out in the street.’
Callie was too shocked to do anything but walk down the street in a daze, swallowing back tears. Marthe had left her, gone to another position, and she never got to say a proper goodbye. Her
heart was bursting with panic. Who would look after her now?
‘Don’t be sad. We’ll go and have ice cream.’
‘I don’t want ice cream. I feel sick,’ Callie whimpered. She knew it wasn’t polite to howl in the street but she could hardly contain her disappointment.
Later, they sat in the train chugging along the coast back to France. Callie looked out over the flat fields and dykes, seeing the great expanse of blue sky, lost in her confusion. Why had Phee
bothered to take her to Bruges when she knew Marthe was not coming back? What was worse was that Marthe had known this too. They had kept it all a big secret from her and it made her feel small and
stupid. She didn’t understand grownups at all. She turned her body away from Aunt Phee in anger. She could tell her aunt was uncomfortable, trying to smile and offer her sweets.
‘You have to understand, you’re too old for a nursemaid now. Marthe wanted to return to her family . . .’
‘She never said that to me . . .’
‘Grown-ups don’t have to tell children all their plans. Besides, you’ll have a new school to look forward to where you can stay and play with lots of new friends.’
That was how she found out she was enrolled in St Margaret’s Girls’ School on the Scottish east coast. She would not be living at Dalradnor any more except for in the holidays. This
second blow left her momentarily speechless.
‘But what about Cullein and Hector, my pony?’ she asked eventually, her voice trembling.
‘They’ll be well looked after. Mrs Ibell will keep an eye on things and Tam will take the dog.’
So it had all been planned behind her back. Everyone had known but her and now she’d have to stay in London and she felt sick. ‘I want to go home now to see Cullein. He’ll
think I don’t want him any more.’ She felt tears running down her cheeks
‘You’re a big girl now. You’ll love your new school. It’s one of the best in Scotland with lots of games and things.’ Aunt Phee tried to chivvy her up but she
didn’t want to listen to another word. She sat in the saloon in the ferry as the ship rolled one way and another making Aunt Phee go green. Callie smiled at her discomfort, glad she was out
of the way and she pulled out Marthe’s letter. This was not being shared by anyone. It was written in Flemish.
My dearest Callie,
I am sorry I could not say farewell to you as I would have wished. I have loved every minute of watching you grown up. Now you are ready for big adventures and Miss Faye would like you to
go away to school. She asked me not to speak to you before we all left. I was sad about all of this hiding away. I will miss you but I am always your friend and if you wish to write to me I
will write back. This is not what I choose but Miss Faye said it was time to go our separate ways.
Your loving friend,
Marthe van Hooge
So it was all Aunt Phee’s doing. Marthe was made to leave. Why, why, why? For the first time in her life she didn’t trust her aunt. In fact she hated her and would never speak to her
again. Callie sank into the chair, trying not to cry. It wasn’t fair that Aunt Phee was the only relative she had left in the world who would look after her. She knew deep down that
she’d have to do what her aunt wanted, but the thought of living for months with a bunch of girls she hadn’t yet met, and away from her beloved pets, filled her with horror.
Phoebe retched in the lavatories, feeling like death warmed up. Her daughter was sitting in the saloon in a sulk of gloom and sullen silence. She will thank me for it one day,
Phoebe tried to reason with herself. Going to Bruges had been a mistake and perhaps she should have prepared the girl earlier for the changes to come, but what was done was
Callie was too shocked to do anything but walk down the street in a daze, swallowing back tears. Marthe had left her, gone to another position, and she never got to say a proper goodbye. Her
heart was bursting with panic. Who would look after her now?
‘Don’t be sad. We’ll go and have ice cream.’
‘I don’t want ice cream. I feel sick,’ Callie whimpered. She knew it wasn’t polite to howl in the street but she could hardly contain her disappointment.
Later, they sat in the train chugging along the coast back to France. Callie looked out over the flat fields and dykes, seeing the great expanse of blue sky, lost in her confusion. Why had Phee
bothered to take her to Bruges when she knew Marthe was not coming back? What was worse was that Marthe had known this too. They had kept it all a big secret from her and it made her feel small and
stupid. She didn’t understand grownups at all. She turned her body away from Aunt Phee in anger. She could tell her aunt was uncomfortable, trying to smile and offer her sweets.
‘You have to understand, you’re too old for a nursemaid now. Marthe wanted to return to her family . . .’
‘She never said that to me . . .’
‘Grown-ups don’t have to tell children all their plans. Besides, you’ll have a new school to look forward to where you can stay and play with lots of new friends.’
That was how she found out she was enrolled in St Margaret’s Girls’ School on the Scottish east coast. She would not be living at Dalradnor any more except for in the holidays. This
second blow left her momentarily speechless.
‘But what about Cullein and Hector, my pony?’ she asked eventually, her voice trembling.
‘They’ll be well looked after. Mrs Ibell will keep an eye on things and Tam will take the dog.’
So it had all been planned behind her back. Everyone had known but her and now she’d have to stay in London and she felt sick. ‘I want to go home now to see Cullein. He’ll
think I don’t want him any more.’ She felt tears running down her cheeks
‘You’re a big girl now. You’ll love your new school. It’s one of the best in Scotland with lots of games and things.’ Aunt Phee tried to chivvy her up but she
didn’t want to listen to another word. She sat in the saloon in the ferry as the ship rolled one way and another making Aunt Phee go green. Callie smiled at her discomfort, glad she was out
of the way and she pulled out Marthe’s letter. This was not being shared by anyone. It was written in Flemish.
My dearest Callie,
I am sorry I could not say farewell to you as I would have wished. I have loved every minute of watching you grown up. Now you are ready for big adventures and Miss Faye would like you to
go away to school. She asked me not to speak to you before we all left. I was sad about all of this hiding away. I will miss you but I am always your friend and if you wish to write to me I
will write back. This is not what I choose but Miss Faye said it was time to go our separate ways.
Your loving friend,
Marthe van Hooge
So it was all Aunt Phee’s doing. Marthe was made to leave. Why, why, why? For the first time in her life she didn’t trust her aunt. In fact she hated her and would never speak to her
again. Callie sank into the chair, trying not to cry. It wasn’t fair that Aunt Phee was the only relative she had left in the world who would look after her. She knew deep down that
she’d have to do what her aunt wanted, but the thought of living for months with a bunch of girls she hadn’t yet met, and away from her beloved pets, filled her with horror.
Phoebe retched in the lavatories, feeling like death warmed up. Her daughter was sitting in the saloon in a sulk of gloom and sullen silence. She will thank me for it one day,
Phoebe tried to reason with herself. Going to Bruges had been a mistake and perhaps she should have prepared the girl earlier for the changes to come, but what was done was
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