Crystal's Song by Millie Gray Read Free Book Online Page B

introduction only added to Patsy’s bewilderment and the children were greatly amused to see their granny give a small curtsey before replying, “No, I’m Mrs Kelly. The bairns’ grandmother, your ladyship. Dinah, my daughter, the bairns’ mother, had to stay and look after our Phyllis – she cannae be left alone – she cannae walk, you see.”
    Nodding, and signalling for the family to follow, Mrs Stoddard turned and led them into the large reception hall where children’s coats, shoes and Wellingtons were housed. “This is where you children will hang your coats,” she said, pointing to the coat-stands. “And underneath there is plenty of room for your outdoor footwear. So let’s get that done,” she said briskly, helping Elsie out of her coat and hanging it on a hook for her because Elsie was too small to reach it.
    Senga wanted to explain that they only ever had one pair of shoes at a time, so there was no need to take them off, but she gulped, remembering that on the list of what they should take was a pair of slippers. Quickly, she fished these out and slid them on.
    Mrs Stoddard then opened another large, imposing door and the children gawped on entering an enormous drawing-room bathed in the late morning sun that was shining through the long sparkling windows. It was true that it was now being used as the school room but even the blackboard, desks and chairs could not diminish its elegance. A huge marble fireplace, complete with brass-handled poker and tongs alongside a scuttle filled with logs, took up the whole length of the nearest wall, while the grand piano had been moved up against the far wall – everything here reminded you that this house had been the home of ‘oor betters’, as Granny Glass would say.
    Looking directly at Patsy, Mrs Stoddard smiled before saying, “I’ll take the children through to the dining hall. They’ve come just in time for lunch and before you leave us, Mrs Kelly, I’ll just go over some of our house rules with you. When you have twenty-one children in a house, you must have rules.” She pointed to a high-backed wooden chair for Patsy to sit on until she came back, while saying to the children, “Come on now, say goodbye to your grandmother.”

    For Johnny, Senga and Elsie, their first day at the Craigs (as all the children living there called it) proved quite a daunting experience. They had been made to feel very welcome, not only by the staff but by the other children, who it seemed came from all parts of the country. Four of the evacuees didn’t even seem to mind that they never had visitors on a Sunday because they knew their parents were doing vital war duties far, far away from Linlithgow.
    The dormitories were situated on the third floor and once Senga and Elsie realised they were expected to sleep alone in single beds they both became tearful. It wasn’t that the beds weren’t comfortable or warm – it was just the thought of waking up in the night and not having the comfort of another human being lying next to you.
    To help cope with the solitude, Senga first wrapped her blanket tightly round herself and curled herself into a ball. Then she clasped her hands before imprisoning them between her knees. To her surprise, sleep overtook her very quickly but she woke suddenly around midnight when she felt a tugging at her blanket. Rolling over and disentangling herself from the bedclothes, she was surprised to see Elsie standing by the bed and trembling.
    “Senga, I’m feart. Really feart – and my teddy disnae like it here either. Could we no get intae bed beside you?”
    Senga nodded. Quickly opening up the blanket to let Elsie climb in beside her, the pair were soon snuggled safely together, just as they would have been at home.

    Dinah and her friend Etta inhaled slowly on their second cigarette. “Oh, are these no just sheer heaven, Etta, are they no?”
    “And you got a whole tin o’ them.” Etta picked up the can to inspect it and noted it