"Since spring," she tells him, letting the subject move on easily. "When I got to London, I knew I couldn't join the local nest. That was what I was getting away from. On the other hand, there weren't a lot of places that would take in someone like me."

She shrugs as though it could be that simple. It was a pragmatic decision. It also skirted a lot of the details. "I had to be somewhere. Redbright was more welcoming than I could expect."