by Clem’s visit. ‘He’s one of the biggest boys in the school, but he came to see me ,’ she boasted to Peters.
‘Nice lad,’ said Peters. Nat said the same and the Admiral said Clem could come when he liked, but Kizzy’s time of peace at Amberhurst House was over. The world outside was
beginning to creep in.
‘Clem Oliver went up to Amberhurst.’
‘He had tea at the House.’
‘Went to see the little gypsy.’
‘Clem Oliver.’
‘If Clem went, why not me?’ said Prudence Cuthbert.
‘Kizzy can go out,’ Doctor Harwell put away his stethoscope. ‘She’s over it well. You made an excellent job of her,’ he said to Peters. ‘She
can go out but wrap her up well.’
‘You can come with me this morning to see Joe,’ the Admiral told her.
‘In his meadow?’ Kizzy’s face was lit with joy.
‘Yes, but put on your coat.’
The joy departed. ‘Haven’t got a coat,’ muttered Kizzy.
‘Yes, you have,’ said Admiral Twiss. ‘The coat Mrs Blount gave you. It’s hanging in the cloakroom.’
‘ That coat!’
‘That coat,’ said Admiral Twiss and added, ‘No coat and you don’t come and see Joe.’ He walked away down the drive. Slowly Kizzy went to the cloakroom to get the
coat.
‘You see, Kiz,’ said the Admiral when they had seen Joe – he had put her up on his back, she had hugged the huge old neck and they had given Joe apples – ‘We
can’t always do as we like.’
‘That’s only children,’ Kizzy burst out.
‘It isn’t only children, unfortunately,’ the Admiral sounded sad, ‘and it isn’t only the coat.’ He had buttoned Kizzy into it, put up the hood. ‘The
coat isn’t all we shall have to accept, you and I.’
‘I want to see Kizzy Lovell.’
Though Peters did not like women he was not, normally, cross to little girls, but something in Prudence’s sharp little face, her primped-up hair, bright pink coat and smart white shoes,
made him feel dislike; dislike, too, for the imperious way she spoke which was quite different from Clem’s ‘Please, sir, could I see Kizzy?’‘I want to see Kizzy
Lovell,’ said Prue.
‘But does she want to see you?’ Peters’ barrel shape filled the back door.
‘But I have come to see her.’ Prudence was surprised.
‘We don’t have to see everyone who comes. You wait there, young lady, while I go and ask.’ But it was not easy to keep Prudence Cuthbert out, as Miss Brooke or Mrs Blount could
have told him. Prue slipped into the kitchen after Peters and came face to face with Kizzy.
Kizzy had stood rooted by the kitchen table as soon as she heard Prue’s voice. Prue stopped too when she saw her and they looked at one another, ‘like two kittens with their fur on
end,’ Peters told the Admiral afterwards. Then, ‘Go away,’ said Kizzy.
‘That’s nice,’ said Prue. ‘When I have come all this way to see you.’ Kizzy knew that was not true. Prudence had come to see Amberhurst House. ‘So she could
tell about it at school,’ said Kizzy afterwards.
‘Clem went, so why can’t I?’ Prudence had told the girls.
‘You’d never dare.’
‘I would.’
‘They won’t let you in.’
‘We’ll see,’ and Prudence had tossed her head. Now she was in, though only as far as the kitchen and, ‘Go away,’ said Kizzy.
Prue had sleeked her fur down. ‘You’ll be coming back to school soon, so I thought we could be friends,’ but Kizzy knew Prue did not really mean it; she was too busy looking
over Kizzy’s shoulder down the corridor where a baize door led into the House. ‘Couldn’t we?’ coaxed Prudence, looking longingly at the door.
‘No,’ said Kizzy.
‘You have nice clothes,’ said Prudence admiringly. ‘You look really pretty.’
‘Go away.’
Prudence’s fur rose up again. ‘You needn’t be so high and mighty just because you’re up at the House. Soon as you’re well you’ll have to leave, my Mum said
so. They’re having a meeting about you next week. Probably
‘Nice lad,’ said Peters. Nat said the same and the Admiral said Clem could come when he liked, but Kizzy’s time of peace at Amberhurst House was over. The world outside was
beginning to creep in.
‘Clem Oliver went up to Amberhurst.’
‘He had tea at the House.’
‘Went to see the little gypsy.’
‘Clem Oliver.’
‘If Clem went, why not me?’ said Prudence Cuthbert.
‘Kizzy can go out,’ Doctor Harwell put away his stethoscope. ‘She’s over it well. You made an excellent job of her,’ he said to Peters. ‘She
can go out but wrap her up well.’
‘You can come with me this morning to see Joe,’ the Admiral told her.
‘In his meadow?’ Kizzy’s face was lit with joy.
‘Yes, but put on your coat.’
The joy departed. ‘Haven’t got a coat,’ muttered Kizzy.
‘Yes, you have,’ said Admiral Twiss. ‘The coat Mrs Blount gave you. It’s hanging in the cloakroom.’
‘ That coat!’
‘That coat,’ said Admiral Twiss and added, ‘No coat and you don’t come and see Joe.’ He walked away down the drive. Slowly Kizzy went to the cloakroom to get the
coat.
‘You see, Kiz,’ said the Admiral when they had seen Joe – he had put her up on his back, she had hugged the huge old neck and they had given Joe apples – ‘We
can’t always do as we like.’
‘That’s only children,’ Kizzy burst out.
‘It isn’t only children, unfortunately,’ the Admiral sounded sad, ‘and it isn’t only the coat.’ He had buttoned Kizzy into it, put up the hood. ‘The
coat isn’t all we shall have to accept, you and I.’
‘I want to see Kizzy Lovell.’
Though Peters did not like women he was not, normally, cross to little girls, but something in Prudence’s sharp little face, her primped-up hair, bright pink coat and smart white shoes,
made him feel dislike; dislike, too, for the imperious way she spoke which was quite different from Clem’s ‘Please, sir, could I see Kizzy?’‘I want to see Kizzy
Lovell,’ said Prue.
‘But does she want to see you?’ Peters’ barrel shape filled the back door.
‘But I have come to see her.’ Prudence was surprised.
‘We don’t have to see everyone who comes. You wait there, young lady, while I go and ask.’ But it was not easy to keep Prudence Cuthbert out, as Miss Brooke or Mrs Blount could
have told him. Prue slipped into the kitchen after Peters and came face to face with Kizzy.
Kizzy had stood rooted by the kitchen table as soon as she heard Prue’s voice. Prue stopped too when she saw her and they looked at one another, ‘like two kittens with their fur on
end,’ Peters told the Admiral afterwards. Then, ‘Go away,’ said Kizzy.
‘That’s nice,’ said Prue. ‘When I have come all this way to see you.’ Kizzy knew that was not true. Prudence had come to see Amberhurst House. ‘So she could
tell about it at school,’ said Kizzy afterwards.
‘Clem went, so why can’t I?’ Prudence had told the girls.
‘You’d never dare.’
‘I would.’
‘They won’t let you in.’
‘We’ll see,’ and Prudence had tossed her head. Now she was in, though only as far as the kitchen and, ‘Go away,’ said Kizzy.
Prue had sleeked her fur down. ‘You’ll be coming back to school soon, so I thought we could be friends,’ but Kizzy knew Prue did not really mean it; she was too busy looking
over Kizzy’s shoulder down the corridor where a baize door led into the House. ‘Couldn’t we?’ coaxed Prudence, looking longingly at the door.
‘No,’ said Kizzy.
‘You have nice clothes,’ said Prudence admiringly. ‘You look really pretty.’
‘Go away.’
Prudence’s fur rose up again. ‘You needn’t be so high and mighty just because you’re up at the House. Soon as you’re well you’ll have to leave, my Mum said
so. They’re having a meeting about you next week. Probably
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