Dragon Land by Maureen Reynolds Read Free Book Online Page B

it.
    Suddenly she stopped looking at it and said, ‘Lizzie, did your mum say where she was meeting Milly?’
    I dragged my eyes away from an exciting part of my book. ‘I think she’s going to Milly’s house.’
    Granny nodded. ‘Oh, I see.’
    I was in bed when Mum returned and I heard her speaking to Granny before she came through to the bedroom. Her cheeks were pink with being out in the cold wind and she didn’t seem her usual self.
    ‘Are you awake, Lizzie?’
    I sat up in bed. ‘Did you enjoy your visit to Milly?’
    She didn’t look at me as she climbed into bed. ‘Yes, I did. We had a good blether.’
    The next day brought some good news for her in the shape of a letter from Aunt Margaret. Gerald’s posting in Rio was over and they would be travelling to his new post at Easter. They were heading to Lisbon, in Portugal, and Margaret said she was coming to see us before joining her husband.
    Mum was thrilled at the thought of seeing her and so was I.

9
EASTER
    It was Easter 1922 and Aunt Margaret was in the country. She was planning to visit us soon. Mum was so excited at the thought of seeing her after such a long time, and I was pleased to see that she seemed to be back to her usual self. Granny noticed this as well and she also looked pleased by the forthcoming visit.
    I thought the time dragged by and I began to get impatient, but Mum warned me to behave. ‘You have to learn to be patient, Lizzie. You know what people say: Rome wasn’t built in a day.’
    I was puzzled by her remark and wondered what Rome had to do with my aunt’s visit, but I wisely stayed silent and just nodded.
    The weather was lovely and sunny but with a cool breeze and Mum couldn’t help saying, ‘I hope it gets warmer when she comes, as she will notice such a difference from South America.’
    I would soon be moving to primary seven at school and I planned to tell my aunt all my news. Mum, however, warned me not to hog all the conversation when she arrived because she was going to spend an entire week with us. I felt it was like Christmas instead of the start of the Easter school holiday and I was ready to burst with suppressed excitement.
    Mum was still visiting Milly on a regular basis, and one night Granny asked her as she put on her coat to leave, ‘Is Milly keeping well, Beth?’
    Mum was just about to leave, but she stopped to look at Granny. ‘She’s fine, Mary, but obviously still heartbroken over the deaths in her family. Her mother has never recovered from the shock of hearing the terrible news and neither has Milly. They have a little shrine in their front room with the photos of both men and they mention it every time I visit.’
    ‘Don’t you find this upsetting, Beth?’ Granny seemed to be concerned about these visits.
    ‘Yes, I do, but I do my best to cheer them up.’ Mum glanced around the house to make sure she had her bag, scarf and gloves before giving me a quick kiss on my cheek as she went towards the door.
    ‘Can I come with you, Mum?’ I asked.
    She shook her head. ‘It’s too late for you to be out, Lizzie.’
    Granny looked thoughtful, but when she saw me staring at her, she smiled and said it was time for my cocoa, then bed. I wanted to ask her why she didn’t go with Mum; then I realised she had to stay at home to look after me.
    Although I pretended to be asleep, I was always awake when Mum arrived home and I had noticed before her bright-eyed look, as if she had won some kind of victory, but I couldn’t figure out what victory Mum could have won.
    The week before Aunt Margaret’s visit, however, she seemed distracted and pale when she arrived back, and I heard her suppressed sobs as she lay down in her bed.
    I was alarmed. ‘What’s the matter, Mum?’
    The crying stopped and she sat up. ‘Oh, I thought you were asleep, Lizzie.’ She searched for her hankie in the bedside-table drawer and wiped her face. ‘I’m just crying with pleasure at the thought of seeing Margaret