Margo felt like crying. She’d been rude and ungrateful her temper always got her into trouble — and they were being desperately nice to her. It wasn’t a situation she was accustomed to. She felt lost as to how she ought to respond.
Connie Logan said more kindly, “Here, let’s see what else we can find. Malcolm, what about having her pose as a charity girl?”
”We’d need a chaperon for that,” Malcolm said slowly, “but I like the charity girl idea. Her hair’s short and that’ll either have to be disguised or explained. Charity girl is the perfect cover. As for a chaperon, I could hire someone from an agency and rent a flat for the week we’ll be there.”
”I don’t understand,” Margo said. “What’s a charity girl? Why would that make a good cover story for me?”
”Poverty-stricken children-orphans, children with destitute parents-were sometimes taken in by charitable institutions,” Malcolm explained “There were dozens of schools supported by patrons and patronesses. Children wore uniforms and numbered badges to identify them.. Because sanitation was a problem and head lice were common, even girls’ hair was cut short.”
”Head lice?” Margo grabbed the sides of her head, instinctively trying to protect her scalp from an invasion of vermin.
Kit cleared his throat “Sanitation in Victorian London was quite a bit better than many places you’ll end up as a scout. Head lice-and other nasties–can be eliminated once you get back.”
Margo just stared, overcome with an intense desire to be . She hadn’t thought about lice. The more she studied for this job, the clearer it became there was a great deal she hadn’t thought about.