employer, and as such would be of considerable interest to the entire Bailey family. It just showed, Ben thought triumphantly, that the kittens had been a blessing. Their acquisition had led to his first job, and that had to be good.
‘Indians wear turbans and keep daggers in their belts,’ Dick said dreamily. He shovelled a potato into his mouth and spoke thickly through it. ‘Does that girl wear a turban, our Ben? I should think a kitten would be a pretty tame pet after tigers and monkeys and that.’
Ben decided it was time to announce his own important news. ‘Hold on,’ he said, with as much authority as he could muster, ‘I haven’t telled you all of it yet. Because Mr Madison saw that I’d helped to sell the kitten, he’s offered me a job. I’m to go in each day after school – probably more during the holidays – and clean cages, feed the animals, and deliver ones what have been sold.’ He beamed proudly around the table. ‘What about that, eh? And he paid me one and threepence for the kittens, so here’s me first wage, Mam.’
Ben fished in his pocket and drew out the money, tossing it lightly on to the table in front of hismother’s plate and scarcely regretting at all the lost sweets, fruit and cinema shows which it had represented.
‘Well I’m blessed,’ Mrs Bailey said. ‘Aren’t I a lucky woman, to have all three of me sons earnin’ a bit of money!’ She swept the coins into the palm of her hand, then extracted sixpence and handed it back to Ben. ‘Now you know me, young Ben; d’you think I’d take all of your wages, eh? You earned this money fair an’ square, lookin’ after them kittens as well as their own mother, so you’ll take a share in the profits. Right?’
‘Thanks, Mam,’ Ben said gratefully, pocketing the sixpence. ‘Still an’ all, it’s nice to know there’ll be more where this came from. I were lucky to take Mr Madison’s fancy but the kittens were such good ’uns that I guess he realised I like looking after animals.’ He looked around the table. Phyllis was shovelling food into her mouth and seemed unaffected by his wonderful news, but Dick was smiling encouragingly at him and Ted leaned across the table and clapped him on the shoulder.
‘Well done, young ’un,’ Ted said bracingly. ‘Next time you chop kindling for our mam, you might do some extra bundles and sell ’em door to door along Landseer Road. I heard some feller on the wireless saying he’d started out selling kindling and doin’ messages for neighbours and ended up a millionaire with a huge house in Crosby and a dozen servants at his beck and call. Mind, I doubt he were as young as ten when he started, so you’ve an even better chance of making a heap of money one of these days.’
Everyone laughed but the laughter was affectionate, admiring, and Ben glowed with pride in his achievement. He might never become a millionairebut if he could keep his job and help his mam, then that would satisfy him.
Lonnie crossed the nursery, pulling off her outer garments as she did so and dropping them on the floor. She should have known from past experience that Hester would not countenance such behaviour, but at long last the weather had turned really summery and even Lonnie had found the heat in the streets oppressive. She had been clad in her coat, hat, gloves and boots, despite Hester’s advising her to choose something lighter, and her pride had not allowed her to admit her winter clothing was a mistake, but as soon as she reached the nursery she had begun casting off the hot and heavy garments.
‘Leonora Victoria Hetherington-Smith, what do you think you’re doing?’ Hester said reprovingly, entering the room hot on her charge’s heels. ‘Pick that clothing up at once and put it away tidily. Where’s Kitty?’
‘Why can’t you pick it up?’ Lonnie said aggressively. She was hot and cross and in no mood to be trifled with. ‘As for Kitty, she’s probably on my bed … but I’d
‘Indians wear turbans and keep daggers in their belts,’ Dick said dreamily. He shovelled a potato into his mouth and spoke thickly through it. ‘Does that girl wear a turban, our Ben? I should think a kitten would be a pretty tame pet after tigers and monkeys and that.’
Ben decided it was time to announce his own important news. ‘Hold on,’ he said, with as much authority as he could muster, ‘I haven’t telled you all of it yet. Because Mr Madison saw that I’d helped to sell the kitten, he’s offered me a job. I’m to go in each day after school – probably more during the holidays – and clean cages, feed the animals, and deliver ones what have been sold.’ He beamed proudly around the table. ‘What about that, eh? And he paid me one and threepence for the kittens, so here’s me first wage, Mam.’
Ben fished in his pocket and drew out the money, tossing it lightly on to the table in front of hismother’s plate and scarcely regretting at all the lost sweets, fruit and cinema shows which it had represented.
‘Well I’m blessed,’ Mrs Bailey said. ‘Aren’t I a lucky woman, to have all three of me sons earnin’ a bit of money!’ She swept the coins into the palm of her hand, then extracted sixpence and handed it back to Ben. ‘Now you know me, young Ben; d’you think I’d take all of your wages, eh? You earned this money fair an’ square, lookin’ after them kittens as well as their own mother, so you’ll take a share in the profits. Right?’
‘Thanks, Mam,’ Ben said gratefully, pocketing the sixpence. ‘Still an’ all, it’s nice to know there’ll be more where this came from. I were lucky to take Mr Madison’s fancy but the kittens were such good ’uns that I guess he realised I like looking after animals.’ He looked around the table. Phyllis was shovelling food into her mouth and seemed unaffected by his wonderful news, but Dick was smiling encouragingly at him and Ted leaned across the table and clapped him on the shoulder.
‘Well done, young ’un,’ Ted said bracingly. ‘Next time you chop kindling for our mam, you might do some extra bundles and sell ’em door to door along Landseer Road. I heard some feller on the wireless saying he’d started out selling kindling and doin’ messages for neighbours and ended up a millionaire with a huge house in Crosby and a dozen servants at his beck and call. Mind, I doubt he were as young as ten when he started, so you’ve an even better chance of making a heap of money one of these days.’
Everyone laughed but the laughter was affectionate, admiring, and Ben glowed with pride in his achievement. He might never become a millionairebut if he could keep his job and help his mam, then that would satisfy him.
Lonnie crossed the nursery, pulling off her outer garments as she did so and dropping them on the floor. She should have known from past experience that Hester would not countenance such behaviour, but at long last the weather had turned really summery and even Lonnie had found the heat in the streets oppressive. She had been clad in her coat, hat, gloves and boots, despite Hester’s advising her to choose something lighter, and her pride had not allowed her to admit her winter clothing was a mistake, but as soon as she reached the nursery she had begun casting off the hot and heavy garments.
‘Leonora Victoria Hetherington-Smith, what do you think you’re doing?’ Hester said reprovingly, entering the room hot on her charge’s heels. ‘Pick that clothing up at once and put it away tidily. Where’s Kitty?’
‘Why can’t you pick it up?’ Lonnie said aggressively. She was hot and cross and in no mood to be trifled with. ‘As for Kitty, she’s probably on my bed … but I’d
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