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Boggs stared a moment, his eyes locking with mine, then a slight warming slipped into his gaze. He surprised me by nodding and saying, "Then 'ave 'im in or 'ave 'im come back later."

"He'll come in," I said quickly and took Roy's hand to lead him into the house. "I've still got a little time before I help with dinner," I explained and led him down the hallway.

"Is that the owner?" he whispered.

"No. That's the owner's lackey?'

"Huh?"

"I'll explain it all in a moment," I said.

"Where are we going?"

"To my closet of a room," I said.

Roy tried to look at everything he could as I dragged him through the house.

"These people must be even richer than I realized," he muttered.

"They've got money, Roy, but they're poor."

"Huh?"

He paused in my doorway when I showed him my room and just gazed for a moment, shaking his head.

"When I learned you were going to live in England with a rich family, I thought you'd be living a lot better than this, Rain. You were better off in our place in the projects," he said.

"I know, but I don't spend much time here between school and work."

He nodded and came in.

"We'll have to sit on the bed," I told him.

"That's fine."

"How long are you going to be in England?"

"Just two days," he said. "I managed to work it out with a buddy and get myself on an army transport." He continued to gaze about my small room as if there was so much to see. "I was worried you'd be spoiled by now, living with that rich grandma in Virginia and then here. They don't treat you like a relative here, I guess."

"They don't know who I really am, Roy."

"Why?"

"Grandmother Hudson thought it was best we keep that secret. These people are a lot more stuffy and worried about their family name and such."

"Thought so," he said, looking at the room and its pathetic furniture. "Treating you like some servant girl."

I laughed.

"It's not all so terrible. I'm enjoying the school and I've seen some wonderful things since I've been here."

"Sure," he said. He looked at me quickly and then down at the floor. It made me feel like it was painful for him to gaze at me too long.

"How have you been, Roy?"

"Me? Oh, fine. You know what they say," he added smiling, "you find a life in the army. I'm getting trained in electronics so when I get out, I'll be able to find a good job. I've got a lot of good buddies, too. Maybe it's the uniform, but everyone seems to treat everyone the same way most of the time. I mean, officers are still officers, but... well, you know what I mean," he muttered, frustrated with his struggle to express himself.

"Yes, Roy, I do," I said, touching his arm.