coming today?'
Aunt Alice coughed and hastily covered her mouth. 'Gracious!' she exclaimed in a fluster. 'I must have swallowed a bone by mistake—tiresome thing!' She took a drink of coffee, wondering all the while what the girl would ask next. 'They usually arrive after tea, Jennet dear,' she answered eventually. 'Why?'
'I just wanted to know if you wanted Ben and me around,' Jennet replied as the toast popped up. 'We could stay upstairs, if you like.'
Miss Boston took hold of Jennet's hands, which by this time were holding the butter knife and the toast. 'Oh, do you think you could, dear?' she said gleefully, puckering up her wrinkled face. 'That really would be such a help. Some of the circle are not very fond of children and we do need to concentrate, you see.'
'Don't worry,' Jennet said. 'I'll take Ben on a long walk this afternoon to tire him out. You won't hear a peep from him all night.'
'Oh, you are considerate, thank you again.' But Miss Boston's face as she bent her head over her plate once more seemed far from happy.
The girl turned back to the toast and grinned. She had guessed correctly: the ladies in the circle were secret gamblers.
Nothing titillates old ladies more than gambling for money, be it Bingo or Bridge. Jennet decided that Aunt Alice was being so furtive because she was too embarrassed to admit it. She crunched through her breakfast and stared out of the window. I wonder what they play? she thought to herself. It must be cards, she decided. Gin Rummy or Whist, perhaps, or maybe even Poker. The thought of all those old women sat around a table playing Poker like cowboys in a wild west saloon greatly amused her. She imagined Mrs Banbury-Scott in a ten-gallon hat and nearly spat out the toast with her laughter.
Aunt Alice frowned to herself. Could Jennet have found out somehow? Perhaps it was not too late to cancel tonight's meeting. She took another gulp of coffee and fixed her eyes on the remains of the kipper as though it were to blame in some way. I must make this the very last meeting of the circle, she insisted to herself. It will get too dangerous if the children become involved—especially for Benjamin.
Ben was sleeping soundly with his ammonite clasped firmly in his hand. He had been dreaming of snakes and dragons all night—he was the valiant hero who slew them. The dream was just coming to a ridiculous conclusion, as his usually did, with a grand parade of headless serpents wriggling behind him on brightly coloured leads whilst he fed cat munchies to the heads bouncing round his ankles.
'Ben, Ben,' shouted one of the heads, 'wake up, you lazy lump!'
He rolled over and pulled his bedclothes higher.
Jennet was in no mood for this today. 'Wake up, thickhead!' She dragged the blankets off him and he flapped about like a headless serpent himself. Then he glared at his sister and brought his bottom teeth over his lip to show annoyance.
'You and me are going for a long walk today,' she told him sharply. 'So come downstairs and help me make a packed lunch.'
'Where we going?' he asked, wishing he could stay in bed all day. But she had already left the room.
The drizzling weather was soon blown inland and by mid-morning the sky was blue. Aunt Alice waved the children off, but her heart was troubled and she watched them leave with a guilty look on her face.
It was late when they returned, making their way through the town. The children crossed the bridge to the East Cliff and wearily tramped up Church Street.
'My dears!' Aunt Alice sighed with relief as they opened the front door. 'You've been gone an age; I was beginning to worry.' The old lady stared at their tired faces and tutted. 'My goodness, you are a dozy pair, and look at the state of you both. I'll turn the immersion on so there'll be plenty of hot water.'
Some time later Ben lounged in his bed. He had been fed, had bathed himself and was now reading a brand-new comic which Miss Boston had bought for him. It was a warm
Aunt Alice coughed and hastily covered her mouth. 'Gracious!' she exclaimed in a fluster. 'I must have swallowed a bone by mistake—tiresome thing!' She took a drink of coffee, wondering all the while what the girl would ask next. 'They usually arrive after tea, Jennet dear,' she answered eventually. 'Why?'
'I just wanted to know if you wanted Ben and me around,' Jennet replied as the toast popped up. 'We could stay upstairs, if you like.'
Miss Boston took hold of Jennet's hands, which by this time were holding the butter knife and the toast. 'Oh, do you think you could, dear?' she said gleefully, puckering up her wrinkled face. 'That really would be such a help. Some of the circle are not very fond of children and we do need to concentrate, you see.'
'Don't worry,' Jennet said. 'I'll take Ben on a long walk this afternoon to tire him out. You won't hear a peep from him all night.'
'Oh, you are considerate, thank you again.' But Miss Boston's face as she bent her head over her plate once more seemed far from happy.
The girl turned back to the toast and grinned. She had guessed correctly: the ladies in the circle were secret gamblers.
Nothing titillates old ladies more than gambling for money, be it Bingo or Bridge. Jennet decided that Aunt Alice was being so furtive because she was too embarrassed to admit it. She crunched through her breakfast and stared out of the window. I wonder what they play? she thought to herself. It must be cards, she decided. Gin Rummy or Whist, perhaps, or maybe even Poker. The thought of all those old women sat around a table playing Poker like cowboys in a wild west saloon greatly amused her. She imagined Mrs Banbury-Scott in a ten-gallon hat and nearly spat out the toast with her laughter.
Aunt Alice frowned to herself. Could Jennet have found out somehow? Perhaps it was not too late to cancel tonight's meeting. She took another gulp of coffee and fixed her eyes on the remains of the kipper as though it were to blame in some way. I must make this the very last meeting of the circle, she insisted to herself. It will get too dangerous if the children become involved—especially for Benjamin.
Ben was sleeping soundly with his ammonite clasped firmly in his hand. He had been dreaming of snakes and dragons all night—he was the valiant hero who slew them. The dream was just coming to a ridiculous conclusion, as his usually did, with a grand parade of headless serpents wriggling behind him on brightly coloured leads whilst he fed cat munchies to the heads bouncing round his ankles.
'Ben, Ben,' shouted one of the heads, 'wake up, you lazy lump!'
He rolled over and pulled his bedclothes higher.
Jennet was in no mood for this today. 'Wake up, thickhead!' She dragged the blankets off him and he flapped about like a headless serpent himself. Then he glared at his sister and brought his bottom teeth over his lip to show annoyance.
'You and me are going for a long walk today,' she told him sharply. 'So come downstairs and help me make a packed lunch.'
'Where we going?' he asked, wishing he could stay in bed all day. But she had already left the room.
The drizzling weather was soon blown inland and by mid-morning the sky was blue. Aunt Alice waved the children off, but her heart was troubled and she watched them leave with a guilty look on her face.
It was late when they returned, making their way through the town. The children crossed the bridge to the East Cliff and wearily tramped up Church Street.
'My dears!' Aunt Alice sighed with relief as they opened the front door. 'You've been gone an age; I was beginning to worry.' The old lady stared at their tired faces and tutted. 'My goodness, you are a dozy pair, and look at the state of you both. I'll turn the immersion on so there'll be plenty of hot water.'
Some time later Ben lounged in his bed. He had been fed, had bathed himself and was now reading a brand-new comic which Miss Boston had bought for him. It was a warm
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