Read Online A Summer Promise by Katie Flynn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katie Flynn
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where we kept it when we weren’t using it.’ Her eyes fell to the letters in Alice’s hand. ‘Are you going to the village? Shall I come with you, or would you rather go with this – this person?’
‘Hey, what have I done to deserve being given the cold shoulder?’ Tom asked plaintively. ‘Why can’t we all go into the village? I wouldn’t say I was flush for cash, but I’ve got about one and seven left over from last week’s pocket money, so I’m quite happy to buy sweets for the three of us.’
Alice was looking at Maddy. ‘You’re angry with me, though I can’t think why,’ she said crossly. ‘I
am
on my way to the village, but if you’re going to get nasty then you can jolly well stay here and I’ll go with Tom.’
Tom seized the bicycle by its handlebars and began to laugh. ‘I don’t know what all this is about but I think it’s time I put a stop to it,’ he said. ‘Shake hands and make friends, you two, or I shall get on to my bicycle, ride into the village and leave the pair of you to walk. Otherwise we could ride and tie. Maddy, hurry up and take the book back to wherever you keep it, because you were the one who had it out last.’ He turned to Alice. ‘Look, get on the carrier, and whilst Maddy puts the book away I’ll give you a ride down to the village and then come back for Maddy. Is that all right?’ Maddy began to say that she could walk, but he brushed this aside. ‘You could walk, but you’re not going to because I have offered you a ride on my prancing steed and it would be very rude to turn me down flat,’ he said, and this time his tone was serious.
Maddy felt her cheeks redden. ‘Sorry; of course it would be lovely to have a lift down. I’m sorry if I was rude, Tom. But what did you mean by “ride and tie”?’
‘Oh, it only means take it in turns,’ Tom explained. ‘Hop on the carrier, Alice, and we’ll coast down the hill in no time. Then I’ll leave you to have a good wander whilst I come back for your little friend.’
Tom was a tall young fellow, but Maddy objected to the term ‘little friend’ and said so, but the other two were already heading off along the stony track towards the village, and paid no heed.
Chapter Four
MISS VERITY PARROTT was in her classroom, trying to concentrate on her preparation for the new intake of children in September. She had checked the supplies and had a neatly written list of names of those who would start their school careers on the ninth of the month, and until ten minutes ago had been quite pleased with the way things were going. In other years the school had simply been divided into juniors and seniors but this year, with numbers increasing, she had asked for, and been granted, a pupil teacher to help her with the little ones, children aged between four and six. The Education Department had appointed someone to the post, but most unfortunately the girl had changed her mind. She had explained that she had an older sister who lived in York and that she could get a higher wage if she went there.
The headmaster of the village school, Mr Grice, had just called Miss Parrott into his office to break the news, and when she had said, comfortingly, that she supposed the pair of them could manage he had shaken his head. ‘I’m not saying there is going to be a war, or that it will affect us here in Yorkshire,’ he had explained, ‘but I do think that such a thing is not unlikely. Germany is behaving as they behaved just before the outbreak of the last war and then, as no doubt you know, conscription speedily followed.’ He had looked over the top of his steel-rimmed spectacles at the other teacher. ‘I expect that to you, Miss Parrott, I seem infinitely old, but in fact I am not yet forty. If I am to join one of his majesty’s forces I would prefer to volunteer, possibly for the Royal Air Force. I’ve a younger brother, a career aircraftman, who advises me that it’s a good life. So you see, we don’t want a
‘Hey, what have I done to deserve being given the cold shoulder?’ Tom asked plaintively. ‘Why can’t we all go into the village? I wouldn’t say I was flush for cash, but I’ve got about one and seven left over from last week’s pocket money, so I’m quite happy to buy sweets for the three of us.’
Alice was looking at Maddy. ‘You’re angry with me, though I can’t think why,’ she said crossly. ‘I
am
on my way to the village, but if you’re going to get nasty then you can jolly well stay here and I’ll go with Tom.’
Tom seized the bicycle by its handlebars and began to laugh. ‘I don’t know what all this is about but I think it’s time I put a stop to it,’ he said. ‘Shake hands and make friends, you two, or I shall get on to my bicycle, ride into the village and leave the pair of you to walk. Otherwise we could ride and tie. Maddy, hurry up and take the book back to wherever you keep it, because you were the one who had it out last.’ He turned to Alice. ‘Look, get on the carrier, and whilst Maddy puts the book away I’ll give you a ride down to the village and then come back for Maddy. Is that all right?’ Maddy began to say that she could walk, but he brushed this aside. ‘You could walk, but you’re not going to because I have offered you a ride on my prancing steed and it would be very rude to turn me down flat,’ he said, and this time his tone was serious.
Maddy felt her cheeks redden. ‘Sorry; of course it would be lovely to have a lift down. I’m sorry if I was rude, Tom. But what did you mean by “ride and tie”?’
‘Oh, it only means take it in turns,’ Tom explained. ‘Hop on the carrier, Alice, and we’ll coast down the hill in no time. Then I’ll leave you to have a good wander whilst I come back for your little friend.’
Tom was a tall young fellow, but Maddy objected to the term ‘little friend’ and said so, but the other two were already heading off along the stony track towards the village, and paid no heed.
Chapter Four
MISS VERITY PARROTT was in her classroom, trying to concentrate on her preparation for the new intake of children in September. She had checked the supplies and had a neatly written list of names of those who would start their school careers on the ninth of the month, and until ten minutes ago had been quite pleased with the way things were going. In other years the school had simply been divided into juniors and seniors but this year, with numbers increasing, she had asked for, and been granted, a pupil teacher to help her with the little ones, children aged between four and six. The Education Department had appointed someone to the post, but most unfortunately the girl had changed her mind. She had explained that she had an older sister who lived in York and that she could get a higher wage if she went there.
The headmaster of the village school, Mr Grice, had just called Miss Parrott into his office to break the news, and when she had said, comfortingly, that she supposed the pair of them could manage he had shaken his head. ‘I’m not saying there is going to be a war, or that it will affect us here in Yorkshire,’ he had explained, ‘but I do think that such a thing is not unlikely. Germany is behaving as they behaved just before the outbreak of the last war and then, as no doubt you know, conscription speedily followed.’ He had looked over the top of his steel-rimmed spectacles at the other teacher. ‘I expect that to you, Miss Parrott, I seem infinitely old, but in fact I am not yet forty. If I am to join one of his majesty’s forces I would prefer to volunteer, possibly for the Royal Air Force. I’ve a younger brother, a career aircraftman, who advises me that it’s a good life. So you see, we don’t want a
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