(9/13)The School at Thrush Green (14 page)

'I'll look after my own dog, thank you,' replied Percy nastily. 'You stay here with Gyp and I'll ring young Bailey.'

He departed, leaving Ben and Dorothy eyeing the dog.

'Do you think we should lift him on to the verge?' asked Dorothy.

'Best not move him. He may have something wrong inside. We'll stay with him till the vet comes.'

'Will he die, Ben?'

Ben looked up at his distraught pupil and gave his slow reassuring smile.

'I'll take my oath, he don't,' he said. 'My guess is he's concussed, just knocked out. This 'ere graze and cut is nothing much. He'll be all right this time next week.'

'I should have seen him.'

'You had no chance. He run into you at the side. Don't you fret, miss. You've nothing to blame yourself for.'

At that moment, Percy reappeared.

'We're lucky. Surgery girl just caught the vet leaving Bill Bottomley's at Nidden. He's coming straight here.'

Dorothy strove to behave calmly. 'I'm extremely sorry to have hurt your dog, Mr Hodge, but it was entirely its fault. Ben here saw exactly what happened.'

'I don't care who saw what or whose fault it was,' declared Percy, now down on his knees beside the recumbent animal, 'but I paid good money for that dog and I'll need compensation and the vet's fees too.'

Dorothy was about to say that she would be pleased to do so, when she caught Ben's eye, saw the almost imperceptible shake of his head, and remained silent.

The dog now gave a little whimper and opened his eyes. At that moment David Bailey's Land Rover arrived on the scene, and the three stood up with relief.

'My old friend Gyp in trouble, eh?' he said, squatting down beside him. The dog began to thump his tail.

The vet ran expert fingers over the animal's body, while the others watched anxiously.

'As far as I can see he's had a bit of concussion, and this cut could do with a couple of stitches and cleaning up. If you give me a hand, Percy, I'll take him back with me to the surgery for a proper check-up. No bones broken luckily.'

'What a relief!' cried Dorothy.

'No thanks to you,' exclaimed Percy, rounding on her. 'Proper careless driving caused this, Mr Bailey. I reckon it's a case for the police.'

'If you take my advice,' said the vet who had heard all this before, 'you won't get involved with the law. The dog's not badly injured, and should have been under control in any event. Now, you lift his legs gently, Percy, and we'll get him into the van.'

'I'm coming too,' said Percy.

'So I should hope,' replied David Bailey shortly. 'Get in the front.'

'I'll telephone in an hour or two,' promised Dorothy, 'to see how he's got on.'

Percy gazed stonily ahead of him, making no reply, as the Land Rover drove slowly away.

'Oh, Ben,' quavered Dorothy, 'what a terrible thing to happen! What shall I do?' There were tears on her cheeks, and Ben's kind heart was stirred.

'You get in the car, and I'll drive us home. Remember you've nothing to blame yourself for, and don't give old Percy Hodge money for nothing. It only puts you in the wrong.'

'Well, I do see that,' admitted Dorothy, busy with her handkerchief, 'but I truthfully would feel so much better if I could have the vet's bill.'

'That's up to you,' said Ben. 'I'd probably do the same. But don't you have no truck with Percy's threats about the law. That dog had no right to be loose like that, and Perce knows it. I bet them cows is all over the road up Nidden by now,' he added with considerable satisfaction. 'Give him something to think about.'

By now they had arrived at the school house, and Dorothy's tears had dried.

'I can't thank you enough, Ben,' she said shakily. 'You were a tower of strength. I was reminded of your grandmother who was such a wonderful woman, I've been told, and a great help in trouble.'

'It was nothing, miss. Don't go worrying about it, and don't forget I'm coming to take you out again tomorrow evening. You mustn't look upon this as a set-back. It could have happened to anyone. Why, I once ran into one of my gran's fair ponies!'

'Really? What happened?'

'Nothing to the pony. But it dented the front of my motor bike something horrible.'

Charles and Dimity Henstock had no need to brace themselves to approach the Misses Lovelock, for Nelly Piggott had also heard about Doreen Lilly, from Gladys her mother, after a bingo session one evening.

'I know some old ladies who want some help,' said Nelly hesitantly. 'But I'm not sure whether the job would suit her.'

'She can but try,' responded Mrs Lilly. 'She knows she'll have to knuckle down to a bit of hard work to keep herself and the boy. But she's certainly not living with me! For one thing I've no room, and after two days we'd be fighting like Kilkenny cats.'

'I'll do what I can,' promised Nelly, feeling some sympathy for the daughter and her problems.

The Misses Lovelock were duly informed at their next Wednesday lunch at The Fuchsia Bush, and word was sent to Gladys Lilly that they would be pleased to interview Doreen as soon as possible.

'Not that I am altogether happy about the idea of employing an unmarried mother,' observed Ada, when the sisters were back in their cluttered drawing-room.

'Oh, really, Ada,' exclaimed Violet, 'what difference will it make to her housework?' She was struggling with that day's crossword puzzle, and finding an anagram of 'grenadine' particularly elusive.

'It's not her
housework
that is in question, but her
morals
,' pointed out Bertha.

'Well, we can't do much about that,' said Violet flatly. 'It sounds to me as though she has had a hard time. Nelly said the father has vanished completely, and left this poor girl in the lurch.'

'It is very unwise,' pronounced Ada, 'to try and prejudge the girl, and to let our hearts rule our heads. All we can do is to sum up her abilities when she comes for interview, and to show her what will be required of her. I gather from Nelly that the girl has first to find lodgings, as Mrs Lilly has no room for the daughter and child.'

'What about our top floor?' said Violet. 'There's our old nursery and the maid's bedroom.'

'Out of the question,' said Ada, rolling up her knitting. 'This house is
quite
unsuitable for a young child.'

Violet was about to say that all three of them had been born and reared in this same house, but Ada had on the look which brooked no arguing, and in any case Violet had just realized that 'endearing' fitted her clue, and so busied herself in filling it in.

It was unfortunate that the very morning after Dorothy's accident, Agnes had found the little cat unusually affectionate towards her.

It had allowed her to stroke its ears, and to pat its back very gently near the tail, and in return had patted Agnes's shoe-lace in a remarkably playful manner. Little Miss Fogerty was entranced, and prattled happily at the breakfast table upon such agreeable progress.

Dorothy, still shaken by her ordeal, and awaiting further news from Percy Hodge with some trepidation, found Agnes's enthusiasm hard to bear. Kindly though she was in disposition, on this particular morning Dorothy found the animal kingdom decidedly irritating.

'Don't make too much fuss of it,' she said crossly. 'It will be coming into the house next.'

Agnes curbed her tongue. It was plain that poor Dorothy was still upset about Percy Hodge's dog, and who could wonder at that? A truly dreadful experience, and Percy could be a formidable opponent if it came to warfare.

At that moment the telephone rang and Dorothy hurried to answer it. Agnes listened anxiously, and for once did not close the hall door.

'I am greatly relieved to hear it,' said Dorothy.

There was a pause.

'It was good of you to ring so promptly. I have been very worried.'

There was a second pause. Agnes debated whether to put a saucer over Dorothy's coffee.

'By all means send Mr Bailey's account to me. I should like to pay it, although as Ben pointed out, it was really the dog that was at fault.'

The third pause seemed longer than ever, and Agnes could hear Dorothy's fingernail tapping on the telephone rest - a bad sign. It might be as well to put the coffee back in the saucepan, at this rate.

'Well, we're not going to discuss that now, Mr Hodge,' said Dorothy, in her most headmistressy voice. 'The main thing is that Gyp has recovered, and I'm sure you will see that he is under control in the future.'

She put down the receiver briskly, and returned to the breakfast table. Apart from unusually flushed cheeks, she seemed calm.

'Thank heaven that dog is all right,' she sighed. 'Now Agnes, you were telling me about the cat.'

'Another time will do,' said Agnes with dignity.

The Misses Lovelock interviewed Miss Lilly in their dining-room. They sat in a row at one side of the immense mahogany table, and Doreen on the other, facing them.

She was a wispy little thing with fluffy fair hair, and a permanently open mouth, indicative of adenoids. But she was soberly dressed and was clean and polite.

Miss Violet's kind heart warmed to her. She looked so young to be the mother of a three-year-old.

The girl confessed that she had no written references from her previous post, but said that she knew her employer's name and address and the number of her telephone.

'I was there nearly two years,' she said. 'She'll speak for me, I know. It was after that row with my boyfriend I decided I'd be better off nearer my mum.'

'A row?' queried Bertha.

'That's when he lit off,' explained Doreen.

'Lit off?' said Ada.

'Cleared out,' said Doreen.

'Cleared out?' echoed Bertha.

'Slung his hook,' agreed Doreen.

'Slung - ' began Violet. 'You mean he left you?'

'S'right,' acknowledged the girl.

'And you do not expect to see him again?' asked Ada.

'Hope not. About as much use as a sick headache he is. Better off without him.'

'Well, in that case,' said Ada, 'you had better come and see the kitchen first.'

The three old ladies shepherded the girl all over the house. She made no comment as she was led from the kitchen's archaic grandeur, to the drawing-room, study, and then up the lofty staircase to the over-furnished bedrooms above.

After twenty minutes all four returned to their seats in the dining-room. Violet thought that the girl looked somewhat over-awed at the prospect before her.

Miss Ada produced a paper and pencil. 'Perhaps you would write down the name, address and telephone number of your last employer. That is, of course, if you feel that you want the post.'

'What wages would you be offering, miss?'

Ada told her.

'But I was getting twice that before,' she protested, 'and only half the work as you've got here.'

'My sisters and I will consider an increase, and let you know,' said Ada.

She pushed the paper and pencil towards the girl, and with some hesitation the prospective maid began to write.

'I'm not putting my name to it,' she said, looking bewildered.

'There's no need,' Ada assured her. 'I simply want to speak to this Mrs Miller - or is it Mitter?' She squinted at the paper, holding it at arm's length.

'Mrs Miller.'

'If all is satisfactory, could you start next Monday?' 'Well, I could, I suppose. Nine till twelve, my mum said.'

'That is correct. Three mornings a week. Definitely Mondays, and we can arrange the other mornings to suit you. I think a week's notice either way would be best. If you call again on Friday morning I can let you know what we have decided would be a fair remuneration, and you can give us your decision then.'

The three ladies rose, and ushered Doreen to the door.

When she had vanished round the bend of Lulling High Street, the three sisters discussed the affair.

'I do think,' said Violet, suddenly emboldened, 'that you were rather high-handed, Ada. Why couldn't we have had a word together and raised her wages then and there?'

'One doesn't want to rush into these things,' replied Ada. 'I still have to discover from Mrs Miller what sort of person she is.'

'She didn't look very
strong,
' observed Bertha.

'And one must check her
truthfulness,
' continued Ada. 'How do we know that she was getting twice the amount we offered? We'll be in a better position to discuss terms when I have telephoned Mrs Miller this evening. Do the cheap rates start at six or six-thirty? I can never remember.'

It was at the next bingo session that Gladys Lilly told Nelly about the job which Doreen had accepted after a good deal of thought, and some prodding from her mother.

'Well now,' said Nelly, 'she's a brave girl, and I only hope she knows what she's let herself in for. You tell her to pop round to the kitchen at The Fuchsia Bush before she takes up the job on Monday. I can give her a few tips about them old ladies, and the best way to manage 'em. And if she wants my advice, tell her to make sure she never agrees to do the cooking.'

'I'll tell her to look in,' promised Mrs Lilly. 'And she asked me to thank you for finding her the place.'