Gaze at the Moon by Joanna Cannan

Author:Joanna Cannan [Cannan, Joanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jane Badger Books

6

I was terribly stiff next morning. Min said it was rheumatism from getting wet and I must stay in the warm; Judy wanted to give me a Home Perm so that I should look respectable at tea when Raymond was coming and bringing his younger brother, Howard; Quest wanted me to take him for a walk; and my father wanted me to plant bulbs and save him stooping. I refused the Home Perm and staying in the warm and promised to plant bulbs and take Quest out in the afternoon, and then I rushed off as fast as my stiff legs would carry me. I was early for the bus, so I walked on to save a penny, and by the time that I had reached the next stopping place my legs were almost normal.

William and Cameo arrived only a few moments after I did and we had a most enjoyable morning. We mucked out six boxes, swept the yard and tidied the midden, and Catriona was very pleased because she had been to a party the night before and felt as weak as a kitten. We would have cleaned the tack only we had to leave in time to get to our homes for our Sunday dinners.

I spent the afternoon as I had promised and did my best to look respectable for Judy’s tea­ party. Howard was awful. He talked about football, too, and invited me to go in a coach to see Arsenal play Manchester United. I said I couldn’t because I worked in a riding school on Saturdays and Min began to say that, as Catriona only paid my bus fares, I wasn’t bound to go every Saturday, so I tried to kick her under the table, but, by mistake, I kicked Raymond and he shrieked with pain and said I had caught his bunion. Judy said he oughtn’t to have a bunion at his age and he seemed rather annoyed and didn’t speak for quite ten minutes. However, Judy tactfully talked about Arsenal and he couldn’t help joining in again.

Monday, unlike most Mondays, was a successful day from the beginning. I got full marks for an essay on Trees and Miss Baker actually chose my backcloth for the Christmas crib. It wasn’t very nice because we had to use poster paints, but bright colours are not so bad for Eastern landscapes. After school I rushed home and Min let me have tea early. Then I caught a bus for Alton Village, which is in the country, but only a few miles from the town.

Alton Manor is an Elizabethan house, which was defended against the Roundheads in the days of Charles the First. The family, who had lived in it then, had gradually lost their money and in the end they had sold it to Sir Samuel Tranter, Bart., who was an ironmaster and owned the enormous foundry in the town. Sir Samuel was now dead, but his son, William, had succeeded to the foundry and the baronetcy and the house.

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