down?’
‘I want to remember them. Besides, Miss Dance said it’s always good to do some writing every day.’
‘Miss Dance is very pleased with the way you are so eager to learn, you know.’
Milly smiled. ‘I’ve got a lot of years to make up, and I enjoy trying to learn about things. I shall never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.’
‘And what about what you’ve done for me? My life was very boring stuck in this chair till you came along.’
Jane had told Milly that the reason she couldn’t walk was because when she was born, she was pulled from her mother by the legs. Nobody realised her bones had been damaged until she first tried to walk, but by then it was too late. She would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Her mother and father had never forgiven themselves, and that was why they granted her every wish.
One afternoon in June, Milly was having tea with Mrs Green, Jane and Walton when Mrs Green said, ‘Milly, Jane and Miss Dance have asked me if I would mind you sharing lessons with my daughter.’
Milly almost dropped the plate she was holding.
Jane’s eyes were shining. ‘What do you say?’
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Please say yes,’ said Jane.
‘Yes. I would love to, but why?’
Mrs Green was smiling. ‘Well, Miss Dance thinks you are clever, and it would help Jane. We know you can read a little.’
‘Yes, me mum taught me.’ Milly was very proud of that fact.
‘We know that you pick things up very quickly, and Miss Dance is most impressed with the way you ask her questions. She also thinks it would be good for Jane to have some competition.’
‘But what about me,’ Milly quickly corrected herself, ‘my chores?’
‘As you know, the lessons are only for a few hours in the mornings, so you will be able to help Betty after that. And we do have Betty’s full permission.’
Jane clapped her hands. ‘It will be such fun.’
‘Now I don’t want you two playing about. I’ve told Miss Dance to keep me informed of your progress, and yours, young lady.’ She wagged her finger at her daughter.
Milly was so thrilled she wanted to dance round the room. She was going to get an education. She was living in this lovely house with wonderful people; could life get any better? Or would it all go wrong? She didn’t want to think about that.
When she took the tea trolley into the kitchen she said excitedly, ‘I’m gonna have lessons with Miss Jane.’
‘I know.’
Milly grabbed Betty and spun her round. ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’
‘Steady on. You’ll have me come all over funny. Besides, what have you got to thank me for? What have I done?’
‘If you’d said I couldn’t go cos you wanted me here with you, well, I would have been . . . what’s that long word that Miss Jane says? Devilstated!’
Betty laughed. ‘You mean devastated, and from the little you’ve told me about your life, you deserve a break. After all, you’re a good girl.’
Milly sat down at the table. ‘I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you.’
‘More to the point, you make sure you learn all you can. It will help you in years to come if you have a good education and can speak well.’
‘I’ll do me very best.’
‘That’s good. Now, let’s make a start on this washing-up.’
As Milly filled the sink with water, her heart was pounding. She couldn’t believe she was going to be taught to read and write and to speak properly just like Miss Jane. As Betty said, it would help her get somewhere in life. Not that she ever wanted to leave here, but you never know what might happen in the future.
Everybody except Milly was getting excited at Richard coming home for the long summer holiday. She was very wary of him and his ways.
‘Well you certainly seem to have grown,’ he said, looking her up and down when she opened the door for him.
She felt embarrassed, as she had recently developed breasts, and she was sure that
‘I want to remember them. Besides, Miss Dance said it’s always good to do some writing every day.’
‘Miss Dance is very pleased with the way you are so eager to learn, you know.’
Milly smiled. ‘I’ve got a lot of years to make up, and I enjoy trying to learn about things. I shall never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.’
‘And what about what you’ve done for me? My life was very boring stuck in this chair till you came along.’
Jane had told Milly that the reason she couldn’t walk was because when she was born, she was pulled from her mother by the legs. Nobody realised her bones had been damaged until she first tried to walk, but by then it was too late. She would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Her mother and father had never forgiven themselves, and that was why they granted her every wish.
One afternoon in June, Milly was having tea with Mrs Green, Jane and Walton when Mrs Green said, ‘Milly, Jane and Miss Dance have asked me if I would mind you sharing lessons with my daughter.’
Milly almost dropped the plate she was holding.
Jane’s eyes were shining. ‘What do you say?’
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Please say yes,’ said Jane.
‘Yes. I would love to, but why?’
Mrs Green was smiling. ‘Well, Miss Dance thinks you are clever, and it would help Jane. We know you can read a little.’
‘Yes, me mum taught me.’ Milly was very proud of that fact.
‘We know that you pick things up very quickly, and Miss Dance is most impressed with the way you ask her questions. She also thinks it would be good for Jane to have some competition.’
‘But what about me,’ Milly quickly corrected herself, ‘my chores?’
‘As you know, the lessons are only for a few hours in the mornings, so you will be able to help Betty after that. And we do have Betty’s full permission.’
Jane clapped her hands. ‘It will be such fun.’
‘Now I don’t want you two playing about. I’ve told Miss Dance to keep me informed of your progress, and yours, young lady.’ She wagged her finger at her daughter.
Milly was so thrilled she wanted to dance round the room. She was going to get an education. She was living in this lovely house with wonderful people; could life get any better? Or would it all go wrong? She didn’t want to think about that.
When she took the tea trolley into the kitchen she said excitedly, ‘I’m gonna have lessons with Miss Jane.’
‘I know.’
Milly grabbed Betty and spun her round. ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’
‘Steady on. You’ll have me come all over funny. Besides, what have you got to thank me for? What have I done?’
‘If you’d said I couldn’t go cos you wanted me here with you, well, I would have been . . . what’s that long word that Miss Jane says? Devilstated!’
Betty laughed. ‘You mean devastated, and from the little you’ve told me about your life, you deserve a break. After all, you’re a good girl.’
Milly sat down at the table. ‘I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you.’
‘More to the point, you make sure you learn all you can. It will help you in years to come if you have a good education and can speak well.’
‘I’ll do me very best.’
‘That’s good. Now, let’s make a start on this washing-up.’
As Milly filled the sink with water, her heart was pounding. She couldn’t believe she was going to be taught to read and write and to speak properly just like Miss Jane. As Betty said, it would help her get somewhere in life. Not that she ever wanted to leave here, but you never know what might happen in the future.
Everybody except Milly was getting excited at Richard coming home for the long summer holiday. She was very wary of him and his ways.
‘Well you certainly seem to have grown,’ he said, looking her up and down when she opened the door for him.
She felt embarrassed, as she had recently developed breasts, and she was sure that
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