be here,’ she echoed slowly, and stood staring expectantly down the drive. Katie smiled to herself. Hailey looked as if she was waiting for a bus that should have arrived hours ago.
The Marshalls’ BMW appeared at the bottom of the driveway, and Hailey turned to Katie, tragedy written right across her face.
‘It’s Mummy,’ she said, her voice trembling.
Katie hid another smile. You didn’t often see a child look so completely gutted to be going home from school. She certainly hadn’t expected it of this child.
‘It is indeed,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry, Hailey, you’ll be coming back to school tomorrow. We’ll have lots of time to play and learn things, you’ll see.’
She hurried Hailey across to the BMW and bundled her in before her poor pregnant mother could struggle out.
Katie stood waving as the big car set off down the drive. Well, her first day as infant mistress had gone pretty well, all things considered. She grinned at Nora and Alison, who were waiting inside.
‘It’s nice when they don’t want to go home, isn’t it?’
Nora laughed.
‘Definitely one of the perks of having a class of fresh new five-year-olds. It won’t last.’
Katie grabbed her jacket, aware that all she wanted now was to cuddle the cat on her sofa and watch something unchallenging on television.
‘Tell me about it. Alison, well done, and I’ll see you tomorrow at half eight. Thanks ladies.’
She stood for a moment at the door, looking round her classroom with some satisfaction. There would be a lot of tomorrows in here, just like she’d told Hailey. And what a very good feeling that was.
Chapter Seven
Jennifer turned into the coastal road and glanced across at Hailey. The little girl hadn’t spoken since saying goodbye to Miss McLure, and Jennifer gave a sigh of impatience. All she wanted was to have a happy, loving time with her child, and here she was frustrated already and Hailey hadn’t been in the car two minutes. Jennifer had been eagerly waiting to hear all about her first day at school, but now the wretched child was sitting there looking like a wet weekend. She didn’t appear at all glad to be on her way home and she certainly wasn’t bubbling over to tell her mother about her day. It was infuriating, pure and simple, and Jennifer hated feeling like this. It would be the pregnancy hormones of course but her moods were swinging all over the place. It wasn’t what she wanted from motherhood.
‘Well? What did you do this afternoon? And what did you have for lunch?’
Hailey’s voice sounded as if tears weren’t far off but her reply was prompt and the smile was back on her face when she spoke.
‘Miss McLure read us a story and then I did a drawing. It was spaghetti and meatballs for lunch.’
Jennifer nodded. ‘Very nice. I hope you managed to eat without making a mess,’ she said, turning left at the lights. ‘Did Miss McLure like your drawing? Whose was the best?’
Hailey shook her head. ‘It was just me drawing and two boys, but they were playing really. Alison was with me.’
‘Oh? What were the other children doing?’ said Jennifer, pulling into the driveway and turning to give Hailey her full attention. She didn’t much like the sound of this. Why had Hailey been working with the assistant? Wasn’t she able to keep up with her classmates? It didn’t seem like a very positive start.
‘They were playing shops,’ said Hailey. ‘I wanted to draw.’
Jennifer pursed her lips. The child had been awkward at school already. ‘Go inside. You can change into your pink dress and we’ll talk about this later.’
Hailey heaved her schoolbag out of the car and went upstairs without speaking.
Jennifer put the kettle on, wishing with all her heart that she could have something stronger. Dealing with Hailey took every bit of patience she had. And she was tired too, even though she’d been able to lie down this afternoon. She’d been constantly worrying about Hailey at
The Marshalls’ BMW appeared at the bottom of the driveway, and Hailey turned to Katie, tragedy written right across her face.
‘It’s Mummy,’ she said, her voice trembling.
Katie hid another smile. You didn’t often see a child look so completely gutted to be going home from school. She certainly hadn’t expected it of this child.
‘It is indeed,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry, Hailey, you’ll be coming back to school tomorrow. We’ll have lots of time to play and learn things, you’ll see.’
She hurried Hailey across to the BMW and bundled her in before her poor pregnant mother could struggle out.
Katie stood waving as the big car set off down the drive. Well, her first day as infant mistress had gone pretty well, all things considered. She grinned at Nora and Alison, who were waiting inside.
‘It’s nice when they don’t want to go home, isn’t it?’
Nora laughed.
‘Definitely one of the perks of having a class of fresh new five-year-olds. It won’t last.’
Katie grabbed her jacket, aware that all she wanted now was to cuddle the cat on her sofa and watch something unchallenging on television.
‘Tell me about it. Alison, well done, and I’ll see you tomorrow at half eight. Thanks ladies.’
She stood for a moment at the door, looking round her classroom with some satisfaction. There would be a lot of tomorrows in here, just like she’d told Hailey. And what a very good feeling that was.
Chapter Seven
Jennifer turned into the coastal road and glanced across at Hailey. The little girl hadn’t spoken since saying goodbye to Miss McLure, and Jennifer gave a sigh of impatience. All she wanted was to have a happy, loving time with her child, and here she was frustrated already and Hailey hadn’t been in the car two minutes. Jennifer had been eagerly waiting to hear all about her first day at school, but now the wretched child was sitting there looking like a wet weekend. She didn’t appear at all glad to be on her way home and she certainly wasn’t bubbling over to tell her mother about her day. It was infuriating, pure and simple, and Jennifer hated feeling like this. It would be the pregnancy hormones of course but her moods were swinging all over the place. It wasn’t what she wanted from motherhood.
‘Well? What did you do this afternoon? And what did you have for lunch?’
Hailey’s voice sounded as if tears weren’t far off but her reply was prompt and the smile was back on her face when she spoke.
‘Miss McLure read us a story and then I did a drawing. It was spaghetti and meatballs for lunch.’
Jennifer nodded. ‘Very nice. I hope you managed to eat without making a mess,’ she said, turning left at the lights. ‘Did Miss McLure like your drawing? Whose was the best?’
Hailey shook her head. ‘It was just me drawing and two boys, but they were playing really. Alison was with me.’
‘Oh? What were the other children doing?’ said Jennifer, pulling into the driveway and turning to give Hailey her full attention. She didn’t much like the sound of this. Why had Hailey been working with the assistant? Wasn’t she able to keep up with her classmates? It didn’t seem like a very positive start.
‘They were playing shops,’ said Hailey. ‘I wanted to draw.’
Jennifer pursed her lips. The child had been awkward at school already. ‘Go inside. You can change into your pink dress and we’ll talk about this later.’
Hailey heaved her schoolbag out of the car and went upstairs without speaking.
Jennifer put the kettle on, wishing with all her heart that she could have something stronger. Dealing with Hailey took every bit of patience she had. And she was tired too, even though she’d been able to lie down this afternoon. She’d been constantly worrying about Hailey at
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