No sooner had she got that out but all the stress and emotion not to mention the sudden jolt of the collision was too much for her constitution. Turning her head away from him, the girl then vomited up her morning's breakfast.

"Oh no, she's being sick!" yelped Arabella, letting go of Pettigrew's arm. "Hold her hair back!" chorused Jemima, letting go of the other, causing Pettigrew to go tumbling back to earth.

"Too late!" cried Arabella, and they returned to helping the fat man up.

"In all my born days..." he rumbled as he regained his feet and pulled his comb-over back into place. "Inside, all three of you!! I will know what this is all about!!"

They all trooped into the store and Mr Pettigrew locked the door behind them and turned round the closed sign. You didn't toil years in the drapery and millinery business without learning how to handle the hothouse atmosphere of the sewing room and its incumbent bevy of teenage seamstresses, hormones flying, at each other's throats, usually over boys.

"Now then, ladies!" he boomed in stentorian tones as the three of them naturally lined up, like soldiers on parade, Miriam still snivelling. "I CANNOT have these goings-on in MY store and I WILL know what this is all about! Who will tell me?!" he demanded.

Miriam still had tears in her eyes and Jemima looked like the Spanish Inquisition would have to put in a good week's work to get her to crack. Arabella piped up immediately.

"Well... see, me and Miriam is in love with each other, y'know, like that 'love what dare not speak its name' what you told me about that time, Mr. Pettigrew. And then it turns out I loves her more'n she loves me cause she went and had 'that love what does dare speak its name' with her brother..." she pointed at Jemima almost accusingly "... and I come in here and was bein' all horrible to Miriam because, well, I don't know why, cause I love her more 'n anything in the world an... an..." Then she burst out into tears "I'm sorry, Dolly, I'm sorry I made you cry!!!" she bawled and threw her arms around Miriam with great heaving sobs.

"Lord, I think I'm gonna be sick." commented Jemima, disgusted as much at the unwonted emotional display as her two friend's unnatural relationship.

"Now then, ladies!" her about to be ex-employer boomed in stentorian tones as the three of them lined up, "I CANNOT have these goings-on in MY store and I WILL know what this is all about! Who will tell me?!" he demanded.

Miriam was too distraught to say anything, tears rolling down both cheeks.

However to no ones surprise, Arabella piped up immediately.

"Well... see, me and Miriam is in love with each other, y'know, like that 'love what dare not speak its name' what you told me about that time, Mr. Pettigrew. And then it turns out I loves her more'n she loves me cause she went and had 'that love what does dare speak its name' with her brother..." she pointed at Jemima almost accusingly "... and I come in here and was bein' all horrible to Miriam because, well, I don't know why, cause I love her more 'n anything in the world an... an..."

Miriam was just standing there like one awaiting the firing squad to finish her off when she heard those words come from Aar. She did? She still did? It wasn't over? Miriam turned wide eyed, snatching at hope and hanging on for dear life.

Then Arabella burst out into tears "I'm sorry, Dolly, I'm sorry I made you cry!!!" she bawled and threw her arms around Miriam with great heaving sobs.

Miriam did the same and never before had she ever hugged any person so hard in all her life. She was still crying but now it was tears of relief, joy even, "I'm sorry too. This was all my fault!"

"Lord, I think I'm gonna be sick." commented Jemima obviously disgusted.

Like Miriam cared, she didn't even care anymore if Mr. Pettigrew fired her. She had not lost the most important person in her life. Whatever would come of all this, she could survive, endure because she wasn't going to be alone.

Miriam did the same and never before had she ever hugged any person so hard in all her life. She was still crying but now it was tears of relief, joy even, "I'm sorry too. This was all my fault!"

"Lord, I think I'm gonna be sick." commented Jemima obviously disgusted.

Pettigrew waited a second for the two happily weeping girls to finish their embrace. Then he waited some more. Eventually Jemima sighed "Oh this is ridiculous!"

"Yes, well, er, perhaps you ladies can carry on your 'making up' a little later." Pettigrew interrupted the two.

Arabella peeled herself off Miriam and, looking into her brown eyes, simply nodded. All was well. They could discuss this later in full safety: knowing it would not end in acrimony.

"I'm sorry for the disturbance, Mr Pettigrew. I'll be getting along." she said decisively before throwing one last affectionate look at Miriam and a rather more comical one at Jemima, whose lank, somewhat greasy hair was decidedly lop sided now.

"And not a word to anyone!" Pettigrew warned her "... about Miss Kaufmann's adventures. Not a word from any of you!" he commanded.

"Well, he's my brother..." Jemima started, but the boss cut her off. "Any of you!"

He looked over to Miriam.

"Miss Kaufmann, may I assume that you wish to break off your association with Mr Wigfall? Perhaps it would be better if you would allow me to talk to the young man - I can hardly use the term gentleman - and let us only pray that there are no further consequences!"

Jemima goggled and looked at Miriam's stomach with a gasp as the import of his words sank in.

It almost took a crowbar to finally part the two young ladies from their sobbing, sniffing embrace. Miriam was so relieved and her mood had went from the deep pit of depression to now where she almost felt like she could soar among the clouds (well, mood wise - let's not get carried away).

Arabella didn't waste any further time though now that this whole crucial matter was settled and departed after one further hug then even as the girl was leaving, Miriam stated her name once more and waved goodbye as she exited the shop.

"Miss Kaufmann, may I assume that you wish to break off your association with Mr Wigfall? Perhaps it would be better if you would allow me to talk to the young man - I can hardly use the term gentleman - and let us only pray that there are no further consequences!"

"Oh no need, sir, thank you for the generous offer though," Miriam shook her head, "Hector and I had a fruitful and frank discussion over a picnic lunch. We agreed that neither of us had any actual long term interest in a relationship. We parted quite amiably."

"That was wrong...sinful of us, I know that, but it was just a spur of the moment thing, we got carried away until one thing led to another. It will never happen again."

As for those further consequences Pettigrew was referring to, Miriam fully knew what he meant but she was just desperately optimistic that nothing would come of it.

Miriam was quick to explain that it was all over between her and Hector. Jemima and Mr Pettigrew could hardly keep up with the developments in this whirlwind romance which was now, apparently over and done with. It was clear that it had been less of a romantic interlude than a sexual adventure. To an extent, this took the edge off Jemima's strong feelings: as far as she was concerned, Miriam was no threat to her: she still had the undivided attention of her hated twin brother.

"That was wrong...sinful of us, I know that, but it was just a spur of the moment thing, we got carried away until one thing led to another. It will never happen again."

"Hmmm, well, good!" Pettigrew harrumphed. It all felt like a bit of a dramatic anti-climax, so although there was no reason to, really, the store owner pronounced "Very well. And just to show there's no ill will between you two ladies, I want you to shake hands!"

It was an odd request, but Jemima complied mechanically enough.

"No hard feelings." she pronounced dully and without a hint of irony.

Miriam stuck out her hand and shook, "Certainly, I do not blame you for being upset. It will never happen again."

The End