Read Online Jenny's War by Margaret Dickinson - Free Book Online
Authors: Margaret Dickinson
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it’s one of our sayings. It means you’re as sharp as a rat. You know, clever. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—’
‘’Ave you got rats here? In the house?’
‘Not here,’ Miles said gently. ‘On the farm, yes. But Ben has a little dog that’s a very good little ratter. He catches them.’
‘We could do wi’ ’im at home. We’ve got two in our roof. I ’ate ’em.’ As she stuffed more food into her mouth, she was aware of the grown-ups exchanging glances.
As they were finishing the first course and Mrs Beddows was serving the pudding, the back door opened and a young man stepped into the kitchen.
‘Leave your boots outside, Master Ben, if you don’t mind.’
Ben – with dark brown hair and soft brown eyes – smiled sheepishly and disappeared for a moment, returning wearing just his thick socks. He padded to the kitchen sink and washed his hands before sitting down at the table. He glanced across at Jenny and smiled. ‘Hello.’
Jenny didn’t answer but just stared at him.
‘This is Jenny. She’s come to stay with us for a while,’ Charlotte explained. ‘She’s from London.’
‘Oh yes. I heard about children coming here from the cities.’
‘Jenny – this is Ben.’
‘I’ll show you around the farm sometime, if you’d like,’ he offered, but still there was no response.
Jenny dropped her eyes lest the young man – in fact, all of them – should see in them that she had no idea what a farm was. She’d seen pictures, but she’d never visited a real farm. And, so far, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go outside any more. The flat landscape and the huge skies were scary for the city child.
During the afternoon, Charlotte showed Jenny the nursery on the first floor next door to the room where she was to sleep.
The girl gazed wide-eyed at the toys, books and games on the shelves and in the cupboards. In the centre of the room stood a rocking horse and in one corner stood a beautiful doll’s house. The whole front opened in two doors, revealing tiny furniture and the family of dolls looking rather as if they were just waiting for someone to play with them.
‘You can play with all the toys and if there’s anything you need, Jenny, you only have to say.’
The girl looked up at her sceptically. ‘What do I have to do for it?’
Charlotte blinked and looked puzzled. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘At home, if I gets a treat – sweets or anything – I have to stay in me room or go to the pictures with Bobby. You know, stay out o’ the way.’
Charlotte stared at the child and shook her head slowly. Huskily, she said, ‘You don’t have to do anything. We just want you to be happy here and if there’s something you want, we’ll do our best to get it for you.’
Jenny’s chin trembled. ‘I want to know where Bobby and Sammy’ve gone.’
‘Who are they?’ Charlotte asked gently.
‘Me friends. They live next door to us. Me an’ Bobby play together.’
‘Did they come on the train with you?’
‘Yeah, but we got to a station and we all had to get off, but then they got back on the train and we got on another one that brought us here. I – I don’t know where they went.’
‘I’ll ask Mr Tomkins for you. He might know.’
‘Will yer?’
‘Of course. I’ll see what I can find out for you.’
‘Ta, missis.’
‘Charlotte . . .’ the woman reminded her gently.
Nine
But the tentative steps towards understanding were shattered when, after dinner or tea or supper, or whatever anyone in the household now wished to call the evening meal, Charlotte insisted on Jenny having a bath.
‘Can’t you leave it for tonight?’ Miles whispered. ‘Let her settle in a bit first. Get to trust us.’
‘Miles, the child is filthy. I really can’t.’
Miles sighed and shrugged.
‘Come along, Jenny,’ Charlotte said kindly, but there was a note of firmness in her tone now. ‘Time to get ready for bed.’
The girl followed her, dragging her feet, but when
‘’Ave you got rats here? In the house?’
‘Not here,’ Miles said gently. ‘On the farm, yes. But Ben has a little dog that’s a very good little ratter. He catches them.’
‘We could do wi’ ’im at home. We’ve got two in our roof. I ’ate ’em.’ As she stuffed more food into her mouth, she was aware of the grown-ups exchanging glances.
As they were finishing the first course and Mrs Beddows was serving the pudding, the back door opened and a young man stepped into the kitchen.
‘Leave your boots outside, Master Ben, if you don’t mind.’
Ben – with dark brown hair and soft brown eyes – smiled sheepishly and disappeared for a moment, returning wearing just his thick socks. He padded to the kitchen sink and washed his hands before sitting down at the table. He glanced across at Jenny and smiled. ‘Hello.’
Jenny didn’t answer but just stared at him.
‘This is Jenny. She’s come to stay with us for a while,’ Charlotte explained. ‘She’s from London.’
‘Oh yes. I heard about children coming here from the cities.’
‘Jenny – this is Ben.’
‘I’ll show you around the farm sometime, if you’d like,’ he offered, but still there was no response.
Jenny dropped her eyes lest the young man – in fact, all of them – should see in them that she had no idea what a farm was. She’d seen pictures, but she’d never visited a real farm. And, so far, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go outside any more. The flat landscape and the huge skies were scary for the city child.
During the afternoon, Charlotte showed Jenny the nursery on the first floor next door to the room where she was to sleep.
The girl gazed wide-eyed at the toys, books and games on the shelves and in the cupboards. In the centre of the room stood a rocking horse and in one corner stood a beautiful doll’s house. The whole front opened in two doors, revealing tiny furniture and the family of dolls looking rather as if they were just waiting for someone to play with them.
‘You can play with all the toys and if there’s anything you need, Jenny, you only have to say.’
The girl looked up at her sceptically. ‘What do I have to do for it?’
Charlotte blinked and looked puzzled. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘At home, if I gets a treat – sweets or anything – I have to stay in me room or go to the pictures with Bobby. You know, stay out o’ the way.’
Charlotte stared at the child and shook her head slowly. Huskily, she said, ‘You don’t have to do anything. We just want you to be happy here and if there’s something you want, we’ll do our best to get it for you.’
Jenny’s chin trembled. ‘I want to know where Bobby and Sammy’ve gone.’
‘Who are they?’ Charlotte asked gently.
‘Me friends. They live next door to us. Me an’ Bobby play together.’
‘Did they come on the train with you?’
‘Yeah, but we got to a station and we all had to get off, but then they got back on the train and we got on another one that brought us here. I – I don’t know where they went.’
‘I’ll ask Mr Tomkins for you. He might know.’
‘Will yer?’
‘Of course. I’ll see what I can find out for you.’
‘Ta, missis.’
‘Charlotte . . .’ the woman reminded her gently.
Nine
But the tentative steps towards understanding were shattered when, after dinner or tea or supper, or whatever anyone in the household now wished to call the evening meal, Charlotte insisted on Jenny having a bath.
‘Can’t you leave it for tonight?’ Miles whispered. ‘Let her settle in a bit first. Get to trust us.’
‘Miles, the child is filthy. I really can’t.’
Miles sighed and shrugged.
‘Come along, Jenny,’ Charlotte said kindly, but there was a note of firmness in her tone now. ‘Time to get ready for bed.’
The girl followed her, dragging her feet, but when
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