actually.’
Harriet’s heart sank. Quite easy? Oh dear. That could mean she hadn’t understood what was required of her. ‘Well, I’m glad. We’ll just have to wait and see. You won’t have to be too disappointed if you don’t get in. Daddy and I, Grandma Sadie and the boys and Fran will all love you just the same, you know.’
‘I know. Daddy’s already told me that about five times.’
‘Sorry, but it’s true.’
‘I know.’ Flick looked out of the car window. Parents! She knew she would get in. It was where she was destined to be and she couldn’t wait to play lacrosse – such a distinguished game. She’d seen some of the girls going out to the playing-fields from the window of the examination room, and longed to join them. The uniform! Oh, roll on, September! ‘When I get home I shall give Fran a big hug and tell her all about it,’ she declared, ‘then she’ll know for when it’s her turn, and I shall want a cup of tea and a piece of cake.’
‘OK, fine. You can go in the Store and choose a fancy cream one if you like.’
‘Great! Shall I have to pay? I’ve no money on me.’
‘You know Daddy’s rules.’
‘Yes.’ Flick sighed.
Harriet dropped her off outside the Store with a pound coin in her hand.
‘Don’t be long. I’ll put the kettle on.’
Flick decided to wander around the Store for a moment; it seemed a long time since she’d been in there and it was only right she should know what was going on. She’d have to tell Daddy that the greetings card shelves were not quite as full as they could be, and that his new assistant was spending too much time chatting instead of taking the money quickly when there was a queue. People hated waiting. Ms Pascoe came in.
‘Hello, Kate! I had a lovely time at the exam, I’ve just got back. Did you miss me?’
‘Of course I did. Everything all right?’
‘Oh yes, thanks. It’s lovely, I hope I get in.’
‘If that’s what you want, so do I.’
‘I do. I’m buying a cream cake for a treat.’
‘Some fresh fruit would do you more good.’
Flick laughed and tossed her head. ‘But I’m having a cream cake, sorry!’
She lingered by the video-lending shelf and pondered whether or not to ask Mummy if she could borrow one. Being short she couldn’t be seen over the top of the stand and quite by mistake she overheard two women talking. One of them was Kate Pascoe. ‘Ten o’clock. Tonight.’
The other voice said ‘Righteo. We’ll be there.’ Flick slipped quietly to the end of the shelving and peeped round the corner. It was Simone Paradise who had answered.
She bought her cream cake and went home, and told Fran all about the exam, and watched television and fell asleep for a short while dreaming of playing lacrosse wearing that wonderful purple sweater she’d seen on the girls that very afternoon.
‘Harriet! This damned tie won’t behave itself. Help! Rescue me, please, I’m running late.’
‘You never have been able to do these ties. Why don’t you buy one of those made-up ones?’
‘I have bowed to modern technology in all corners of my life but I will not bow to a made-up tie. That is definitely sartorially verboten .’
‘OK, OK. There we are. You look good. Much better in that suit now you’ve lost weight.’
‘Thank you – I do, don’t I? More youthful, don’t you know.’
‘Hurry up!’
Flick was reading Fran a bedtime story and she shouted through the bedroom door. ‘Why isn’t Mummy going?’
‘It’s all men tonight, my dear child.’
‘I thought Ms Pascoe and Mrs Paradise were going.’
‘Certainly not, though I mightn’t mind Ms Pascoe, she’s a cracker.’
Harriet, standing in the doorway, said, ‘Why did you think they were going?’
‘I heard them saying they were meeting at ten o’clock. So I thought they must be going where Daddy’s going.’
‘Ten o’clock? You must have misheard. They would have said seven o’clock.’
‘I’m not daft, Mummy.’
Harriet
Harriet’s heart sank. Quite easy? Oh dear. That could mean she hadn’t understood what was required of her. ‘Well, I’m glad. We’ll just have to wait and see. You won’t have to be too disappointed if you don’t get in. Daddy and I, Grandma Sadie and the boys and Fran will all love you just the same, you know.’
‘I know. Daddy’s already told me that about five times.’
‘Sorry, but it’s true.’
‘I know.’ Flick looked out of the car window. Parents! She knew she would get in. It was where she was destined to be and she couldn’t wait to play lacrosse – such a distinguished game. She’d seen some of the girls going out to the playing-fields from the window of the examination room, and longed to join them. The uniform! Oh, roll on, September! ‘When I get home I shall give Fran a big hug and tell her all about it,’ she declared, ‘then she’ll know for when it’s her turn, and I shall want a cup of tea and a piece of cake.’
‘OK, fine. You can go in the Store and choose a fancy cream one if you like.’
‘Great! Shall I have to pay? I’ve no money on me.’
‘You know Daddy’s rules.’
‘Yes.’ Flick sighed.
Harriet dropped her off outside the Store with a pound coin in her hand.
‘Don’t be long. I’ll put the kettle on.’
Flick decided to wander around the Store for a moment; it seemed a long time since she’d been in there and it was only right she should know what was going on. She’d have to tell Daddy that the greetings card shelves were not quite as full as they could be, and that his new assistant was spending too much time chatting instead of taking the money quickly when there was a queue. People hated waiting. Ms Pascoe came in.
‘Hello, Kate! I had a lovely time at the exam, I’ve just got back. Did you miss me?’
‘Of course I did. Everything all right?’
‘Oh yes, thanks. It’s lovely, I hope I get in.’
‘If that’s what you want, so do I.’
‘I do. I’m buying a cream cake for a treat.’
‘Some fresh fruit would do you more good.’
Flick laughed and tossed her head. ‘But I’m having a cream cake, sorry!’
She lingered by the video-lending shelf and pondered whether or not to ask Mummy if she could borrow one. Being short she couldn’t be seen over the top of the stand and quite by mistake she overheard two women talking. One of them was Kate Pascoe. ‘Ten o’clock. Tonight.’
The other voice said ‘Righteo. We’ll be there.’ Flick slipped quietly to the end of the shelving and peeped round the corner. It was Simone Paradise who had answered.
She bought her cream cake and went home, and told Fran all about the exam, and watched television and fell asleep for a short while dreaming of playing lacrosse wearing that wonderful purple sweater she’d seen on the girls that very afternoon.
‘Harriet! This damned tie won’t behave itself. Help! Rescue me, please, I’m running late.’
‘You never have been able to do these ties. Why don’t you buy one of those made-up ones?’
‘I have bowed to modern technology in all corners of my life but I will not bow to a made-up tie. That is definitely sartorially verboten .’
‘OK, OK. There we are. You look good. Much better in that suit now you’ve lost weight.’
‘Thank you – I do, don’t I? More youthful, don’t you know.’
‘Hurry up!’
Flick was reading Fran a bedtime story and she shouted through the bedroom door. ‘Why isn’t Mummy going?’
‘It’s all men tonight, my dear child.’
‘I thought Ms Pascoe and Mrs Paradise were going.’
‘Certainly not, though I mightn’t mind Ms Pascoe, she’s a cracker.’
Harriet, standing in the doorway, said, ‘Why did you think they were going?’
‘I heard them saying they were meeting at ten o’clock. So I thought they must be going where Daddy’s going.’
‘Ten o’clock? You must have misheard. They would have said seven o’clock.’
‘I’m not daft, Mummy.’
Harriet
Similar Books
