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.’She was toothless.She had false teeth but only wore them for company or occasions like the Church Feast, when she had dreadful trouble with macaroon crumbs.Being toothless made her look quite old, but she was in fact quite young, in her early forties.Her hair was straight and lank, and on her head was a brown beret which she wore as constantly as her rubber boots and for the same reason.‘Walked up, did you, in this dirty weather?’‘I've got Tiger.Do you mind if he comes in?’ Which was a pretty silly question because Tiger was already in, soaking wet and sniffing at Mrs Mudge's pig bucket.She swore cheerfully at him, and aimed a kick, so he retreated to the rag-rug by the range and settled down to clean himself up, with sloppy, slow licks.Loveday pulled off her raincoat and draped it over a chair, then reached out and took a bit of raw pastry and ate it.Mrs Mudge cackled with laughter.‘Never known such a maid for raw pastry.’‘It's delicious.’‘Want a cup of tea, do you?’Loveday said yes, not because she particularly wanted one, but drinking tea with Mrs Mudge was part of tradition.‘Where's Walter?’‘Up the top field with his father.’ Mrs Mudge abandoned her potatoes and filled her kettle and put it on to boil.‘Want to see him, did you?’‘Well, he wasn't at the stables this morning, and by the time I'd got there he'd turned the horses out.’‘Went down to the stables early, he did, because his dad wanted him to help stank up one of the walls.Two cows got out onto the road last night, pesky brutes.What did you want Walter for?’‘Just to tell him something.But you can give him the message.It's just that I'm going away tomorrow, to Porthkerris, for a week, so he'll have to see to everything for the horses.But there's plenty of hay, and I cleaned all the tack last night.’‘I'll tell him.Chase him off and make sure he don't forget.’ Reaching up, Mrs Mudge took her tea-caddy, decorated with portraits of Royalty, from the mantelshelf, and then her brown teapot from the side of the range.‘Why are you off to Porthkerris?’‘I'm going to stay with the Warrens, with Judith.They've asked me to go too.Judith's going for two weeks, and I very nearly said no, but then I thought it might be rather fun.But I feel a bit badly about leaving the new pony, but Pops said he thought I should go.Besides, and you'll never believe this, Mrs Mudge, Judith and I are going to drive ourselves! Judith's gone off today with Mr Baines, the solicitor, and he's going to help her buy a car for herself.And she's only eighteen.Don't you think she's a lucky mucker? It's going to be new, too.Not second-hand.’Mrs Mudge, clattering cups and saucers, paused open-mouthed at this news.‘A car of her own! You can hardly believe it, can you? And going off, two young ladies, on your own.Just hope you don't have a crash and kill yourselves.’ Having made the tea, Mrs Mudge took, from an earthenware crock, a saffron loaf from which she proceeded to cut inch-thick slices.‘The Warrens? Is that Jan Warren, the grocer?’‘That's right.He's got a daughter called Heather.She was Judith's friend at Porthkerris school.And she's got two frightfully good-looking brothers called Paddy and Joe.’Mrs Mudge let out a crow.‘Oh…so that's why you're going!’‘Oh, don't be silly, Mrs Mudge, of course it isn't.’‘Don't know them well, of course, but the Warrens are distant kin of mine.Daisy Warren was a cousin of my Aunt Flo.Aunt Flo married Uncle Bert.Big family they are, the Warrens.And Jan Warren was a one when he was a young man, wild as a goat, none of us ever thought he'd settle down.’‘He's still the most dreadful tease.’Mrs Mudge poured the tea, pulled out a chair and settled down to a good chat.‘What else is going on, down at the house? Full up yet, are you?’‘The very opposite.Pops and Judith and I are the only ones there.Athena's still in London, and Edward's being frightfully grand in the south of France, and as usual we don't know when he's coming home.’‘What about your mother?’Loveday made a face.‘She went off yesterday, to London.She drove the Bentley and took Pekoe with her.’‘She went to London?’ Mrs Mudge looked amazed, as well she might.‘With you all coming home, and the middle of the holidays?’ And indeed, Diana Carey-Lewis had never done such a thing before.But Loveday, despite feeling a bit put out at her mother's defection, thought that she understood.‘Between you and me, Mrs Mudge, I think she got a bit depressed and miserable.She needed to get away.Athena always cheers her up, and I suppose she wanted a change.’‘What does she want a change for, then?’‘Well, admit, everything is a bit depressing, isn't it? I mean the news, and everybody talking about wars, and Edward's joined the Royal Air Force Reserve, and I think that frightens her.And Pops is a bit down in the mouth as well, and insists on listening to all the news bulletins, full-blast, and they're digging up Hyde Park for air-raid shelters, and he seems to think we're all going to be gassed.Not much fun to live with really.So she just packed a suitcase and went.’‘How long is she staying away?’‘Oh, I don't know.A week.Two weeks [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]