barrow of weeds towards the compost heap for her father. ‘Come here!’
Lily came.
‘This dog needs about two miles at least, every day. If youdo it for me, I’ll give you twopence. That’s generous, for just enjoying yourself. Suit you?’
Lily considered saying that no, it didn’t, but a close look at Aunt Maud persuaded her that it would not be wise. She had an aggressive, masculine stance, foursquare on the drive in her long, belted leather overcoat, felt hat pulled firmly down on her big grim head, little grey eyes beadily taking in Lily’s inadequate presence. She was not a kind smiling auntie as in children’s books but, as Gabriel had predicted, a battle-axe.
‘What’s his name?’
‘Ludo. Be firm with him.’
‘What is he?’
‘A dog.’
‘I mean—’
‘A dog of no pedigree. It’s of no consequence. Here, take the lead.’
The dog of no pedigree was a good deal more amiable than his mistress and Squashy and Barky both took to him with delight. Lily’s heart lifted, seeing that walking the dog, to obey a demand from above, was something her father could scarcely condemn given as Aunt Maud was in lieu of his employer. Ludo was large and brown and sweetly obedient, like a larger Barky. The two dogs of no consequence quickly became like brothers. Seeing them together gave Squashy such delight that their father grudgingly permitted him to do the dog-walking together with Lily.
‘Interfering old bitch,’ he muttered though, as Lily and Squashy danced away across the park.
‘Can I have him?’ Squashy asked Lily. ‘For my own? Like Barky.’
‘No. He belongs to Miss Sylvester.’
‘I shall steal him.’
‘She will know where he is. She will come for him and have you put in prison.’
Squashy started to cry.
‘Don’t be silly. Of course you won’t go to prison. You can take Ludo for walks all the while she’s here and that’s good enough.’
Sometimes Squashy drove her mad. But walking the dogs every morning was more fun than most of the things she had to do, so bully for Aunt Maud, Lily thought. If the dog loved her she couldn’t be that bad.
Mr Sylvester was generous to all his staff at Christmas and gave them big joints of meat and branches of holly, and delicacies for the old and sick. At home he didn’t bother much but Aunt Maud took over, stoking up the fires in the gaunt rooms and organizing the festive dinner. The kitchen staff and the housemaids were all terrified of her and complained to Antony, but he told them he was terrified of her as well and there was nothing he could do about it. He kept well out of her way.
Rose and Violet complained that she was upsetting Helena, but there was nothing Antony could do about that either.
‘That girl should get out more,’ Aunt Maud declared.‘There must be some way of educating her, this day and age. Claude does nothing to improve her life, shutting her away with those two demented women.’
Antony agreed with her, but what could he do? ‘Talk to Father about it.’
‘He’s so wrapped up in his work, thinks money solves everything. Throws it at you two – Eton for you, a mindless paradise for Helena – solved, as far as he is concerned. Useless. Eton’s done nothing for you save keep you out of his way. Not that I’ve noticed, at least. Bored? Buy you an aeroplane. Problem solved. So what are you going to do, Antony, when you leave school next year?’
‘I’m not going to university.’
‘I said, what are you going to do? Not, what are you not going to do?’
Antony realized that his flippant answer to the same question from Lily – ‘ enjoy myself ’ – would not go down very well with his aunt. His latest, vague idea had been to hang around Brooklands, although not actually to work. He didn’t think that would impress his aunt. A bit of motor racing appealed, if his father would finance it. Somehow he didn’t think Aunt Maud would be impressed.
‘I haven’t really thought about it
Lily came.
‘This dog needs about two miles at least, every day. If youdo it for me, I’ll give you twopence. That’s generous, for just enjoying yourself. Suit you?’
Lily considered saying that no, it didn’t, but a close look at Aunt Maud persuaded her that it would not be wise. She had an aggressive, masculine stance, foursquare on the drive in her long, belted leather overcoat, felt hat pulled firmly down on her big grim head, little grey eyes beadily taking in Lily’s inadequate presence. She was not a kind smiling auntie as in children’s books but, as Gabriel had predicted, a battle-axe.
‘What’s his name?’
‘Ludo. Be firm with him.’
‘What is he?’
‘A dog.’
‘I mean—’
‘A dog of no pedigree. It’s of no consequence. Here, take the lead.’
The dog of no pedigree was a good deal more amiable than his mistress and Squashy and Barky both took to him with delight. Lily’s heart lifted, seeing that walking the dog, to obey a demand from above, was something her father could scarcely condemn given as Aunt Maud was in lieu of his employer. Ludo was large and brown and sweetly obedient, like a larger Barky. The two dogs of no consequence quickly became like brothers. Seeing them together gave Squashy such delight that their father grudgingly permitted him to do the dog-walking together with Lily.
‘Interfering old bitch,’ he muttered though, as Lily and Squashy danced away across the park.
‘Can I have him?’ Squashy asked Lily. ‘For my own? Like Barky.’
‘No. He belongs to Miss Sylvester.’
‘I shall steal him.’
‘She will know where he is. She will come for him and have you put in prison.’
Squashy started to cry.
‘Don’t be silly. Of course you won’t go to prison. You can take Ludo for walks all the while she’s here and that’s good enough.’
Sometimes Squashy drove her mad. But walking the dogs every morning was more fun than most of the things she had to do, so bully for Aunt Maud, Lily thought. If the dog loved her she couldn’t be that bad.
Mr Sylvester was generous to all his staff at Christmas and gave them big joints of meat and branches of holly, and delicacies for the old and sick. At home he didn’t bother much but Aunt Maud took over, stoking up the fires in the gaunt rooms and organizing the festive dinner. The kitchen staff and the housemaids were all terrified of her and complained to Antony, but he told them he was terrified of her as well and there was nothing he could do about it. He kept well out of her way.
Rose and Violet complained that she was upsetting Helena, but there was nothing Antony could do about that either.
‘That girl should get out more,’ Aunt Maud declared.‘There must be some way of educating her, this day and age. Claude does nothing to improve her life, shutting her away with those two demented women.’
Antony agreed with her, but what could he do? ‘Talk to Father about it.’
‘He’s so wrapped up in his work, thinks money solves everything. Throws it at you two – Eton for you, a mindless paradise for Helena – solved, as far as he is concerned. Useless. Eton’s done nothing for you save keep you out of his way. Not that I’ve noticed, at least. Bored? Buy you an aeroplane. Problem solved. So what are you going to do, Antony, when you leave school next year?’
‘I’m not going to university.’
‘I said, what are you going to do? Not, what are you not going to do?’
Antony realized that his flippant answer to the same question from Lily – ‘ enjoy myself ’ – would not go down very well with his aunt. His latest, vague idea had been to hang around Brooklands, although not actually to work. He didn’t think that would impress his aunt. A bit of motor racing appealed, if his father would finance it. Somehow he didn’t think Aunt Maud would be impressed.
‘I haven’t really thought about it
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