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Authors: Penelope Butler
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something to eat and drink? ”
She decided to risk it. She must be at her best tomorrow, and this sleeplessness was no preparation for an arduous day.
She slipped into a light summer dressing gown, green with a pattern of yellow flowers, and tiptoed cautiously downstairs. But as she passed the nursery, she caught the sound of muffled crying.
Frances? No, it was Geoffrey.
She opened the nursery door, and peered inside. By the light of a small nightlight in the corner, she saw Frances stretched out on her back, her sheets thrown on the floor, with one hand on the pillow above her head.
In the other bed, Geoffrey had his face buried deep in the pillow. His shoulders heaved, but his sobs were very quiet.
“Poor little chap,” thought Adrien. “He must have great self-control for so small a child!”
She tiptoed across the room, and put a hand on the trembling shoulder.
“Darling, what is it? Why are you crying so?”
He started violently. His head came up, with a jerk, and he looked at her with tear-filled, angry eyes.
“It’s no business of yours! I can cry if I like. We don’t want you here! Why don’t you go back to England?”
Once again he buried his face in the pillow.
Adrien said quietly, “I’m going down to get myself a glass of milk and a biscuit. Wouldn’t you like some too?”
He shook his head obstinately.
“Go away—leave me alone!”
“It’s impossible,” thought Adrien, “to believe he’s only five. There’s something terribly grown-up about him. Even when he’s crying.”
Frances had opened her eyes. She yawned, and said in a bored voice,
“Oh, Geoffrey—you’re not crying again? Can’t one get any sleep?”
“I wasn’t making a noise. It’s her!” Geoffrey pointed an accusing finger at Adrien.
Adrien said, “You’re worried about Mummy, aren’t you, Geoffrey? But, dear—Dr. Dubois is going to make her better, very soon.”
He looked at her suspiciously.
“Does he say so?”
“Yes. You can ask him yourself tomorrow if you like.”
“All right. I’ll ask him.”
“Now come along with me, and we’ll see if we can find some milk. You too, Frances.”
“No. I want to sleep.”
“As you like. Come along then, Geoffrey.” Adrien picked him up in her arms, very small in his blue-and-white striped pyjamas, and carried him quietly downstairs. He held himself rigid, refusing to nestle against her, but he made no further protest.
She put him down on a chair by the kitchen table. She fetched a cushion for him to sit on, opened the door of the fridge and found a bottle of orangeade.
“Would you rather have this than milk?”
“Yes. ”
She poured him out a glassful, and he drank it thirstily, watching her all the time with his wide blue eyes.
Suddenly he said, “Why did you come here?”
“To nurse Mummy. To try to make her well.”
“But—but Blanche said... ”
“Now we’re coming to it,” thought Adrien. “It’s something Blanche has said that’s put him against me. It’s a good thing I’m going to find out what it is.”
She put her hand gently on the ruffled fair hair.
“What did Blanche say, dear?”
“She said Mummy was going away to heaven. And you were going to be our second mummy. That’s why you’ve come. But I don’t want Mummy to go away. Go to heaven means die, doesn’t it? Di e , like the birds Minou catches. I don’t want Mummy to die. And I don’t want you ... ”
“Of all the fools,” Adrien thought, exasperated, “Blanche is the worst!” She said firmly, “It’s all nonsense, darling. Mummy isn’t going to die. Dr. Dubois and I are going to help her to get well.”
“But Blanche said you were in love with Daddy. What does that mean, ‘in love’?”
He shouted the words, clearly furious, despite his tears.
“It doesn’t mean anything. It—”
Adrien broke off abruptly, feeling the color slowly draining from her cheeks.
The kitchen door had opened, and Nicholas was standing there watching
She decided to risk it. She must be at her best tomorrow, and this sleeplessness was no preparation for an arduous day.
She slipped into a light summer dressing gown, green with a pattern of yellow flowers, and tiptoed cautiously downstairs. But as she passed the nursery, she caught the sound of muffled crying.
Frances? No, it was Geoffrey.
She opened the nursery door, and peered inside. By the light of a small nightlight in the corner, she saw Frances stretched out on her back, her sheets thrown on the floor, with one hand on the pillow above her head.
In the other bed, Geoffrey had his face buried deep in the pillow. His shoulders heaved, but his sobs were very quiet.
“Poor little chap,” thought Adrien. “He must have great self-control for so small a child!”
She tiptoed across the room, and put a hand on the trembling shoulder.
“Darling, what is it? Why are you crying so?”
He started violently. His head came up, with a jerk, and he looked at her with tear-filled, angry eyes.
“It’s no business of yours! I can cry if I like. We don’t want you here! Why don’t you go back to England?”
Once again he buried his face in the pillow.
Adrien said quietly, “I’m going down to get myself a glass of milk and a biscuit. Wouldn’t you like some too?”
He shook his head obstinately.
“Go away—leave me alone!”
“It’s impossible,” thought Adrien, “to believe he’s only five. There’s something terribly grown-up about him. Even when he’s crying.”
Frances had opened her eyes. She yawned, and said in a bored voice,
“Oh, Geoffrey—you’re not crying again? Can’t one get any sleep?”
“I wasn’t making a noise. It’s her!” Geoffrey pointed an accusing finger at Adrien.
Adrien said, “You’re worried about Mummy, aren’t you, Geoffrey? But, dear—Dr. Dubois is going to make her better, very soon.”
He looked at her suspiciously.
“Does he say so?”
“Yes. You can ask him yourself tomorrow if you like.”
“All right. I’ll ask him.”
“Now come along with me, and we’ll see if we can find some milk. You too, Frances.”
“No. I want to sleep.”
“As you like. Come along then, Geoffrey.” Adrien picked him up in her arms, very small in his blue-and-white striped pyjamas, and carried him quietly downstairs. He held himself rigid, refusing to nestle against her, but he made no further protest.
She put him down on a chair by the kitchen table. She fetched a cushion for him to sit on, opened the door of the fridge and found a bottle of orangeade.
“Would you rather have this than milk?”
“Yes. ”
She poured him out a glassful, and he drank it thirstily, watching her all the time with his wide blue eyes.
Suddenly he said, “Why did you come here?”
“To nurse Mummy. To try to make her well.”
“But—but Blanche said... ”
“Now we’re coming to it,” thought Adrien. “It’s something Blanche has said that’s put him against me. It’s a good thing I’m going to find out what it is.”
She put her hand gently on the ruffled fair hair.
“What did Blanche say, dear?”
“She said Mummy was going away to heaven. And you were going to be our second mummy. That’s why you’ve come. But I don’t want Mummy to go away. Go to heaven means die, doesn’t it? Di e , like the birds Minou catches. I don’t want Mummy to die. And I don’t want you ... ”
“Of all the fools,” Adrien thought, exasperated, “Blanche is the worst!” She said firmly, “It’s all nonsense, darling. Mummy isn’t going to die. Dr. Dubois and I are going to help her to get well.”
“But Blanche said you were in love with Daddy. What does that mean, ‘in love’?”
He shouted the words, clearly furious, despite his tears.
“It doesn’t mean anything. It—”
Adrien broke off abruptly, feeling the color slowly draining from her cheeks.
The kitchen door had opened, and Nicholas was standing there watching
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