Carbonel and Calidor by Barbara Sleigh

Author:Barbara Sleigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-59017-574-3
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2012-03-20T16:00:00+00:00

They all three sat in thoughtful silence on the journey home. Uncle Zack wore his worried face again.

‘Time for a quick wash and brush-up,’ he said as the car turned in to the drive. ‘It’s just about supper time, and Mrs Bodkin gets cross if I keep it waiting.’

‘Does she get cross with you?’ said Rosemary in surprise. Uncle Zack pulled a wry face.

‘It isn’t so much what she says. She goes about in a sort of cloud of crossness. You can’t see it, of course, but you can feel it.’

‘I know,’ said John. ‘There’s a master at school who does that, and you have to mind your p’s and q’s.’

‘Well, you’d better mind them now!’ said Uncle Zack, looking at his watch.

But no smell of cooking supper greeted them as they went indoors, and no supper was laid on the Cromwellian table. Even more important to John and Rosemary, there were no grubby jeans hanging on the back of John’s bedroom chair, where he had left them that morning. Without a word, they clattered down the stairs to the kitchen.

Dumpsie ran forward to greet them with a welcoming ‘Prrrt!’ Rosemary bent down and stroked her. Mrs Bodkin was pricking sausages with a fork.

‘I know!’ she said, lifting a frowning face. ‘You want your supper, and I’m all behind and it’s not ready, but I’ve only got one pair of hands.’

‘Oh, never mind about supper,’ said John, rather to her surprise. ‘Have you seen my dirty old jeans?’

‘What do you think?’ said Mrs Bodkin. ‘I gave them a wash.’

‘Thanks awfully. But did you find a tin box in the pocket?’ Mrs Bodkin gave a sniff.

‘A medal for bravery I ought to get. I never know what my fingers are going to sink into when I go through young John’s pockets. A dead mouse it was once when you was last here. Of course I found your precious box. It’s on the dresser there. My hands was soapy, and I dropped it, and the things fell all over the place, but I put ’em all back again.’

John hurried to the dresser and fetched the box. The Golden Gew-Gaw was not there.

‘There was a ring in it too,’ said John.

‘With a big red stone,’ added Rosemary.

‘Oh yes, I forgot about that,’ said Mrs Bodkin. ‘I found it on the floor when I’d put the box on the shelf for safety. Nearly trod on it. I slipped it on my finger while I finished the wash, just to keep it safe ... and then it happened. I must have come over queer. I shall have to see a doctor.’

She put a hand to her forehead and John and Rosemary gave one another an anxious glance.

‘I’m so sorry,’ said Rosemary. ‘Do sit down and tell us about it!’

Mrs Bodkin sank gratefully into the chair that John brought forward.

‘I don’t know what came over me,’ she said. ‘I’d done all the cooking, and polished most of the furniture for the Sale tomorrow, and then I

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