Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn by Eve Garnett

Author:Eve Garnett [Garnett, Eve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241355886
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Published: 2019-06-06T00:00:00+00:00

‘You have selected two very charming poems, my child,’ he said catching up with Kate as they came out of the hall, ‘an unusual choice; I shall look forward to hearing them. What’s that – you’re “ever so nervous”! Bless me, most of us are when we get on a platform – or I might add in a pulpit. Yes,’ as Kate looked incredulous, ‘even after forty years! But,’ he stopped a moment and put a hand on her shoulder, ‘I’ll let you into a secret! Forget yourself – though I know,’ and he gave a little laugh, then sighed, ‘that is very, very much easier said than done … Well, I must be off to my supper. Good night – and God bless you.’

Kate woke early next morning. It was fine and sunny; small white clouds sailed slowly in a clear, pale-blue sky; swallows went swooping by and there were happy twitterings in the thatch above the window. Had it been an ordinary Saturday it would have been just the day for a long walk with Mr Wildgoose and The Dog Daisy, or even better, a picnic. As it was, the thought of The Concert weighed on her spirits. Though she was sure she knew her poems inside out, the thought of standing on a stage in front of all those people she didn’t know – or, worse in some ways, those she did, was terrifying. She had heard the vicar’s ‘secret’ before, but neither he nor anyone else ever gave a hint of how to set about it! She lay for a while looking at the sailing clouds, and listening to the chirpings in the thatch … She would say each poem and the ‘perhaps encore’ through just once more, very slowly, then it would be time to get up … When she came down breakfast was not quite ready and she wandered into the garden for a few words with the tethered Dog Daisy who, her resentful yappings quickly turning to barks of joy, leapt roughly about her, thrusting a cold wet nose into her outstretched hands. A few minutes later Mr Wildgoose appeared with an enormous bowl of bread and milk and leaving The Dog Daisy eating ravenously, they went back together to the house.

Unlike The Dog Daisy. Kate had little appetite for her breakfast – a fact which Mrs Wildgoose, who was beginning to think she would be quite glad when The Concert was over, noticed but did not remark upon; she was quieter than usual too and very soon after breakfast was over, though it was long before ‘nine-thirty sharp’, slipped away to the village hall. Early as she was, she was by no means the first to arrive. Through the open door came the sound of voices and of hammering and in the road outside stood Miss Alison’s car from which she and a young gardener from The Priory were unloading large pots of schizanthus and pelargoniums and other greenhouse plants, reluctantly and

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