‘I think not, miss. We have two dogs—golden Labradors. They are at present being exercised by Maisie, the housemaid. They are mild-tempered animals, however, and I foresee no trouble.’
He led the way to the small cosy room where he had set the tea-tray. There was a bright fire in the steel grate and comfortable chairs drawn up to it.
‘I’ll send the children to you, miss,’ said Buller.
They came presently, not over-friendly. Araminta handed round tea and buttered toast, sandwiches and little cakes, and said in her sensible voice, ‘When we’ve had tea, perhaps you would unpack your things and put them away? I don’t know what arrangements are to be made about Tibs and Mutt—perhaps you’ve already seen to that?’ She looked at Jimmy. ‘Your Uncle has two dogs, I believe.’
‘They’ll be OK. They’ve met Mutt and Tibs when Uncle Jason has been down to see us.’
‘Oh, good, and we can take Mutt for a walk—Hyde Park isn’t far away, is it? And Tibs—will she settle down nicely?’
‘She’s my cat,’ said Gloria. ‘She sleeps on my bed.’ She sounded sulky. ‘Mrs Buller says we may have our supper in the kitchen; Uncle won’t be home for ages. I’ll unpack in the morning.’
‘We’ll go upstairs and unpack now,’ said Araminta, ‘otherwise you’ll have to waste the morning doing it, when you might want to be doing something more interesting.’
‘You’re awfully bossy,’ said Gloria. ‘I suppose you’ll eat in the kitchen with Buller and Mrs Buller and Maisie?’
‘I dare say,’ said Araminta equably. ‘Never mind about me—let’s get our things put away.’
‘Patty always saw to our things for us,’ grumbled Jimmy, tumbling shirts into the elegant little tallboy in his room.
Araminta turned to look at him from the pile of socks she was sorting out. ‘Did she?’ She sounded surprised. ‘But you’re almost grown-up, Jimmy.’
He muttered a reply, and she went to see how Gloria was getting on.
She was on the bed, leafing through a magazine, clothes strewn around on the chairs and the floor. She looked up as Araminta went in.
‘I can’t be bothered to put everything away—Patty always does it.’
‘Well, Patty’s not here, and since I’m not your nanny I think you had better tidy things up, for no one else is going to do it for you.’
‘I don’t think I’m going to like you,’ said Gloria.
‘That’s a pity, but it’s only for a few days, and if I make you unhappy I’m sure your uncle will try and get someone else from the agency. You see, there wasn’t time for him to pick and choose—he had to take the only person free, and that was me.’
‘Haven’t you got a home?’
‘Oh, yes, and a father and sister.’
‘Why do you go out to work, then?’
Araminta said bracingly, ‘Let’s not talk about me. I’m not a bit interesting.’
She sat down on one of the little armchairs by the window and Gloria got off the bed and began to push things into cupboards and drawers.
‘I’m tired,’ she grumbled, but she sounded more friendly now. ‘We had to get up ever so early.’
‘Well, I expect supper won’t be too long. Then you can come to bed with a book—your uncle’s not here, so you don’t need to stay up unless you want to.’
‘Oh.’ She glanced sideways at Araminta. ‘Don’t you mind Tibs sleeping on my bed?’
‘Mind? Why should I mind? I like cats—dogs too. How old is she?’
‘Daddy gave her to me on my sixth birthday.’
‘She’s very pretty, and your constant companion, I dare say.’
Gloria raked a comb through her hair. ‘I want my supper.’
‘Then let’s go and see if it’s ready.’
‘Jimmy and me, not you,’ said Gloria. ‘The kitchen staff eat later.’
‘We’d better get Jimmy,’ said Araminta mildly. She was used, after a year at the agency, to living in a kind of no man’s land while she was at a job. She had minded at first, but now she accepted whatever status was offered her.
Supper was ready, and Buller led the children down to the basement kitchen and then came back to where Araminta stood uncertainly in the hall.
‘The professor telephoned. He hopes you will dine with him if you are not too tired. In the meantime, once Jimmy and Gloria are in bed, perhaps you would care to sit in the drawing-room? There are the day’s papers there and some magazines.’
Araminta said bluntly, ‘Aren’t I supposed to take my meals in the kitchen?’
Buller said in a shocked voice, ‘Certainly not, Miss. I have my instructions from the professor.’
‘Well, thank you. I’ll sit in the room where we had tea, shall I, until the children are ready? Will Professor Lister be very late, do you think?’
‘There’s no telling, miss. But I should imagine within the next hour or so.’
So she went and sat by the fire and thought about her day and contemplated the week ahead of her. Jimmy and Gloria were nice young people, she was sure, but, she suspected, spoilt. They were of an age to be rude and thoughtless—she could remember being both at their age—but as long as she could keep them occupied and happy, and at the same time out of their uncle’s way unless he wished for their company, it shouldn’t be too bad.
They joined her presently and, when she suggested that they might go to bed since they had had a long day, they demurred.
Araminta made no attempt to change their minds; instead she suggested that they might write letters to their mother. ‘It takes nearly a week by airmail to get to that part of the world,’ she told them, hoping that she was right. ‘Your mother would be glad to hear from you both before she returns.’
‘We’ll phone her tomorrow,’ said Jimmy.
‘Even better,’ said Araminta. ‘You have the number?’
He gave her a sulky look. ‘No, of course not. Uncle Jason will know.’
‘Then you must be sure and get it from him before he leaves in the morning.’
She embarked on a tedious conversation about museums, some of which she suggested that they might go and see during the next few days. She was boring herself and, as she had intended, Jimmy and Gloria as well. It wasn’t long before they declared that they would go to bed. Gloria scooped up Tibs, wished Araminta a sullen goodnight, and went upstairs, and Jimmy, after taking Mutt to the kitchen, followed her. Araminta glanced
