know my little girls, Cassie?’ said Dan.
‘Oh, yes, nearly like twins, ain’t they?’ said Cassie.
Dan said he was a proud dad of nearly twins, that Alice Higgins had been looking after them while he was at work, but she’d fractured her ankle and couldn’t leave her house yet. Was it possible Cassie could look after Bubbles and Penny-Farving until Alice was on her feet again? He’d be happy to pay her two bob a day.
‘’Ow much?’ gasped Cassie.
‘Two bob,’ said Dan.
‘Crikey,’ said Cassie, brown eyes dancing, ‘me sister Nellie only gets two-and-six a day workin’ in a fact’ry, and I do ’appen to be disengaged, Mr Rogers. Well, I am for the time bein’ and I’m good at lookin’ after children . And cats and parrots. What time shall I come in the mornin’?’
‘Could you manage eight-fifteen, just before I go off to me work?’ asked Dan. ‘The girls would be having their breakfast then.’
‘Oh, easy,’ said Cassie, ‘and if you like I could take them to me own ’ome and let them talk to me parrot while I did a bit of ’ousework for me dad. It would be like – well, like—’
‘Killin’ two birds with one stone,’ said Freddy.
‘Freddy, that don’t sound right or nice,’ said Mrs Brown.
‘Oh, Freddy can’t ’elp his other self, Mrs Brown,’ said Cassie.
‘What other self, lovey?’ asked Mrs Brown.
‘His funny one,’ said Cassie. ‘Oh, he’s quite nice really, it’s ’is other self that makes ’im sound a bit peculiar sometimes.’ Freddy rolled his eyes and his dad grinned. ‘Mr Rogers,’ said Cassie, ‘I’ll be ever so pleased to look after Bubbles and Penny-Farvin’, ain’t they dear little girls? I remember me dad sayin’ I was a dear little girl once.’
‘Once,’ said Freddy.
‘Well, Cassie,’ smiled Dan, ‘I’d say you’d be a valuable young lady to me if you’d take the job on till Alice is better.’
‘Oh, I’m valuable to everybody,’ said Cassie.
Dan coughed.
‘That’s ’er other self talkin’,’ said Freddy. ‘’Er other self’s off its chump. So’s ’er parrot.’
‘Course it isn’t,’ said Cassie. ‘In the mornin’ tomorrow, I’ll take Bubbles and Penny-Farvin’ to see it, shall I, Mr Rogers?’
‘They’ll like that, Cassie,’ said Dan, ‘and I’ll try to get home a bit early, say by five o’clock. Can you manage to look after things till then?’
‘Oh, Cassie’s a good girl, Mr Rogers,’ said Mrs Brown, ‘she manages things about her dad’s house very competent.’
‘Well, bless you, then, Cassie,’ said Dan.
‘Oh, a pleasure, I’m sure,’ said Cassie. She wanted to ask him what it was like living next door to a haunted house, but kept her curiosity in check for once.
‘See you in the mornin’ before I go,’ said Dan, and left after thanking Mrs Brown for letting him talk to Cassie.
‘Crikey, me a nursemaid sort of,’ breathed Cassie, ‘and bein’ paid two bob a day. I could buy another parrot as company for Cecil.’
‘Barmy,’ said Freddy.
‘Anyway,’ said Cassie, ‘you comin’ ’ome with me to talk to Cecil or not?’
‘Not,’ said Freddy. Mr Brown and his better half smiled. They knew what was coming next, even though Freddy repeated himself. ‘Not,’ he said again, firmly negative.
‘We’ll go now,’ said Cassie.
‘Might I be so bold as to say I definitely ain’t?’ said Freddy.
‘Come along,’ said Cassie, and when they left the house a minute later she suggested they first knocked on Mrs Harper’s door to ask after Percy.
‘What for?’ questioned Freddy. ‘In case ’e’s got flu?’
‘No, just to be polite,’ said Cassie. ‘Mrs ’Arper did say we could bring Cecil to talk to Percy again sometime, so we ought to be polite.’
‘Cassie, did yer know there’s other things a bloke can do besides bein’ polite to a woman that’s got a parrot?’
‘You mean like kissin’ girls?’ said Cassie. ‘All right, as soon as we get ’ome
‘Oh, yes, nearly like twins, ain’t they?’ said Cassie.
Dan said he was a proud dad of nearly twins, that Alice Higgins had been looking after them while he was at work, but she’d fractured her ankle and couldn’t leave her house yet. Was it possible Cassie could look after Bubbles and Penny-Farving until Alice was on her feet again? He’d be happy to pay her two bob a day.
‘’Ow much?’ gasped Cassie.
‘Two bob,’ said Dan.
‘Crikey,’ said Cassie, brown eyes dancing, ‘me sister Nellie only gets two-and-six a day workin’ in a fact’ry, and I do ’appen to be disengaged, Mr Rogers. Well, I am for the time bein’ and I’m good at lookin’ after children . And cats and parrots. What time shall I come in the mornin’?’
‘Could you manage eight-fifteen, just before I go off to me work?’ asked Dan. ‘The girls would be having their breakfast then.’
‘Oh, easy,’ said Cassie, ‘and if you like I could take them to me own ’ome and let them talk to me parrot while I did a bit of ’ousework for me dad. It would be like – well, like—’
‘Killin’ two birds with one stone,’ said Freddy.
‘Freddy, that don’t sound right or nice,’ said Mrs Brown.
‘Oh, Freddy can’t ’elp his other self, Mrs Brown,’ said Cassie.
‘What other self, lovey?’ asked Mrs Brown.
‘His funny one,’ said Cassie. ‘Oh, he’s quite nice really, it’s ’is other self that makes ’im sound a bit peculiar sometimes.’ Freddy rolled his eyes and his dad grinned. ‘Mr Rogers,’ said Cassie, ‘I’ll be ever so pleased to look after Bubbles and Penny-Farvin’, ain’t they dear little girls? I remember me dad sayin’ I was a dear little girl once.’
‘Once,’ said Freddy.
‘Well, Cassie,’ smiled Dan, ‘I’d say you’d be a valuable young lady to me if you’d take the job on till Alice is better.’
‘Oh, I’m valuable to everybody,’ said Cassie.
Dan coughed.
‘That’s ’er other self talkin’,’ said Freddy. ‘’Er other self’s off its chump. So’s ’er parrot.’
‘Course it isn’t,’ said Cassie. ‘In the mornin’ tomorrow, I’ll take Bubbles and Penny-Farvin’ to see it, shall I, Mr Rogers?’
‘They’ll like that, Cassie,’ said Dan, ‘and I’ll try to get home a bit early, say by five o’clock. Can you manage to look after things till then?’
‘Oh, Cassie’s a good girl, Mr Rogers,’ said Mrs Brown, ‘she manages things about her dad’s house very competent.’
‘Well, bless you, then, Cassie,’ said Dan.
‘Oh, a pleasure, I’m sure,’ said Cassie. She wanted to ask him what it was like living next door to a haunted house, but kept her curiosity in check for once.
‘See you in the mornin’ before I go,’ said Dan, and left after thanking Mrs Brown for letting him talk to Cassie.
‘Crikey, me a nursemaid sort of,’ breathed Cassie, ‘and bein’ paid two bob a day. I could buy another parrot as company for Cecil.’
‘Barmy,’ said Freddy.
‘Anyway,’ said Cassie, ‘you comin’ ’ome with me to talk to Cecil or not?’
‘Not,’ said Freddy. Mr Brown and his better half smiled. They knew what was coming next, even though Freddy repeated himself. ‘Not,’ he said again, firmly negative.
‘We’ll go now,’ said Cassie.
‘Might I be so bold as to say I definitely ain’t?’ said Freddy.
‘Come along,’ said Cassie, and when they left the house a minute later she suggested they first knocked on Mrs Harper’s door to ask after Percy.
‘What for?’ questioned Freddy. ‘In case ’e’s got flu?’
‘No, just to be polite,’ said Cassie. ‘Mrs ’Arper did say we could bring Cecil to talk to Percy again sometime, so we ought to be polite.’
‘Cassie, did yer know there’s other things a bloke can do besides bein’ polite to a woman that’s got a parrot?’
‘You mean like kissin’ girls?’ said Cassie. ‘All right, as soon as we get ’ome
Similar Books
