Jenny's War by Margaret Dickinson Page A

this where you live?’
    ‘Yes,’ Miles said, coming to stand beside her. ‘Welcome to Ravensfleet Manor, Jenny. We do want you to stay with us and we’ll do everything we can to make you happy.’
    The girl glanced about her and then pulled her hand away from Charlotte’s. Still clutching her teddy, she ran towards the steps leading up to the front door. She climbed them and then stood close to the front door until they reached her.
    ‘Here we are, then,’ Miles said, opening the door and ushering her inside.
    Jenny had never been inside such a big house. The front door opened into a large hallway with rooms leading off on each side. Directly in front of them was a wide staircase.
    ‘Now, I’ll take you up to your room,’ Charlotte said. ‘It’s right next door to our bedroom, so if you want anything in the night, you only have to shout. All right?’
    Jenny nodded, her blue eyes wide with wonderment as she gazed around her. She felt a little safer indoors, but it was still very big. Paintings lined the walls of the hall and there were even more on the landing. There were several landscapes, but the ones which intrigued Jenny were portraits. She stopped in front of one. ‘That’s ’im, ain’t it?’
    ‘Miles? Yes.’
    Jenny stared at it, studying it carefully. Even her young and inexperienced eye could see that the painting was magnificent. She moved away slowly, but the picture still held her gaze.
    ‘This is your bedroom while you’re with us,’ Charlotte said encouragingly as she opened the door into a room decorated in pink with flowered curtains and a bedspread to match. ‘Shall we hang your clothes in the wardrobe?’
    ‘I’ll do it,’ Jenny said quickly. She didn’t want this nice woman turning her nose up at the tatty clothes.
    Charlotte nodded. ‘All right. Come downstairs when you’re ready. Oh, let me show you the bathroom.’
    Jenny stood by the bed and hugged Bert even closer. ‘I don’t want a barf.’
    ‘Oh, not just now, but I thought you might need to know where everything is. Come along.’
    The girl followed Charlotte reluctantly and eyed the deep, white bath with apprehension. In a small voice she said, ‘I s’pose I’ll have to ’ave a barf, won’t I?’
    ‘I’d like you to, Jenny. But don’t worry about it. Maybe tonight, eh, just before you go to bed?’
    Jenny didn’t answer; she just frowned and her little face hardened as she schemed how she could avoid it. The water would be so deep in that big bath, she’d drown. She knew she would. And nobody would care. Not her mum, not Arthur. Maybe Bobby, but there was no one else she could think of who would miss her that much.
    ‘Now, we’ll go down and get you some lunch. Are you hungry?’
    Jenny nodded, bringing Charlotte’s attention to the child’s dirty hair and the woman hid a shudder as she imagined what lurked beneath those greasy curls.
    Downstairs, Charlotte went towards a door leading off the hall near the front door and opened it. ‘Miles, we’re just going to have lunch. I thought we’d have it in the kitchen.’
    ‘Ah, yes,’ Jenny heard the man say, ‘I’ll come too.’
    He emerged from the room and smiled down at her. ‘How are you settling in? Do you like your bedroom?’
    Jenny nodded again and, still clutching Bert, she followed them through another door that led from the hall towards the kitchen.
    ‘Mrs Beddows – this is our house guest for the next few weeks.’ Miles made the introductions. ‘At least, we hope she’s going to stay with us. Mrs Beddows is our cook, Jenny. And Kitty over there near the range is our maid. And the tall gentleman over there in the dark suit is Wilkins. I’m not quite sure what his title is, but he’s an invaluable member of the household.’ Wilkins looked very sedate and rather worried, Jenny thought. ‘And then there’s Brewster who is the chauffeur – ’
    The child looked up at him with innocent eyes. ‘You’ve got servants? Like the King