Molly’s earliest memories of visiting great Aunty Doris, was a strange house standing in the corner of an attic room. Molly had been allowed to explore the old rambling Victorian house. She felt like one of the children from the ‘Narnia’ stories although she never discovered a huge wardrobe.

It was one wet damp day, Molly had to remain indoors, the grown-ups had settled in the drawing room after lunch with various things grown-ups do. Molly slipped out of the room unnoticed and decided to explore the attic. Molly had been told to go no further than the first landing but she was bored with those rooms and there was only so many time she could use the dress-up box; she found herself placing a tentative foot on the first stair leading to the second floor. Molly glanced over the banister to see if the hall was empty; she listened to the low murmur of voices coming from the drawing room content that no one else was around she climbed the stairs.

On the second landing there were five doors, two of which were open slightly. Molly glanced inside the room at one end of the small landing; it was full of boxes of various shapes and sizes. The door opposite this room was also open; this one was full of blankets, curtains and shelves of books all gathering dust.

Molly was beginning to think the attic held no exciting secret, she was about to return down stairs when she heard a noise from the far end of the landing. Reaching the door where she imagined the noise had come from, she heard it again. She put her hand on the handle and turned it very slowly.

‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ said a young girl in the prettiest dress Molly had ever seen.

The young girl was sitting next to a dollhouse, the contents was placed around her and in her hand were several miniature dolls which Molly presumed lived in the house.

‘Who are you?’ asked Molly.

‘Victoria.’

‘What are you doing here?’ enquired Molly.

‘I live here. I’ve always lived here.’

‘My great aunt never mentioned you.’

‘That is because she doesn’t know, not really.’

Molly was a reasonably bright girl for a nine year old and it didn’t take her long to realise that Victoria was not a real girl. Molly would say nothing, it would be her secret and she would have someone to play with. Molly smiled at Victoria and sat down beside her.