Great Meadow by Dirk Bogarde Page A

That.’
    My sister gave a terrible screech. ‘I love Miss Annabel Lee! She’s my very favourite, Aunt Freda gave her to me! I couldn’t.’
    â€˜It would show Flora that you wanted to make her welcome.’
    â€˜But how would she know it was my very favourite thing?’
    â€˜You’d say it was. She’d know.’
    â€˜And what would you give her then? You’d have to give her something too,
your
most favourite thing.’
    â€˜I’m a boy. She wouldn’t like my things. Girls don’t, you know that. You don’t.’
    â€˜Well . . . I quite like your Jesus and his Mother. Everyone likes them. You give her them, why not?’
    â€˜But they’re sacred! I couldn’t give them away!’
    â€˜Give her your Jesus and Mary, and just see how happy she’ll be. That’ll make her feel very welcome and wanted. And holy too.’
    It gave me a bit of a fright when she said that, so I just finished my Ovaltine and didn’t say anything.
    â€˜A silence?’ said Lally, coming into the morning room where we were having our supper. ‘Something’s up, out with it. What are you two up to?’ She had two fat rubber hot water bottles in her arms, but I knew they were not for us. They were to air Flora’s bed. She was sharing my sister’s room, which used to be our nursery until I was given my own room because Lally said I was growing up and it wasn’t suitable. That’s why I had to have my bath separately too, which wasn’t as much fun at all, but quite decent really.
    â€˜I was just telling him that if he wanted to make Flora feel really happy, and that we were longing for her to come and stay with us, he ought to give her his Jesus and Mary off his silly old altar,’ said my sister and slid out of her chair pretty quickly so I couldn’t hit her.
    â€˜Well, there’s a thing!’ said Lally in pretend surprise. ‘And what, pray, do you think your cousin will want his Jesus and Mary for I’d very much like to know? I’m not sure if they really go in for that sort of thing in Scotland.Come on now, off to bed, I’ve got a lot before me one way and another.’
    â€˜Anyway,’ said my sister, ‘she probably wouldn’t because he’s made Jesus all muddly. He painted him with a black beard and fair hair – that’s silly. And he’s given Mary terrible pink cheeks and feet, she looks awful – ’
    â€˜You just shut up! And M.Y.O.B.,’ I said, because I was suddenly feeling pretty cross and a bit fed up with this Flora.
    â€˜Now then!’ said Lally, hitting me on the head with one of the hot water bottles which was a bit hot. ‘No more of that or I’ll have that Mr Hitler up to see you off, the pair of you. All you have to give your cousin is good manners and a nice smile and that’ll do.’
    â€˜I don’t think I’ll give her anything at all,’ I said. ‘Well, not at first, not until we know if she’s brought us anything for Christmas.’
    â€˜What a horrible-minded child!’ said Lally, and started clearing up our supper tray. ‘Be off with you, I shan’t tell you again.’
    â€˜If she does bring us a present,’ said my sister, tying her dressing-gown cord tightly round her waist, ‘bet it’ll be flat. They always are from Scotland. Flat.’
    â€˜This minute, Maddemoselle, if you please!’ said Lally crossly and dropped one of the Ovaltine beakers, and it broke.
    â€˜Oh, bless my sister’s cats!’ she cried. ‘Now see what you’ve made me do! I’m at the end of my patience. Off! Hop skip it upstairs, and not a sound when you pass your mother’s door or you’ll wish you’d been born next year!’
    Flora had fair hair, quite short, in a fringe, and laughed a lot. She wore a kilt on best occasions, with a huge greatsafety pin stuck in it and a