supper,â she said to Maggie. âI donât know about you but Iâm starving. Then, I really must phone my cousin and let her know weâve arrived and find out how her grandchildren have got on. They could have gone today too. And then we must see about getting you a place to stay.â
âIâve got one,â Maggie told her with some pride. And when Octavia looked surprised, âI did it when we first arrived, while you were talking to the girls. Itâs just round the corner. I toldthe lady I was your secretary and I had to be near the Ridgeway and she said that was the nearest.â
âWell, if thatâs the case, weâll get straight back for our supper,â Octavia said. And she drove them to Horsell and her house in the road called Ridgeway, pleased that she already knew her way there. This time as she turned in at the drive and saw the open windows and Janet busy in the dining room setting the table, the place felt more like home. It was a warm peaceful summer evening, and somewhere in a nearby garden a chaffinch was singing. âWhat a day itâs been!â she said.
Chapter Six
âItâs a gorgeous day,â Lizzie Meriton said, leaning out of the bedroom window. âCome and have a look, Poppy. You can see for miles.â
Poppy groaned and turned over in her unfamiliar bed. âItâs all very well for you,â she complained, âyou were asleep all night.â
âComes of having a clear conscience,â Lizzie told her. It wasnât true. Sheâd been awake off and on all night too, worrying because she hadnât kissed her mother goodbye, but you have to keep the side up. âThereâs a common over there. I can see the trees. Tell you what, when weâve had our breakfast, letâs go and explore.â
âIâm exhausted,â Poppy said, struggling to sit up. âOh God! Youâre dressed.â
âClean, clothed and in my right mind,â Lizzie agreed. She was surprising herself by how much better she felt now that it was morning. Smithie was right. It was all a matter of accepting things.
âYouâve even brushed your hair,â Poppy complained, admiring Lizzieâs long blonde mane. It really wasnât fair for anyone to look that pretty first thing in the morning. She was so slim and she had such lovely long legs and such white teeth, and such beautiful grey eyes and long black eyelashesand everything. She hadnât even got spots.
âItâs what I do,â Lizzie said carelessly. âFifty strokes both sides, every morning.â
Poppyâs hair was thin and mouse-brown, and had to be put in curlers every night and combed and arranged in the morning so that it didnât look too bad, which took a very long time. She lumped from the bed and went to look for her dressing gown. It was in her bag somewhere. She remembered packing it. âI wonder whatâs for breakfast,â she said.
âBacon.â
âHow do you know?â
âI can smell it cooking.â
Sheâs such a brick, Poppy thought, tugging the dressing gown out of her bag â along with two pairs of knickers and the sleeve of her spare blouse. She takes everything in her stride, even this. Iâm glad weâre together. And she took out the first curler and began to start her day.
Â
Emmeline was shaking a Beechamâs powder into a glass of water, watching as the mixture fizzed and bubbled. âThere you are, Uncle,â she said, handing it to J-J, âdrink that down while itâs fizzy. We canât have you with a cold.â
âIâm not at deathâs door, Emmeline,â J-J protested, sitting up in bed with his white hair sleep-tousled and his glasses on the end of his nose. âItâs only a cough.â
âUm,â Emmeline said, dubiously, âwell, thereâs no need to put up with it, whatever it is. What do you fancy for
Maggie Brendan
Barbara O'Connor
Jan Washburn
Terri Blackstock
Norah Simone
Barry Kemp
G.P. Taylor
Alan Cumyn
Linda Barnes
Lisa Jackson