The Kingdom of Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh

Author:Barbara Sleigh
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2007-12-04T08:00:00+00:00

17

Adelaide Row

When they reached home, without a word John and Rosemary made for the Green Cave. Rosemary flopped down with a sigh of relief. She could see where John was sitting by the sudden flattening of grass and fallen leaves beside her. A couple of beetles scuttled away from his invisible weight, protesting in shrill, startled voices.

‘I’m sorry we disturbed you!’ said Rosemary.

‘Nice manners! Nice manners!’ chirruped a sparrow as it hopped on to the next bush.

‘Now then,’ said John. ‘I’ve been doing some pretty hard thinking. We’ve got so many problems to solve that we shall just have to take them as they come. The first is, what are we to say to your mother about me? I can’t go in to dinner like this!’

Rosemary frowned.

‘Couldn’t you send a note to say you’ve been called away on urgent business?’ she suggested.

‘Oh, be your age, Rosie!’ said John. ‘You know very well that your mother would want to know what the urgent business was. And if you told her, she wouldn’t believe a word of it. I shouldn’t blame her, either.’

‘Well, supposing… I know! Go to the telephone box at the end of the road, ring up the Williamses in the flat below, and ask if you can speak to Mum. All you need do is remind her that you were going to see your aunt one day, and would it matter if you did not come home for dinner, and then ring off quickly before she asks awkward questions. I’ve got tuppence.’

John had a penny, and two halfpennies which a kindly passer-by changed for them. Rosemary went with him to the call box. She watched the receiver apparently leap into the air and remain suspended, as John clamped it against his ear. She heard the pennies drop and saw the dial whizzing around of its own accord. After a pause the receiver floated down again and the door suddenly burst open, bumping her painfully on the nose.

‘Sorry,’ said John. ‘I forgot you couldn’t see I was coming out. It’s all right. Your mother didn’t seem to mind a bit. But you’d better hurry up because dinner has been ready for half an hour and it’s spoiling. It’s my favourite, steak and kidney pie and chocolate blancmange. Just my luck.’

‘I’ll bring you some to the greenhouse,’ said Rosemary, ‘as soon as I can. You’d better see if Woppit has had any message from Blandamour.’

It was rather an uncomfortable meal, spent in heading her mother off the subject of John’s sudden passionate desire to see an aunt of whom he was not usually very fond. After dinner, Rosemary was just putting a generous helping on a plate for John when her mother said, ‘Really, darling, I don’t think we can feed Woppit on steak and kidney pie! I’ve put some fish scraps on the cracked dish in the meat safe for her. Wash the dishes for me, dear, will you? I’ve promised to go around to old Mrs Hobby to fit her for a new summer frock.

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