secretary will meet you in the Front Hall, and show you and your daughter to her dormitory. If you wish, Miss Catto will be pleased to offer any parent tea in her study from 3:30 P.M. onwards. Boarders are forbidden to bring any sweets or food into their dormitories. The ration of sweets is two pounds a term, and these should be handed over to Matron, PLEASE be certain that all boots and shoes are clearly marked with your daughter's name…[And so on and so on.]
The rules and regulations, it seemed, were as strict for parents as they were for the poor children. She picked up the clothes list and glanced through that. Three pages of it.
‘Items starred can be purchased at the authorised shop, Medways, Drapers and Outfitters, Penzance.’
Almost everything seemed to be starred. Regulation this, regulation that. Oh, well, if they could buy everything in one shop, then the whole performance wouldn't take so long. And it had to be done.
She put it all back into the envelope and went in search of Jess.
Over breakfast, she spooned boiled egg into Jess's mouth (one for Daddy, and one for Golly) and broke the news that she was to be abandoned for the day.
Jess said, ‘I don't want to.’
‘Of course you do; you'll have a lovely time with Phyllis.’
‘Don't want to…’ Her bottom lip stuck out like a shelf.
‘And you and Phyllis can take Golly for a walk, and buy fruit gums from Mrs Berry…’
‘You're bribing,’ Judith told her from the other side of the table.
‘Anything's better than a scene…’
‘Don't want to.’
‘It doesn't seem to be working.’
‘But, Jess, you love fruit gums…’
‘Don't WANT to…’ Tears poured down Jess's face, and her mouth went square. She howled. Judith said, ‘Oh, Lord, now she's off…’ But just then Phyllis came in with some hot toast in a rack, and when she had put it on the table, she simply said, ‘What's all this, then,’ and scooped the howling Jess up into her arms, bore her firmly out of the room, and closed the door behind her. By the time she reached the kitchen, the wails had already started to subside.
‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Judith. ‘Now we can finish our breakfast in peace. And you're not to go and say goodbye to her, Mummy, otherwise she'll start up all over again.’
Which, Molly had to admit to herself, was perfectly true. Drinking coffee, she looked at Judith, who, this morning, had come downstairs with her hair done in a new way, tied back from her face with a navy-blue ribbon. Molly was not sure if the style suited her. It made her look quite different, not a little girl any longer, and her ears, now revealed, had never been her most attractive feature. But she said nothing, and knew that Biddy would approve of her tactful silence.
Instead, she said, ‘I think we'd better start out as soon as we've finished breakfast. Otherwise we're going to run out of time. You should just see the length of the clothes list! And then it's all got to be marked with name-tapes. Just think of all that tedious stitching. Perhaps Phyllis will help me.’
‘Why don't we use the sewing machine?’
‘That's a brilliant idea. Much quicker and neater. I never thought of that.’
Half an hour later, they were ready to go. Molly armed herself with lists, instructions, handbag and cheque-book, and dressed prudently — because one never knew — for rain, in sensible shoes, and her Burberry and her dark-red Henry Heath hat. Judith wore her old navy-blue raincoat and a tartan scarf. The raincoat was too short and her long, thin legs seemed endless.
‘Now have you
got
everything?’ she asked.
‘I think so.’
They paused to listen, but from the kitchen came only contented sounds, Jess's piping voice in conversation with Phyllis, who was probably stirring a custard, or sweeping the floor. ‘We mustn't make a cheep, or she'll want to come with us.’ So they let themselves creepingly out of the front door and tiptoed over the gravel towards
The rules and regulations, it seemed, were as strict for parents as they were for the poor children. She picked up the clothes list and glanced through that. Three pages of it.
‘Items starred can be purchased at the authorised shop, Medways, Drapers and Outfitters, Penzance.’
Almost everything seemed to be starred. Regulation this, regulation that. Oh, well, if they could buy everything in one shop, then the whole performance wouldn't take so long. And it had to be done.
She put it all back into the envelope and went in search of Jess.
Over breakfast, she spooned boiled egg into Jess's mouth (one for Daddy, and one for Golly) and broke the news that she was to be abandoned for the day.
Jess said, ‘I don't want to.’
‘Of course you do; you'll have a lovely time with Phyllis.’
‘Don't want to…’ Her bottom lip stuck out like a shelf.
‘And you and Phyllis can take Golly for a walk, and buy fruit gums from Mrs Berry…’
‘You're bribing,’ Judith told her from the other side of the table.
‘Anything's better than a scene…’
‘Don't want to.’
‘It doesn't seem to be working.’
‘But, Jess, you love fruit gums…’
‘Don't WANT to…’ Tears poured down Jess's face, and her mouth went square. She howled. Judith said, ‘Oh, Lord, now she's off…’ But just then Phyllis came in with some hot toast in a rack, and when she had put it on the table, she simply said, ‘What's all this, then,’ and scooped the howling Jess up into her arms, bore her firmly out of the room, and closed the door behind her. By the time she reached the kitchen, the wails had already started to subside.
‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Judith. ‘Now we can finish our breakfast in peace. And you're not to go and say goodbye to her, Mummy, otherwise she'll start up all over again.’
Which, Molly had to admit to herself, was perfectly true. Drinking coffee, she looked at Judith, who, this morning, had come downstairs with her hair done in a new way, tied back from her face with a navy-blue ribbon. Molly was not sure if the style suited her. It made her look quite different, not a little girl any longer, and her ears, now revealed, had never been her most attractive feature. But she said nothing, and knew that Biddy would approve of her tactful silence.
Instead, she said, ‘I think we'd better start out as soon as we've finished breakfast. Otherwise we're going to run out of time. You should just see the length of the clothes list! And then it's all got to be marked with name-tapes. Just think of all that tedious stitching. Perhaps Phyllis will help me.’
‘Why don't we use the sewing machine?’
‘That's a brilliant idea. Much quicker and neater. I never thought of that.’
Half an hour later, they were ready to go. Molly armed herself with lists, instructions, handbag and cheque-book, and dressed prudently — because one never knew — for rain, in sensible shoes, and her Burberry and her dark-red Henry Heath hat. Judith wore her old navy-blue raincoat and a tartan scarf. The raincoat was too short and her long, thin legs seemed endless.
‘Now have you
got
everything?’ she asked.
‘I think so.’
They paused to listen, but from the kitchen came only contented sounds, Jess's piping voice in conversation with Phyllis, who was probably stirring a custard, or sweeping the floor. ‘We mustn't make a cheep, or she'll want to come with us.’ So they let themselves creepingly out of the front door and tiptoed over the gravel towards
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