Chapter Three
THREE
Belinda sat in the windowseat in the living room.
She had a book in her lap but her attention was on the cobbled sweep enclosing the communal garden.
A blustery wind tossed the trees and cloud shadows raced across the grass.
At last her patience was rewarded. Lord Dalrymple’s new green Wolseley Landaulette turned into Constable Circle and proceeded up the slope at a stately pace.
Dropping her book, Belinda sprang up and hurried to Daisy’s study. “Mummy, they’re here!”
“Oh, good, just in time for tea. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Belinda sped back down the hall. She opened the front door just as the car pulled up at the foot of the steps. When she was halfway down, Ben jumped out of the front, where he had been sitting next to the chauffeur, Truscott.
Charlie, a year younger and therefore relegated to the back seat, hopped down a moment later.
He was quite a bit smaller, as well as younger, not having yet had what grown-ups called a “growth spurt.” The European side of his ancestry showed more than Ben’s, lighter skin and wavy rather than tight-curled black hair.
They both called hello and waved to Belinda as she ran down the last few steps, but they turned to thank Mr. Truscott before coming to meet her.
It was lucky they had good manners, Bel thought, or Aunt Geraldine wouldn’t have adopted them.
Ben would have returned to Trinidad after last summer and Bel would never have seen him again.
She crossed the pavement to join them as the chauffeur climbed out, a bit stiffly. “Hello, Mr. Truscott. Thank you for bringing Ben and Charlie.”
“My pleasure, Miss Belinda.”
“I hope you and your family are well.” She had often heard Daisy enquire after their well-being. Truscott had been in the family since Daisy’s father first bought a motorcar. “My mother said Mrs. Dobson is expecting you for tea in the kitchen. She’s made a cake specially.”
“Thank you, Miss Belinda, I shan’t turn that down.” He headed for the boot. “I’ll just bring in the suitcases.”
“We can carry them,” said Charlie. “You drove a long, long way. You must be tired.”
“You’re a good lad, Master Charlie. It’s all in the day’s work. Suppose you carry the small bags and I’ll bring the big ones?”
“Hello, Ben.” Daisy came down the steps. “Hello, Charlie. How nice to see you both again. Bel, will you take them up to their room and show them where to wash? Good afternoon, Mr. Truscott.”
“Afternoon, Miss Daisy.” The chauffeur handed the boys a couple of satchels and touched his cap. “You’re looking very well, if I may say so.”
Daisy stayed chatting to Mr. Truscott, while Belinda took her cousins into the house and upstairs.
“Mummy thought you’d like to share a room, but if not, one of you can move. There’s plenty of space.”
“Let’s share.” Charlie sounded anxious.
“That’s all right with me,” Ben said good-naturedly.
Bel showed them their bedroom and pointed out the bathroom and the lav. “I’ll come back in ten minutes and we’ll go down to tea.”
“I hope Mrs. Dobson baked a cake for us, too,” said Ben.
“A big one. And lots of little ones.”
“Good. Hurry up and wash, Charlie. Hands and face, and don’t forget to brush your hair.”
“You think you can order me about, just ’cause you’re a year older,” grumbled Charlie, but he went off to the bathroom.
* * *
The day of the Crystal Palace outing was sunny and warm. Belinda was glad, because her cousins were less interested in the contents of the building than the maze and the statues of prehistoric monsters, which were in the park.
Besides the Trings and Deva and Aunt Sakari, the twins were to go with them, along with Nanny and Bertha.
When Daisy had told Mrs. Gilpin she was considering taking the twins, with Bertha to help look after them, Nurse Gilpin had said grudgingly that she herself had never seen the Crystal Palace and would quite like to.
Bel thought privately that Nanny would be a frightful wet blanket, but after all, she’d be stuck with Mirrie and Oliver and so unable to interfere with other people’s fun.
“How will we all get there?” Charlie asked. “By tube?” They had taken the Underground to the zoo the day before, and the boys had been just as impressed by it as by the animals.
“No, it’s too complicated with so many people, ’specially with Nanny saying the twins have to leave at midday to come home for lunch and their nap. Aunt Sakari’s going to bring her big car—”
“What kind of car?” Ben wanted to know.
“It’s red. A Sunbeam tourer, I think. Mummy was going to drive her car—it’s a Gwynne Eight—but Aunt Geraldine said she’d send Mr. Truscott with the Wolseley. Uncle Tom and Mrs. Tring live quite near the Palace, so they’ll get themselves there.”
“Uncle Tom’s a detective, like Uncle Alec?”
“That’s right, only he’s retired now.”
“And he’s not our uncle, silly,” Ben pointed out. He had met the sergeant the previous summer. “He’s Mr. Tring to us and don’t you forget it. And Aunt Sakari is Mrs.… Mrs. what, Bel?”
“Mrs. Prasad.” She noticed that Charlie looked worried. “But neither of them would mind if you made a mistake. They’re nice.”
The two cars arrived on time. Mrs. Gilpin and Bertha, wearing identical black capes and black felt hats, packed the twins into the Dalrymple Wolseley. Belinda and Daisy joined Sakari, who was alone in the back of the Sunbeam.
“I bring a disappointment, Belinda. Deva has come down with a feverish cold. She is not fit to go out.”
“Poor Deva! I hope she gets better quickly. My father couldn’t come either. He’s gone away again, to Bristol.”
Though sorry for Deva, Bel didn’t really mind her absence. She was a good friend for quiet times, but keeping up with Ben and Charlie called for plenty of energy.
The boys, having been introduced to Aunt Sakari, vied to sit beside Kesin in the front.
“Two may come,” the chauffeur said good-naturedly. “You sit still, yes?”
They passed through the centre of London in a stately procession.
The Wolseley led the way, as Kesin knew the route.
Sitting on a fold-down seat, facing backwards, Belinda couldn’t see where they were going, only where they had been.
She could hear the boys commenting on the passing scene but she had to twist round to see what they were talking about. It was very frustrating.
After crossing the river, they drove on for what seemed like ages and ages.
The close-packed city streets gave way to bigger houses with proper gardens.
They turned right, then left, then right again, until Belinda was sure they were going in circles.
Did Kesin really know the way? Truscott, with the twins aboard, followed trustfully.
Another turn, then Charlie said, “Golly!” in an awed voice, and Ben said, “Gosh! Look, Bel!”
On the left side of the car was a wall of glass, stretching as far ahead and up as she could see. Through it, dim shapes were visible but she couldn’t make out what they were.
A moment later the cars pulled up. Ben and Charlie immediately tumbled out, jumping over the running board straight to the pavement.
Charlie stood staring up in awe at the towering entrance arch.
Ben, after a glance upward, came to open the rear door, while Kesin descended in a more dignified manner and went to open the other door.
“You get down first, Belinda,” said Sakari.
Bel did, wondering whether she—or she and Ben—ought to try to help Sakari out. She was rather a large lady, almost as large as Mrs. Tring, whom Belinda saw approaching along the pavement with Uncle Tom. Luckily Truscott hurried from the other car to offer Sakari a strong arm.
Uncle Tom was biggest of all, and his blue and green checked suit did nothing to disguise his size. As he raised his bowler to the ladies, revealing the hairless expanse of his head, Charlie whispered an awed, “Gosh!” He hadn’t met ex–Detective Sergeant Tring before.
Ben grinned. “You’d better behave yourself, young ’un, or Sergeant Tring’ll be after you.”
“Don’t tease,” said Bel. “It’s all right, Charlie, Uncle Tom is really nice, and he’s not a policeman anymore, anyway.”
The twins arrived, holding hands, the other two little hands firmly grasped by Mrs. Gilpin and Bertha.
Miranda broke away, ran to Belinda, and hugged her round the waist. “I want to go with Bel,” she announced.
“We’re all going together,” said Daisy. “You may hold Belinda’s hand until we’re inside. I’ll go first to buy the tickets.”
“I sent Kesin yesterday to get them.” Sakari delved into her capacious handbag and triumphantly produced a sheaf of papers and a roll of tickets. “Here’s a pamphlet for each of you, with plans of the building and the park.”
“Mrs. Prasad, you’re a wonder,” said Uncle Tom.
“I have the guidebook if you desire further information, Mr. Tring.”
“We need not all stay together,” said Daisy. “We ought to have a rendezvous.”
“I suggest the north end of the nave,” said Sakari, “at the Monti Fountain, which you will find on the plan. The fish in the fountain will keep the little ones amused if they tire of running about.”
“It sounds ideal. We’ll meet there at a quarter past noon. Truscott is coming back to fetch the twins and Mrs. Gilpin at half past. Let’s go in.”
It was early, not much past ten, and few people were queuing for tickets. Sakari handed her roll to the attendant at the gate, who counted everyone off as they went through.
The hall they entered was huge, almost as high as St. Paul’s dome but all glass.
The sun shone through the roof, though not as brightly as Belinda would have expected.
She decided the glass hadn’t been cleaned for while.
It must be an awfully difficult job, and scary with nothing underneath but glass.
Enough sunlight came in for all sorts of plants, big and small, to grow along the sides of the hall, among a multitude of statues.