he burst out laughing.
‘Richard, don’t be so horrid,’ said Jane, coming from the drawing room. ‘I’ll tell Mama that you laughed at Milly.’
‘I’m sorry. It’s just that nobody has ever curtsied to me before.’
‘They might do if you are going to be in Parliament, so perhaps you should start to get used to it.’
Milly stood almost open-mouthed.
‘Richard, this is Milly, my very best friend.’
‘And what park bench did she find you on?’
Whenever Milly was embarrassed she would look down at her feet.
Jane moved her wheelchair closer, almost as if she was going to run into him. ‘Now say you’re sorry.’
‘Sorry, Milly.’
‘That’s all right,’ she said softly.
‘Well?’ he asked.
‘If you must know, Milly ran away from home and I brought her here. She helps Betty and Elsie. Is there anything else you wish to know?’ Jane spoke with a very determined look on her face and the bow in her hair wobbled with every word.
‘No, that will do for now. Just as long as you are happy, little sis.’
She gave her brother one of her beaming smiles. ‘I am very happy.’
‘Good. We’ll talk later, Milly.’ With that he picked up his bag and went upstairs to his room.
‘Please don’t worry about Richard, he always thinks he knows best.’
‘That’s what brothers should do. Look after their little sisters.’
Jane held out her hand and took hold of Milly’s. ‘You are such a joy to have around.’ She smiled. ‘I think it is a little naughty of me, but in some ways I hope you never find your aunt. I want you to stay here for ever.’
‘And I would like to stay as well, but your mum might not want me around for long.’
‘As long as I’m happy, that is all that Mama worries about.’
Whenever Richard took Jane round the garden, Milly went with them. She was very shy in his company and she wasn’t sure if she liked him. He always seemed to be teasing her, asking her the names of flowers that he knew she had never seen before. One day, when Jane said she wanted to go to the park, Milly said she didn’t want to go with them.
‘Why not?’ asked Jane.
‘It’s too cold.’
‘Well go and get that scruffy coat of yours,’ said Richard. ‘Not that it will keep you very warm.’
Milly was on the verge of tears.
‘Richard, how could you be so horrid?’ yelled Jane.
Milly had tried to clean her coat up when she went outside with them, but she knew Richard looked down at her, and up till now they had never left the garden.
Mrs Green came to see what the trouble was.
‘It’s Richard, he’s being horrid to Milly. Mama, could you get my blue velvet coat for Milly?’
Milly stood with her mouth open. ‘No, no, I can’t wear that.’
‘Why not?’ asked Jane.
Mrs Green looked bewildered. ‘Will someone please tell me what is going on?’
Richard was beginning to look very sheepish.
‘Richard will keep teasing Milly. Tell him to stop it, Mama.’
‘What have you been saying?’
‘He was being very rude about Milly’s coat.’
‘Richard, how could you?’
‘I’m sorry, Milly.’
Milly only looked at her feet. She knew she didn’t fit in. He was like those rotten girls at Jane’s birthday party. ‘That’s all right,’ she said softly.
Chapter 8
A T LAST SPRING HAD arrived, and Milly marvelled at the garden, which was full of brightly coloured flowers. At Easter, Richard had laughed when she’d told him she’d never even seen some of them before, so she was determined to find out their names. Jane was willing to help her friend and went to great lengths to point out various flowers and tell her what they were called. She also gave her a dictionary, and between them they would sit and write the names down properly. The following morning after Jane had finished school, Milly would ask Miss Dance if she had got them right.
This particular afternoon they were on their usual wander round the garden when Jane asked, ‘Why do you write the names
‘Richard, don’t be so horrid,’ said Jane, coming from the drawing room. ‘I’ll tell Mama that you laughed at Milly.’
‘I’m sorry. It’s just that nobody has ever curtsied to me before.’
‘They might do if you are going to be in Parliament, so perhaps you should start to get used to it.’
Milly stood almost open-mouthed.
‘Richard, this is Milly, my very best friend.’
‘And what park bench did she find you on?’
Whenever Milly was embarrassed she would look down at her feet.
Jane moved her wheelchair closer, almost as if she was going to run into him. ‘Now say you’re sorry.’
‘Sorry, Milly.’
‘That’s all right,’ she said softly.
‘Well?’ he asked.
‘If you must know, Milly ran away from home and I brought her here. She helps Betty and Elsie. Is there anything else you wish to know?’ Jane spoke with a very determined look on her face and the bow in her hair wobbled with every word.
‘No, that will do for now. Just as long as you are happy, little sis.’
She gave her brother one of her beaming smiles. ‘I am very happy.’
‘Good. We’ll talk later, Milly.’ With that he picked up his bag and went upstairs to his room.
‘Please don’t worry about Richard, he always thinks he knows best.’
‘That’s what brothers should do. Look after their little sisters.’
Jane held out her hand and took hold of Milly’s. ‘You are such a joy to have around.’ She smiled. ‘I think it is a little naughty of me, but in some ways I hope you never find your aunt. I want you to stay here for ever.’
‘And I would like to stay as well, but your mum might not want me around for long.’
‘As long as I’m happy, that is all that Mama worries about.’
Whenever Richard took Jane round the garden, Milly went with them. She was very shy in his company and she wasn’t sure if she liked him. He always seemed to be teasing her, asking her the names of flowers that he knew she had never seen before. One day, when Jane said she wanted to go to the park, Milly said she didn’t want to go with them.
‘Why not?’ asked Jane.
‘It’s too cold.’
‘Well go and get that scruffy coat of yours,’ said Richard. ‘Not that it will keep you very warm.’
Milly was on the verge of tears.
‘Richard, how could you be so horrid?’ yelled Jane.
Milly had tried to clean her coat up when she went outside with them, but she knew Richard looked down at her, and up till now they had never left the garden.
Mrs Green came to see what the trouble was.
‘It’s Richard, he’s being horrid to Milly. Mama, could you get my blue velvet coat for Milly?’
Milly stood with her mouth open. ‘No, no, I can’t wear that.’
‘Why not?’ asked Jane.
Mrs Green looked bewildered. ‘Will someone please tell me what is going on?’
Richard was beginning to look very sheepish.
‘Richard will keep teasing Milly. Tell him to stop it, Mama.’
‘What have you been saying?’
‘He was being very rude about Milly’s coat.’
‘Richard, how could you?’
‘I’m sorry, Milly.’
Milly only looked at her feet. She knew she didn’t fit in. He was like those rotten girls at Jane’s birthday party. ‘That’s all right,’ she said softly.
Chapter 8
A T LAST SPRING HAD arrived, and Milly marvelled at the garden, which was full of brightly coloured flowers. At Easter, Richard had laughed when she’d told him she’d never even seen some of them before, so she was determined to find out their names. Jane was willing to help her friend and went to great lengths to point out various flowers and tell her what they were called. She also gave her a dictionary, and between them they would sit and write the names down properly. The following morning after Jane had finished school, Milly would ask Miss Dance if she had got them right.
This particular afternoon they were on their usual wander round the garden when Jane asked, ‘Why do you write the names
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