Chapter Three #3
She went round to the right, Ben to the left, and Charlie down the centre so that they could keep an eye on him through the gaps. Bel soon saw Mrs. Gilpin’s hat bobbing along above a massive plinth, visible between the legs of a monstrous horse.
Dodging about to keep her in sight, she approached the glass doors to the terrace just in time to see her push through them.
Ben and Charlie had arrived ahead of her and were lurking behind a giant sea serpent with a man and two boys struggling in its coils.
Charlie popped out, grimacing and gesturing at her to hurry.
Not waiting for her, Ben dashed off. Belinda and Charlie caught up with him on the terrace outside, crouching behind the balustrade and practically fizzing with impatience. He paid no heed to the few people promenading there who gave him curious glances.
“Do hurry! Look, she’s going down the steps. The other one ran down.”
“Nannies don’t run,” said Belinda.
“That nanny does. If we don’t want yours to see us, we can’t follow till she gets farther away, then we’ll have to be pretty nippy.”
“Blast! I mean bother. You’re not to say that, Charlie, and don’t tell that I did. Which way did the other nurse go at the bottom, Ben?”
“Right. Down the steps on the right, and then round that path that curves off to the right.”
“Oh yes, I see her. She’s going to get behind those trees any minute. We’d better go now or we’ll lose her.”
“Which one are we following?” Charlie demanded.
“Both of them,” said Belinda. “There, Mrs. Gilpin’s going down the right side steps, too. If we stay close to the balustrade, I don’t think she’ll see us if she looks back.”
“Keep your heads down,” Ben advised.
Bent double, they scuttled down the wide stone steps. At the bottom, the steps divided into narrower flights to left and right. They paused to reconnoitre.
Nurse Gilpin had reached the foot of the second flight. She was marching stiffly but remarkably rapidly along a broad paved path that curved away to the right. It had lawn on either side, edged with alternating bushes and statues, perfect for trailing without being spotted.
Ben and Belinda exchanged a glance and ran down the steps. On their heels, Charlie said, “But where’s the other one? I can’t see the other one.”
“I bet Mrs. Gilpin can,” Ben reassured him. “Let’s not lose sight of her.”
Dodging from bush to bush, they were close behind when Mrs. Gilpin crossed another terrace, went down a few more steps, circled a fountain, and disappeared into a wooded area.
The children ran. They came to a rose garden with paths going all over the place in an intricate pattern.
Most of the roses were just well-pruned stumps, with red shoots sprouting here and there, but round the edge were climbing roses tied to trellises.
Nanny Gilpin, down in the sunken centre, hesitated before setting off along one of the curved spokes of the circle.
Reaching the path round the rim, she doubled back, then turned to the right.
Belinda and the boys had stopped behind the trellises and they were able to take a shortcut without going into the garden.
From this they emerged into a wide, straight avenue of plane trees. Mrs. Gilpin, slowing now, was a short way down the gravelled walk. As the children ducked back into the trees, Belinda glimpsed the other nanny’s hat vanishing downward, presumably down another flight of steps.
The trees grew in a double row, so they slipped along between the rows. The cover ended at the steps. They watched Mrs. Gilpin trudge heavily down the double flight. Whatever she was up to, Bel had to admire her persistence.
Their mutual quarry was already halfway down the next long stretch of the avenue.
When Mrs. Gilpin reached the foot of the steps, she trod heavily onto the gravel with a crunch. The other nanny glanced back, then broke into a run. Nanny Gilpin plodded on, fading but game.
“She’s got a bee in her bonnet,” Belinda whispered.
“A bee?” said Charlie. “Won’t it sting her?”
“Never mind. Come on.”
They stole down the steps and took to the trees again.
The nanny in front came to the end of the avenue, turned off to the right, and was lost to sight. Mrs. Gilpin’s pace picked up remarkably.
“Shouldn’t we get closer?” Ben hissed. “We’ll lose them.”
“Better not. She’ll be furious if she finds out we’ve tailed her.” Belinda looked at her watch. “We shouldn’t really. We ought to go back—”
“Not yet!” The boys were unanimous.
“We ought to find out what she’s doing, so we can tell Aunt Daisy,” Ben said persuasively.
“’Sides, we ought to tell her about the bee in her hat,” said Charlie, “so she can get rid of it before it stings.”
Belinda regarded him with disfavour. “There’s no bee. That’s just a saying. All right, we’ll go a bit farther.”
At the end of the avenue, Nanny Gilpin turned the same way as the other one.
When the trio came to the spot, there was no sign of the two nannies.
A narrow winding path led between trees, bushes, and beds of daffodils and crocuses.
Many of the bushes were evergreen, so even though the rest were just beginning to put out leaves, Belinda couldn’t see much except for occasional glimpses of water as they trod cautiously along.
On the sandy path, their footsteps were almost silent. Mrs. Gilpin wouldn’t hear them coming. On the other hand, they couldn’t hear where she was. Peering ahead, they crept round the first bend.
“Gosh! A monster!”
“Hush!” Ben clapped his hand over his brother’s mouth.
“It’s just a deer,” said Belinda. “Three deer. I suppose they might be prehistoric deer. Reindeer maybe, with those antlers. Come on, we can’t stop for every statue.”
This resolve was put to the test when Charlie spotted another sculpture, definitely a monster, rearing its misshapen head above the shrubbery.
To stop him diving into the bushes to get a closer view, Belinda and Ben each had to grasp one of his arms and hustle him past. At least he protested in a whisper.
He was rewarded round the next bend by a much better view of the enormous creature’s hairy back.
“I bet there’s even better ones farther on,” said Ben.
And there were; monstrous beasts lurking among the trees, with massive heads, gaping tooth-filled mouths, and taloned feet.
Now Charlie had to be held back from racing on to the next wonder.
They came to a pond infested by crocodilians with long narrow snouts, and nightmarish flippered horrors with long snaky necks ending in tiny heads, and, on an island, giant toads and tortoises.
After a glance, Belinda’s attention returned to their quest, but Charlie’s alarmed voice made her turn back.
“Look.” He pointed. “What’s the black thing over there next to the frog?”
“That’s Mrs. Gilpin’s hat floating by the croc,” said Ben.
“So the black thing must be Mrs. Gilpin,” Belinda deduced, shocked. “What on earth happened to her?”
“She went for a swim?” Charlie said doubtfully.
“Don’t be silly. She’s not moving. We’ve got to get her out. Ben, we’ll have to do it.” Bel sat on the ground and untied her shoes. “She’ll be heavy, ’specially with wet clothes. We’re stronger than Charlie. Charlie, you have to go for help.”
“But—”
“Go on. Find Mr. Tring. Or Mummy, or anyone. Go on, hurry, run as fast as you can. Come on, Ben. I don’t think it’s very deep but I’ll go first and you come right behind in case I lose my feet.”
“We’d better hold hands.”
“All right.” Shivering, Belinda stepped cautiously into the water.