Read Online The Diary Of Pamela D. by greg monks - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: greg monks
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summer, with aunties Ellie and Doris when they
come to visit. She liked you very much, Mum did, as did the whole
family. As you can tell from my address, I live in Hornsea, which
is about 25 km south of Bridlington. I believe I told you over
Christmas that I lived in Hornsea, but neglected to tell you where
Hornsea was. Like Scarborough, it’s right on the Sea (the Ocean , Mum is telling me
over my shoulder). We have a place in Cornwall, too, that my
parents let to friends of theirs. Its right on the ocean, and
there’s a tiny summer cottage on the property which we can have all
to ourselves. By late fall it’s usually empty, so I’m hoping that
we can go there sometime in September or October, just you and I,
without a bunch of older people bothering us.
Please say you’ll come. And write soon!
Your friend, Tess
Pamela smiled to herself and read the letter
over several times before giving it to Ellie and Doris to read, but
waited until they finished reading to take it back, as though
afraid to let it out of her sight.
‘You and Tessa enjoyed each other’s company
very much, didn’t you,’ Ellie said thoughtfully as she handed
Pamela what she knew to be the girl’s most prized possession of the
moment, and went back to kneading bread dough.
‘I’ve never had a friend like her before,’
Pamela was able to say without bitterness.
‘Nor she, you,’ Ellie told her. ‘I’ve never
seen her look so happy.’
‘Tessa? I can’t imagine her
being un happy,’
Pamela said.
Ellie smiled a small,
enigmatic smile. ‘Around you, my girl, it’s hard not to find something to smile about.
Especially not since you threw out Norrie’s preserves! The poor
woman was positively scandalized .’
Pamela couldn’t help but
make a face. ‘But Ellie, they were growing . I was afraid she might
actually try to feed them to someone.’
‘Yes, well, they had been
sitting in the cupboard for a good long time. Fifteen years at
least would be my guess. They were rather a fixture in this
household, but perhaps you’ve inadvertently saved us all from a
fate worse than death.’ She managed to say this without cracking
the least hint of a smile, or pausing in her kneading. ‘Regardless,
you will help
Norrie make some more in the near future, won’t you? At least, let
her feel that she’s
participating in some small way. It doesn’t take much to make the
poor soul happy. All it takes is a little kindness.’
Pamela cringed, despite Ellie’s attempt to
lighten her unintended slight against Norrie’s incompetence. ‘I
didn’t realize that I’d hurt her feelings. We’ve got some extra
fruit that needs to be used up. How be I fetch her and we make
preserves out of that?’
‘That sounds splendid,’ Ellie said, her
enigmatic half-smile returning. ‘I’m sure that with your help
Norrie will be quite herself again.’
In fact, Norrie did quite well, for Norrie.
She was having one of her good days and didn’t forget a thing or
become sidetracked. She quite forgave Pamela and seemed happier
than she had been since Christmas.
As they were processing the bottled
preserves, Norrie said, quite unexpectedly, ‘I don’t understand why
Mr. Theo hasn’t asked you to marry him. There’s no one in his life,
and you would be so good for him. I wonder why he hasn’t seen that
for himself yet?’
‘I don’t know what you mean! Mr. Theo would
never want someone like me.’ Pamela said brusquely. ‘I just work in
his house. He needs somebody like himself, someone who was born
into wealth, who grew up with it, who knows how to deal with
it.’
‘Piffle! My dear, after the
few short months you’ve been here, you practically run this establishment.
You think I don’t notice, or that old Norrie’s wits are somewhat
addled. But I do know this much! Theo relies on you. He depends on you. And
the sooner he comes to realize this for himself, the
better!’
‘I do only what he tells me,’ Pamela
rejoined. ‘I
come to visit. She liked you very much, Mum did, as did the whole
family. As you can tell from my address, I live in Hornsea, which
is about 25 km south of Bridlington. I believe I told you over
Christmas that I lived in Hornsea, but neglected to tell you where
Hornsea was. Like Scarborough, it’s right on the Sea (the Ocean , Mum is telling me
over my shoulder). We have a place in Cornwall, too, that my
parents let to friends of theirs. Its right on the ocean, and
there’s a tiny summer cottage on the property which we can have all
to ourselves. By late fall it’s usually empty, so I’m hoping that
we can go there sometime in September or October, just you and I,
without a bunch of older people bothering us.
Please say you’ll come. And write soon!
Your friend, Tess
Pamela smiled to herself and read the letter
over several times before giving it to Ellie and Doris to read, but
waited until they finished reading to take it back, as though
afraid to let it out of her sight.
‘You and Tessa enjoyed each other’s company
very much, didn’t you,’ Ellie said thoughtfully as she handed
Pamela what she knew to be the girl’s most prized possession of the
moment, and went back to kneading bread dough.
‘I’ve never had a friend like her before,’
Pamela was able to say without bitterness.
‘Nor she, you,’ Ellie told her. ‘I’ve never
seen her look so happy.’
‘Tessa? I can’t imagine her
being un happy,’
Pamela said.
Ellie smiled a small,
enigmatic smile. ‘Around you, my girl, it’s hard not to find something to smile about.
Especially not since you threw out Norrie’s preserves! The poor
woman was positively scandalized .’
Pamela couldn’t help but
make a face. ‘But Ellie, they were growing . I was afraid she might
actually try to feed them to someone.’
‘Yes, well, they had been
sitting in the cupboard for a good long time. Fifteen years at
least would be my guess. They were rather a fixture in this
household, but perhaps you’ve inadvertently saved us all from a
fate worse than death.’ She managed to say this without cracking
the least hint of a smile, or pausing in her kneading. ‘Regardless,
you will help
Norrie make some more in the near future, won’t you? At least, let
her feel that she’s
participating in some small way. It doesn’t take much to make the
poor soul happy. All it takes is a little kindness.’
Pamela cringed, despite Ellie’s attempt to
lighten her unintended slight against Norrie’s incompetence. ‘I
didn’t realize that I’d hurt her feelings. We’ve got some extra
fruit that needs to be used up. How be I fetch her and we make
preserves out of that?’
‘That sounds splendid,’ Ellie said, her
enigmatic half-smile returning. ‘I’m sure that with your help
Norrie will be quite herself again.’
In fact, Norrie did quite well, for Norrie.
She was having one of her good days and didn’t forget a thing or
become sidetracked. She quite forgave Pamela and seemed happier
than she had been since Christmas.
As they were processing the bottled
preserves, Norrie said, quite unexpectedly, ‘I don’t understand why
Mr. Theo hasn’t asked you to marry him. There’s no one in his life,
and you would be so good for him. I wonder why he hasn’t seen that
for himself yet?’
‘I don’t know what you mean! Mr. Theo would
never want someone like me.’ Pamela said brusquely. ‘I just work in
his house. He needs somebody like himself, someone who was born
into wealth, who grew up with it, who knows how to deal with
it.’
‘Piffle! My dear, after the
few short months you’ve been here, you practically run this establishment.
You think I don’t notice, or that old Norrie’s wits are somewhat
addled. But I do know this much! Theo relies on you. He depends on you. And
the sooner he comes to realize this for himself, the
better!’
‘I do only what he tells me,’ Pamela
rejoined. ‘I
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