switched to the third image, zoomed in as before. As the picture expanded, something caught his eye, he zoomed in to Kitty's face. Above her head he saw two splayed fingers being held behind and above her head. He muttered "Nearer four‑year‑olds" then went back to the lace.

"Okay, second of those seems the best, looking good. The background is wrong, too bright, but we can fix that on the proper shoot." Then, to Rachel, "These will show the dresses, but I think they would look much better with the girls walking, it'll bring them to life, they're too static here. But we are weather dependent. Are you free any time?" ‑ this last to the girls. All four said "Yes."

"Riana, can you check my morning schedules against the weather forecasts?"

Riana took over the computer and brought up a diary and a weather forecast, "Day after tomorrow, you're free from ten for the rest of the morning, weather says 'Bright, some sunshine'."

Derek: "Okay everyone? Here day after tomorrow at ten o'clock?"

Murmurs of agreement.

"All right, out, the lot of you."

Rachel said "Come on then, girls, he's had enough of you. Keep those dresses on, I want to check them all, easier if you're wearing them. Pick up your others, bring them with you."

The four went back, each grabbed a dress from the floor. Molly, Midge and Kitty yelled "Goodbye" and ran for the door, Chloe went to Riana who was still sitting on Derek, gave her a kiss on her mouth, then Derek one on his cheek. She said to him, "Are we friends?" Derek said "Let me just say, I love Riana very much, she loves me but she does like ladies as well. If you make her happy, she is happier around me, that's fine with me. Now, clear off." Chloe gave Derek another kiss on his cheek, winked to Riana, ran for the door.

The three girls who left first were ahead of Rachel, they ran towards Rachel's shop. Meanwhile Chloe sprinted to catch them, nearly knocking Rachel over as she pushed by, "Sorry" she yelled. She caught them up just before the shop, all four barged through the door, where Holly was with a couple of customers.

The customers looked up in surprise. one of them was the lady that Chloe nearly slid into before. She said "Can't you slow down a bit?" Then "No, I don't think you can. Oh, those dresses, they're lovely, Rachel's?" Kitty answered "Yes, we love them."

The other customer turned to the first, "I didn't believe you before, I think I have to now."

Rachel came in, saw the customers, "Hope they aren't disturbing you again."

"Yes and no, it's so nice to see these lovely young ladies around." The four all smiled sweetly, put their hands together up by one cheek, tipped their heads to lay on their hands. But they couldn't keep it up, almost straight away they all were laughing. Chloe went up to the lady, gave her a kiss on the cheek, said "Sorry, we can't help it." To which the lady replied, "Nothing to be sorry about." Then added "I think."

Rachel, to the lady, "Is Holly looking after you all right?" "Yes, thank you, she's very good at knowing what's right for me."

Rachel: "If you'll excuse us, we have work to do. Come on you horrible shower, workshop." Once again it was a race to the door, once again they crashed into the door, fought their way through, this time Kitty and Molly ended up sprawled on the floor just inside the workshop door. The two customers and Holly were laughing, Rachel just raised her eyes, muttered "Lord give me strength", stepped over the prone figures, managed to close the door.

"Come on, get up, those dresses will get dirty and damaged." The two got to their feet, once again all four stood in a row, looking innocent. "Kitty, come here." Kitty stepped forward, stood a couple of feet in front of Rachel. Rachel inspected all round the dress, feeling seams, the hem, checking to make sure everything was in order. She made a couple of mental notes, then "Okay, take it off, put your other dress on."

Kitty went over to Midge, turned her back, but it was Molly who pulled the zip down, put her hand inside down to Kitty's bottom, gave a little pinch. Kitty gave a little yelp, then let the dress drop down, wriggling her body to help it, turned and gave each of Molly, Midge and Chloe a kiss. She picked up the black dress, walked to Rachel, handed the dress to her with a big smile, walked to where the pile of dresses had been thrown after they'd come in, grabbed one and put it on, did up the buttons. She walked back to the line.

Rachel loosely folded the black dress, placed it on a work table, then "Chloe." The process was repeated for Chloe's dress, though this time Midge did the zip and bottom‑pinch. When she was finished, Chloe took the dress to Rachel who put it next to the first.

After Chloe, Rachel called "Midge." Molly and Midge looked at each other, 'Who is going to be Midge?' Midge (or so she was now) walked to Rachel. Rachel's inspection took a little longer, the lace all needed going over. When she'd finished, Midge walked back to the line, turned her back to Kitty, who undid her zip and gave her the bottom‑pinch. She dropped her dress, took it to Rachel, and picked up one of the two dresses left on the floor.

Rachel called "Molly." Molly walked over, but striding out a bit more than the others, showing plenty of leg through the skirt's slit. Rachel frowned, she said "Molly, go back, walk towards me in exactly the same way."

Molly obliged, got to Rachel, stopped. Rachel went down to the slit, ran her fingers behind the overlap. When she got to the original top of the slit, she stopped. She uses her two hands to spread the slit, there was an obvious step where the overlap stopped and the original sewn seam started. "Got to modify it. Can't have the step in the slit. First option I sew the seam up, the slit is the original length." Molly shook her head vigorously.

"Thought so. Second option, I make it overlap all the way, not easy to do." Molly shook her head, though not as vigorously.

"Third option, I take away the overlap." This time Molly nodded enthusiastically. Rachel looked at the other three girls. "All happy with that?" The girls all nodded. Chloe said "We do think that's best. In any case, we're not going to argue with Molly." "Molly, hold still, I'll just pin the overlap back. Won't be quite right because of the bulk of the material, but it'll give an idea."

She got a tin with pins in it, pinned back the overlap, folding it as tightly as she could. "Okay, go back, walk towards me again." Molly walked back, spotted herself in a full length mirror. She stopped, stood straight, put one leg forward then the other. She did a twirl, trying to see herself, fell flat on her back. Chloe laughed, all the others, including Rachel, tried to hold straight faces.

Molly got up, walked back to Rachel, a big grin on her face. "Molly likes." Rachel nodded, then examined the rest of the dress, tutted at a couple of places. When she was satisfied, she said "Okay, swap dresses. Here, turn round, I'll undo your zip." Molly turned, the zip went down, but instead of dropping the dress straight away, she walked back to the line, turned with her back to Chloe, saying "My turn." Chloe duly obliged with her hand inside Molly's dress, giving her bottom a pinch. Molly dropped the dress, walked back to Rachel, handed her the dress, picked up the last dress from the floor, put it on, did the buttons up but left the two top and two bottom undone.

"Now, get out of here, be back the day after tomorrow with your shoes, about nine, so I can do a final check on the dresses before we go to Derek's."

The girls all raced to the door, but Midge stopped by Rachel, gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. Rachel just grinned at her, pretended to be going to smack her. With a laugh, Midge dodged, ran after the others. They went past the same two customers, one was showing a dress she was trying on. Midge stopped, looked at her, said "Lovely" then ran for the door. The lady turned to Holly, "Does she mean that? Or is she being facetious?" "No idea" said Holly, "but it does look good on you."

Outside, the girls stopped, have a quick discussion, if you can call it that.

Molly: "Hungry."

Kitty: "It's lunch time"

Midge: "Let's eat."

Chloe was the last to respond, she just said "Home", promptly started running as fast as she could.

Midge: "She's got it bad." The other two nodded, the three set off following Chloe, but at a more sedate pace. They passed a fish and chip shop, Kitty looked at the twins. They nodded. "I'll get them" said Midge. She went inside, she was lucky, there was no one else queuing. "Two large fish, one large chips, please." The girl behind the counter placed the fish into two trays, the chips in another. She asked "Salt and vinegar?"

Midge replied "No, thank you." The girl put lids on the trays, placed them in a brown paper bag. Midge paid for them with her debit card, walked out of the shop.

They took it in turns to carry the bag.

When they got to the house, they went in, Chloe wasn't in the kitchen, sitting room or dining room. "Funny" from Kitty. Molly yelled "Chloe." "Get up here" from upstairs. They put the bag on the kitchen table, ran up the stairs. Half way up was Chloe's dress. Upstairs they looked through the bedroom door, Chloe was on the bed. Molly said "Wow."

Half an hour later, all four were laid out on their backs, trying to recover. Molly was the first to speak.

Molly: "Hungry."

Kitty: "It's lunch time"

Midge: "Let's eat."

The three laughed. Midge: "It's getting cold."

Kitty whispered in Chloe's ear, "Come on, you need to eat after expending all that energy."

All four got off the bed. Kitty and Chloe were the first out of the bedroom, Kitty with her arm round Chloe's neck, hugging her. Going down the stairs they stepped over Chloe's dress. Just as they got inside the kitchen, they heard a crash from the hall. Going back out they saw Molly stretched out on the hall floor, laughing. Midge was holding Chloe's dress, "Someone left a death trap on the stairs." Chloe went over to Molly, took her hand, helped her up. "Sorry" she said. Molly grinned, turned to her, wrapped herself round Chloe, gave her a kiss. She released Chloe, led her by the hand into the kitchen.

Kitty got four plates, shared the cold fish and chips between them. She covered each plate with clingfilm, punched a few holes in it with a fork, put one of the plates into the microwave for a minute. Midge set knives and forks round the table, Molly got salt, pepper and vinegar out, put them on the table. Chloe just sat down, a little crooked smile on her face.

As each plate of food was heated, Kitty passed one to Molly then one to Midge. The next she put on the table in front of Chloe, finally she sat down with hers. She nudged Chloe to bring her mind back to the food on the table rather than what had been going on upstairs. They ate in silence, Chloe smiling to herself the whole while.

After they'd eaten and cleared up, Midge put their dresses "We've the tutors coming this evening, got to look nice" into the washing machine, after which they all went upstairs for a shower.

The girls spent the rest of the afternoon in the sitting room chatting about all sorts. Chloe was a little quiet, but with that little crooked smile on her face the whole while. They did remember to put their dresses in the drier, later to take them out, iron them and take them upstairs and lay them on the bed ready to put on for their tutors.

About five o'clock, Midge and Molly said they'll make sandwiches for tea, they disappeared into the kitchen, emerged after ten minutes with a tray with a teapot, milk jug and mugs, also a platter piled with sandwiches with various fillings and some tea‑plates. Some sandwiches were cut neatly, some looked more like they were torn apart by hand. No one commented, that's just the way Molly's sandwiches usually looked.

Tutors visit

They were still chatting when the doorbell rang. Panic ensued, "They're here, dresses" from Kitty. She ran to the front door, yelled "Just a moment" and chased after the others up the stairs. Moments later they came crashing down, Molly and Kitty ending up on the hall floor. Midge went to the front door, opened it, said "Sorry, we weren't quite ready, please come in."

Audrey came in first, then the tutors, followed by Daniel. Midge and Chloe were standing there, taking no notice of Molly and Kitty who were picking themselves up from the floor. "Hello" they said.

Audrey turned to the tutors, "Warned you." Then "Girls, these are Tom and Fea. Tom and Fea, this is the madhouse. In front of you are Chloe and either Midge or Molly, though at a guess this is Midge, it's probably Molly who's just got up. The last one is Kitty." The four, now in line, all give a little curtsey.

Tom and Fea looked a little surprised at the welcome, Fea finally said "Hello, girls." Tom muttered "They are trouble." Daniel said "Where can we sit and talk? Sitting room?" Molly started an alternating response, "Oh, no." Then Midge "not tidy. Dining" "room."

Both Tom and Fea laughed at this, in the end Daniel led the way, followed by Fea, Audrey and Tom. The girls waited until the visitors were fully in the room then made their usual dash for the door, fought their way in. Daniel said "They can behave properly, I think they just like a little excitement."

Tom shook his head, Fea was grinning, she said "What's the point of living if you aren't alive?" Molly said "Exactly." She ran to Fea, kissed her cheek, ran back to the others.

Daniel said "Can we sit down to talk?" Tom, Fea and Audrey sat on one side of the table, Midge, Molly and Chloe sat opposite. Kitty sat at one end, Daniel the other.

Daniel: "Right girls, Tom and Fea want to know what they are letting themselves in for. Please, please, please try to be serious for once."

Tom looked at Fea, she started. "Right, I can see you are troublesome, but I suspect that under that you do actually want to be educated." The girls all nodded. "Daniel tells me you are all highly intelligent. So far we've seen little evidence of that." Kitty said "Sorry, we'll try to behave."

Fea said "Daniel has told us a little bit about you. First of all, Midge and Molly, we are really sorry about your parents, it's awful. Not much we can say other than we are so sorry."

Midge and Molly, in unison, "Thank you."

Kitty: "Please know the loss is devastating for them, they are very much hiding it. Don't for one moment think their, no our, behaviour means otherwise."

Fea nodded, "Understood, Daniel said very much the same thing. We won't mention it again unless, of course, you want to talk. We are good listeners."

This time it was Kitty and Chloe who said "Thank you."

Fea said "Right. If you are okay to, we'll continue." Midge and Molly both nodded. "Daniel has told us you are all very unhappy at your present school, that you are desperate to leave, though he won't tell me why. It's not really any of our business, but would you like to tell me anything?"

Molly and Midge looked at each other, then at Chloe. The three looked at Kitty. Kitty nodded to them, started: "There are two main reasons, but I'll stick to just one of them. We think the teaching is atrocious. None of us learn much of anything from the nu⁠…⁠" she stopped herself, then continued "… teachers. We have to teach ourselves. Molly and Midge spend a lot of time in the town library learning stuff, they teach Chloe and me what they've learnt when they get back to the school, or at least later in the evening. We want to go to university, there's no way we could get in with what the school teaches us."

She stopped, tears welling up. Tom and Fea looked at each other, then at the other three girls, all of whom were just staring down at the table.

Tom: "We are sorry to hear that. Oh, we can guess which school."

Fea: "Can we ask you some questions about what you know?"

Midge: "Yes, please. We hope we're not too far behind where we should be."

Daniel interrupted, "Can I leave you? I do need to find paperwork that should be here."

Midge: "I think everything is in the study, please help yourself. There is a safe." Molly went to Daniel, whispered something in his ear, sat down again. Daniel asked "How come you know that? I wouldn't have thought they'd have told you." Molly just said "Cracked it", for which she got some surprised looks from the four adults.

Daniel shook his head, got up. Audrey looked at him, "I'd like to listen in for a bit if that's all right with everyone?" Nods all round. Daniel went out of the room.

Tom took out a notebook, "I'll just jot down thoughts as we go."

Tom and Fea began to ask questions to find out where the four were in their education. After about half an hour, Audrey interrupted, "Can I make us all some coffee?" Kitty started to get up, Audrey said "No, stay, I can sort it."

After a few minutes, Audrey brought a tray in, from it she passed a mug of coffee to each of the six. "I'll take mine in to Daniel, leave you to it."

An hour later, Daniel and Audrey appeared at the door, they saw the six engrossed in questions and answers. They realised it was the girls asking the tutors questions. Daniel interrupted, "How are we doing?"

On hearing him, Tom and Fea sat back, they'd been leaning towards the girls, totally absorbed.

Tom said "They aren't just intelligent, they're amazing. They've been asking us all sorts of things, they just soak up knowledge, they have pretty much pushed us to the limits of what we know."

Fea: "If we can, we'd absolutely love to tutor them, but really just to make sure they know what to expect in exams, though I think they would be a real test for us."

Audrey: "We are not in the least bit surprised."

Tom: "Girls, we'll have to stop there, you've worn us out. Daniel, do you think you can do something for them?" ‑ obviously referring to Kitty and Chloe being able to join them, Daniel had told them that Midge and Molly wouldn't leave the school unless the others could.

Daniel "I'm working on it, there's a lot of bureaucracy. Certainly no one has said 'No'." He continued, "Midge, Molly, I've found much of what I need, okay for me to take it?" Midge and Molly nodded. He said "Right. Not sure if I've got everything, but Samuel and I can make a lot of progress." Then, to Fea and Tom, "Shall we leave the mob?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Tom nodded. "Yes, we should. Ladies," addressing the girls, "it's been a real pleasure." Then, thinking about their welcome, "Well, mostly."

Everyone in the room laughed. The girls got up, rushed to the door, only instead of crashing through it, they stayed in the room, stood two each side of it. The adults made their way out, as they passed the girls they each got a kiss on a cheek from all of them.

Daniel led the way to the front door, holding a carrier bag full of paperwork. Fea said "Goodbye girls, hope we can do what you want for you." Daniel added "I'll let you know how we get on."

The girls exited the dining room in single file, they were also hoping things could be sorted for them.

As they went out of the front door, Tom could just be heard, "It would be well worth putting up with their behaviour."

The girls shut the front door. "Let's wash the mugs up" from Midge. The girls went into the study, Daniel's and Audrey's mugs weren't there, then to the dining room to pick up theirs. No mugs. Kitty said "Come to think of it, they weren't there for much of when we were in there."

Chloe: "Audrey must have come in while we were talking."

Molly "She must have been dressed as a gorilla", referring to the well known psychological experiment.

They went into the kitchen. The whole room was clean, tidy, everything put away that should be. Midge went to the cupboard where the mugs were kept, it was full of clean mugs.

Both Midge and Molly started to cry. "What is it?" asked Chloe. "Mummy always" "liked the kitchen" "just like" "this." Then, in unison, "We always left it in a mess."

Kitty and Chloe went to Midge and Molly, they pushed Midge and Molly together, hugged them as one.

After a few minutes, Kitty said "I know it's early, but let's go to bed." Nods from the twins. As they passed the sitting room, Kitty glanced in. All the remains of their tea had gone, her glance showed the sitting room had been tidied as well. She didn't say anything for fear it would upset the twins some more. They went upstairs, had a group shower. They dried off, the twins got onto the bed, they lay on their backs, holding hands between them, sobbing quietly. Kitty and Chloe got on the bed, Chloe beside Midge, Kitty beside Molly. After a few minutes, the twin's crying stopped. Midge and Molly were asleep.

Chloe and Kitty carefully got off, found the bed's top sheet. Back on the bed, they saw that Midge and Molly, still fast asleep. They laid the sheet over all of them. Soon all four were sleeping.

Shopping for marmalade

In the morning the twins seemed back to normal. Molly slid herself over Kitty, crashed onto the floor, Midge stood up, stepped over Chloe, jumped onto the floor. She went round the bed to find Molly lying on her front, laughing. "What's so funny?" "Nothing. I just felt like laughing."

Kitty and Chloe, still on the bed, looked at each other. "Did they just have a normal verbal conversation?" "Yes, though I'm not sure 'normal' quite describes it." Then Kitty, to the twins, "Is something wrong with you?" Molly replied, "Nothing. Well, not in the sense you mean." From Midge, "We just do that sometimes. No worries. Come on, sis." She reached down, grabbed one of Molly's hands, more or less lifted her up. Without letting go of her hand, Midge hauled Molly into the bathroom, Chloe and Kitty chasing after them.

One by one they each used the toilet then went into the shower, soon they were all washing each other. Eventually they emerged, dried themselves and each other, ran down the stairs, this time all managing to stay on their feet.

They just had toast and marmalade for breakfast, tea to drink. As they finished, Kitty remarked "Nearly out of marmalade." Molly: "Mustn't run out of marmalade." Midge: "Let's go shopping." Chloe "What else do we need?"

Midge went to a drawer, took out a small pad of paper and a pencil. She gave them to Kitty, saying "You are the scribe."

Kitty dutifully sat at the kitchen table, squared the pad in front of her. She made a great show of licking the tip of the pencil, then held it poised over the pad. "Ready" she called.

Molly yelled "Marmalade."

She, Midge and Chloe went round cupboards, the refrigerator, freezer, cupboards. They shouted out things as they went, "Milk" ‑ "Bread" ‑ "We get bread from the bakery, not the supermarket, but keep it on the list." ‑ "Eggs" "Butter" ‑ "Scratch 'butter', there's plenty in the freezer."

A few more items were added, until Molly asked "Anything else?" No one can think of anything.

Kitty said "We should take some shopping bags." Midge went to a cupboard, found four. Suddenly both she and Molly were crying. Kitty and Chloe each went to one of the twins, gave them a hug. The crying subsided, Midge said "Sorry, so many memories, we used to get these out for Mummy, carry them to the shops for her." Molly added "And then hide from her."

Chloe: "Nothing to be sorry for. Just let it out, you know we're here for you."

Midge extracted herself from Chloe's embrace, gave her a quick kiss, "Come on, let's go." Kitty asked "Shouldn't we put our dresses on first?"

Crying was forgotten, they dashed upstairs, each grabbed a dress, put it on. Running down the stairs, fighting to be first down whilst at the same time doing up buttons resulted in all four tumbling down. They landed in a heap at the bottom.

Ignoring their bruises, all were laughing. When Molly said "I knew we'd be better off without dresses" the laughter just got louder. Eventually the laughter subsided, they untangled themselves from each other, finished doing up their buttons. Molly, of course, left two undone top and bottom.

Checking they had phones, debit cards, keys, they went.

They mooched around, wandering up and down the street, looking in shop windows. Several people came up to them, some that Midge and Molly knew, some they didn't. All offered condolences, some offered help. All were thanked, some got hugs, some got a quick kiss on the cheek.

Eventually they visited the bakery, then the supermarket. In the supermarket, Chloe pushed a trolly, they started putting things in it. Midge and Molly had another bit of a crying session, "We used to run around the aisles, hide from Mummy." A few of other shoppers asked "Are you all right?" Kitty and Chloe, hugging the twins, responded with nods, and "They're just a bit upset."

Looking round the house

Finished shopping, they went back to the house, cooked some lunch. After eating, sitting with a cup of tea, Midge said "Let's just go through the house properly, see what's where." Molly said "It'll make us cry." "Got to do it some time." Chloe looked at Kitty, then to the twins "Do you want us to be with you? Or if you like, we could do some cleaning and tidying?" Kitty nodded. The twins looked at each other. Molly and Midge give an alternating reply, "Stay with us, we" "could do something" "bad if" "there's no one" "else to" "cry on."

When their tea was drunk, they cleared up. They seemed to have got into a routine where one would wash up, one would dry, one put things away. The fourth would wander around annoying the other three with tutting and sarcastic comments about how they did things, how slow, or anything else they come up with. It was pretty much random who took which part, though when Molly did the annoyance part it was more dangerous. She would start prodding any of them anywhere, particularly whoever was at the sink. But if Molly was doing the washing, the amount of sploshing would gets the front of her dress soaking wet.

The washing up done, Midge said, "Let's do the bedroom, just for somewhere to start."

Kitty and Chloe sat on the bed, Midge and Molly stayed together as they went round. The bedside tables had drawers, each had a couple of books, pad of paper and pens, a few odds and ends, nothing much that was really personal. The dressing table had several drawers, all had Mummy's things. The central one had hairbrushes and combs, some tweezers, nail scissors and files, three nail varnishes of different colours, some remover, lipsticks that matched the nail varnishes, a small pile of handkerchiefs. Another one had silk scarves and pairs of gloves.

They went through the other drawers, sometimes picking something out, some things made them cry.

They went to the wardrobe, about a third of it was Daddy's. On hangers were shirts, a couple of suits, three pairs of trousers, some shoes on the top of the wardrobe base. The other two‑thirds held several dresses, some casual, some formal, also some blouses and pairs of jeans. The twins occasionally took a dress out, looked at it, some they held up in front of themselves, sometimes each other. On the wardrobe's base were a few handbags.

There were drawers along the length of the wardrobe at the bottom. Daddy's socks were in one, jumpers in another, underwear in a third. Then Mummy's shoes, her jumpers. In the last drawer was a wooden box that just about filled the drawer. The drawer had to be taken out completely to get the box out, the box was locked but the key was loose in the drawer. They took the box and the key to the dressing table, Midge unlocked it. Molly lifted the lid. Inside was some black material. Midge took a piece out, to find it was some lingerie. Both twins mouthed 'Lucky Daddy'.

At the bottom of the box was an envelope. Midge opened it, took out a single photograph, it showed their mother sat up in a hospital bed, she was looking down at two tiny babies held in her arms, suckling at her breasts. Molly dropped the skirt, Midge the photograph. Out loud, "She must have" "been wearing" "this when we" "were made." "She's kept" "our picture" "with it in" "this special" "box."

Punches

Kitty and Chloe couldn't see what the twins were looking at, but realised something was upsetting them a great deal. Both got off the bed, but before they could take a step, one twin had punched the other in the ribs, knocking her over, The fallen one got up, punched the first, she went down.

Kitty and Chloe got to them, wanting to stop them, but as they tried to intervene, Midge punched Chloe in the ribs, Molly punched Kitty. Both were flung backwards, crashing to the floor by the bed. Kitty was screaming in pain, Chloe couldn't, she could hardly breath, just some very rapid and very shallow panting.

Kitty's screams seemed to bring Midge and Molly out of wherever they were, both looked at the two on the floor, then at each other, both cried out "No". They ran to Kitty and Chloe. Molly put her mouth over Chloe's, held her nose shut, breathed hard into her, released her mouth, gently leant on her chest, trying to get some air into her lungs. Molly knelt down beside Kitty, could do nothing but stroke her hair, wait for Kitty's pain to subside.

With a few of Molly's breaths, Chloe started to breath a bit better, though still very shallowly and rapidly. Midge also could do nothing but wait, Chloe letting out "Aah" with every outward breath.

After several minutes, Kitty managed "It hurts." Chloe still couldn't speak, she'd slowed her breathing a bit, but could still only take very shallow breaths. Midge said to Molly, "Can't breath. Need help." Molly nodded. Midge kissed Kitty on the forehead, though Kitty probably didn't know. Midge ran off to find her phone, she rang Daniel. "Could you come round to to the house? Kitty and Chloe are hurt." She just dropped the phone, went back to stroking Kitty's hair.

Within five minutes, the front door opened, Daniel called out "Where?" "Upstairs" shouted Midge. Daniel was in the bedroom within seconds. "We think Chloe's ribs are broken, Kitty is pretty bad as well." "What happened?" "We punched them."

Daniel made no comment. On his knees he touched Chloe's chest, even with her lack of breath she let out a yelp. Without any further investigation, he phoned for an ambulance. "Yes, two sixteen year old females, received knocks to the chest, suspect broken ribs, one can barely breath." He gave the address.

He turned to the twins, both had tears streaming down their faces. Midge managed to get out "We didn't mean to hurt them, we'd just found something out, were trying to work through it."

"Like at the funeral?" asked Daniel. "Yes, only they tried to stop us."

Daniel said nothing, but he had a worried expression on his face.

The doorbell rang, Daniel went downstairs, opened the door, led a man and a woman ambulance crew up the stairs, ushered them into the bedroom.

"What happened?" Daniel replied " That's Chloe, this is Kitty. Hit in their chests with something like the end of a piece of wood."

The crew looked a bit puzzled by this vague explanation, but were more concerned with their two patients. Midge and Molly reluctantly moved from Kitty and Chloe, they went to Daniel. Very unlike them, they separated, went one each side of Daniel, they each held one of his hands.

The ambulance crew introduced themselves to Kitty and to Chloe, then "We're paramedics. I'm afraid we need to look at your chests." They unbuttoned the girls dresses, each had the sign of a very severe bruise under their right breast forming. Both were obviously in extreme pain. They did the dresses up again.

The man: "We'll try to relieve the pain a bit." He got up, went down to the ambulance, came back seconds later with two gas cylinders with breathing masks attached, he passed one to the woman. They placed the masks over the girls' mouths, "Try to breath normally."

Kitty, her breathing a bit more natural, was the first to show signs of the pain diminishing. Several minutes later, Chloe stopped groaning at each breath, but couldn't breath any more deeply.

A few more minutes went by. The woman asked "Stretchers?" He nodded, "Not easy, but we can't sit them up." The man got up again, went downstairs, returned carrying a lightweight stretcher. He found Midge had returned to Kitty, just stroking her hair, whispering something into her ear, Molly was with Chloe. He laid the stretcher down beside Chloe, Molly moved back to Daniel. The woman said to Chloe, "Chloe, we are going to get you onto a stretcher. I'm afraid it will hurt, just hold the mask over you nose and mouth, keep breathing, the gas will help reduce the pain." Chloe just managed a nod.

They gently straightened Chloe out, told her "We're going to roll you onto your side, away from the side that hurts. Just hold that mask, keep breathing. We'll be as gentle as possible." In a very well practised smooth movement, Chloe was rolled onto her side, gasping into the breathing mask. Molly wanted to go to her, Daniel tightened his hand about hers, it was enough to tell Molly not to.

The woman held Chloe there, the man laid the canvas of the stretcher down. They rolled Chloe back onto the canvas, slid poles through loops down the sides. "We are going to put straps over you to stop you falling out." They put a strap over her hips, one over her knees, one over her shoulders, this one also held the gas cylinder.

Turning to Daniel, one of then asked "You are?" He introduced himself, then "These are Midge and Molly, they've just lost their parents. I am currently acting, but will soon be, legal guardian of Midge and Molly. Kitty and Chloe are their friends, they are staying here for at least a few days."

"Midge and Molly? The funeral?" Daniel nodded. "Did they …" she indicated Kitty and Chloe. Daniel said "Let's not worry about that for now, please just get them to hospital." The two paramedics nodded.

"Okay, Chloe, we're going to lift you, carry you downstairs. We'll be as careful as we can be, but inevitably there will be some bumps." Chloe nodded.

They lifted the stretcher, carried it out of the bedroom, got to the stairs. "We will have to put the stretcher on a bit of a slope, feet down. You will feel as if you are going to slide, but you are secure in there, try not to tense, it'll make the pain worse." As they went down, Molly let go of Daniel's hand, started for the door. Daniel grabbed her hand again, "Are you all right?" They both know the question was 'Might you do that again?' Molly replied "Perfectly safe." Daniel let her go, he knew she wouldn't lie.

Molly went to Midge and Kitty, just touched Midge, bent down, gave Kitty a kiss on her forehead, then followed Chloe's stretcher down the stairs, staying a few feet back.

They carried the stretcher into the ambulance, laid it on one of the two bunks. They took the straps off, slid the poles out, put straps over Chloe to hold her on the bunk. Molly was standing outside, just watching. The crew were about to go back into the house when Molly climbed in. The man started to say something, the woman put her hand on his arm, shook her head. He nodded, turned back to the house.

Kitty was brought down a few minutes later, Midge and Daniel following behind. They secured Kitty in the ambulance. Daniel had picked up Midge's phone, he handed it to her, saying "Ring me." She squeezed his hand, waited until they are about to close the ambulance doors, she slipped in, neither of the crew tried to stop her. The man drove, the woman sat on a seat that backed onto the driver's cabin. Midge and Molly knelt on the floor of the ambulance, Midge holding Kitty's hand, Molly holding Chloe's.

The ambulance got to the hospital A&E. Chloe, then Kitty were slid from the ambulance onto trolleys, wheeled in. Molly stayed beside Chloe, Midge beside Kitty. Most of the staff there knew Midge and Molly, no attempt was made to keep them away. They were taken into the A&E ward, four staff members lifted first one girl then the other onto beds. The beds weren't next to each other, but for once the twins didn't protest, they knew they'd only be in the A&E department for a short time.

Quarter of an hour later a doctor came to see them. He went to Chloe's bed first, asked what happened. Molly repeated what Daniel had told the ambulance crew, "They were each hit once in the chest by something very hard, like the end of a heavy stick of wood." Neither twin would answer any more questions, though this was pushing their truthfulness to the limit. They were heeding the warning that Daniel had given them not to say any more.

The doctor looked at Chloe's chest, touched the centre of the bruise, Chloe gasped. "X‑ray" the doctor said. He went round to Kitty, examined her, apparently not quite as badly hurt, but he said "This one too."

As the doctor left, Chloe's bed was wheeled out, Molly following closely. In the X‑ray department they gathered four nurses who lifted Chloe onto the X‑ray table, positioned the X‑ray machine over Chloe's chest. The staff walked out into the control room, the last to leave took Molly's hand, "Come on, you can see through the window." Molly allowed herself to be led out.

The X‑ray taken, as the door was opened, Molly slipped in first, went to Chloe and held her hand, gave her a kiss on the forehead. One of those waiting to lift Chloe whispered in Molly's ear, "Let us put her back on the bed." A last squeeze of Chloe's hand, Molly stood back. She followed the bed as it was pushed to a general ward. The ward was for six patients, three spaces were occupied down one side, the centre one on the other. The unoccupied spaces had no beds, Chloe's bed was wheeled into one of the free slots.

The same exercise was repeated for Kitty with Midge in attendance. As her bed was wheeled into the ward, Molly got up from Chloe, asked that Kitty's bed was stopped. She went to a nurse, "Could they be side by side, please?" The nurse looked at the twins, then said "Let me talk to her", indicating the centre patient. She went to the patient, Molly and Midge, holding hands, stood to one side and just behind the nurse. The nurse asked "Would you mind if we moved you to the end?" The lady opened her eyes, saw Molly and Midge, said "The funeral." Both twins nodded. "Yes, of course, please do." The twins both went to her, squeezed her hands. With the patient's bed moved, Kitty's was put in the centre of the row.

The twins put chairs between the two beds, Midge held Kitty's hand, Molly held Chloe's. After a few minutes, Midge showed her phone to Molly, she went outside the ward, phoned Daniel. "They've had X‑rays, they're in a ward, Doctor's not come back with his diagnosis. We'll stay here with them." Daniel asked that she phone him when they knew any more. Midge went back into the ward, resumed her position.

After half an hour or so, the doctor came back in. He went to Chloe first, he told her she had two broken ribs and severe bruising, probably some internal damage. She needed to keep still for several days, the pain would ease a bit, breathing will remain difficult for a while. He turned to the nurse, "Oxygen cannula."

Then to Kitty, he told her that two ribs were cracked, and again, there was probably internal damage. She should feel a bit better in a few days, but would have to take things easy. In any case, she'd be staying in the hospital for at least two nights.

After he left them, Midge once again went outside the ward, phoned Daniel, told him what the doctor said. He replied "Let me know if anything develops."

The day wore on. A trolly came round, among other things on it there were some packets of sandwiches, a teapot and jug of milk, and some plastic cups. Midge and Molly each took two teas and two packets of sandwiches, both thanked the person pushing the trolly. Each helped the two in the beds to eat, holding the sandwich so they could take a bite. When it came to drinking, neither could sit up. The twins waited until the tea had cooled sufficiently, each took a mouthful, leant over the bed, transferred the tea mouth to mouth. Even Chloe managed a grin. If anyone else noticed, no one said anything.

As the evening approached, the day staff went off. One nurse came in to cover for the night, she recognised Molly and Midge, came to them, gave each of them a hug. "Not you, this time?" "No, our friends" replied Midge, "This is Kitty, she's Chloe." Both Kitty and Chloe managed to raise a hand and give a smile.

The nurse asks "Are you staying?" The twins both nodded. The nurse said "Who needs regulations, anyway?" Then "I'll leave you, I expect these two want to sleep."

She went round all the beds, had a word with each patient, went back to her desk by the ward entrance.

A couple of hours later Midge whispered to Kitty, "I'm going to join Molly with Chloe, is that all right?" "Of course, just don't leave us both." Midge kissed Kitty, picked her chair up, took it to the other side of Chloe's bed from Molly, sat down. One twin put out her left hand, the other her right, fingers outstretched. They interleaved their fingers, so joining their hands. They lowered their hands flat down onto Chloe's chest, very gently resting them on Chloe's bruise. Chloe at first gasped, but within a second she stopped, started smiling. Another second, she was asleep.

Midge and Molly stayed like this for three‑quarters of an hour, then sat back and slept sitting in their chairs for about half an hour, after which they put their hands on Chloe's chest again. They continued like this throughout the night.

In the morning, the doctor came round quite early. Midge and Molly had their hands on Chloe, he asked "What are you doing?" He had to ask a second time before Molly looked up. "Helping her." she said. The doctor said "I need to examine her." The twins immediately lifted their hands, separated them. Midge stood up a little shakily, picked up her chair, moved it back round the bed, she sat down, slumped on the chair. Both Midge and Molly seemed drained.

As the twin's hands were removed, Chloe opened her eyes, looked round, smiled. "It's not hurting, I can breath." Indeed, she seemed to be breathing normally. The doctor frowned. He opened her gown, looked at the bruise, it seemed to have subsided quite a bit. He gently touched it with his finger, no reaction from Chloe, she continued to smile. To the doctor's amazement, she started to sit up. With just a couple of winces, she was fully sitting up. Using her hands to push herself, she moved so she could lean on the pillows agains the headboard. "That's impossible" the doctor said. He turned to the nurse, "X‑ray."

He turned his attention to Kitty. She had woken, but was still in pain. He examined her, she was little different from yesterday. He glanced towards the twins, but made no further comment as he went to examine the other patients in the ward.

Half an hour later, a porter came in to push Chloe's bed for her X‑ray, by now her cannula was off. Molly looked at her, "Are you all right on your own? We both would like to be with Kitty." "Yes, quite all right, I feel so much better."

Chloe was wheeled out. Molly took her chair round to the other side of Kitty's bed. The twins repeated what they had done with Chloe. When Chloe returned, Kitty was asleep, the other two were leaning forward, their hands on Kitty.

A little later, a catering assistant came round with a menu. She asked Chloe what she would like for lunch, Chloe asked for fish pie which was on offer, she felt hungry. The nurse went to Molly, but Molly didn't reply, she seemed to be in a trance. Midge was the same, Kitty was asleep. Chloe said "Bring them all the same as I'm having."

Ten minutes later, without thinking, Chloe swivelled in her bed, put her legs over the edge, stood up, albeit somewhat unsteadily. She managed to walk to Midge, she found Midge barely able to stay sitting, both twins had their eyes closed, their hands still on Kitty.

Chloe saw Midge's phone in her belt. Without disturbing her, she took the phone, called Daniel, told him what she knew, that she was feeling much better, Kitty was much the same as she was, the twins were sitting with her. She described how they were seated with their hands on Kitty, she didn't say that she'd seen them do this before. Daniel said he would come in to see them as soon as he could.

Lunchtime came. Chloe had been walking round the other patients on the ward, sitting on their bed, chatting to them. Chloe came to Molly, whispered in her ear "Lunchtime." Molly blinked, looked at her. This seemed to break Midge's concentration, they both lifted their hands from Kitty, both twins just collapsed onto the floor, apparently unconscious.

Chloe called out, "Help!" The nurse came immediately, at that same moment Daniel walked into the ward. He saw the commotion, he followed the nurse. Chloe was just standing there, Kitty had woken and managed to sit up in bed. The nurse felt for a pulse in each of the twins, checked their breathing. "Pulses very high, breathing fast but otherwise normal. Have they fainted like this before?" Chloe answered. "I have seen this at school, Kitty had been hurt, they were doing that with her. In the morning they were still like that, when I touched one of their shoulders they moved back and collapsed. They woke up quite quickly, but were very weak for quite a while afterwards."

As she was speaking, Molly began to stir, opened her eyes, reached out to Midge. Seconds later, Midge's eyes opened, the twins smiled at each other. They looked around, Molly said "We're all right, help us up please." Daniel briefly said to the nurse "I'm their legal guardian." (He wasn't yet, but this wasn't the time for legal niceties.) He and the nurse helped Molly up first, sat her on Chloe's bed. Molly just lay down, closed her eyes. They helped Midge up, she couldn't stand at all. Daniel picked her up, carried her to the bed, laid her beside Molly. Midge managed to turn towards Molly, put her arm over her, closed her eyes.

The nurse checked them both over again, "They seem to be sleeping as if they'd just sprinted a marathon." By this time Kitty had got out of her bed, came round to Midge's side, standing, looking. At the same time she was exploring her bruised ribs with her hand. She quietly said "It didn't hurt after they'd done it then, either."

As she was saying this, the doctor came in with a laptop. He saw the commotion. "What's wrong?" the nurse said "It's very strange, but these two …" indicating the twins on Chloe's bed "⁠… seem to be exhausted, just sleeping. Chloe and Kitty are looking much better. It's as if …" she trailed off, then couldn't help saying it "… they've somehow passed their good health to the injured girls." She shook her head, turned away.

The doctor gave a sort of 'gurrumph' noise, felt the pulses of Molly and Midge, lifted Midge's hand from Molly. Midge opened her eyes, a whispered "No", managed to drag her hand out of the doctor's, put it back over Molly. She closed her eyes and was asleep again.

He shook his head. "She's right about the exhaustion, they appear totally flaked out." The use of non‑medical terminology reflected his not understanding what was happening. "As for you two walking around" referring to Chloe and Kitty, "I don't understand that either. Both of you, sit on the empty bed. Nurse, curtains please.

He opened the girls' gowns, felt their bruises, little reaction from either girl. He sat beside Chloe, opened his laptop, looked at her two X‑ray images. "It seems you've healed in one day what should have taken four weeks. Unprecedented. Cover yourselves up, I'm going to discuss this with a colleague, back in a while. Nurse, X-ray for Kitty." With a glance at the two on the bed, he left.

Daniel sat on the bed next to Chloe. "Tell me." Chloe explained how Midge and Molly sat with Kitty, how they'd had their hands, how they collapsed afterwards. She presumed they'd done the same to her first. Daniel asked one or two questions, then sat there for a few minutes, thinking, occasionally shaking his head to himself. He looked across to Chloe and Kitty, "Many times I've seen them hold their hands on each other's hurts over the years. It always seemed to bring some relief to the other."

A few minutes later, the doctor came back in with an older colleague, who glanced at Kitty and Chloe, now both talking with the patient who had been moved for them. He saw the twins on the bed, recognising them he said "You didn't tell me these two were involved. Are they all right?" "Just sleeping, as if totally worn out."

The first doctor called to Kitty and Chloe, "Come and sit on the bed so my colleague can examine you." They complied, the curtains were drawn, examinations made, X‑ray images viewed.

The older doctor said "Look, I can't explain it any more than you can. What I can say is that those two …" indicating the twins "… have always recovered from their own injuries extraordinarily quickly. And they've had a lot of injuries, mostly self inflicted. They played harder and more dangerously than anyone else I've ever come across. If they're involved with these, maybe something has rubbed off from them." He turned to Kitty and Chloe, "Tell me what they did to you." Kitty told him "I didn't really see it, I was out of it." Chloe described what she had seen just as she had for Daniel.

"Well," said the older doctor. "Someone's got to say it. Laying on of hands." The younger one said "We can't write that in the notes. I don't believe it anyway." "Nor do I, but I have no medical explanation." The younger one: "If anyone ever reviews this, they will think the dates have got muddled, but they haven't."

The older one went to the bed where Midge and Molly were, just looked down at them. The younger shook himself out of his own thoughts, said to the nurse and to Chloe and Kitty, "You are definitely staying for another night. I'll see you later today, and tomorrow. We'll see after that."

Then to the nurse, "Keep an eye on the other two. I think they'll be fine after a good sleep. Hmm. As they are, they might still be effectively unconscious even into the night." Kitty spoke up, "They can stay there, Chloe and I can share." Kitty added, with a bit of a giggle, "Not for the first time."

Before the younger could speak, the older one said "Let them do that. These two …" indicating the twins "… have over the years caused us to break every regulation in the hospital. Nurse, are you and your staff all right with that?" "Oh, yes, we would love to keep them around. I've been hearing, they brighten up everywhere they go, staff and patients all love them."

The younger one said "All right, but don't make a song and dance about it, or some jobsworth will get us all the sack." With a final glance at each of the girls, the two doctors walked out, already in deep conversation.

The nurse got back to nursing, "Your dinners are cold, can I get them warmed for you?" Kitty and Chloe looked at each other. They almost emulated the twins, "No." "We're starving." "We'll eat them as they are." "Thank you."

Daniel interrupted, "Look, I'd love to stay, but I do have a client I need to see. Will it be all right if I go?" "Yes we're all good, they're just tired." "Ring me if anything develops, I'll come in later anyway." With a (very careful) hug of Kitty and Chloe, he went out of the ward.

They sat back on Kitty's bed, basically scoffed the food, sharing Kitty's drinking beaker to gulp water every so often. Midge and Molly's dinners were left untouched, eventually cleared away.

The two of them went to the bed with the twins on, one either side. They gently stroked their hair. First Chloe, then Kitty, bent down and gave each twin a kiss on her foreheads.

One of the patients on the other side of the room called over, "Are they all right?" Kitty went over to her, sat on her bed, "We think so, just exhausted." "Aren't you one of the girls at the funeral?" Yes, Chloe and I were at the back, those two were …" her voice tailed off as memories returned. The lady said "We weren't there, but we heard some terrible things happened to them." "It did get a little tense, but everyone is fine. They are still in a state of total grief, but they hide it almost the whole time, they are so strong."

Chloe wandered over, they started talking about the twins, then about the lady's family. The patient in the next bed started talking, soon all four patients and Kitty and Chloe were talking across the ward. The nurse was sitting at her desk, she was looking at the patients, smiling at what was going on.

The day wore on, afternoon tea with a choice of sandwiches came. Kitty and Chloe each took two packets in case Molly and Midge woke and were hungry, but they remained sleeping. The doctor came again, examined them, went, shaking his head.

Daniel came in with Audrey, she was visibly upset for all of them. Kitty and Chloe assured her that they both felt much better, and they were certain Midge and Molly were just very tired. They talked for a bit, Audrey also saying the twins seemed to impart healing, she'd seen them with a cat that was limping badly. They'd gone to it, one put a hand one side of the leg, the other put one on the other side. They stayed like that for quarter of an hour or so. The cat was totally relaxed, purring, sleeping. When they finally let go, the cat rubbed itself against each of them, ran off as if nothing was ever wrong with it. Daniel said "You never told me", to which Audrey replied "You wouldn't have believed it."

After an hour, Daniel and Audrey left, Audrey stroking each of the twin's hair as she went by their bed.

When the night nurse came on, the nurse going off shift told her the unusual arrangement of the two beds each with two girls. The night nurse just smiled and nodded.

Some time in the middle of the night, Molly stirred, felt Midge's arm over her. She gently lifted Midge's arm, this woke Midge, suddenly the twins were embracing. Molly whispered to Midge "Must use the bathroom before I burst." "Me, to." They both sat up, swung their legs over the sides of the bed. The night nurse immediately came over, "Are you all right?" "Fine, need bathroom." With a quick glance at the bed with Kitty and Chloe asleep in it, they headed for the bathroom, each with her arm round the other's waist.

They were in there for ten or fifteen minutes, when they came out the nurse could see that they had brightened up, their hair was wet, their dresses showed some patches of damp. They went to the nurse's desk, spoke to her, "Are they all right?" "Yes, they seem so much better. How about you? I gather you weren't too good yourselves." "Oh, just a bit tired. Any food around?" The nurse laughed, "Give me a minute, I''ll find you something." She went out of the ward.

Midge and Molly went to Kitty and Chloe, Midge put her hand on Chloe's chest, "Much better." Molly felt Kitty's, she nodded. It was Midge and Molly's turn to stroke Kitty and Chloe's hair. Midge said to Molly, "Can't let that happen again, they could be dead." Molly nodded, said "And then we wouldn't be able to help them."

The nurse came back while they were still looking at the girls, handed them each a paper plate with what appeared to be a very hastily made sandwich. "Cheese and pickle, all I could find. The twins reached up, they kissed the nurse's cheeks, "Bless you." "Perfect." And in unison "Thank you." They sat side by side on the bed, shoulders and legs against each other, ate the sandwiches, a beaker of water each. Finished, they took their plates to the waste bin at the end of the ward, thanking the nurse as they went by her desk. She smiled at them.

They returned to Kitty and Chloe, looked at them. "Sleeping."

When the night shift ended, the nurse said to Midge and Molly "I'm going off shift soon. It's been really lovely to see you again, and your friends, they are such delightful young ladies." The twins jumped off the bed, both hugged her at once, both kissed her. "Now, let me look round the others." As she went round the rest of the ward, the twins each took a chair, one to one side, one to the other side of Chloe and Kitty. They sat, each holding one of the girls' hands, just looking at them.

Shortly after, the day nurse came into the ward. She talked to the night nurse, they went over some notes. They obviously talked about the four girls, looking over to them. The night nurse left, the day nurse went round the other four patients, all seem to be sleeping soundly. She went to the four girls, "Everything all right here?" Midge, without looking up, answered, "Yes. Thank you. They're much better than yesterday." "How do you know?" "We feel it." Nurse shook her head. "And how are you two? You gave us all a bit of a scare yesterday." Molly says quietly, "Nothing like as scared as we were for these two. We could have k⁠…⁠" Midge interrupted, "They could be dead." "I'm sure the doctor will want to look at you, anyway." She left them.

A minute or so later, Kitty and Chloe woke, both immediately hugged the twin that was holding her hand, then stretched over each other to hug the other twin. "All good?" from Chloe. "All good." from the other three.

Chloe and Kitty headed for the bathroom. Midge and Molly straightened both beds out, arranged pillows neatly, smoothed the covers. Kitty and Chloe emerged ten minutes later, looking happy, almost dancing back to the beds.

Breakfast for the ward came in on a trolly. The girls sat along one side of one of one of the beds, and, balancing plates of forgettable content on their knees, they ate everything. Breakfast debris removed, the four of them did their own tour of the ward, starting off all four talking with one, ending up with one girl with each of the other four.

They were like this when the doctor came in to do his rounds. He had a brief look at the various beds, turned to the nurse, had a talk with her. After a couple of minutes, he went to the nearest patient, the nurse a step behind in case he wanted anything or had any instructions. Molly was sat on the first one's bed talking with her. The doctor said "Clear orf, you 'orrible little girl." Molly turned to look at him, grinned, looked at the patient, said in a stage whisper "He knows me", gave her a little kiss on her forehead. She ran off back to her bed, laughing. The patient turned her gaze from Molly to the doctor, "They're lovely, all of them." "And how do you feel?" "Oh, much better. She put her hand on my arm, it felt so warm. Somehow it seemed to sooth the pain in my leg." Under his breath he said "You've no idea."

He went round the other patients. As he approached each patient, the girl with them would smile at them, maybe just touch an arm or a cheek, smile at the doctor, walk to join Molly. The one that Midge was with said something very similar to the first about a feeling of warmth and some relief of her discomfort, the other two just commented on how nice the girls were. All seemed much more cheerful than they were before the girls arrived.

Lastly he went to the girls. To Kitty and Chloe, "Look, I can't believe it, but as far as I am concerned you can go home, just some release paperwork to sort. Instructions: please be careful not to bang yourselves on your chests for a while. But most importantly, if you have any real pain or difficulty in breathing, you must come straight back here, ambulance if necessary. Understood?" Kitty and Chloe both nodded. Midge and Molly said in unison "We'll look after them." The doctor, out loud, but to himself, "That's what I'm afraid of." Then, to the nurse, "Get them all out of my sight as soon as you can." The four girls, the nurse and the doctor were all laughing as he left the ward.

Midge phoned Daniel, "We're being released soon." She listened for a bit, turned to the others, "Do we want a lift or can we walk?" "Walk" the other three chorused." Back on the phone, "No, thank you, we'll walk, it's not far." Then "Yes, we'll ring when we get home." Another listen, and "Love you." She ended the call.

The girls went back to the other patients. Midge and Molly went to those that Kitty and Chloe were with before. They chatted, Midge and Molly resting a hand on their patient's arm, warmth and comfort spread. A couple of hours later the nurse announced: "Kitty, Chloe, you are free to go. Midge, Molly, you were never here."

The four girls immediately went round each patient, each said goodbye, gave each a kiss on forehead or cheek.

The nurse got a hug from them, with Kitty and Chloe a kiss to the nurse's cheek, both Midge and Molly gave her a kiss on the mouth. All four ran out of the ward, each with a hand above their head, waving. As they exited the ward, they were actually careful not to crash into the doorframe.

Behind, they left all four patients and the nurse with tears rolling down their cheeks.

The girls walked home. Where they could be four abreast, for once Molly and Midge took the outsides of the row, whether or not they consciously realised it they were guarding Chloe and Kitty. When they couldn't be side‑by‑side, one of the twins would go in front, one walked behind.

Halfway home, Chloe started to slow, "Sorry, not quite recovered yet." After making sure there was nothing more wrong, they slowed their pace, but reached home safely. Both Chloe and Kitty slumped onto kitchen chairs.

Midge phoned Daniel, told him they were home and okay. Daniel said he'd come round in a couple of hours, he wanted to talk.

Midge and Molly put some lunch together, they all sat and ate in near silence. They cleared up, but put off making tea until Daniel came. When he arrived, Midge let him in, took him into the sitting room, Kitty helped Midge make tea. Chloe and Molly sat on one settee, when the other two brought the tea in, they emptied the tea tray onto a coffee table, sat in the other settee, they didn't want to squeeze Kitty and Chloe as they usually did.

Daniel asked Chloe and Kitty how they were, Chloe said she was a bit tired, if she took a deep breath it could get painful, but otherwise she was fine. Kitty said she was also a bit tired, and could still just feel the bruising if she pressed it hard, otherwise nothing wrong.

Threat of not staying together

Then Daniel got serious. "We all know what happened. We know it could have ended much worse than it did. I can't allow you four to stay together if it might happen again." Midge and Molly looked at each other, Chloe and Kitty started to cry, Kitty managed "We want to stay with them whatever the risk." "So you might" from Daniel, "But I simply couldn't let you. Midge, Molly, I basically don't really care about anyone other than the four of you, but if you killed or seriously maimed these, I am certain you would kill each other, am I right?" Midge and Molly glanced at each other, both nodded.

Daniel continued. "I know you have unusual mental abilities, is there any way you can program yourselves not to hurt these two again?"

Chloe and Kitty were almost howling, Daniel ignored them, just staring at one twin then the other, waiting for a reply. The twins looked at each other. There were some nods, head‑shakes, eye movements and occasional hand gestures that were just visible to Daniel. He let them 'converse' for as long as they wanted, during this time Kitty and Chloe's wailing turned to gentle crying. Eventually the twins stopped, looked at Daniel. With a quick nod from Midge to Molly, Molly spoke.

"This isn't something we've done before. We think we can, but we need a while to sort ourselves out. Will you give us at least a couple of days?" "Oh, yes" said Daniel. "I'm sure they'll be fine for a while yet. Let me know." There was no doubt in Daniel's mind that if the twins told him they'd put in such a block, they would be telling the truth.

Daniel said "Come on, the tea's getting cold, and I've something much more pleasant to talk about."

They poured tea. When all had a cup, Daniel said "Well, somehow we seemed to have missed the photoshoot." Various reactions from the girls, all of disappointment. "Don't worry, if you are up to it, Derek can do it tomorrow morning, Rachel's happy with that. Okay?" "Yes" from all four girls in unison. "Be at Rachel's for half nine tomorrow, okay? Midge got up, went to Daniel, gave him a kiss. As she moved from him, Molly ran to him, jumped, landed sitting on his lap, put her arms round his neck, gave him a kiss, said "We'll be good." Daniel said to her, "I don't believe you for a moment, but I know what you mean." Molly leant to her side, simply fell off Daniel's lap, landed in a heap on the floor. Kitty and Chloe both came to him, their tears stopped by their laughter at Molly's antics, they kissed him, one either side on his cheeks.

"Right. See you tomorrow if I can, but I might be busy."

After he'd gone, Midge said to Chloe and Kitty, "We'd like to go upstairs on our own for a while, would that be all right?" Kitty and Chloe looked at each other. "Of course" said Kitty. Please let us know?" Midge and Molly each kissed Kitty and Chloe, then went upstairs. Kitty and Chloe cleared the tea things from the sitting room and washed up in silence, they went back into the sitting room, sat on a settee together and stayed hugging and gently crying for maybe an hour before they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.

Upstairs, the twins sat tightly against each other on the edge of the bed. Molly whispered "How?" Midge looked down at her hands, she put her right hand into a fist, cupped it with her left, "A shield? Deflect it?" Midge: "Maybe." Molly put her arm round Midge. Midge was staring down at her cupped fist. After a few minutes she said "With me." They leant over a bit more, touched their heads together, Molly cupping her free hand over the back of Midge's hand around her fist. They stayed like that.

Two hours later, Kitty and Chloe woke, they looked at the time. "Do you think they're all right?" "Better check." They quietly went upstairs, looked in the bedroom. The twins were sitting there, motionless. "Leave them." "Okay." They quietly went downstairs again.

After another hour, the two downstairs heard one of the twins call "Up here." Kitty and Chloe dashed upstairs, the twins were lying on the bed, embracing. "Think we've done it" one of them said. "But we need something of a test, if it goes wrong you could get hurt."

"Do it" from Kitty and Chloe.

With no more warning, Midge stood up on the bed, strode to the edge, jumped off, went to attack Kitty, who yelped at the obvious threat. Midge got half way towards Kitty, then collapsed on the floor, writhing. Molly, ignoring Midge, did the same, going to attack Chloe, Molly ended up beside Midge on the floor, curled up in a ball as if she had just been punched hard in the belly.

Kitty and Chloe immediately went down to them, they lay on the floor by them, trying to comfort them.

After several minutes, first Midge then Molly started to recover, each sat up, both holding a hand over their stomachs, Kitty and Chloe sat up with them. Midge managed to whisper "It worked." Kitty asked "But at what cost?" Molly managed "Worth it."

Chloe asked "What happened?" Midge and Molly alternated. "When one of" "us tries to" "punch one" "of you, it's" "as if we" "punch ourself." Then in unison "It hurt."

Kitty: "Please don't ever go for us if that's what it does to you".

Chloe: "I'd rather take the hit than see you hurt like that."

Kitty, still sitting, phoned Daniel. When he answered, she simply said "They've done it." Dropping the phone on the floor, she put her arm round Midge again.

They stayed like that until they heard the front door open, it was Daniel and Audrey. She called out "Anyone at home?" "Up here" called Chloe. The two came up the stairs, saw the four sitting on the floor. "What happened?" asked Audrey. Kitty detached herself from Midge, stood up. "They were up here for hours, then they called us up. They tried to attack us." Chloe, still sitting said "They ended up as if they'd punched themselves."

Daniel: "You mean they really went for you?"

Kitty: "Yes."

Audrey: "Wasn't that very dangerous?

Chloe: "Had to be a real test."

Daniel: "What if it hadn't worked?"

Kitty: "We'd be injured or dead."

Chloe: "Preferably dead if we would have ended up going back to that school."

Daniel, to the twins, "I'm actually glad you didn't tell me before you did it. Are you all right?"

Midge: "Physically fine, just got …" then Molly: "… pain receptors a bit excited." Both managed a little laugh, started to get to their feet. Chloe and Kitty helped them up.

A little later, all were sitting in the sitting room drinking tea that Audrey had made. Into the quietness Audrey asked "Would you four like to come round to ours for dinner this evening, call it a celebration?" "Love to", all four together. Daniel laughed at the response. Audrey said "I'll cook for seven‑thirty, but come any time you like."

Kitty said "Put your teas down." All four girls jumped onto Daniel and Audrey's laps, hugged and kissed them. After a minute or two of this, Audrey managed to get out "You'll have to let us go, it won't cook itself." The girls got off, stood there, hand in hand, big smiles, attacks and hurt stomachs forgotten.

Daniel said "Come on, let's escape while we can."

Daniel and Audrey got up, Audrey went down the line of girls kissing each on the forehead. Daniel just watched and smiled, then the two let themselves out of the house.

Kitty and Chloe's first decent meal

Later they walked round to Daniel's house, got there a little after half past six. Audrey ushered them into the sitting room, excused herself. Daniel was already there, sitting on one of the two settees. The four girls sat together on the other, though carefully. Daniel noticed this, Are your ribs okay?" Chloe: "Okay, but not completely better. You should see the twin's tummies."

Before she could object, Kitty undid the buttons over Midge's midriff. Right in the middle, above her navel, was a massive bruise. Daniel opened his mouth, closed it again. Midge looked down at herself, said "I didn't realise. Molly?" Molly undid her own buttons, she had a similar bruise, but a little higher and to one side. "That's where I was going to hit her" she said. "Never thought it might do that. No wonder it still hurts."

Audrey has heard a little of this, came through, gasped when she saw the bruises. "Are you sure you didn't hit each other?" Kitty replied, "Definitely not, they went for us one at a time, and the bruises weren't there then." Daniel muttered "Placebo, but in a big way. Something else I don't understand."

"Be gone by tomorrow" from Molly, Midge nodded. They both did their buttons up.

Audrey went back to her work. Kitty and Chloe got up and followed her, "Anything we can do to help?" "Most of it's done, you could clear up some of the mess, wash up what you can if you want?"

They'd deliberately left the twins with Daniel, sensing they might want to talk. They were right. Daniel said quietly "A little news on those two. I don't want to raise their hopes yet, but I think you'd want to know.

"I've managed to find someone who might be able to persuade the committee to let them stay with you, with promises of tutoring and me overseeing their general welfare. No results yet, just a bit of progress. Their finances are slightly trickier, but I'm in contact with the solicitors for their trustees. They understand what we are trying to do, they are talking with their clients. Again, no results, just crawling up the first steps of the ladder. Not a word to them. It may not work out, there are still many hurdles to cross.

He added "If we can't do it, it'll be their disappointment that kills them, not you."

Midge and Molly both gave him a hug, then Midge said, through some tears, "You're mixing your metaphors, using ladders to climb over hurdles." They all laughed, then sat there, all quietly thinking.

Half an hour later, Audrey, Kitty and Chloe came out of the kitchen. From Chloe, "Very quiet in here." Midge replied "A bit of peace and quiet without you two." Molly: "Hey, Chloe, you've been doing my job." The front of Chloe's dress was quite wet from washing up. "it's the slave driver's fault, she forced me into doing menial labour against my will."

All of them were laughing. Audrey managed to get out "Dinner is served in five minutes." Midge and Molly immediately jumped up, "Bathroom" they said in unison, dashed out of the sitting room with Kitty and Chloe in hot pursuit. Audrey looked at Daniel, her eyes glistening, "Aren't they lovely? It's so nice to have them here." Daniel just nodded, didn't dare try to say anything. He got up and hugged Audrey, held her there. Within two minutes, they heard some crashing and banging, then, after another few seconds, four girls entered the sitting room, looking a little dishevelled. Each was holding a hand on their bruise, but all were grinning. "Put her down" from Midge. "You don't know where she's been" from Molly. "And we're hungry" from all four girls.

It was Daniel and Audrey's turn to nearly collapse. Daniel managed to say to Audrey, "You're right, but you can have too much of a good thing."

Daniel said "Let's go into the dining room." Audrey took a hand each of Midge and Molly, she led them out of the sitting room. Daniel took hold of Chloe and Kitty's hands, just held them. Chloe and Kitty looked at Daniel questioningly. "Please," he said very quietly, "let them go in first." Daniel and the two followed a little way behind. As Audrey entered the dining room, the twins stopped dead, both start to cry, then both hugged Audrey. The table had been set out very traditionally, silver cutlery, silver cruet, nice placemats, linen serviettes in silver serviette rings. Two candles were burning, water glasses were set round, though no wine glasses.

Midge managed to speak, "That's just how Mummy set the table for special occasions." Then Molly "We loved seeing the table like that."

When the tears had subsided a little, Audrey softly said to the twins, "Your mummy told us how much you liked it. We already knew it was the only time you would behave at a mealtime."

Molly and Midge extracted themselves from Audrey's hands, walked quite sedately to the far side of the table where there were two place settings side by side. They sat down, slid their serviettes out of the rings, put them on their laps. They sat up straight, slight smiles on their faces.

Daniel and the others were standing in the doorway, he softly said "We didn't know how they might react, it could have gone badly." Kitty and Chloe both replied "It could have." Daniel released them, they ran to the table, sat at the two settings opposite the twins, copied them with their serviettes, though both seemed a little unsure about what they were doing.

Audrey and Daniel smiled at each other, nodded. Daniel sat at one end of the table as Audrey went to the kitchen, to return a few minutes later wheeling in a trolly on which were six plates, each with a roast beef dinner on it, slices of beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, peas, green beans, carrots, pieces of broccoli. The plates were flooded with gravy.

"I've plated up" said Audrey, "Hope that's all right. If there's too much, or anything you don't like, just leave it. Mustard and horseradish sauce on the table. Anything else you want, please ask." She was putting the plates down in front of the girls as she was talking, then one for Daniel and one for herself. She sat down at the other end from Daniel.

Without more ado, all four girls started eating. Kitty was the first to speak, "This is the best meal I've had, ever." Chloe nodded furiously, couldn't talk, her mouth was full. Midge and Molly in unison, "Well up to standard."

Daniel got up, picked up a water jug, poured water into each of their glasses, each managed a "Thank you" or at least a nod and a grunt.

Kitty and Chloe were eating very quickly, large mouthfuls, probably inadequate chewing, but relishing every morsel. Midge and Molly were eating much more sedately, cutting their food into small pieces, not putting much on their forks at one time to put in their mouths. They rested their knives and forks on their plates while they chewed then swallowed, picked up their cutlery for the next. After several minutes of this, Audrey got up, ran into the kitchen, she could be heard sobbing as she shut the door.

Daniel got up, but Midge said "Let us go." He nodded. The twins got up, placed their serviettes on the table and followed Audrey into the kitchen, shutting the door again. Daniel said to the two still with him "She knew this might happen, we occasionally had these formal‑ish dinners at theirs or at ours, it means a lot to her as well." Daniel, Kitty and Chloe had all stopped eating, just waiting.

After a few minutes, Audrey came back, her arms round the twins either side of her. She was much more herself, said "Sorry about that, it just got to me. Please, finish your dinners before they get cold."

With all seated again, they continued eating. Daniel and Audrey left some on their plates, Kitty and Chloe ate every last shred of food, just a few smears of gravy remained. Midge and Molly were taking a bit longer, but were finally down to one piece of carrot each. They each speared theirs and fed it to the other, then put their forks neatly with their knives on the plates. Both of them burst out laughing. Daniel said "They always did that, just had to make their little mark. We all loved it."

Kitty and Chloe jumped up, started clearing the plates, carrying them two at a time to the kitchen. Audrey just let them, loving all the young energy in the house. While they were in the kitchen, Daniel picked up their dropped serviettes from the floor, hung them over the backs of their chairs. When the two returned, they sat, looking expectantly. "Still hungry?" asked Audrey. Kitty put on a pained expression, she said "Got pudding spoons and forks." Chloe added "Must be there for a reason." Then both together, said as a question, "Please?"

Midge said quietly, "I don't know if they've ever had a decently cooked meal in their lives." Kitty said "Nothing like this." Chloe: "Not ever."

"All right", said Audrey. "Midge, come and help me." Midge stood up, bent down to pick her serviette off the floor, she put it on her chair. She said to the table, "Goody, I get to lick the bowl." "No you don't" said Audrey. "The bowl's been washed up already." Midge put on a big pout, followed Audrey into the kitchen. They came back immediately, placed two big dishes in front of Audrey's place. "Molly, cream jug in the fridge." Molly jumped up, ran for the kitchen, stopped half way, came back, picked up her serviette from the floor. She flourished it above her head then put it on her chair.

Ten seconds later, a jug with cream in it landed with a thump on the table, some cream slopped onto the tablecloth. "Oh, sorry" said Molly. Audrey grinned, "I only asked her to get it because she always did that.

Now, Chloe, apple pie or strawberry pavlova, one first then the other, or if you must, both together. Chloe looked upset, apparently not knowing what to say. "What's the matter?" asked Audrey. Chloe, hesitantly, "I don't know what pavlova is." She started to cry. Audrey shook her head, was nearly back in tears herself. Molly got up, went round to Chloe, put her arms round her. She whispered, "It's one of the best puds in the world. You'll love it." To Audrey, "She'll have some pavlova, please." Audrey put some in a dish, passed it down to Chloe. Kitty studied it as it went by her. "Kitty?" asked Audrey. "Yes please, I've never had any before. It looks like⁠ … I don't know what."

The others chose pavlova. "Go on, try it" said Molly to Kitty and Chloe. Kitty picked up a spoon, tentatively prodded it, its crispness gave way, the spoon went in a little way. "Fork as well" whispered Daniel to her. She picked up the fork, dug that in with her spoon, a small piece broke off. She was concentrating hard, all the others were watching her. She pushed the piece onto her spoon, lifted it up, looked at it suspiciously, shut her eyes, put it in her mouth, closing her lips over her spoon as she took it out. She opened her eyes, scrunched with her teeth, rolled it round her mouth, swallowed. She looked around at everyone looking her, she said "It's a piece of heaven, sweet, sickly, lovely, crunchy, gooey heaven." She started eating it as if it might run away before she could finish it.

Chloe tried hers, "She's right" with her mouth full. The others ate theirs, Molly quietly commented to Audrey, "This is one of the best, you're spoiling us."

Audrey smiled, said very quietly, "A long time ago, your mummy showed me how." Molly nodded, didn't dare say anything, just went back to her pudding.

When they'd all finished their pavlova, Audrey said "There is some more, but why not try some pie?" Midge encouraged, "It's worth it."

They were each given a slice of Audrey's pie. Molly went round to Chloe and Kitty, poured a little (surprisingly little for Molly) cream over their helpings. Both had eaten apple pie before, but once again both were in raptures. "It tastes of apples." "They're not just mush." "It's not so sweet that it makes you want to be sick." The pastry, it's really tasty" "Crisp but soft as well" "Best apple pie I've ever tasted." "Best any sort of pie I've ever tasted."

Kitty and Chloe wolfed theirs down in no time. "Any more?" asked Audrey. Kitty looked at her empty plate, at the dishes with the puddings on, said "Love to, but totally full, that was fabulous." She got up, went round to Audrey, hugged her round her neck, kissed her cheek, muttered "Fabulous" again, went back to her chair.

Chloe just said "Ditto, but I can't give you a hug, too full to move."

The two adults and the twins all smiled, continued eating theirs. When they were finished, Molly said "Thank you, that was the best, but like those two, we can't eat any more." Midge nodded. Audrey looked at Daniel, he put his hand over his plate, said "Ditto for me as well." Looking straight at Audrey, smiling, he said "The girl done good."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, then Daniel said "Tea? Coffee?" Midge asked "Could you do real coffee for us? I don't think they've ever had it."

Daniel looked at Audrey, she mouthed 'And me', he got up, went into the kitchen. Audrey looked round, "Come on, help me take this lot into the kitchen." Kitty and Chloe instantly jumped up, Chloe got hold of the pavlova dish, Kitty got the apple pie. Holding the dishes out in front of them as if they were the Crown Jewels, they carried them into the kitchen. There was a central island that had the dirty dinner plates on it, the two put the dishes down there. Chloe surreptitiously used her fingers to dab crumbs of the pavlova from where it was cut, Kitty did the same with the pie. They looked at each other, both said "Yummy", turned and walked hand‑in‑hand back to the dining room, passing Audrey coming with the cream jug. Daniel stayed in the kitchen to make the coffee.

One of the twins said to Kitty and Chloe, "Sitting room." The twins led the way, all four ‑ somewhat carefully ‑ crammed themselves into a settee.

Coffee education

Audrey came through, then Daniel carrying a tray with two cafetières, mugs, a sugar box, a jug of hot milk, the cream jug, and some teaspoons. Daniel unloaded the tray onto a coffee table, he'd brought through ten mugs. Audrey and Daniel sat, Daniel saying "Give it a minute."

Chloe and Kitty raved on for a while about how good the food was, never eaten anything like it before. Audrey smiled, Daniel managed at one point to say "I'm a lucky man."

He got up, went to the coffee table. With one hand over each of the cafetières, he slowly pushed down the plungers. Chloe and Kitty were staring at what he was doing. Audrey asked "Haven't you seen that before?" "Never" was the joint reply. Audrey didn't ask any more, it was clear the two girls had never experienced this sort of life.

Daniel started off by pouring just a little coffee into two mugs, he handed one each to Kitty and Chloe. "I want you to try this neat." he said, "Let it cool a bit first so that you can taste it without burning you mouth." Then "Midge and Molly, black?" "Please" in unison.

He poured theirs, put the mugs on the coffee table in front of them. He half filled another mug, topped it up with hot milk, passed it to Audrey. He poured himself a mugful, he also liked it black.

Chloe sniffed hers suspiciously, "It looks very dark, it's not clear, either." Midge said to her "Sip it." With Kitty watching, also looking a bit suspicious, Chloe took a sip, jerked her head back. "It's bitter. Nothing like instant." Daniel watching her, said "Some like it with a dash of milk, some half and half with milk, some with cream. From black right through, some like sugar in it. You can try any of these you want."

Chloe took another sip, "It grows on you, it's bitter but in a nice sort of way."

"Try a little sugar." She held her mug up, Daniel stirred a few grains in. Chloe tasted it, "Eeyoo, sickly." She passed her sweetened coffee to Kitty, who tentatively took a sip. "Yuck, you're right." "Taste your own." Kitty did so, "Much nicer than the sugary one."

Daniel prepared small amounts in mugs with different additives, Kitty and Chloe sharing these mugs to try. Molly and Midge sat sipping their coffee, quietly watching the other two get an education in real coffee. Comments such as "Don't like that", or "Nicer than the last, but not as good as the first",

Audrey, Midge and Molly all looked on with interest to see which Kitty and Chloe would like best. After trying sugar in two of them, they both refused sugar in any. "The sweetness spoils it."

Eventually, they both decided that the straight black tasted best, and the more they drank it the better they liked it. Midge and Molly both had an air of satisfaction after they'd come to that conclusion, "Makes life easier." Daniel said to Audrey, "It looks like you are the odd one out." "Too bitter for me like that, you can all do what you like." Both were smiling, this was clearly a little banter they had occasionally.

The evening wore on, they talked about all sorts, some of it tearful with reminiscences about Molly and Midge's parents, but no breakdowns.

Late on, Kitty remarked "Photography tomorrow, got to be up at the crack of dawn."

The girls all stood up, all four rushed to Audrey, somehow all four managed to sit or kneel on her or on the arms of her chair. With profuse thanks for the meal and for the nice evening, she got a big hug and a kiss from each of them. They pealed off her one by one, went to Daniel who by this time was standing, each gave him a hug, each reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek, and more profuse thanks. When all were done, Daniel led them to the front door, Audrey following. "Are you going to be all right walking back?" "Oh, Yes" from Midge. "It's only them we can't punch" from Molly. "Get off, all four of you, I may see you tomorrow, but I am a bit busy."

As they left, Daniel closed the door, turned to Audrey. "The girl done good" he said again, he kissed her.

The girls ran home without any punching needed, then a quick group shower, bed, and asleep within seconds.

Street photography

They woke early, excited about the photography session. Breakfast before dressing, scrambled egg on toast, tea to drink. A quick wash up, showered, dressed, and were at Rachel's for nine, just as she and Holly were opening.

"Early's good", she said. "Let's make sure you are perfect." She took them into the workroom, got all to put their funeral dresses and black shoes on. She handed a hairbrush to one of them, they took it in turns to brush each other's hair. Rachel found a clothes brush, brushed off odd hairs that had landed on the dresses, she had to pick some hairs off the lace by hand. She gave each a thorough inspection, got each to walk away from her, towards her, then across her in both directions.

"Chokers" she said, handing Kitty and Chloe's to them. Then she frowned, "Should just two of you wear them? Probably not." All the girls looked disappointed, but she said "Sorry, this session is for me. The chokers would take people's eye away from the dresses, in any case only two of you wearing them would look a bit odd." Reluctantly, but without argument, the chokers were handed back.

Then "It's quarter to ten, let's go to Derek's. We'll be a few minutes early, but better than being late. Now, no messing about. You all look perfect, I want you to stay that way."

Rachel led the way, Midge and Molly following side by side, then Kitty and Chloe. As usual, the girls got lots of stares, some calling from well wishers. Kitty and Chloe waved to some, but were looking in front at Molly and Midge, who seemed very subdued, barely noticing anyone.

They went into Derek's. Riana was sitting at the desk, she saw them come in, started to get up. Her eyes went straight to Chloe, her mouth dropped open. Rachel walked quickly to Riana, took her head, turned it to face her, said "Look but don't touch. They all look perfect like they are, I want them to stay that way." Riana muttered "She is perfect."

Meanwhile Kitty had put her hand on Chloe's arm, quietly said to her "Remember, no messing, Rachel doesn't want your dress or your hair disturbed."

Chloe walked up to Riana, they hooked their forefingers round each other's, smiled, but didn't speak. Releasing, Chloe walked back to the other girls, a slight but very definite sway to her hips. Riana just stood there, staring at her.

Rachel clapped her hands, this seemed to bring Riana out of her trance.

Derek came out of the studio, "Hello. Bit early, but I've got a wedding at one, so there's limited time anyway. The light outside is probably good enough, we can make a start. Just let me pick up some cameras, Riana, give me a hand, please."

Derek put a couple of cameras and lenses into a bag, asked Riana to carry it. He picked up a tripod, they all trooped out of the shop. The pavement along this row of shops was wide, it would easily allow all four girls to walk side by side.

Derek started issuing instructions, he knew exactly what he wanted. "Okay, tripod here. Riana, better lock the shop, I may need you." He selected a camera from the bag, mounted it on the tripod, adjusted the height, looked at the camera's screen. He took the lens off the camera, swapped it for a zoom lens from his bag. Another look, twisting the lens to and fro a couple of times, then to himself "That should do it." He looked up at the girls, "Right, we'll do some solos. Midge or Molly, one of you, just walk away from me."

Midge touched Molly, looked at the others, turned her back to them, started walking away along the pavement. Derek was staring at the camera's screen, adjusting the lens, making adjustments to other controls, kept clicking the shutter. He shouted out "Turn around, walk towards me." Midge complied, walked towards the group, stopped when she reached them, stood close to Molly. Derek said "A quick look at what we've got, yes … yes … good." Then, to Midge, "You would make a superb model, except they are all skinny six‑footers.

"Right, one of the other dresses, Kitty or Chloe?" It was obvious Chloe wanted to stay near Riana, so Kitty repeated what Midge had done. On her return, Derek looked at what he'd got, "You also. I think all of you are so photogenic. Right, let's go for the biggie. Four abreast, walk away to that lamppost, about turn, walk back. Arms round waists, least pull on dresses. When you meet pedestrians, just go round them as you would normally, don't steamroller anyone into the road." The four formed up, Midge and Molly on the inside, Kitty and Chloe outside. "Go" Derek called.

The four walked off, they soon began to stride out. Derek muttered "That's good." Many pedestrians stopped to look, most stepped onto the road to let them by, luckily there was little traffic. The girls turned as instructed, unhooking themselves, from each other, reforming again to come back. As they approached him, he called out, "Don't stop, keep walking past us, carry on." The girls broke up to pass round Derek, Rachel and Riana, Chloe just brushing against Riana as they went by. They formed up straight away, carried on. Then "Far enough, turn round."

They continued for several walks through, then Derek said "Let's go into the shop, see what we've got." They trooped back into his shop. Derek took a memory card out of the camera he'd been using, passed the camera to Riana, "Could you do the battery, please?" He plugged the card into the computer, copied its contents into a folder, brought up a utility which in turn showed a page of thumbnails. Rachel and three of the girls crowded round, Chloe was watching Riana changing the camera's battery. They didn't touch or talk, they just sat quietly on a couple of chairs, apparently unnoticed by the others.

Derek clicked on the first thumbnail, the screen was filled with a view of Midge's back. He clicked again, the next image appeared. He rapidly scanned through, selecting a few as he went, he chose about twenty out of what seemed like a couple of hundred originals. He went thought the twenty, examining them more critically, zooming in different places, always homing in on the dresses. Most of these he discarded, leaving three. One was of Midge's front, one of the group walking away, one with them walking towards the camera.

He turned to the assembly, "Not got enough good ones. What's the time? Okay, another session outside. Light might be better as well. Back we go. Riana, outside again." She took her eyes off Chloe, looked at him, said "Yes, oh master." She grinned, got up, just briefly touched Chloe's hand, went to pick up the camera she'd put another battery in. She picked up a memory card, put that in it, put the camera into the bag. She followed the others out, the last of whom was Chloe, who was waiting for her.

Derek set the tripod up again, put the camera on it. "Let's do solos again, who wants to be first? Kitty stepped forward, "Me again?" "Oh yes, you are good. You're all good."

They repeated the exercise, but before they started, Derek said "Stride out, show us a bit more of your lovely legs." Kitty went first, then Molly, Finally the group. There were many more people watching this time, mostly just looking on, no‑one seem upset by their disrupting the pavement. After several more walks by with the girls in various combinations, Derek had a brief look on the camera at some of the ones he's taken, seemed satisfied. "Right, that's the shoot over, back inside."

He went over this new set as he did the first, he found many more that he liked. He glanced at his watch, said "Look, can't get any further with these, I've got to prepare for the wedding I'm doing. Tomorrow, first thing? We'll see what we all like, I'm pretty sure there are some good ones amongst this lot."

He ushered them out, Rachel gave him a brief kiss. Chloe and Riana had a more prolonged one, eventually Derek had to go to the pair, whispered into Riana's ear, "Come on, you're needed." She broke off from Chloe, touched Chloe's cheek with her hand, winked, said "Off you go."

Chloe chased after the others, colliding with the doorframe as she turned to give Riana a wave. Both of them laughed, Chloe disappeared outside.

Derek smiled at Riana, "Come on, work to do." She gave him a quick kiss, said "Love you." They started collecting equipment for the wedding.

Back at Rachel's, the girls changed dresses. Molly and Midge seemed a bit down, neither laughing or fooling around as they usually did. Rachel asked "Is anything the matter?" Midge and Molly replied, "The last time we were in" "those dresses and walking" "that quickly was" "coming away from" "the burial." Both twins started to cry. Holly started towards them. Rachel touched her arm, shook her head, whispered "Kitty and Chloe know what to do." Kitty and Chloe were already with the twins, just hugging them, waiting for them to recover.

Parent's wedding photograph album

Thirty minutes later, the girls were back at home. They'd picked up a Chinese takeaway, they passed the various parts round to put some on their plates. They'd got some chopsticks as well, Kitty and Chloe had never even seen any before. They practised using them, this kept them amused for a couple of hours even though for much of the time the food had gone cold.

They cleared away the remains, washed up their dishes, took mugs of tea into the sitting room. They drank it in near silence. As they finished, Molly said "Should look more?" Midge replied "Should, not want." "Must sometime." "Not bedroom." "Here?" Midge nodded.

Kitty and Chloe were looking at them in some surprise, normally such an exchange would have been silent, but its shortened sentences did show it wasn't a normal conversation. Midge saw their expressions, she said "It's all right. Sometimes our emotions can get in the way. Can at least one of you stay with us?" Then, with a smile, "I think you'll be safe."

Kitty got up, took the tea things away. Chloe stayed sitting, watching as the twins went through the few cupboards and drawers in the sitting room furniture. Kitty returned after washing up the tea mugs, she sat with Chloe, they held hands, just watching the twins.

It took a while. The twins would take odd things, reminisce about when they were brought home and where from, but there was nothing particularly upsetting.

"Dining room?" from Midge. They all moved into the dining room, the twins went through the sideboard. One of its drawers held silver cutlery, they each took a piece out, looked at it, put it back. Two other drawers contained table linen, underneath in one was their parents' wedding photograph album. Molly picked it out, put it on the dining room table. She and Midge arranged four chairs close together and sat in the middle two, Kitty and Chloe didn't need to be asked to sit in the others.

It took them maybe an hour to go through it, studying each picture, sometimes flipping back to compare. The twins seemed more excited than upset, remarks like "Isn't she pretty?" "Her dress." "Daddy does look pleased with himself." "How many guests?" "That's best man Daniel." "Audrey's a bridesmaid." "Nice looking cake." "Don't recognise her." "Nice going away outfit." "Ooh, Argentinian tango." "Yes, and in a proper skirt." Kitty remarked "It's obvious where you two got your good looks from."

Molly closed the book, said "Yes, but any more, we'll start crying. This is a happy book, we should only look at it feeling happy."

Midge picked the album up, put it back in the drawer, put the linen back on top. "Enough for today."

For rest of the afternoon, the twins just chatted to Kitty and Chloe, mostly reminiscing about their parents, but no crying.

Sandwiches for tea, a bit of (shop) cake, tea to drink. They spent the evening just chatting, then bed and sleep.

Viewing the photographs

In the morning they just ate toast and marmalade, cleared up, and set off for the photographers. A few people gave them the usual waves. But, unusually, several people turned away or just ignored them, they heard one lady mutter "Hypocrites" as they went by. Somewhat perplexed, they reached Derek's.

It was just on nine, the door was open. Riana was there, they all said "Hello." Riana gave them all a big smile, a wink at Chloe. Derek must have heard them, he opened the door, "Come through, you as well", the last to Riana. He already had some thumbnails of the girls on the screen, he started looking through in detail. As before, he rejected some, sometimes because of the quality, sometimes composition or background. He homed in on a few, two were of all the girls walking, one towards the camera, one away, similarly two of Midge (or possibly Molly), two of Kitty, one was a twin turning at the far end of her walk, a few others.

He turned away from the computer, more or less fought his way through the crowd round his chair. "We'll wait for Rachel."

The girls chatted amongst themselves, Riana sat at the computer, started looking at Derek's choices. The shop door bell went, Derek went out, came back a minute later, "That's my next client, lady wants photos of her dog, she knows she's very early, but it seems the dog's trodden on something, cut his paw. She doesn't want him to walk on it."

Midge and Molly looked at each other, went out into the shop. As the door was closing, the others heard a lady's voice, "No, don't go near him, he doesn't like strangers, he might go for you."

Mourning question

Quarter of an hour later, Rachel arrived. She stormed into the studio, slammed a copy of the local evening newspaper on a coffee table. "Look" she shouted. On the centre of the front page was a large, somewhat poor quality, photograph. It showed the four girls striding towards the camera, thighs showing through their funeral dresses' slits. In large type was the caption 'In mourning???'

No other comment.

Kitty and Chloe burst into tears. Derek went red in the face, he was furious. "What the hell?" he shouted. Riana swivelled round in the desk chair, saw the paper, she, too, started crying.

The three in the shop heard the commotion, came through, the lady bringing the dog on the lead. Midge and Molly saw the newspaper, they simply collapsed on the floor, sobbing.

Derek, ignoring everyone else, was phoning Daniel. "Can you come over, we need you."

The lady was looking at the girls writhing on the floor, her dog licked them a few times. "What's the matter?" Derek, not daring to speak, pointed to the newspaper. The lady looked at it, said "Oh, my god." She found a chair and sat down on it.

She sat for a few seconds, trying to compose herself. "Listen," she said, "My name is Isabel. I knew nothing about this, but I am a journalist for the newspaper. I don't know what to say."

At that moment Daniel came in. Derek just pointed to the newspaper. Daniel looked at it, looked at the girls on the floor. The dog was sitting staring at the twins.

Riana pointed to the lady, "Isabel's a journalist on it." "I knew nothing about it, let me ring the editor, see what he says." Daniel, thinking quickly, "Yes, phone him, tell him the girls' solicitor wants a meeting with him in half an hour. Tell him he's looking at a libel action. And I'm deadly serious."

She got her phone out, and, forgetting her dog, went into the front of the shop.

While she was gone, Riana went to the computer. "Look at this." Both Derek and Daniel turned to it. Riana said "I was looking at Chloe … no, hear me out, at her face, it's one of the few with it showing. I zoomed in on it ⁠…" she did so "… then I panned across to the twin next to her." Again, she did so. "Look down her cheeks." There was an obvious run of tears down each cheek. "Now look if I zoom in a little more, pan down to her mouth."

Clearly visible, albeit a little pixelated, a teardrop could be seen just falling from the upper lip.

Daniel immediately asked Derek "Can you do three prints, just as Riana showed us, the full picture, the face, the teardrop?"

Derek ushered Riana from the desk chair, whispering "Well done." He repeated Riana's zooming of the twin, but he saved both zoomed images, then he printed each of the three images on his printer.

He handed them to Daniel. "These do?" "Perfect."

When the journalist came back in, she saw the computer screen with the teardrop showing, said "Oh, the poor girls." Then "Listen, can you come to their offices now? It's only just round the corner."

Riana said "We have to wait for the twins."

Meanwhile, Kitty and Chloe were looking at the twins, started to go down to them. The dog growled, bared its teeth. The two stepped back. Isabel jumped up, went to the dog, "Sorry, this is Crutch. Crutch, leave, heel." The dog reluctantly got up, gave each of the twins a lick, walked round to Isabel's feet, sat. Isabel picked up the end of his lead, "Please, go to them, he's safe here."

Chloe and Kitty immediately went to the twins. They had recovered some, allowed the two to help them up. Kitty said "Come on, Daniel's here, he's going to sort this out."

While the twins were composing themselves, Isabel asked "Can I say something, please?" Daniel nodded.

"Firstly, I really didn't know that was going to be published, I think it's awful. I've seen the girls' reaction, I've seen the photograph, amazing quality, by the way. As far as I am concerned, in this matter I owe no loyalty whatsoever to my employer. I hope you will let me help you in this.

"Secondly. These girls, my dog. I don't understand it. He let them near him in the shop, positively eager for them to come to him. He's never like that. You saw him just now with the other two, that's how he is with any stranger. Then, his paw. It had a nasty cut on it, it was bleeding a little, he was virtually unable to use that foot at all when we came in. They sat on the floor with him, each held a hand either side of his leg and paw. He almost went to sleep. When we came through, he was walking on it, with just a limp. Here, let me look, Crutch."

She picked up his leg, folded the joint back to look at the paw's underside. "It's half healed, little more than a scab. How did that happen?"

Nobody responded, Isobel shook her head, she said "All right. Can we go? I'd like to get this dealt with."

Molly and Midge were fussing over Crutch.

Daniel said "Are we ready?" The twins stood up, "Ready" in unison.

Daniel then said, "Look, there's too many of us to all go. Can I ask Kitty, Chloe, Riana and Rachel to stay behind? There are still five including Isabel, that's plenty. I will record our meeting, so you can hear what's said. Kitty and Chloe looked a little concerned, Isabel saw this. "I think Crutch will look after them." All four girls smiled at this. Kitty and Chloe both gave each of the twins a kiss, they, Riana and Rachel watched as the five and Crutch left.

He turned away from the computer, more or less fought his way through the crowd round his chair. "We'll wait for Rachel."

Midge and Molly looked at each other, went out into the shop. As the door was closing, the others heard a lady's voice, "No, don't go near him, he doesn't like strangers, he might go for you."

Newspaper mourning session, dog cure

When they reached the newspaper offices, Isabel went in first, followed by Daniel, then the twins who were now holding Crutch's lead, with Derek bringing up the rear.

Isabel went the receptionist, had a brief word. She turned to the group, "Follow me, I'll take you to the conference room, the others will join us there." She led them along a corridor, through a door into the room. At its centre was a table with fourteen chairs round it, four down each of the sides, three at each end. The table looked as if a meeting had been interrupted, there were several mugs, some still with tea or coffee in them. Isabel went round, picked the mugs up, put them on a trolly that was by a wall.

Daniel said to Midge and Molly "Sit in the centre two of the far row, Derek and I will sit on the ends." Crutch followed the twins, sat upright between their chairs. Derek and Daniel sat either side of Midge and Molly, Isobel remained standing.

The door opened, three men walked in, the first was about to say something. Daniel held up his hand, put his phone on the table, said "I am recording this conversation, so there can be no argument about what is discussed." The first man nodded, glanced at the second, who took his own phone out, a couple of taps and it, too, was placed on the table. The three men sat in the opposite row of four, Isabel took a centre seat of three at one end.

Daniel started. "I'd like to keep this informal at least for the moment, but don't for one moment think I won't escalate this if I consider it necessary. So, for now, are we happy with first names?" The first man looked at the second, the second nodded, the first said "Yes, that's fine."

Daniel continued, "Let me introduce us. My name is Daniel, the twins are Midge and Molly. You are aware that these two recently lost their parents. I am the family solicitor for Midge and Molly, I am also acting in loco parentis for them. In due time, my wife and I will be their legal guardians. On the end is Derek, he is a photographer who was hired by the dressmaker for the girls' funeral dresses." He stopped, looked expectantly.

The first man spoke, "I am the editor of this newspaper, everyone calls me 'Ed'. Beside me is Henry, he is our legal representative. Next is Harry, he is one of our journalists. Isabel you've met, she is another of our journalists."

Daniel nodded to Derek, who had brought his briefcase. From it he produced the newspaper, he laid it on the table showing the picture of the girls, and the caption. Daniel said "For the benefit of the recordings, we are showing the front page of your yesterday evening newspaper, which has a captioned photograph of a row of four girls, the centre two I identify as Midge and Molly.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Harry blurted out "I saw them prancing down the street, snapped the picture. What's wrong with that?" "Shut up" from Henry.

Daniel said "Nothing wrong with taking the photograph, nothing wrong with publishing it." Derek interjected "I'd be ashamed of its quality, though." Daniel looked at him, saying "Not the issue." "Sorry."

"Nothing wrong with the picture. It's the caption." He paused, Henry had put his hand on Harry's arm to tell him not to say anything. It was Ed who spoke, "What's wrong with it?"

"It very strongly suggests that the girls are not in mourning. I ask that you consider how many of a group of twelve average, law‑abiding citizens would take any other view of its meaning."

Harry couldn't help himself. "How could anyone flaunt themselves like that if they were in mourning?" "Shut up" from Henry.

Daniel continued. "We are not interested in suing you for libel unless we can't get what we want from you. However, if suing is required, rest assured I will pursue this as far as is necessary. I have funds available that can allow me to do this. This is no idle threat.

"What we want is an immediate apology, together with the publication of three images. Derek?"

Derek pulled out the photos he'd printed earlier. He selected one that showed all four girls, placed it on the table so the three men opposite could see it.

Daniel continued, "As you can see, this is similar to the one you published, it shows the girls taking a similar stride. The next picture is a blow‑up from the first." Derek produced the one showing the face of one of the twins, Daniel made no comment, let them look at it for a short while, then "Anything strike you about it?"

Ed looked at Henry, Henry said "It is what it is." Then Ed, "Yes, we can see she is crying. Are you sure it's the same photograph?" Derek said "Look at the backgrounds." The three men looked at the two pictures, "It certainly looks like it" from Ed.

"The third, please." Derek brought out the one of the lips and teardrops. "Again, a blowup of the previous one, if you look at the second you can just see the teardrops."

For a full two minutes, total silence.

All this while the girls have just sat there, both occasionally stroking Crutch's head. Now both had tears running down their faces, but they said nothing, just staring at the three images on the table.

Isabel asked "May I say something?" No one objected.

"I was not aware of this …" ‑ she struggled to find the right word ‑ "… trash we published. I attended the funeral of the parents of these girls. Did I report on it? Yes. Did I report everything I saw and heard there? No. I couldn't. It was too dreadful for words, and if it did come to Daniel suing this newspaper, I would certainly testify as to what I did see. If nothing else, a jury would convict this newspaper simply on the harrowing events that took place there.

"I have never in my life seen such an expression of utter, shear, raw, total grief, and I've attended many funerals, both in the employ of this newspaper and at other times." She paused.

Ed said "I get the impression you have some sort of proposal."

Isabel: "Yes, I have. We show these three pictures exactly as Daniel requests, each the same size as yesterday's. We put a caption under them, same font as this was, which says 'Yes, in mourning.' Under it I write a brief but pointed apology, which will hopefully open the hearts of our readers to these girls. I would expect Daniel to want to read it first, and I would expect it to be published exactly as he approves.

"I would add that in my opinion such an open statement would sell more newspapers if that helps persuade you."

"No need for that." from Ed.

"Sorry, I am just so fuming that this could have been done to these girls."

"How do we know they're not just putting it on?" from Harry. Isabel got up, went round to him, punched him full on the nose. She returned to her seat, getting a handkerchief out of her handbag to wipe blood off her knuckles. Harry clutched his nose, walked rapidly from the room. "Keep going" called Ed after him. "You are fired." Ed looked at Henry, "Can I do that?" "Yes, gross incompetence and bringing the newspaper into disrepute will do for starters."

Ed turned to Daniel. "Will you be satisfied with Isabel's proposal?" "Assuming I can approve her article, and I have no doubt I will be able to, that will satisfy us."

Ed said "Isabel, get writing …" glancing at his watch "… two hours thirty to deadline. I'll get the page clear, as much of it as you want is yours." "No, only the photographs, caption, and about a hundred words. Too much would detract."

"Go" said Ed. Isabel stood up, looked at Daniel, said "Email?" Daniel nodded, handed her a business card, also one each to Ed and Henry. "As quickly as you can please, I need to be sure for these" indicating the twins. Isabel called "Crutch." The dog moved from the twins, went to his mistress, she left with a parting shot "Attach the image files to your reply email."

Derek: "Copyright for the images. I'd better make sure we are clear. The copyright for the pictures remains solely with us, the newspaper publishes them only with our permission."

Henry replied "Understood. But if we do want to do any follow‑up, may we use them again?" Daniel answered "Only if we approve any article you write first. I'm sorry, I am not in any way trying to stifle your right to free speech, but it is my job to protect these girls from any harm, intentional or otherwise, and I will do everything in my power to do just that. By all means write more. Be aware, as I hope I have made clear here, I will protect these girls to the best of my ability. However, if you want to write something that we see as at least not detrimental to them, we will certainly consider cooperation with you." Henry nodded, again, "Understood."

Ed asked "May we have a word without the recording?" Daniel picked up his phone, killed the recording application, Henry did the same.

Ed said "Look, I am really sorry about this. I didn't read everything that went into the newspaper, frankly I don't have time, I have to trust my correspondents. This is no excuse. It is, of course, ultimately my responsibility for allowing it to be published, I am sincerely sorry this happened.

"I do work under constraints from the owners, they are represented here by Henry." Henry nodded. "But if there is anything I can do, about this or anything else that might help the girls, I can at least listen."

Molly quietly said one word, "School." Daniel glanced at her, then "There may be something, it would please these twins and probably many more. Or it could turn out to be an absolute nightmare. Can I talk to Isobel once this particular incident is hopefully put to bed?"

"Yes, of course. She is given assignments to cover, your funeral was one such. But, other than that, she is free to report on anything she wants to, though it's up to me whether they are printed. If she is agreeable, let's see where whatever it is takes us."

The men stood, shook hands. Molly and Midge also got up, in unison they said "Thank you." Derek led the way out, then the twins, Daniel bringing up the rear.

They went back to Derek's. As they walked in, Chloe was sitting beside Riana, Kitty was at the computer where she'd been looking through all of the pictures from the days' shoot. They both jumped up and rushed to Molly and Midge, held the twins in a hug, all started crying.

Riana walked to Derek, kissed him, "How did it go?" Derek glanced at Daniel, the first thing he said was "If ever we need legal representation, we're hiring Daniel."

"I only did what any solicitor would have done."

"Maybe it was the way you did it. They couldn't apologise quickly enough. And the worm who wrote that caption got the sack. I think it'll be all right, assuming Daniel's happy with what they write. He has yet to approve it. Oh, Isabel's going to write it.

"Where's Rachel?" "She went back to the shop, she was at a bit of a loose end here, and Holly's on her own."

"Riana, could I ask you to make tea for us all, I think we need it." Riana kissed him on his nose, disappeared into the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Daniel's phone beeped. He glanced at it, "Could I pull up my emails up on your computer?" Riana got up, opened a browser window for him. Daniel logged into his email account, opened the email from Isabel. He read it and re‑read it. "Not bad" he muttered. He started a reply, changed a couple of words of Isabel's offering, highlighting them in red. He wrote his reply saying he was happy with it if she could change the two words.

He turned round, "Could you attach those three images?" Derek came over, "Just got to reduce the original, it's a raw image, it's huge, got to make it a jpeg there we go. So, original … first zoom … second zoom. Should we mention the copyright?" "Good thinking, I'm slipping." Daniel added a few more words, read it through again, hit 'Send' and closed his email window.

Ten minutes later, Daniel's phone pinged again. He looked at the new email on his phone, said "The editor has approved my changes, Isabel says it's going to print now. It'll be in this evening's paper." Moments later, his phone rang, he answered it. "It's Isabel." He listened for a bit, then "We're all at Derek's … Just a moment." Turning from his phone, "She'd like to come and have a talk with us, can she come here now?" Molly asked "Will she bring Crutch?" He laughed, said into the phone, "Only if you bring your dog I've been told to say." Then "Okay, see you in five."

Minutes later, the shop door bell tinged, Riana opened the studio door, beckoned Isabel through, Crutch pulling her on his lead. She let the lead go, Crutch ran to Midge and Molly, still not using his bad paw fully, his tail wagging furiously. They were sitting on a settee, he put his front paws on their laps, reached up, licked their faces. He then sat back, raised his bad paw further, looked at them.

Isabel and the others were just watching this play out.

The twins smiled, got down on the floor, knelt one either side. Each put a hand out, one either side of his paw, made themselves as comfortable as possible, closed their eyes. Crutch closed his eyes, seemed to go to sleep. "That's how they were before." said Isabel. "Is this real?"

Nobody answered.

Isabel shook her head, turned to Daniel, "Look, I have to tell you, there are a few quite hard‑nosed people working there as you might expect in any newspaper environment. I showed your pictures to a few, I think all were moved, though most tried to hide it, it's very unlikely you will see anything unfavourable published."

She continued "Ed mentioned he might have an assignment for me to do with the girls, he said he thought one of them said 'school'. Is there anything you can tell me? Oh, he also said he'd given you his word that nothing will be published without your prior approval, that you'd asked for that to do with photographs, but he feels obligated to make it for purely written articles as well. I've never known him give anyone such an assurance before, he means it."

Daniel thought for a moment. "Yes, there is something, but I don't really want to go into it yet. All I will say is that all four of these girls are currently out of their school because of Midge and Molly's parents. Kitty and Chloe are out quite simply because the twins say they won't leave them at school if they aren't there. Those are simple facts. I won't talk about the reasons behind it all for now."

Isobel thought for a moment. "Look, I'm not stupid, I am a reporter. Something is clearly very wrong at their school. I'll do nothing now, but please be aware that the newspaper does have access to a firm of investigators. I will try to make this clear, if we do come to some sort of arrangement, we are capable of making very full investigations into anything, but it can only be in the newspaper's interest. In other words, if we commit to something, and it turns out that way, in spite of Ed's assurance to you we would have to publish. It's the only way we can justify the expense to the owners."

Daniel nodded, "Fair enough. I do have an investigator who does work for me, but I doubt he has the capabilities of yours, mine is usually dealing with infidelities, domestic abuse and the like. This is probably beyond what he can do."

Meanwhile, Chloe and Riana had been sitting close together on a settee. Shortly after Isobel arrived, Kitty went to Chloe, whispered something in her ear. Chloe glanced at Isobel, got up, she and Kitty wandered over to the computer where Kitty sat, and, with Chloe on her lap, she started browsing some of the pictures. Derek sat down beside Riana, whispered to her "Probably better for everyone with a reporter here." Riana smiled at him, whispered back "It's all right, we weren't going do anything." "No?" asked Derek. "Met you before, girl." "You could be right."

Isobel said "Perhaps I should be going, I don't want to hold you all up from doing whatever you were doing." Kitty looked up, "Can you let them finish?" nodding towards the twins and Crutch. Riana got up, "Would you like some tea or coffee?" Isobel looked at her dog, shook her head in some sort of disbelief. "All right, please, if you are sure." Derek nodded to her.

"Coffee would be nice, thank you."

Derek looked at Daniel, "Okay if I get Rachel back in, let her look over the pictures?" Daniel smiled, "I think it will be safe. Give her a ring."

Ten minutes later Rachel came in, Riana ushered her from the shop into the studio. "Sorry, customer." She saw Isobel, Riana said "It's all right, she's on our side." Isobel smiled, "Strictly speaking, I'm on the side of truth, but that does seem to coincide with you lot anyway."

Rachel smiled, "Okay. Let's look at the pictures."

Derek said to Kitty and Chloe. "Shove out of it." The two got up, moved back. Isobel asked the two, "Does he always talk to you like that?" "Only when he wants us to take notice of him" from Chloe. Kitty and Chloe laughed, dug each other in the ribs.

Isobel shook her head, said to Daniel "Are they always like this?" Daniel said "Basically yes. Look, if you get to know them, and heaven help you if you do, you'll find they are ‑ close your ears, girls ‑ some of the nicest kids on the planet. They work hard, that's on the odd occasion when they do work, and they play hard. I wouldn't have them any other way."

Isobel looked at him, "You actually love them, don't you? Could you tell me about them? It's all right, I'm not taking notes, though if we do come to do anything about their school, background information would be usefu…" her voice trailed off.

She'd seen the computer screen, she got up up, walked over, stood looking over Rachel's shoulder. "Oh, gorgeous!" On the screen was a picture of one of the twins on her own, turning round at the end of her walk. "The dress, it's … it's … perfect, it shows her figure, her beauty, oh, my."

Derek looked back at her, "Not bad, is it?" Isobel asked Rachel, "Yours? Did you design it?" Rachel said "It is basically a design the twins had sketched out themselves, I only had to tweak it a bit to make it work. Oh, the slit wasn't that long originally, it got 'adjusted' during the fracas at the wake, you heard about that?" "Yes, dreadful." "The girls liked it like that, I can't say I blame them. On some it might look a bit risqué, on them I think it looks good. As they said at the funeral, they wanted to show what their parents had produced, I think it helps do just that. I think they might have started with it like that, but they thought some might consider it disrespectful."

Isobel nodded, said "Sorry to have interrupted, couldn't help it. But, lovely, the whole thing."

She stayed watching as Rachel and Derek went through picture after picture, sometimes holding one or two on the second screen to compare with another.

After a few more minutes, Molly and Midge opened their eyes, released Crutch's paw. He woke up at the same time, put his paw on the ground, stood up. He gave each of the twins a lick on the face, trotted over to Isobel, pressed against her leg. She looked down at him, then at the twins, who had slumped onto a settee. She said to Crutch, "Show me your paw." He raised his foot, Isobel once again folded his foot back so she could see the underside. "Other paw" she said. Crutch dutifully put the first foot down, lifted the other. Isobel looked at it, turned, found a chair, sat down shaking her head.

She reached into her handbag, pulled out a rubber bone, tossed it to the far side of the studio. Crutch looked at her expectantly. "Fetch." Crutch ran off, picked the bone up, ran back to her.

Isobel shook her head again, looked at the twins who appeared to be asleep. "Impossible. I just don't believe it." Then to the room in general, "Who the hell are these girls?"

Nobody replied.

Eventually Daniel spoke quietly but forcefully to her. "Nothing happened here."

Isabel: "Nobody sensible would believe it anyway."

Daniel: "It's not the sensible ones I worry about. Look, we have no idea what they are doing. We've seen it before, always assumed they are inducing some form of intense placebo effect. No other explanation."

Isabel: "I won't tell anyone, I can see you'd have the owner of every pet for miles around hammering at their door. It does look as if it takes it out of them."

Daniel nodded. "It does. They'll be right as rain in a bit." Even as he spoke, one woke, followed immediately by the other. First thing they did was hug each other, then looked round, "Is Crutch all right?" Isobel replied "Yes, thank you, whatever you did." "All we did was hold his paw."

The twins got up, hand in hand they walked to the group looking at their pictures. By now, several thumbnails were 'parked' on the second screen.

"Just about there" said Rachel. "There are many good ones, Derek has done a remarkable job. What do you think of these?"

Derek clicked on each thumbnail in turn, each then filling the first screen.

After he'd been through them, the twins were silent. Isabel looked at them, they were hugging each other, tears were rolling down their cheeks. "What's the matter?" Isabel asked. Kitty and Chloe went to the twins, led them to a settee, sat them down and squashed in either side of them.

Kitty looked up towards Isobel, she just said "It reminds them."

Rachel said to Derek, "Look, it's getting late. Could you print these out so I can look at them on paper?" Derek immediately set the printer going. "It'll take a little while, these printers are not very quick. Your final ones will be on proper photographic paper."

Then it was Isobel, "I think I should be going. I hope the newspaper article does what you want. Midge, Molly, thank you for doing whatever Daniel says you didn't do for Crutch, I am really grateful. I'll say my goodbyes to you all." She gave all four girls a quick hug, and, holding Crutch's lead, she left.

Kitty stood up, "I think we should go. Come on, girls, I don't know about you, but I'm tired." The other three stood up, went round all the adults, some kisses, some hugs. Chloe went to Riana last, gave her quite a passionate embrace. Eventually Kitty went to them, pulled Chloe's hand, "Come on."

The four girls left to walk back, no playing about. Some of the few people around pretty much ignored them. They arrived home, went into the kitchen, all were very tired. "I could order us a pizza" suggested Midge. Three nods, Midge got on her phone.

The pizza came, they just sat in the kitchen and ate it. Chloe made them tea, they drank it in near silence. Finally, Molly said "Come on, this will never do." The girls went up the stairs, dropped their dresses, shared the shower. They dried themselves off, went downstairs into the sitting room, sat and talked about the newspaper.

Riana visits Chloe

The doorbell rang, Midge went into the hall, called "Who is it?" It was Derek's voice, "Riana and Derek." Chloe barged past Midge, flung the front door open, grabbed Riana's hand, pulled her into the hall and started dragging her up the stairs. The other three girls ran past the front door and the open‑mouthed Derek, Midge shouted at him "Come in, decent in a mo." Then she yelled up the stairs, "Chloe, our old room."

The three of them went into the parents' bedroom, put on their dresses, went downstairs. Derek was just standing in the hall, but he had closed the front door. He said "Sorry to drop in unexpectedly, but Riana⁠ …"

Midge: "We understand. Sorry about our clothes, we often don't wear them in the evenings, didn't mean to embarrass you."

Derek: "Not your fault, Riana ⁠…" He didn't finish, just smiled.

"Come in to the sitting room. Would you like some tea? Coffee? Only instant though."

"If you don't mind, tea would be welcome." Midge and Molly disappeared into the kitchen. Derek, sitting on one of the settees, said to Kitty "I really hope this doesn't end badly." Kitty: "I don't think so. In spite of her eagerness, Chloe knows what she's doing, and from what you say, Riana does as well. It's also very evident that Riana is totally in love with you, and you are with her."

Derek was quiet for a moment, then "I still worry."

Midge and Molly came back in, unloaded a tray onto the coffee table. Midge: "What are you two scheming up?" Kitty's instant reply: "We've decided, I'll run off with Derek, leave Riana here with you." Derek started to go red in the face. Immediate come‑back from Midge: "Good idea, we could do with" ‑ from Molly ‑ "some decent cooking."

Kitty jumped up, punched both of the twins, "That's rotten." Suddenly the three girls were wrestling each other on the floor. "Stop it" Derek shouted, three heads turned towards him. "You might as well not have put your dresses on." Three heads looked down at themselves. The three girls untangled themselves from each other, they stood up, brushing their dresses into place. They sat down primly on the other settee, Kitty poured tea into four mugs, passed one to Derek, left three on the table.

Midge: "We loved your photographs, they were really good, so clear, and seemed to get what we were, what the dresses were." Molly: "It must take a lot of skill zooming and focusing while we were walking up and down."

Derek smiled, "There's an element of luck in it, I probably take half a dozen for every one that turns out well. And having years of practice helps as well.

They continued talking about his photography, how he set things up, outdoor verses studio, poses for portraits, problems with babies, young children, pets. Kitty started asking more technical questions, exposures, lens apertures, subject movement, then framing, even division of foreground and background, how to draw the viewer's eye to where you wanted their attention, how he'd adjusted the contrast ('gamma' Derek corrected her) to view the lace better on his computer.

Derek asked if she was interested in photography, she said she'd read a little about art and photography, and she'd been fascinated by Derek's photography sessions.

After half an hour or so, it went quiet.

Mummy's dress

Derek broke the silence, "Your dresses, Rachel says they were basically your design. Where did you get your inspiration from?"

Midge and Molly looked at each other, one of them said "Just a moment." They got up, walked hand in hand out of the room. Derek looked at Kitty. Kitty shook her head, "No idea".

A minute later, the twins came back in. Midge was holding a hanger, from it trailed a plastic dust cover, Molly was holding it partway down to keep it off the floor. Midge stood on the settee by Kitty, Molly let the rest hang down. She undid the zip of the cover, took it off, threw it to one side. On the hanger was a black dress. Midge held one strap, took the hanger out of the dress, tossed it after the dust cover. She held the dress up. It was sleeveless, with a low cut square neck. From the breasts to the hips, it was black lace. The skirt's hem was above the knee, it had a slit for one thigh.

The twins had blank expressions on their faces, Midge just said "Mummy's." Kitty was crying, her tears turned to sobs. Derek just looked, he didn't know what to say.

After a bit, with Midge still holding the dress up, Molly went to Kitty, kissed her eyes, whispered to her "We want you to try it on. Please." Kitty, through her sobs, "I couldn't, it's yours." Midge said to her "Two twins. One dress. One Kitty. Please."

Without thinking about Derek sat there, Molly undid the buttons of Kitty's dress, took it off her, Kitty just stood there. Midge and Molly proceeded to put the black dress over Kitty's head, fed her arms through the armholes, dropped it down. There was no fastening, the low‑cut back made this unnecessary. The dress was a bit long for Kitty, Midge went to the sideboard, opened a drawer, she found some safety pins kept in a matchbox. She pinned a tuck in each of the shoulder straps, the top of the dress hung much better. Midge put a tuck all round the skirt immediately below the lace, so raising the hem.

All this while Derek just stared at Kitty, unable to take his eyes off her.

Molly and Midge sat down. Midge said to Kitty, "Walk to the door and back." Kitty looked down at the dress, looked up, seemed to straighten herself up, her tears had stopped. She walked towards the door, turned round. She started to move her hips a little, making the skirt swing. She continued to walk round the room. Midge and Molly were watching, their eyes moist, they were clinging to each other.

A commotion in the hall, then Chloe came into the sitting room pulling Riana. Chloe stopped dead when she saw Kitty, Riana bumped into her, then she, too, saw Kitty. Kitty stopped walking, she looked at Chloe.

Derek spoke, "Their mother's."

Chloe dropped Riana's hand, walked to Kitty, ran her hands down the dress's straps, down over Kitty's front, then on to the lace, taking care not to get her fingers caught in it, over Kitty's belly, onto her thighs. Kneeling, Chloe moved one hand under the slit, the other over the skirt. "Gorgeous."

Riana moved to Derek. Watching Kitty and Chloe, she sat on Derek's lap, put one arm round his neck. Chloe stood up, moved round behind Kitty. The dress was backless, the sides ran down from the shoulder straps, cut across to just show the top of Kitty's bottom. Chloe ran the flats of her hands down the small of Kitty's back down to the swell of her bottom, followed down to the backs of her thighs. Once again, "Gorgeous."

"We don't know what Mummy had this for, but we did see her in it a couple of times, She looked so happy in it. Daddy really liked her wearing it. It must have been for very special occasions."

Molly: "Derek, could you take a photo of Kitty with it on?"

"I've only got my phone with me, but I think that will be okay. Riana, can I disturb you?" Riana plonked a kiss on his forehead, got off his lap. Derek stood up, got his phone out, "Maybe in the hall, better with a less fussy background than in here."

Kitty walked into the hall, hips gently moving. She turned to face Derek. He pointed the phone towards her, looked at its screen. "Oh, what a shot" he muttered. He went to Kitty, put his hands on her shoulders, "Six inches to your right. Yes, stop there." He went back to where he was standing, took a couple of pictures. He looked at the result, said "Yes, look."

They crowded round him, trying to see the phone's screen, but with all the pushing and shoving, no one could see anything.

"Stop" he commanded. He handed the phone to Kitty, "Here." Kitty looked at the screen, "That's clever, two for the price of one." She passed the phone to Midge, Midge and Molly looked at it together. Without comment they passed it to Chloe, Riana looking with her. "Oh, yes."

The photograph showed Kitty's front, and reflected in the hall mirror, her back, down to below the bottom of the dress's back.

Derek said to Kitty "Go back where you were, face the mirror."

Midge and Molly didn't watch, they went back to the settee in the sitting room, hugging.

Kitty did as Derek asked, he said "Turn a little to your left … yes … put your left hand on your hip … look up … put your right hand out towards the mirror, palm up, as if asking for something … hold it." He took several pictures, moving his phone position a little each time. "Okay, relax."

He swiped through the pictures he had taken, full length back view, much of Kitty's front visible in the mirror. He erased a couple, muttered to himself, then "Yes."

He selected one image. Once again he passed the phone to Kitty first, she looked at it, open mouthed. Without a word, Kitty walked into the sitting room, followed by Derek. Kitty passed the phone to Midge and Molly. They looked at it for half a minute. Suddenly Midge threw the phone at Derek, and in unison they shouted "Kitty, take it off!" The twins looked like thunder. Chloe ran to them, pushed herself between them, "No!" she yelled. Midge and Molly both went to punch her out of the way, but it was Midge and Molly who ended up writhing on the floor, one holding her ribs, the other clutching her belly.

Derek and Riana just stood there, not understanding what was going on.

Chloe shouted "Kitty, out, now." Kitty went into the hall, immediately took the dress off. Chloe said to Riana "Take the hanger, dust cover and Kitty's dress, take them upstairs, help Kitty." Riana hesitated, still looking at the twins on the floor. "Now, please!" Riana looked at Chloe, grabbed the things, followed Kitty up the stairs.

Derek asked "What just happened? Are they all right?"

Chloe didn't respond, just sank down on the floor, started stroking the twin's faces. Two minutes later, Kitty and Riana came back in, Riana looked at the three on the floor, went and sat beside Derek, held his hand. Kitty muttered "Back in the wardrobe."

Finally Chloe spoke. "They will be all right. Seeing that must have hit a nerve, not surprising, really. As to what happened, were you at the funeral?" Derek and Riana shook their heads. "Did you hear about it?"

Riana replied, "They hit each other?"

Chloe: "Yes, they will sometimes hurt each other when something really upsets them, sometimes terribly. They did it at the funeral, they would have done it now."

Derek: "Yes, but they didn't, you were between them, but you didn't do anything to them, what happened? Are you sure they will be all right?"

Chloe: "Second question first. They will have bruises, but will be all right, and longer term, same as they've always been. First question, more difficult to answer. They went to punch me out of the way so they could hit each other. A little while ago they gave themselves some sort of mental block to protect Kitty and me from exactly what happened here. It worked."

Molly managed to say "Much better for Chloe, we could have killed her." She groaned, moved herself to Midge, lay down beside her, started whispering in her ear. Kitty quietly said to Derek and Riana "Killed. Literally."

Midge opened her eyes, turned her face, the twins kissed. After another minute or so, they got to their knees, and, still clutching their bruises, crawled to the settee, turned and sat on it. They patted the seat between them for Chloe to sit there.

"It's all right, just want to thank you."

Chloe sat, both twins hugged her, kissed her. Between them they softly said to her "Thank" "you." "That was" "very brave of" "you, it might" "not have" "worked." Then Midge: "We are okay now." Molly, with a smile, "Now clear off so I can hug my sister." She gave Chloe a hard shove, almost sending her flying. Chloe recovered, went back to the twins, gave each a kiss on their foreheads. She moved back, the twins sat tightly together. They each put one arm round the neck of the other, the other hand they laid flat over the other's bruise. They just lay their heads together, closed their eyes. Chloe went to the settee where Derek and Riana were sitting, sat beside Riana. "They will be like that for quite a few minutes, they will be fine."

Riana said to Chloe, "You really love them, don't you." Kitty had been standing, just watching the twins. Riana added "So does Kitty."

Kitty answered. "Yes, we do. To us they are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives even, all rolled into one. Yes, Chloe was brave doing what she did. She would have done it anyway, even without their block. So would I, just as a mother would protect her daughter." Then, a bit more brightly, "Who's for tea or coffee? I could do with something."

Riana glanced at Derek, she said "I would like to stay a little longer, make sure they are a bit better before we go?" Derek, silent for a while, "I'd like that too. I feel responsible for what happened, it was my picture that seemed to trigger it." He added, "I'd also like to be certain they won't harm you or each other after that." "Coffee, please." from Riana.

Kitty said "I'll do it." Chloe nodded, she said "Normally I'd help. I know they'll be all right, but I don't want to leave them." Riana: "Just like a mother with her daughter." Kitty asked how Derek and Riana liked their coffee, she went into the kitchen.

After a minute or two, Riana said "You do seem to play pretty rough too, you could have been hurt when they pushed you off the settee." Chloe laughed, "That was nothing, pure affection. Maybe like brothers? You should see us sometimes."

"Or maybe not" from Kitty, returning with a tray with six mugs of coffee. "Hope it's okay for everybody."

She passed one each to Derek, Riana and Chloe, left two on the coffee table, took one and sat on the settee beside Midge, gently stroked her back.

They sat like that for a few minutes, then Midge and Molly opened their eyes, looked around, "Everyone okay?" asked Molly. Kitty put her coffee down, quietly spoke to them, "We're all fine. How are you?" "Right as rain. Is that coffee?" Kitty reached to the coffee table, passed one to Molly, one to Midge, picked up her own.

Riana had to ask, "Do you mind if I ask you about … that?"

Midge: "It was just the photograph. The last time we saw the dress on Mummy, they were going out somewhere. She was looking at herself in the mirror, we were just where Derek took the photograph from." Molly took it up, "She saw us in the mirror, she put her arm out to us, reflected just like the photo. She was pleading with us to behave for the babysitter." Then, alternating, "We didn't behave." "The baby sitter had" "to phone them" "to get" "them back." And, in unison "We spoilt their evening."

The twins were crying by now. Riana got up, put her coffee down, knelt in front of them. She took their coffees, put them on the table, leant forward, hugged them both. "But they forgave you." That was a statement. Again in unison "They always did."

Molly straightened herself a bit, "Come on, coffee's getting cold." Both the twins gave Riana a kiss on her cheeks. One said "We're okay", the other "Thank you for caring."

Riana straightened, passed each their coffees. She picked up her own, sat back between Derek and Chloe.

Derek asked "Should I erase those pictures?" Both twins almost shouted "No." Then Midge "Please, no, we'd love to have a print of that one in particular." Molly: "We don't have many pictures of Mummy and Daddy, that one would remind us of her." Midge added "Probably when we want a good cry." Molly: "We do, sometimes."

Derek started to ask You won't …?" Midge answered, "No, it was just the shock of seeing her like that." Molly: "And Kitty looked as beautiful as Mummy did." Midge, smiling, "well, nearly."

Kitty pouted, gave her a punch. Suddenly the two had put down their mugs, were wrestling each other on the floor, yells of pain as well as laughter coming from them, along with some fairly ripe name‑calling. Moments later, Molly and Chloe had joined in. Riana laughed, said "Derek, look away." As before, the girls' dresses were in disarray. "They're fine, perhaps we should leave them to it. It's getting late, anyway."

Derek, already in the hall to avoid any more embarrassment, "I think you're right." Then he called out "If you come into the shop, I'll have that photo printed for you." He could just make out a muffled "Thank⁠ ouch you."

Riana called out "Goodbye, girls. Thanks for the coffee." The fracas on the floor stopped, four heads lifted, three of them said "Bye." The fourth, Chloe, extracted herself from the meleé, stood up, gave Riana a kiss. "Thank you for coming." While the others continued wrestling, Riana and Chloe joined Derek into the hall. Chloe jumped up, grabbed Derek in a bear hug, her legs round his waist. She kissed the somewhat taken aback Derek full on his mouth, she leant back a bit and said "Thank you as well. You have a lovely wife, look after her."

She jumped down. Riana was grinning, Derek was speechless. After a few seconds he snapped out of it, took Riana's hand, turned and opened the front door. "Come on, let's get out of this madhouse." He pulled her out through the door, Chloe held it open for a bit, she called to them "Please bring her back again." She gently closed the door, she quietly said to it "Soon."

She ran into the sitting room, dived on top of the three writhing bodies.

Kitty and Chloe out of school

In the morning they got up late, showered, went downstairs. They had toast and marmalade for breakfast. While they were eating, Midge's phone rang, it was Daniel. She listened for a few seconds, said "We'll be there." She said "Daniel says he has some news, could we come in immediately? Says he's just got time to speak to us."

Leaving half‑drunk tea, half eaten toast, they walked quickly into the town. They noticed that some people seeing them were waving, they were getting smiles. One lady came up to them, she said "Look, I called you something awful yesterday, should never have doubted you. I'm so sorry, I hope you can forgive me." She turned and walked away.

Yes, in mourning

They passed the first few shops, one had the latest copy of the newspaper stuck in its window, Derek's pictures with the caption 'Yes, in mourning.' clearly visible.

They went on to Daniel's. Several times people wanted to stop and talk to them. Each time they had to apologise, saying they were late for an appointment.

When they went in, Audrey got up, gave them as best a group hug as she could, nodded to Daniel's door. "Straight in."

They went through, he looked up from a document he was reading, indicated the four chairs he'd put ready. They sat, waited for a few seconds. He put the document down, looked along the row, smiling.

"First good news, I've been okay'd for financing for Kitty and Chloe's tutoring, also a living allowance. Second good news, you can all stay together."

All of a sudden four girls were round his side of the desk, trying to all kiss and hug him at the same time. He had to shout at them, "All right, all right, back off. More things to tell you." They returned to their seats with the odd bit of pushing and shoving, and with four big smiles.

"I think a council inspector will probably want to see your house, that the accommodation is adequate. I am not sure what he or she would make of your current sleeping arrangements. Can you find separate rooms or at least separate beds for Kitty and Chloe? They won't be interested in you twins, you are, god help me, my responsibility from that point of view."

Kitty and Chloe looked at the twins, Midge said "No problem, there's our room with one bed, and there's the spare room, it's got a double bed, we can make it habitable."

"Sooner rather than later, and please make it look lived in, an inspector might come round any time. Now, tutoring. We have to set up formal regular lessons, with homework and so on. You will all need computers since much of it will have to be done remotely, as we discussed before. I think it's a needless question, but I have to ask it, Midge and Molly, are you happy to pay something like two thousand pounds for each of four computers out of your trust fund?" "Yes" from both of them, then "Whatever is" "needed."

"I'll get those ordered, find someone to install them. I'll let you know when that might be. Now, clear off, I've proper work to do."

They got up, Kitty said to Daniel, "Thank you, we are really grateful." Midge added "And the newspaper has worked, people are being nice to us again."

Daniel smiled, "Just doing my job, and I'm glad. Now, scram."

They charged his door, crashed through it into the outer office, stopped dead. The newspaper editor and Henry were there, talking with Audrey. "Oh, hello" said Ed, "Don't worry, we were so impressed with Daniel, we thought we'd talk to him about another matter, nothing to do with you. Have you seen the latest edition?"

Chloe answered, "Only the one page, we saw it displayed in a shop window. But it seems people have taken notice, so thank you."

Ed looked at Henry, said "See, they are nice kids." Henry nodded, smiled. He said to the girls "You do have our sincere sympathies for your loss, and I really hope things turn out well for you. Now," seeing Daniel at the office door, "Daniel's waiting for us." He and Ed went into Daniel's office. The four girls turned to Audrey, each gave her a hug, then together they shouted "Bye", they fought their way through the door onto the street.

Print of photo of Kitty in Mummy's dress

Once on the pavement, Chloe stopped them, "Shall we see what prints Derek's got?" "Ooh, any excuse" from Kitty. Chloe punched Kitty, but for once Kitty didn't punch back, she was eager to see the pictures that Derek had taken of her in the twins' mother's dress.

They went to Derek's, to find Isabel and Crutch were there, Isabel was talking with Riana. Crutch ran to the twins, started jumping up at them, they sat on the floor, fussing over him. Riana greeted the girls, "Hello, come for your picture?" Isabel said "Go on, give her a kiss. A hug, at least." The four girls and Riana all looked at Isabel, Kitty asked "You know?" Isabel laughed, "Of course, it was so obvious, after all I am a woman as well as a reporter. And, no, while I am sure readers would find this interesting, I am not going to write, or even say, anything about it."

Kitty went to Isabel, gave her a hug, while Chloe and Riana gave each other a proper kiss. After few seconds Riana put her hands on Chloe's shoulders, eased her away, she said "Isabel might not say anything, but anyone looking in the shop window could."

Kitty asked "Crutch's photo session?" Isabel nodded, "The last one never happened, so we're going to try again. And what pictures have you come for? The ones for Rachel?" Kitty looked towards the twins, Midge said "You can tell her." Kitty explained "The design for those dresses was based on one of their mother's. They made me wear it, Derek took some photos of it. It's a beautiful dress. He said he'd print one for Midge and Molly." Chloe: "It actually made Kitty look quite pretty." Uncharacteristically, Kitty didn't punch her, just grinned and said "You were just jealous because you didn't try it on."

Riana interrupted the banter, "Just wait for a moment, Derek's present session should be over soon, we can ask him then. I'm sure Isabel won't mind the interruption." "Not at all" said Isabel, "I'm intrigued, love to see the picture, if you don't mind, of course."

Just as she spoke, the studio door opened, Derek showed out a lady with a toddler in a pushchair, he was saying "I'll let you know when they're ready, shouldn't be more than a couple of days." With a glance at the twins with Crutch, she left the shop.

"Now" said Derek, "it's all got a bit busy in here. I suppose you troublesome four have come to see what I've done for you. Isabel, would you mind waiting just a moment?" "Not at all, they've just told me you've photographed Kitty, please, go ahead." "All right, then, girls, come in, I'll show you." Kitty and Chloe followed Derek, then Midge and Molly. They'd picked up Crutch's lead, so Isabel followed as well, Riana bringing up the rear.

Derek went to his desk, "I'll show you on the computer, the phone did remarkably well." In a couple of seconds, the image that caused the twins to try to hit each other was on the screen. Derek moved from his seat so the ladies could all get a better look.

The twins and Kitty started crying, Chloe and Riana just hugged each other as they looked at the picture. Isabel stood, staring.

After a little while the twins went to Derek, hugged him. "That's perfect'" "we love it." "Can you" "print it" "for us" "please?"

Derek went to his cupboard, picked out a large padded envelope. He said "I got it framed down the road, he did it first thing this morning for me, I thought you might be in quite early" as he passed it to the twins. One of them held the envelope while the other pulled out an A4 sized framed picture. "Perfect." "Thank you." The one with the envelope passed it to the one holding the picture, went to Derek, reached up, gave him a good solid kiss on his mouth. She went back to her sister, took the envelope and picture so that her sister could also give Derek a thankyou kiss. The twins took the picture, sat on a settee, held it between them, just stared at it.

Kitty joined them on the settee, put her arm round the nearer one, said "Thank you for making me wear that, Chloe's right, it does make me look pretty." "Kitty, you enhance the dress, just like Mummy did."

After a couple of minutes, Derek clapped his hands. "Come on, I'm behind schedule."

Chloe gave Riana a kiss, the three on the settee got up, the four said their goodbyes and thankyous. Crutch got a quick pat on the head from Midge and Molly, the girls all filed out, the picture was back in its envelope being held in two hands in front of one of the twins.

Trolly accident

As they got onto the pavement, Kitty said "We're running short of marmalade again. Maybe we should go to the supermarket? Pick up some supplies?"

They trooped to the supermarket, got a trolly. The picture, in its envelope, was carefully placed on its edge to make sure nothing got put on top of it. They wandered round the supermarket quite sedately, still basking in Daniel's good news as well as having the picture of Kitty. Many of the customers came to them, wished them well. A couple of ladies came up, "You used terrorise us in here, careering round with you poor mother's trolly, either one of you in it, or fighting over which gangway to turn into your race track."

"Sorry" from Midge, "Hope you've recovered a bit" from Molly. Kitty piped up "They're no better now." One of the ladies said "One thing, you never, ever, actually knocked into anyone, just gave us a lot of frights." The other lady, "When you went out, you could hear people laughing about you." First lady: "And I know a few who worked out when you might be there, wanted to watch you." "Such joy."

Even Molly looked a little embarrassed. Chloe said "They're being very good today. Make the most of it, it won't last."

"Anyway, we were so sorry about your parents, they were lovely people." They gave Midge and Molly a hug. "Better let you get on." They received a thankyou from the twins, both wiping tears away.

"'Bye" from Kitty, "Nice to talk." They girls continued round, the twins not really taking any notice. Kitty and Chloe added what they thought they needed to the trolly. When they came to the checkout, Chloe said "We haven't got any shopping bags." Kitty: "We don't want to get plastic ones." Molly looked up, "Do you think we could borrow a trolly, just wheel it home?" The cashier pressed her button to call for a supervisor, one came almost immediately. The cashier said "They want to borrow a trolly, take their stuff home in it."

The supervisor looked at them, "You're the four in the paper?" Nods from the girls. "Awful what the paper did to you, I think they've sorted it, though. Borrowing trolleys is not done normally, but go on then. Promise you'll bring it back by tomorrow, latest." "We promise."

They pushed the trolly home at a normal walking pace, fielding a few well‑wishers. When they got home they unpacked the trolly, Midge placed the picture on the mantlepiece in the sitting room, making use of the frame's built‑in foot.

Kitty suggested taking the trolly back straight away to get it done. Molly immediately commanded "Kitty: pathfinder. Chloe: cargo. Midge and Molly: engine department. Go."

The twins started pushing the trolly as Chloe grabbed the side to climb in. The trolly nearly tipped over, but nothing was going to stop the twins, they held it upright by shear brute strength, kept running. Chloe managed to get in, she sat facing forward, knees in her chin, arms hugging her legs. Kitty was running ahead, Chloe shouted "Mush", the twins picked up the pace. As they came to the shops, Kitty suddenly stopped, held her hand up. "Whoa" she called, a lady with a pushchair had come out of a shop onto the pavement. The twins did their best, but the trolly careered into Kitty, she went flying forward. The trolly veered to the side, tipped up. Chloe was thrown out, landed on the pavement about level with Kitty.

Between Kitty and Chloe was the pushchair. Standing beside it, holding on to its armrest, was a little girl, couldn't have been much more than two. Her mother was looking down in horror, hand to her mouth. Kitty lifted her head, looked at the girl, said "Hello." The girl chuckled. "You're very pretty, what's your name? I'm Kitty." More chuckles. Chloe was also still lying on the pavement, just looking at Kitty and the little girl. Kitty started playing 'This little piggy' on the fingers of the girl's free hand.

Meanwhile, Midge and Molly had landed on the tipped‑up trolly. They got to their feet, righted the trolly, and were just looking at Kitty and the girl. Chloe eventually looked up at the mother, climbed to her feet, said to her "Sorry, we weren't thinking." The mother had taken her hand from her mouth, she'd started to smile, said "No harm done. She's very good with Clarissa." No one commented. Kitty was now saying nursery rhymes, putting on extreme facial expressions to go with the words, Clarissa was laughing at her.

Eventually Kitty knelt up. She was holding her back with one hand, she had a nasty graze on her other arm, her face screwed up in pain. "Sorry" she got out. "Can't stay down anymore." She went to the side of the pavement, the one hand still holding her back, she sat down. Chloe went to her. "Trollies are hard" said Kitty.

Meanwhile Molly and Midge were still staring at Clarissa, they were both crying. The mother said "What's the matter? Clarissa's fine, no harm done." Chloe looked up from Kitty, "They can't have babies, it gets to them." Kitty managed to say "None of us can."

'What's the matter with you? No, sorry, none of my business, but you're so young, so full of life, so ‑ no other word for it ‑ so beautiful, all of you."

Chloe went to Midge and Molly, whispered "Nothing's going to happen, is it?" Both the twins shook their heads. Chloe turned to the mother "Let's just say all of us have had our insides screwed up. Please, I don't want to say any more." The mother shook her head, muttered to herself, "What a waste." Then to the girls, "Look I've got to get home, are you all going to be all right?" Kitty: "Yes thank you, a bit bruised, that's all." "Well, it's been nice to meet you all. I think. And Kitty is it? She has a real way with Clarissa here, never seen anyone do what she did. Oh, your arm, you're bleeding." Kitty replied "It's all right, it's not for the first time. I'm afraid we do sometimes play a little rough, though not usually around other people, frightens them." The mother laughed, "You can say that again. Oh, I recognise you from the paper, really sorry about your parents. I expect you get fed up with people saying that." Molly, her tears abated, "People are just being kind." Midge: "Thank you."

Mother said "Come on, Clarissa, in your pushchair." She lifted Clarissa into the chair, did the strap up. Clarissa, staring towards Kitty, reached her hand out. Kitty managed to stagger to her, gave her little kiss on her forehead, said "Goodbye, Clarissa, hope we see you again." She went to the trolly, held on to it with her undamaged arm. Mother walked the way the girls had come from, briefly turned and gave a wave.

The girls heard some applause, they looked round, a little crowd has gathered, looking at them. Kitty, still holding onto the trolly for support, stood up straight, turned to the watchers, put her bad arm across in front of her waist, bowed as low as her hold on the trolly would allow. Kitty grinned, said "For your entertainment." Laughter from the onlookers. Midge said "Thanks for the applause, our aim is to please. But she is really hurting, we need to look after her." A few calls such as "Hope she'll be all right", "Good luck", "Sorry about your parents." The people started to disperse.

Chloe and the twins went to Kitty, "What is it?" "Back hurts where the trolly hit me." Chloe asked Midge and Molly "Can you help her?" "Probably." "You two take her back to the house, I'll return the trolly."

When Chloe got back to the house, all was quiet. She went upstairs to the bedroom, all three were undressed. Kitty was lying face down on the bed, Midge and Molly were either side of her and facing her. They had their hands interlinked over the small of Kitty's back, the edge of an ugly bruise just visible. Chloe went to the bathroom, got a towel out, gently lifted Kitty's grazed arm, put the towel underneath it. She went downstairs, found a mixing bowl and a clean teacloth, went back upstairs. From the bathroom she put some warm water into the bowl, sat by Kitty, used the teacloth to bathe the arm. She used a corner of the towel to dab it dry.

She took the bowl into the bathroom, tipped the water out. She took her dress off, picked up the other three from where they'd been dropped. She put the teacloth and dresses into the bowl, carried them downstairs and into the kitchen, where she put the dresses and teacloth into the washing machine and set it going. Upstairs again, she got the bed sheet, covered as much of the three on the bed as she could. She sat in a bedroom chair, staring at them. For the next hour or so she just sat, watching them, occasionally quietly crying.

Eventually she could just hear a chirrup from the washing machine that signalled the end of its wash cycle. She went downstairs, took the things out, put them into the drier. Upstairs again, she crawled into bed beside one of the twins, she didn't know which. She lay on her side facing the twin, put her arm over the twin's side, resting her hand o her. She cried herself to sleep.

When Chloe woke, she found her hand on the twin's front was being held there, the twins must have removed their hands from Kitty during the night. She tried to release her hand. The twin mumbled "Hello, is it morning?" Chloe replied "Yes, sorry, I need the bathroom." Her hand was released. When Chloe got back, Kitty had woken, she'd turned and was sitting up. "They've worked their magic on me, but I think it's really taken it out of them." Molly, speaking in little more than a whisper, "She was badly hurt inside, took everything from us. Desperately need to wee." Kitty and Chloe helped the twins to the bathroom and back to the bed, the twins lay down again. Chloe reached across to Molly's hand, moved it to touch Midge's, the two hands gripped each other. Kitty and Chloe pulled the sheet over the twins.

Chloe took Kitty's hand, led her to the stairs, let Kitty hold the rail. Kitty started down somewhat tentatively, but found she could walk down normally. "A lot easier than when we went up, they almost had to carry me."

They sat in the kitchen, talking about tutors, computers, little girls. They made coffee, then talked about the twin's mother's dress, the funeral dresses.