Читать книгу Holiday House - Enid blyton - Страница 5

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The twins went out of the room with the little black poodle, down the corridor, through the narrow stone passage and out into the wider corridor whose windows overlooked the sea. They paused for a moment to gloat over the big stretch of brilliant blue sea, and then ran down the shallow steps of the great stone staircase.

Ruth was waiting for them, of course! ‘I was just coming to fetch you,’ she said, ‘in case you forgot the way.’

She led them to a door and into a large sunny room with many tables. A big one stood in the middle.

‘This is the dining-room,’ said Ruth. ‘In summer, when we have lots of children, it is quite full. But now it seems very empty. You have to sit at this table here with Mummy and me and Graham and John.’

The twins sat down obediently, and Tippy lay down at their feet. She was really a very well-behaved little dog. Pat looked round the room. There were only three other people there—a woman in a nurse’s uniform, very clean and starched, a small girl sitting on a cushion on a chair at the table, and a baby in a high chair next to her.

The baby banged on the table with a spoon. It certainly was rather ugly, as Ruth had said in the car, but it was a cheerful, merry little thing. The twins could not tell if it was a boy or a girl, for its curly head and big mouth could quite well belong to either.

The small girl, Maureen, was a very dainty little thing, with fine golden curls fluffed up, and beautiful manners. The nurse was cutting up bread and butter into jam sandwiches for her.

‘She’s spoilt!’ said Ruth, in a loud whisper. ‘She has everything she asks for. The baby’s spoilt too. Fancy letting him bang that spoon without stopping!’

The nurse handed Maureen her plate of jam sandwiches. ‘Thank you, Nanny,’ said the little girl. Then she turned to look at the others.

‘I had an ice cream this afternoon,’ she said. ‘And I had a new boat. I’ll show you.’

‘I’ve plenty of boats, thank you,’ said Ruth. ‘I’m tired of seeing yours. You have something new every day. Why don’t you stop that baby banging like that?’

‘Take no notice of Ruth,’ said the nurse to Maureen, who looked as if she was going to burst into tears. ‘There, there, darling—don’t cry. You shall show me your new boat after tea.’

‘Poor darling!’ remarked Ruth. ‘She’s always a poor, dear darling. I wish you’d stop that spoon-banging.’

‘I shall complain to your mother about you again if you interfere,’ said the nurse, crossly. ‘What with you and that boy John, there’s no peace!’

The door flew open at that moment and a small boy came in, about Ruth’s age. He grinned round and then sat down at the table.

‘Can’t we begin?’ he said. ‘I heard the gong. Hallo, Ruth—where did you go in the car this afternoon?’

‘Never you mind,’ said Ruth. ‘These are twins, Patrick and Mary Terry. I’ve told them you’re going tomorrow.’

‘Yes! Because you kept sneaking on me,’ said John. He suddenly put on Ruth’s sharp-sounding voice, mimicking the way she spoke. ‘Oh, Mummy, John climbed up to the top of the tower today, though you told him not. Oh, Mummy, John bathed when the tide was in and you said he wasn’t to. Oh, Mummy, John went into the larder and took some tarts. Oh, Mummy, he jumped out at me and hit me!’

The twins laughed. John really did sound exactly like Ruth. Ruth flew into a temper and gave John a punch. He caught hold of her hands and held them tight.

‘Naughty, naughty! Temper, temper! Apologize, Mummy’s little tell-tale, or I’ll not let you go!’

The door opened again and in came two more people—Mrs Holly and a big dark boy with a gloomy face. ‘Gloomy Graham, of course,’ thought Mary. ‘Good—now perhaps we can begin tea, and have a little peace from Ruth.’

‘Haven’t you begun tea?’ said Mrs Holly, in surprise. ‘I sent John to tell you not to wait for me.’

‘Well, he didn’t come and tell us,’ said Ruth. ‘He’s only just arrived, Mummy, tell him to leave go my hands.’

‘Apologize then, apologize, Mummy’s little tell-tale, Mummy’s little sneak!’ said John.

‘That’s enough, John,’ said Mrs Holly. ‘Let Ruth’s hands go, or leave the table. I will not have this behaviour.’

‘Well, you won’t have it much longer, Mrs Holly,’ said John, letting Ruth’s hands go. ‘I’m leaving tomorrow, hurrah, hurrah!’

‘I can’t imagine what our two new visitors will think of you,’ said Mrs Holly. She turned to the nurse at the table nearby. ‘And how is that darling baby, and dear little Maureen?’ she asked.

‘I’ve got a new boat,’ said Maureen. ‘I’ll show it to you after tea.’

‘Do, darling,’ said Mrs Holly, and caught sight of a sudden scowl on Ruth’s face. She sighed. Why was Ruth so difficult? Why wasn’t she a bit more like that pretty, good-mannered Maureen? Really, she could be a very naughty little girl at times!

She caught sight of John putting jam and potted meat together on a slice of bread and butter. He grinned at her.

‘You know you mustn’t do that,’ she said. John popped the whole sandwich into his mouth at once. He gave it one bite and swallowed it.

‘Sorry!’ he said. ‘I had to eat it quickly in case you told me to give it to you. Shall I tell you all the bad things I’ve done today, before Ruth tells you?’

‘No,’ said Mrs Holly. ‘I’m really tired of you and your behaviour, John. I’m sorry to say that I shall be very glad to say goodbye to you tomorrow—you’ll be the first child I’ve ever felt like that about.’

The tea was very, very good—there were the hot scones that the twins had smelt as they entered the house, and big buttery slices of home-made bread, with jam, honey or potted meat to go with it. There were little curranty rock-cakes that melted in your mouth, a big fruit-cake, and a fat sponge sandwich with strawberry jam in the middle.

The twins were very hungry and they enjoyed their tea. Mrs Holly smiled at them, glad to see two well-behaved children. She had had a truly dreadful time with John, who had made Ruth even worse than usual—what a good thing he was going tomorrow!

‘Would you like Ruth to take you down to the beach after tea?’ she asked the twins. Pat shook his head at once, emptying his mouth quickly to answer.

‘No, thank you, Mrs Holly,’ he said. ‘We’ve still got our things to unpack. We’ll explore on our own when we’ve finished.’

Mary had been watching the big boy, Graham, eating his tea. Except for saying ‘Hallo, kids,’ in a rather surly voice when Mrs Holly told him their names, he hadn’t said a single word.

‘No wonder Ruth called him Gloomy Graham!’ Mary thought. ‘He looks as if he couldn’t smile at all, and he’s got quite a wrinkled forehead even though he’s only fifteen. All the same, he has quite a nice face.’

Mrs Holly chatted away through tea, talking to everyone, the nurse included. She was a pleasant, cheerful person, not in the least like her sharp, bossy little daughter! She turned to the silent Graham and asked him a question.

‘Well, how did you get on with your work today, Graham? All right, I hope?’

‘Yes, thanks, Mrs Holly,’ said Graham.

‘Do you miss Mr Snell, your tutor, very much?’ asked Mrs Holly. ‘I hear he is getting on fairly well at the hospital. You’ll be going to see him soon, I expect?’

‘Yes, when I’m allowed to,’ said Graham. ‘I do miss him—but I like being on my own.’

‘You’re on your own too much,’ said Mrs Holly. ‘I don’t like to see a young boy all on his own as much as you are! Wouldn’t you like to come for a picnic with us tomorrow?’

‘I’ve too much work to do,’ said Graham, hurriedly. ‘Thank you all the same.’

Tea was soon over—and nearly every plate and dish had been emptied, except for the one that held the big fruit-cake. The twins felt cheerful. If tea was like this, what would the other meals be like?

The nurse took Maureen and the baby out. ‘Come, darling,’ she said to Maureen. ‘We’ll fetch your new boat and you shall show it to kind Mrs Holly.’

‘But not to that horrid, disgusting girl Ruth, dear, darling Maureen,’ said Ruth under her breath. Pat laughed.

‘What’s wrong with Maureen?’ he said to Ruth. ‘She’s a dear little girl!’

‘Pooh!’ said Ruth, rudely. ‘She’s spoilt and fussed till I could scream to see her.’

‘I suppose it’s because you had influenza so badly and couldn’t go to school this term that you’re so bad-tempered, Ruth,’ said Graham, unexpectedly. ‘You’ll chase all your mother’s guests away if you go on like this.’

Mrs Holly had gone out of the room. Ruth made a face at Graham. ‘I don’t like Mother having to take other children in,’ she said. ‘She hasn’t enough time for me. You all take away her attention. I’m just nobody.’

‘Stuff!’ said Graham. ‘You’re so prickly that nobody wants you near them—that’s the reason why we don’t like you—and why your mother can’t get near you either!’

He stalked out of the room and went upstairs. Ruth’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. She turned away and stamped her foot.

‘He’s horrid to me!’ she said, fiercely. ‘He always is. So is everybody. And you twins are going to be the same.’

She rushed out of the room and the twins looked at one another in surprise.

‘Goodness—what a whirlwind!’ said Pat. ‘Take no notice of her, Mary. We’ve got each other and we don’t need to bother with Gloomy Graham, or Rattle-Tongued Ruth, or Dear, Darling Maureen!’

‘And John will be gone tomorrow,’ said’ Mary. ‘Though I half wish he wasn’t going. At least he’s cheerful and lively! Come on—let’s unpack, and then we’ll explore.’