The Story of Danny Dunn by Bryce Courtenay

Author:Bryce Courtenay [Courtenay, Bryce]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780670073344
Publisher: Viking
Published: 2009-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

With time running out before Helen left, Danny finally summoned up the courage to broach the subject, expounding the virtues of a harbour-side dwelling, while going fairly light on the disadvantages of the one he was proposing. She agreed, though somewhat reluctantly, to view it. ‘Why don’t we invite Franz along? He’s always on about waterfront property, and he’s in commercial law and knows a bit about real estate.’

Danny cleared this throat. ‘Hrrrmph! Later perhaps. I’ll arrange a private inspection. What say we see what you think first up, eh?’

Danny’s heart sank when they entered the cold, damp building. It smelt overpoweringly of cats’ piss, with a distinct tincture of mould to emphasise the general atmosphere of despair and neglect. They discovered later that the Simpson women had kept fifteen cats, not counting the stray moggies that customarily dropped in for a feed, that turned the house into a cats’ toilet. Everywhere they looked there were stacks of newspapers, all, it seemed, the Sydney Morning Herald. The Simpson twins were obviously well brought up.

The interior, in its own way, was much worse than the exterior. Everything they touched was dirty, damp, and stank of cat and decay. But, to his surprise, Helen simply adored it.

‘The furniture is mid-Victorian and only the best of its kind. If we can restore it, it will come up wonderfully,’ she exclaimed.

‘You sure, darling?’ Danny asked, unable to believe his ears.

Every cupboard, sideboard and breakfront revealed more treasures: ornate chamber pots, bedroom jug-and-basin sets, five complete bone-china dinner services, beautiful copper pots, pans and kitchen utensils green with verdigris, antimacassars, doilies, embroidered tea cloths all stained with mildew. They found a canteen of Victorian silver cutlery, the bone handles on the knives loose and shrunken with age. Once-beautiful embroidered linen sheets were dappled with mildew. Hand-tinted colour portraits of ancient whiskered ancestors hung from the wall.

‘It’s like a combination of walking into an old newspaper repository and a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,’ Helen cried. ‘Oh, how divine!’

‘It’s a shitheap! I mean the contents, not the house,’ Danny added quickly.

‘It’s a mess, I grant you, a terrible one.’ She glanced up at Danny, eyes shining. ‘But not a hopeless one.’

‘Yeah?’ Danny exclaimed, still not believing what he was hearing. ‘Really and truly?’ he asked, using one of the twins’ expressions.

Helen laughed. ‘Poor old dump. It’s a bit like your face, darling. Once it was probably much too handsome, now it’s been brutally battered, but I do believe we’ll be able to improve it so much that I’ll grow very fond of it.’

The house came up for auction two days before Helen was due to depart. There were only two bidders – curiously enough the other was also a lawyer, though it turned out he was acting on behalf of a client. He seemed taken aback by the presence of Danny and Helen and it was obvious he’d expected to pick up the property for a song, because he withdrew when he

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