Gemma James 13 - Necessary As Blood by Crombie Deborah

Author:Crombie, Deborah
Language: eng
Format: epub

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

…for home to me was certainly never anything remotely material. It consisted, I have decided, in something I sensed as refuge: an atmosphere of safety in the love between my parents. It came in a tone of voice, in the preparation and eating of meals, in conversations during washing up and being busy in the garden.

—Dennis Severs, 18 Folgate Street: The Tale of a House in Spitalfields

It was rough going at first. Charlotte had come willingly into Gemma’s arms when Betty had dropped her off, but once in the house, the dogs barking and jumping up had frightened her and she had buried her head against Gemma’s shoulder.

“It’s all right, lovey,” Gemma had soothed. “The doggies just want to be friends with you.” But Charlotte had clung even more tightly to Bob, her plush elephant, and watched the dogs with wide, frightened eyes. Naz and Sandra hadn’t had a dog, Gemma thought, so perhaps she wasn’t accustomed to them.

Duncan had changed into T-shirt and jeans and gone out to fetch the boys from the garden. Now, having seen Betty’s little van drive past, they all came trooping in to examine their guest.

“Say hello to Charlotte, boys,” said Gemma.

Toby, already wound up from playing outside and the excitement of Duncan’s homecoming, stomped through the hall shrieking, “I’m Captain Hook, and I’m going to feed you to the crocodile,” and holding up a clawlike hand.

In desperation, they had retired his Pirates of the Caribbean films and replaced them with every version they could find of Peter Pan. Now, Gemma wasn’t sure that had been an improvement.

“Toby, if you can’t behave nicely, you can go to your room,” Gemma told him as Charlotte buried her head still farther.

When Duncan gave him a warning look and said, “Calm down, sport,” Toby subsided a bit, but kept singing under his breath and making little flying motions.

Duncan touched Charlotte’s curls and said gently, “Well, you’re a pretty girl, aren’t you, love?”

Kit, who had been standing back, observing, took charge. “She’s afraid of the dogs,” he whispered, then he turned to Charlotte and said, “Hi, Charlotte. I’m Kit. That’s Tess and that’s Geordie.” He pointed at each dog in turn. “They can do tricks. Would you like to see?”

Charlotte peeped out from Gemma’s shoulder and gave a very small nod.

Kit put the dogs in a sit, then a down. He had Geordie lift a paw to shake hands, and Tess roll over. The little terrier looked so comical with all four legs straight up in the air and her shaggy face upside down that Gemma thought she felt Charlotte begin to giggle. But when Kit asked her if she’d like to shake Geordie’s paw, she shook her head and clutched Gemma more tightly.

“Oh, dear.” Gemma shifted Charlotte a little more securely onto her hip. “Maybe we should put the dogs up for a bit until she gets used to us, at least. And I don’t know what we’ll do for dinner—I never got to the shops. I thought I was going to visit Gran at the hospital, but they sent her home this afternoon.

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