Tomorrow, Jerusalem by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788633550
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2018-11-07T00:00:00+00:00

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They arrived in London, hot and tired, a little after tea time. Rachel, heavy-eyed and crumpled, held up her arms to her father. Charlotte, however, stepped brightly down, shaking out her skirts and untying the scarf that fastened her hat, looking round expectantly. ‘Where is everybody?’

‘Taken some of the youngsters to the park for a picnic. They’ll be back soon.’ Will stood at the door, leaning on a stick. ‘Welcome home, my dear.’ His old eyes sparkled as they always did at sight of her pretty face. ‘We’ve missed you.’

‘Thank you.’ She dropped a quick and slightly absent kiss upon his cheek. ‘And Cousin Philippe? Is he here?’

He shook his head. ‘No. He’s gone off with the others to Regent’s Park. In fact it was his idea. But they won’t be long now.’

‘Oh.’ Disappointment pulled down the corners of Charlotte’s mouth a little. Then she brightened. All the better, it gave her a chance to make herself especially pretty. ‘Ben – I really feel a terrible fright. I’ll bathe, I think, and change my clothes before we eat. Nurse – take Rachel to the nursery, please, for tea. And then straight to bed, if you please. She’s had a very tiring day.’

‘But Mama!’ Rachel was outraged. The only thing that had kept her cheerful during the long, hot journey back had been the thought of meeting her intriguing-sounding second cousin from Belgium, wherever that was. A sharp-eyed and quick-witted child, she had not missed her mother’s interest.

Charlotte quelled her with an irritated glance. ‘Bed,’ she said.

It was more than two hours later in the long June twilight that the picnic party returned.

Charlotte heard the singing before, looking out of her bedroom window, she saw a wide cart drawn by an ancient, shambling horse pull into the courtyard. Ralph held the reins, Hannah, laughing and dishevelled, beside him. The flat body of the cart was a tumble of children, in the midst of whom Sally Smith stood, swaying to the movement, hatless and breathless with laughter. ‘Today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic!’ Seated upon a bale of hay in the corner of the vehicle sat a figure in straw hat and shirtsleeves, his jacket flung carelessly over one shoulder, the long, dark, amused face Charlotte remembered so well lifted to the singer. As she watched he unfolded his tall, oddly elegant frame, vaulted lightly over the shallow side of the cart and lifted a courteous hand to help Sally down.

Smiling, Charlotte turned back to her mirror. Outside Sally’s distinctive, husky, slightly off-key voice was threaded with tiredness and laughter. ‘Down you get – Picnic time for teddy bears – the little teddy bears have had a lovely time today. Whoops!’ There came the sound of a tumble, a long, childishly aggrieved wail. The song broke off. ‘Ups-a-daisy,’ Sally said easily, ‘nothing broken.’

What very tiresome beings children were. Charlotte applied herself to her reflection. She did hope that her sojourn by the sea – enjoyable as it

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