Time at the Top by Ormondroyd Edward

Author:Ormondroyd, Edward [Ormondroyd, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Purple House Press
Published: 2011-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

10. Quest for a Map

Susan could not see what effect this announcement had on Robert and Victoria, but she could imagine it from the state of her own feelings. She could not have been more shocked if her own father had announced his ruin.

Robert, as befitted a soldier and the man of the family, was the first to recover. “Don’t worry, Mama,” he quavered. “I’ll go to work. I can be an office boy, or work for a newspaper, or something …”

“That’s my brave Bobbie.”

There was a confused moment of sobbing and murmuring and back-patting, which, as it turned out, was fortunate; because at that very moment Susan said “Oh!” rather loudly, without being able to help herself, and she would have been heard if the Walkers had not been so occupied. It was Robert’s mention of the word “newspaper” that did it. Newspaper! She had been looking at one just before getting on the elevator …

When Mrs. Walker had regained some measure of control over her voice, she said, “It’s far from hopeless, children. We’ll — we’ll sell the house. Mr. Branscomb says it will be hard to find a buyer, it’s so far from town, but we’ll be able to borrow something on it meanwhile. I’m going to write to Cousin Jane; she’ll be willing to take us in for a while, and then we can — we can look about us and see what’s to be done. Vicky, dear, you’re so pale! I’m sorry I frightened you, but the thing has to be faced. We’ll just have to be brave, that’s all. The Walkers may be down but they’ve never been out!”

“I’m not out,” said Robert.

“You’re being wonderful, dear. But then I knew you would be. Well! Come along, we’ll all have some hot tea. Remember what your Papa always said: ‘Never make an important decision without drinking a cup of tea and having a good night’s sleep.’ We’ll just pretend that he’s still with us, and behave as he’d expect us to; and everything will turn out all right, I’m sure.”

“We’ll be down in a minute, Mama. I want to talk to Vic — privately, please.”

“All right, dear. Come as soon as you can. I’ll have Maggie put the kettle on.”

The door had no sooner closed than Susan was scrambling out from under the bed. “Listen!” she hissed excitedly. “Listen, I —”

“Gosh, Sue, did you hear that?” Robert said. “We’ve lost all our money — really lost it!”

“Listen, don’t worry! I know where —!”

“It’s a judgment on us!” Victoria whispered. Her face was very pinched and white. “We told a big lie, and it’s coming true, to punish us. Oh!” she cried, throwing herself across the bed and bursting into tears, “why didn’t I listen to you, Bobbie? You said it was wrong. Now it’s coming true, it’s coming true! Oh, if Mama gets smallpox now, I’ll just kill myself!”

“Don’t talk that way, Vic. It couldn’t be our doing. Mama said it’s been coming for a long time.

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