the hangers, can’t stand the creases … thanks awfully.’ Mrs Darwin shrugged her shoulders and plodded back down to the basement, passing Minnie.
‘Prince Edward himself wants his shirts not folded, he’ll be wanting me to press his socks next.’
The marble bathroom was like a wonderland. Evelyne touched the white bath, the washbasin, and gasped with delight as she turned on the taps. Hot and cold water!
What would Lizzie-Ann have to say, hot and cold, and a toilet of their own with a cord that flushed it.
‘Evelyne, dear, have you run your bath? Don’t be too long, we won’t have too much time for sightseeing.’
In his room, David sighed. ‘Sightseeing’ … dear God, he hoped none of his friends would show up during his aunt’s stay.
Doris and Evelyne spent the rest of the afternoon in the museums and wandering around the castle. Everything was a wonder to Evelyne. They were both tired when they returned so Doris suggested they take a little nap before dinner. Evelyne was loving every minute of it. Her small single bed with its crisp white sheets was heaven, and she dozed blissfully. She was still snoozing at dinner-time, and Doris woke her. She was embarrassed to see that Doris had changed. She had only one clean blouse.
‘Shall I wear my other blouse, Mrs Evans?’
‘I don’t think so, dear, the gong has already rung, and you’ll need it for tomorrow … just give your hair a brush, would you like me to do it for you?’
Doris had never brushed a girl’s hair before, and she was not much good at plaiting it. At the end of all her hard work it looked as if it still needed brushing.
‘Thank you, Mrs Evans.’
Doris gave her a small, tight smile, patted her and then straightened her cardigan.
‘Well, shall we go down? Don’t eat too fast, dear, don’t speak with your mouth full, and keep your voice lowered, no need to shout, all right?’
The meal was an agony of uncertainty for Evelyne, and she spoke not a word, terrified she would choke or be caught with her mouth full. Her bread crumbled so much that she kept glancing at Doris and picking up each crumb from round her place setting. She watched Doris coping with the lukewarm soup, moving her spoon away from her and then sipping from the side of it, and followed suit. It tasted like her mother’s gravy.
‘So, Aunt, how is village life? Do you not miss Cardiff?’
‘I don’t, David … Evelyne, have you finished your soup?’
The main course consisted of roast beef, carrots, peas, and small, crisp roast potatoes.
‘Do start, dear, don’t want it getting cold.’
Evelyne began to eat and felt David’s half-amused stare making her go hot and cold. She could feel her legs sticking together.
‘You are to be a lawyer, David?’ Doris asked her nephew. ‘Congratulations.’
‘Well, I will no doubt be called up. Bit of a nuisance really, in the middle of studies, but then one has to do one’s bit. Wretched business, this war.’
The pudding was served, a chocolate sponge with thick, bright yellow custard.
‘You know, I really must go to the valleys one day. Spent last vacs in London, met some of Mother’s relatives there, jolly nice people.’
‘She was a good woman, miss her you know, Doris,’ put in Dr Collins. ‘She ran the house like clockwork, didn’t she, David?’
‘So, Elaine, tell me how you like Cardiff?’
‘Her name’s Evelyne, and she’s a very clever girl, my best pupil.’
Evelyne couldn’t meet his blue eyes. She bit her lip, loving the sound of his voice.
‘I do apologize, you should have corrected me before, Evelyne … so, Ev-e-lyne, you are still at school?’
Every time Evelyne opened her mouth to speak Doris butted in until David laughed, a lovely, chuckling laugh. ‘Good God, Aunt, can’t the gel speak for herself?’ ‘Mrs Evans is teaching me private.’ ‘Oh, I see … oh I say, Pa, did I tell you I’m playing polo? Charlie Withers said I could use one of his ponies, rather
‘Prince Edward himself wants his shirts not folded, he’ll be wanting me to press his socks next.’
The marble bathroom was like a wonderland. Evelyne touched the white bath, the washbasin, and gasped with delight as she turned on the taps. Hot and cold water!
What would Lizzie-Ann have to say, hot and cold, and a toilet of their own with a cord that flushed it.
‘Evelyne, dear, have you run your bath? Don’t be too long, we won’t have too much time for sightseeing.’
In his room, David sighed. ‘Sightseeing’ … dear God, he hoped none of his friends would show up during his aunt’s stay.
Doris and Evelyne spent the rest of the afternoon in the museums and wandering around the castle. Everything was a wonder to Evelyne. They were both tired when they returned so Doris suggested they take a little nap before dinner. Evelyne was loving every minute of it. Her small single bed with its crisp white sheets was heaven, and she dozed blissfully. She was still snoozing at dinner-time, and Doris woke her. She was embarrassed to see that Doris had changed. She had only one clean blouse.
‘Shall I wear my other blouse, Mrs Evans?’
‘I don’t think so, dear, the gong has already rung, and you’ll need it for tomorrow … just give your hair a brush, would you like me to do it for you?’
Doris had never brushed a girl’s hair before, and she was not much good at plaiting it. At the end of all her hard work it looked as if it still needed brushing.
‘Thank you, Mrs Evans.’
Doris gave her a small, tight smile, patted her and then straightened her cardigan.
‘Well, shall we go down? Don’t eat too fast, dear, don’t speak with your mouth full, and keep your voice lowered, no need to shout, all right?’
The meal was an agony of uncertainty for Evelyne, and she spoke not a word, terrified she would choke or be caught with her mouth full. Her bread crumbled so much that she kept glancing at Doris and picking up each crumb from round her place setting. She watched Doris coping with the lukewarm soup, moving her spoon away from her and then sipping from the side of it, and followed suit. It tasted like her mother’s gravy.
‘So, Aunt, how is village life? Do you not miss Cardiff?’
‘I don’t, David … Evelyne, have you finished your soup?’
The main course consisted of roast beef, carrots, peas, and small, crisp roast potatoes.
‘Do start, dear, don’t want it getting cold.’
Evelyne began to eat and felt David’s half-amused stare making her go hot and cold. She could feel her legs sticking together.
‘You are to be a lawyer, David?’ Doris asked her nephew. ‘Congratulations.’
‘Well, I will no doubt be called up. Bit of a nuisance really, in the middle of studies, but then one has to do one’s bit. Wretched business, this war.’
The pudding was served, a chocolate sponge with thick, bright yellow custard.
‘You know, I really must go to the valleys one day. Spent last vacs in London, met some of Mother’s relatives there, jolly nice people.’
‘She was a good woman, miss her you know, Doris,’ put in Dr Collins. ‘She ran the house like clockwork, didn’t she, David?’
‘So, Elaine, tell me how you like Cardiff?’
‘Her name’s Evelyne, and she’s a very clever girl, my best pupil.’
Evelyne couldn’t meet his blue eyes. She bit her lip, loving the sound of his voice.
‘I do apologize, you should have corrected me before, Evelyne … so, Ev-e-lyne, you are still at school?’
Every time Evelyne opened her mouth to speak Doris butted in until David laughed, a lovely, chuckling laugh. ‘Good God, Aunt, can’t the gel speak for herself?’ ‘Mrs Evans is teaching me private.’ ‘Oh, I see … oh I say, Pa, did I tell you I’m playing polo? Charlie Withers said I could use one of his ponies, rather
Similar Books
My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past
Jennifer Teege, Nikola Sellmair
