Читать книгу The Rockingdown Mystery - Enid blyton - Страница 3

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“Hallo, Roger!”

“Hallo, Diana! Had a good term?”

The boy and girl grinned at one another, half-shy as they always were when they met again at the end of the school term. They were brother and sister, and rather alike to look at—sturdy, dark-haired with determined chins and wide smiles.

“My train came in twenty minutes before yours,” said Roger. “Bit of luck, breaking up on the same day—we usually don’t. I waited about for you. Now we’ve got to wait for Miss Pepper.”

Diana groaned. She dragged her night-case, her tennis racket and a large brown parcel along with her. Roger had a racket and a case too.

“These aren’t going to be very nice hols,” said Diana, “with Mummy and Daddy away, and us poked down in the country somewhere with Miss Pepper. Whatever made Mummy ask her to look after us? Why couldn’t we have gone to Auntie Pam?”

“Because her kids have got measles,” said Roger. “Miss Pepper isn’t so bad, really—I mean she does understand how hungry we always are, and she does know we like things like sausages and salad and cold meat and potatoes in their jackets and ice-cream and ginger-beer ...”

“Oh, don’t go on—you make me feel hungry already,” said Diana. “What are the plans for to-day, Roger? I only know you were going to meet me and then we were to see Miss Pepper somewhere.”

“I had a letter from Dad yesterday,” said Roger, as they pushed their way through the crowds on the platform. “He and Mummy sail to-day for America. They had fixed up for us to go to Aunt Pam, but the measles knocked that on the head. So Mummy wired to her old governess, Miss Pepper, and got her to fix up to spend the hols with us—and we’re to go to a little cottage somewhere that Dad managed to get hold of in Rockingdown—goodness knows where that is!”

“Where we’re to moulder all the hols, I suppose,” said Diana sulkily. “I think it’s too bad.”

“Well, there’s a riding school not far off and we can ride,” said Roger, “and I believe there’s a river near. We might get a boat. And it’s jolly good country all round Rockingdown for birds and flowers.”

“All very nice for you because you’re so mad on nature,” said Diana. “I shall feel buried alive—no tennis, no parties—and I suppose that horrid little Snubby is coming too.”

“Of course,” said Roger, digging somebody hard with his tennis racket. “Oh, sorry! Did I hurt you? Do let’s get out of this awful crowd, Di. We seem to be going round and round in it.”

“We’ve got into one that’s rushing for a train,” said Diana. “Let them go by, for goodness’ sake. Look, here’s a seat—let’s sit down for a bit. When do we meet Miss Pepper?”

“Not for twenty-five minutes,” said Roger, looking at the station clock. “Shall we go and see if we can get an ice-cream somewhere nearby?”

Diana immediately got up from the seat. “Oh, yes—what a brainwave! Look, there’s the exit. There’ll be a tea-shop or something nearby. We’ll get ices there.”

Over the ices the chatter went on. “You said Snubby was coming, didn’t you?” said Diana as she ate her strawberry ice. “Little pest!”

“Well—he hasn’t got any parents,” said Roger. “That’s pretty awful, you know, Di. He gets kicked about from one aunt to another, poor kid—and he likes coming to us better than anywhere else. He’s not so bad, if only he wouldn’t play the fool so much.”

“Just our luck to have an idiotic cousin with an idiotic dog,” said Diana.

“Oh, I like Loony,” said Roger at once. “He is quite potty, of course—but he’s a lovely spaniel, he really is! Loony’s a wonderful name for him—he’s an absolute lunatic, but honestly he’s wizard, the things he does. I bet he plays Miss Pepper up!”

“Yes. He’ll go off with all her shoes and hide them under a bush, and fight her Sunday hat, and get himself cleverly locked up in the larder,” said Diana. “What about another ice?”

“If Snubby was more our age, it wouldn’t be so bad,” said Roger. “After all, I’m fourteen and you’re thirteen—and he’s only eleven—quite a baby.”

“Well, he doesn’t behave like one,” said Diana, beginning on her second ice. “He behaves like a horrible little imp or goblin or something—always up to mischief of some sort—and thinking he can tag along with us. Oh dear—what with Miss Pepper and Snubby these hols look as if they’ll be awful.”

“Gosh, look at the time,” said Roger. “We shall miss Miss Pepper if we don’t look out. I must get the bill and we’ll go.”

The girl brought him the bill, and he got up with Diana to go to the desk and pay. As they were going out of the door Roger glanced at Diana’s hands. “Idiot! You’ve left your racket and bag at the table. I knew you would. You always do! It’s a marvel to me you ever manage to bring anything home safely!”

“Blow!” said Diana, and went back to get her things, knocking over a chair in her impatience. Roger waited for her patiently, a grin on his good-looking face. Harum-scarum, untidy, impatient Di! He laughed at her, kept her in order, and was very fond of her indeed. He was fond of his cousin Snubby too, with his impudence, sense of fun, and his habit of doing the most surprising and annoying things.

Both Diana and Snubby would have to be kept in order these holidays, Roger was certain. Diana was cross and disappointed at being sent off with Miss Pepper to some place she had never heard of—she would be annoying and perhaps sulky. Snubby would be more aggravating still, because he wouldn’t have Roger’s father to jump on him and yell at him. He would only have Miss Pepper, and Snubby hadn’t much opinion of women.

Loony the dog was, of course, another problem, but a very nice problem indeed. He was a dog who only obeyed one person and that was Snubby. He had never outgrown his habit of chewing things, hiding them and burying them. He went mad quite regularly, racing up and down the stairs, in and out of every room, barking his head off with excitement, and thoroughly upsetting every grown-up within miles.

But he was so beautiful! Roger thought of the little black spaniel with his silky, shining coat, his long drooping ears that always went into his dinner-dish, and his melting, mournful eyes. How lucky Snubby was to have a dog like that! Roger had often smacked Loony hard for being wicked, but he had never ceased to love him. He was glad that Loony was to share the holidays with them, even though it meant having his cousin Snubby too.

“We’ve got to meet Miss Pepper under the station clock,” said Roger. “We’ve got a minute to spare. Look—isn’t that her?”

It was. The children took a good look at their mother’s old governess as they hurried up to her. She was tall, thin, trim, with straight grey hair brushed back under a small black hat. Her eyes behind their glasses were sharp and twinkling. She had a very nice smile as she saw the children hurrying up to her.

“Roger! Diana! Here you are at last—and punctual to the minute too. It’s a year since I saw you, but you haven’t changed a scrap.”

She kissed Diana and shook hands with Roger. “Now,” she said, “we’ve a little time before we have to leave for our train at another station—what about a couple of ices—or have you grown out of your liking for them?”

Roger and Diana brightened up at once. Neither of them said that they had just had two ices each. Diana nudged Roger and grinned. Miss Pepper certainly was good at remembering to provide ice-creams and ginger-beer and the rest. She never failed in that.

“Now—I wonder where we can get ice-creams without going too far,” said Miss Pepper, looking round the station.

“Er—let me see—isn’t there a little tea-shop just outside the station?” said Roger.

“Yes—where they have lovely ices,” said Diana. “Do you remember the way, Roger?”

Roger did, of course, and promptly led the way back to the little tea-shop they had left only a few minutes before. Miss Pepper’s eyes twinkled. She wondered how many ices the two had already had whilst waiting for her.

Roger led his sister and Miss Pepper to a different table this time. He didn’t want the girl to make some remark that would give them away. They ordered ices.

“When is Snubby coming?” asked Diana.

“By train to-morrow,” said Miss Pepper. “With Loony, I fear. I don’t like dogs, as you know, and I like Loony even less than most dogs. It means I shall have to lock up all my slippers and hats and gloves. I never knew such a dog for smelling out things! Never! Last time I stayed with your mother, Roger, I began to think that Loony could undo suitcases, because things I had put in disappeared regularly—and I always found Loony with them sooner or later.”

“I expect Snubby had something to do with that,” said Roger. “He was awful those hols you were there, Miss Pepper. As loony as his dog.”

“Well, I hope Mr. Young will be able to keep Snubby in order,” said Miss Pepper.

There was a sudden startled silence. Roger and Diana looked at Miss Pepper in alarm.

“Mr. Young,” said Roger. “What’s he coming for?”

“To coach you all,” said Miss Pepper, in surprise. “Didn’t you know? I expect you’ll get a letter soon, if you haven’t heard. Your father rang up your schools, you know, to find out what kind of a report you both had, because he knew he wouldn’t get it before he left for America—and you’ve got to have coaching in Latin and maths, Roger, and you in French and English, Diana.”

“Well!” said both children together. “How absolutely foul!”

“Oh, no,” said Miss Pepper. “Mr. Young is very nice—and a very good coach. You’ve had him before.”

“He’s as dry as dust,” said Diana angrily. “Oh, I do think it’s hateful—holidays without Mummy and Daddy, at a place we don’t know anything about—with Mr. Young and lessons—and ...”

“Shut up, Di,” said Roger, afraid that his angry sister would say something about Miss Pepper too. “You know we missed the whole of the Easter term because of scarlet fever—we’re behind in a good many things. I meant to do some work anyhow these hols.”

“Yes—but Mr. Young—with his beard and his sniffs and his ‘My dear young lady!’ ” cried Diana. “I hate him. I’ll jolly well write and tell Daddy what I think of him for——”

“That’s enough, Diana,” said Miss Pepper in a sharp voice.

“Is Snubby having coaching too?” asked Roger, kicking the furious Diana under the table to make her stop working herself into a rage.

“Yes. Unfortunately he had a very bad report from the headmaster,” said Miss Pepper.

“That’s nothing new,” growled Diana. “And I ask you—can Mr. Young do anything at all with Snubby? Snubby will lead him a frightful dance.”

“Shall we have another ice?” said Miss Pepper, looking at her watch. “We’ve just time. Or do you feel too upset to have another?”

They certainly didn’t feel too upset to have another ice and a ginger-beer on top of it. Roger began to talk cheerfully about the happenings of the last term, and Diana gloomed over her ice for a minute or two and then cheered up too. After all, it was holidays—and it would be fun to explore a new place—and there would be riding and perhaps boating. Things might be worse!

“Time to go,” said Miss Pepper. “We’re having dinner on the train. I hope you’ll enjoy that. We shall be at Rockingdown by tea-time. Well, come along—and cheer up, Diana dear—I expect you’ll enjoy the holidays just as you usually do!”