affair? Oh - because she had a baby before she married, is that it?’ Her frown cleared. ‘Oh, for goodness sake Dad, don’t be so old fashioned. No one bothers about such things these days.’
His face turned a dark red and for a moment Laura feared for his health. The last thing she wanted was to induce a stroke. She hastily began a halting apology, hand raised in supplication but his roar blotted out every pacifying word.
‘I am telling you - nay - ordering you to stop all of this prying into Daisy’s life. It’s over and done with. Past history. Leave it alone! There’s absolutely nothing to be gained by digging up old hurts and miseries. So be a good girl, go home to your husband and stop interfering.’
Daisy used the last of the eggs to boil for breakfast, since there was little else in the larder, and tried not to think about what they would do for dinner. She felt thankful that she’d at least thought to bank up the stove with coke so that it had stayed in overnight but she’d also need to investigate later where the rest of the coal store was, and if there was a better way of getting hot water other than by boiling kettles? These, and various other important matters were in dire need of attention.
Since early morning she’d heard stairs creaking, doors banging, dogs barking, Miss Pratt muttering to herself as she moved about the place, and had every hope that soon she would come to see how they were after their first night.
Daisy had initially meant to ask for a more comfortable bedroom than the one they’d been allotted but now that the stove was warming it up a little, and supposing she could find extra supplies of coke to refill the big coal scuttle, she was having second thoughts about that. It might be even colder elsewhere in the house.
Yet no one could consider the arrangements satisfactory and Daisy worried that Trish might start up with ‘flu again, or Megan’s cough get worse. Like herself, they were more used to an overcrowded, sheltered, city life, where the close proximity of other people at least helped to keep you warm. Here, there seemed to be nothing but draughts, wide open spaces and bitter cold. Surely the dispersal officer would call eventually, to check they were all right?
It proved easy enough, in the event, to find the coal cellar and together, the two children and Daisy, shovelled sufficient coke into the huge coal scuttles to last them throughout the day. It was less easy to carry them back up the stairs into the kitchen, but with a great deal of gasping and heaving, puffing and blowing, they finally managed it between them.
‘I still need to talk to her though,’ Daisy said.
‘Perhaps she’ll be in the garden, giving the dogs their breakfast,’ Megan suggested.
To their dismay, they found the kitchen door locked. Megan went pale with fright. ‘We can’t get out, Daisy! Will we have to stay locked in here forever?’
‘What, till we die?’ Trish wailed.
‘Not if I can help it.’ Daisy was so appalled she could feel herself actually start to shake with fury. How dare the woman lock them in? Heaven help us, no one should treat children in such a manner. Making a game of it, she urged the children to search for an alternative way out but the only exit, in the end, proved to be through a pantry window.
‘Ooh, what fun. Go on, Trish, you first. I’ll give you a boost up.’
It felt so good to be out in the autumn sunshine but Miss Pratt was not, after all, in the garden. Nor were the dogs. ‘Looks like she’s taken them out for their morning walk. Let’s have a scout around and see what else we can find.’
They found the hens and on seeing how frantic they went at sight of the three of them, all running about and flapping their wings, getting very excited, Daisy concluded that their hostess must have forgotten to feed them as well. A search in a nearby outhouse supplied the necessary mash, and she put some in their metal hopper while Trish
His face turned a dark red and for a moment Laura feared for his health. The last thing she wanted was to induce a stroke. She hastily began a halting apology, hand raised in supplication but his roar blotted out every pacifying word.
‘I am telling you - nay - ordering you to stop all of this prying into Daisy’s life. It’s over and done with. Past history. Leave it alone! There’s absolutely nothing to be gained by digging up old hurts and miseries. So be a good girl, go home to your husband and stop interfering.’
Daisy used the last of the eggs to boil for breakfast, since there was little else in the larder, and tried not to think about what they would do for dinner. She felt thankful that she’d at least thought to bank up the stove with coke so that it had stayed in overnight but she’d also need to investigate later where the rest of the coal store was, and if there was a better way of getting hot water other than by boiling kettles? These, and various other important matters were in dire need of attention.
Since early morning she’d heard stairs creaking, doors banging, dogs barking, Miss Pratt muttering to herself as she moved about the place, and had every hope that soon she would come to see how they were after their first night.
Daisy had initially meant to ask for a more comfortable bedroom than the one they’d been allotted but now that the stove was warming it up a little, and supposing she could find extra supplies of coke to refill the big coal scuttle, she was having second thoughts about that. It might be even colder elsewhere in the house.
Yet no one could consider the arrangements satisfactory and Daisy worried that Trish might start up with ‘flu again, or Megan’s cough get worse. Like herself, they were more used to an overcrowded, sheltered, city life, where the close proximity of other people at least helped to keep you warm. Here, there seemed to be nothing but draughts, wide open spaces and bitter cold. Surely the dispersal officer would call eventually, to check they were all right?
It proved easy enough, in the event, to find the coal cellar and together, the two children and Daisy, shovelled sufficient coke into the huge coal scuttles to last them throughout the day. It was less easy to carry them back up the stairs into the kitchen, but with a great deal of gasping and heaving, puffing and blowing, they finally managed it between them.
‘I still need to talk to her though,’ Daisy said.
‘Perhaps she’ll be in the garden, giving the dogs their breakfast,’ Megan suggested.
To their dismay, they found the kitchen door locked. Megan went pale with fright. ‘We can’t get out, Daisy! Will we have to stay locked in here forever?’
‘What, till we die?’ Trish wailed.
‘Not if I can help it.’ Daisy was so appalled she could feel herself actually start to shake with fury. How dare the woman lock them in? Heaven help us, no one should treat children in such a manner. Making a game of it, she urged the children to search for an alternative way out but the only exit, in the end, proved to be through a pantry window.
‘Ooh, what fun. Go on, Trish, you first. I’ll give you a boost up.’
It felt so good to be out in the autumn sunshine but Miss Pratt was not, after all, in the garden. Nor were the dogs. ‘Looks like she’s taken them out for their morning walk. Let’s have a scout around and see what else we can find.’
They found the hens and on seeing how frantic they went at sight of the three of them, all running about and flapping their wings, getting very excited, Daisy concluded that their hostess must have forgotten to feed them as well. A search in a nearby outhouse supplied the necessary mash, and she put some in their metal hopper while Trish
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