Читать книгу Dimanche Diller - Henrietta Branford - Страница 11

Six

Polly Pugh’s employer encouraged her to take Dimanche away on holiday every summer – provided, of course, that Polly paid for everything out of her wages. Since Polly’s wages were extremely small – all nannies’ wages are, I don’t know why – these holidays were not luxurious. That couldn’t have mattered less. In fact, it was probably more fun that way.

Polly bought a little tent, just big enough for two, and a little stove, and two saucepans, and two mugs and two plates and two knives and two forks. She also bought two sleeping bags and two pairs of gumboots and two mackintoshes, all of which you have to have for camping. For several summers, she and Dimanche spent the month of August under canvas.

At first these holidays were taken by the seaside. Long summer days were spent staring into rock pools, building strange and complicated sand structures, paddling, and later swimming in the small green waves, or just sunbathing. In the evenings Polly and Dimanche cooked delicious meals, sang, and played duets on their harmonicas.

Polly was surprised, as time went on, to find that her employer suggested increasingly daring holidays. Polly knew that children need adventure, but she had not expected her employer to feel the same. In the past she had shown absolutely no understanding of what a growing child needs.

“Teach the child deep-sea diving,” she suggested, as soon as Dimanche could swim. “Never mind the treacherous tides, you mustn’t mollycoddle her. At her age I could swim the channel with my eyes shut.” This was completely untrue – Valburga couldn’t swim a stroke and never had been able to. “Take her somewhere warm and tropical, Miss Pugh. Somewhere with large and interesting fish.” Luckily this particular idea came to nothing, because of how much money it costs to go somewhere warm and tropical.