Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett

Author:Eve Garnett [Garnett, Eve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241355862
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Published: 2019-03-13T00:00:00+00:00

2

The sun was not shining quite so brightly when, just before three o’clock, Kate and Peg set forth alone for the party. There were storm clouds over ‘the rainy quarter’ again – and there were storm clouds on Peg’s face too! There had been a sharp tussle of wills in the top bedroom not many minutes earlier. Leaving Peg dressed and ready all but her socks and shoes, Kate had run down to the kitchen to fetch her dress which Elsie had somehow managed to find time to iron. When she returned, Peg’s socks and shoes were on, and in addition she was struggling into a not-very-tidy-looking jersey on top of her clean cotton frock.

‘Whatever are you doing of?’ exclaimed Kate as Peg’s face, scarlet with exertion, emerged through the neck of the jersey while her arms waved wildly, half in and half out of the flapping sleeves. ‘You don’t want a jersey on a day like this – it’s much too hot – and I’ve put your coat ready for coming home in case it rains. Take if off – quick – or we’ll be late! Come here, and I’ll “skin” you out of it,’ and Kate made a grab at her sister. But Peg dodged away and ran over to the other side of the room.

‘I’m not going to take it off!’ she cried defiantly, and there was a glitter of angry tears in her eyes. ‘I wants to wear it!’

‘But whatever for?’ cried Kate, slipping her newly ironed frock over her head. ‘You’ll be much too hot – and it isn’t even properly clean; you can’t go to a grand party in a jersey like that! Come here at once and let me take it off.’

But Peg refused to move. ‘I wants to wear it special,’ she announced.

‘When you want something “special”,’ said Kate angrily, thinking of the matter of the farthings, ‘it’s always something naughty. If we’d got more time,’ she went on, seizing her belt and buckling it, ‘I’d make you take it off; but we’re late now. Here, let me get your arms into the sleeves if you must wear it!’ And seizing Peg’s arms – rather roughly it must be owned – with a push here and a tug there – she soon had the offending garment on. ‘There! Now we’ll have to go. You do look a little sight! Put on your hat and bring your coat and don’t you dare say one word going downstairs or you’ll wake Jo up!’

‘Goodbye, my dears!’ called Mrs Wildgoose softly from the kitchen as they tiptoed by. ‘Have a lovely time and enjoy yourselves. I only wish I were coming too but I’d not be happy leaving Jo. He’s sleeping lovely, so go quietly as you can down the road. There’s no need to hurry – you’re well in time.’

But all the same, hurry they did! There were no children about so everyone must be there already, said Kate, and she walked as quickly as she possibly could, Peg running and panting like a little dog to keep up.

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