I shall come down and talk to him.”
On the days when Aunt Claudia was out alone, Lalla often came down and talked to her step-uncle. Uncle David was a long, thin man with dark hair and blue eyes. He had always wanted to have a daughter, so he was pleased that Aunt Claudia had a baby girl ward. From the very beginning he had been fond of Lalla, and as she grew older and became more of a companion, he got fonder still; but he had to keep what friends he and Lalla were a secret from Aunt Claudia, for from Aunt Claudia’s point of view he was not a suitable friend for Lalla, for he had a great failing. No matter how often Aunt Claudia explained to him about Lalla’s father, nor how often she repeated to him the praise and nice things people at the rink said about Lalla, she could not make him take Lalla’s skating seriously. He was the sort of man who thought skating, like games, was a lovely hobby, but a nuisance when you tried to be first-class at it. Obviously feeling as she did about skating for Lalla, Aunt Claudia did not like that sort of talk in front of her, so she did not let her see more of her step-uncle than she could help.
Uncle David was sitting on the leather top of his fender, drinking a whisky and soda, when Lalla came in. He was pleased to see her.
“How’s the seventh wonder of the world this evening?”
Lalla did not mind being teased by Uncle David. She sat down next to him on the top of the fender, and told him about her afternoon and how she had met Harriet.
“You can’t think how nice she is. She’s just the same age as me, but taller, but that’s because she’s been in bed for months and months, so her legs have got very long. She is so thin.” Lalla held up her hands about twelve inches apart. “Even the thickest part of her is not thicker than that, and she’s got the most gorgeous mother called Mrs Johnson and she’s got three brothers and a father. Oh, I do envy her, I wish I had three brothers.” She looked up anxiously at Uncle David. “I want awfully for her to come to tea with me, and me to go to tea with her; Nana thinks I won’t be able to because she isn’t rich like we are. Can you think of any way which would make her being poor not matter to Aunt Claudia?”
Uncle David was a sensible sort of man; he never treated Lalla as if, because she was a child, she was more silly than a grown-up. He lit a cigarette while he thought over what she had said.
“What’s the father?”
Lalla lowered her voice.
“Nana doesn’t know, but it’s some sort of a shop.”
Uncle David whispered back:
“You and I don’t care how anyone earns their living, do we, as long as it’s honest? But I don’t think your aunt’s going to cotton on to a shop.”
“I think it’s rather an odd sort of shop. Harriet said they only sold things that their Uncle William grew or shot or caught on his land in the country. And that was why they were so poor, because her Uncle William eats a lot so they only get what’s left.”
Uncle David was gazing at the carpet, as if by looking at it very hard he could see into the past.
“William Johnson. William Johnson. That strikes a note. I suppose Harriet didn’t say what her father’s Christian name was?”
“It’s George. Harriet said that Alec’s, the eldest of her brothers, real name’s George, but he’s called Alec because he couldn’t have the same Christian name as his father.”
Uncle David got up and began pacing up and down the carpet.
“William and George Johnson. Shiver my timbers, but that strikes a note somewhere.” Suddenly he swung round to Lalla. “I have it! You ask your Harriet where her father went to school. There were a couple of brothers at my prep. school, William and George. If it’s the same we might be able to do something.”
Lalla looked puzzled.
“Would it make it better that Harriet’s father has a shop because he went to the same school as you?”
Uncle David nodded.
“I can’t tell you why, but it does.” He looked at the clock. “You’d better be skipping, poppet, don’t want to blot your copybook by your being caught in here.” He gave her a kiss. “I like the sound of your Harriet; I’ll have a word with Nana about her, and if it’s the same George that I knew, I’ll talk your aunt into letting you know her. It’s time you had somebody of your own age to play with.”
Lalla rushed up the stairs, her eyes shining, and flung her arms round Nana’s neck.
“Oh, Nana, if only it was tomorrow afternoon now. Uncle David thinks he was at school with Harriet’s father, and if he was he’s going to make Aunt Claudia let me know her. Isn’t that the most gorgeous thing you ever heard?”
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