by Anne Digby
'Thank goodness you're back!' whispered Elf, peering furtively out of the tent. Blackie was straining to welcome Rebecca and tried to leap up, but Elf held him back. 'Come in the tent a minute, quick.'
Rebecca crawled under the flap. It would soon be dusk.
'What's wrong?'
'Tommy's sneaked off somewhere! I haven't seen him since before you went off. Miss Peabody thinks all the children are down for the night – she's checking round the tents one by one. She says that any kid who doesn't go to sleep early tonight won't go on the trip tomorrow. Sue was reading hers a story and she told her to stop!'
Sue's tent was just next door.
'Oh, the little wretch!' whispered Rebecca. 'He'll be in hot water – and so will we. Have you looked to see if he's playing on the beach?'
'Every time I've tried to leave the tent, Blackie's tried to follow me!' said Elf, looking woebegone. 'Fat chance I'd have of sneaking Tommy back into camp after hours with Blackie rushing round and barking and telling everyone he's back! Now you're here, you can hold the dog in the tent for me! Where've you been, Rebecca?'
Suddenly they both froze as they heard a voice speaking softly at the next-door tent.
'Boys asleep now, Sue?'
'I think so, Miss Peabody.'
Rebecca and Elf looked at each other aghast. 'She'll be here in a moment!' mouthed Elf.
'Quick!' whispered Rebecca. 'Unzip Tommy's sleeping bag –'
She got her arms round Blackie's rib cage.
'In you go, boy – quick – nice sleepies – in the sleeping bag –'
Blackie hesitated for a moment and then burrowed down inside the warm bag, while Elf quickly zipped it up over him. He wriggled and squirmed for a few seconds. Almost choking with suppressed laughter Rebecca patted and scolded him and said 'Shush!' Then she saw Miss Peabody's legs and feet appear outside the open tent flap.
'Hallo?'
As Blackie heard the supervisor's voice, he suddenly lay doggo inside the sleeping bag. Miss Peabody was bending down now, peering into the tent and flashing her torch on him.
'Tommy asleep?' she asked quietly.
Rebecca and Elf sat bolt upright on their sleeping bags, one each side of Tommy's, not daring to look her in the eye. In fact they were in such suspense that they hardly even dared breathe! Please don't growl, Blackie! Rebecca prayed.
The supervisor saw the hump in the sleeping bag and the regular movement of its breathing. She nodded her head, satisfied. 'Good-night, Tommy,' she said and then withdrew.
As soon as Miss Peabody had gone, Blackie squirmed out of the sleeping bag and wagged his tail. Rebecca had to bury her face in his coat to muffle the sound of uncontrollable giggling. 'Good boy, Blackie!' she whispered. 'Good boy.'
'Oh, crikey,' snorted Elf, as soon as they'd both recovered, 'we really will have to get him in without being seen now, won't we?'
'The sooner the better!' groaned Rebecca, feeling horribly responsible. 'Leave it to me, Elf. I'll find him. You hang on to Blackie.'
As soon as the coast was clear she shot through the trees, making a detour to get round the camp unseen, then climbed over the fence and ran along the beach in the shelter of the dunes.
Several minutes later she saw a group of people walking towards her in the dusk.
'Tommy!' she called softly as soon as she saw him. 'What a relief!'
A man and woman were bringing him back to the camp. He was dancing along between them, holding their hands, as though he'd known them all his life. Rebecca rushed up.
'Tommy, where have you been?'
'It's all right, he's been up at the castle with us,' smiled the man. He introduced himself. It was Mrs Lazarus's son, Doctor Charles. He was with his wife, Antonia. 'We thought it might be his bed-time by now, so we've brought him back.'
'Uncle Charles and Aunty An showed me inside the castle!' Tommy informed Rebecca. 'I wanted to see innit!'
'Tommy –' Rebecca began, in some embarrassment. 'You mustn't call Doctor Lazarus –'
'It's all right!' interrupted Antonia Lazarus. She was a very gentle, delicate-looking woman. 'It was our idea. Down in the cove this morning. We feel as though we've known Tommy all our lives, don't we darling?' She glanced at her husband and he glanced back at her, rather tenderly Rebecca thought. 'We invited Tommy to come and visit us at the castle some time.'
'We didn't expect him so soon,' laughed the doctor. 'Nor through the window!'
'Tommy!' said Rebecca.
'I seen the treasure, too!' smirked Tommy. 'I know what it's like now!'
Rebecca raised her eyebrows.
'My mother's got a few of her Roman bits with her,' Charles Lazarus explained. 'I showed him a coin much like the ones we're hoping to find on the dig. Coming to help us again soon Tommy?'
'You bet!'
'I'd better get him back now!' said Rebecca, taking hold of his hand. 'Come on, Tommy. Miss Peabody's been doing the rounds.'
'We shouldn't have kept him out so late,' said Antonia Lazarus, guiltily. Then, to Rebecca's surprise, Tommy let the lady kiss him good-night. 'Night, Tommy. Enjoy the trip tomorrow.'
'Night, Aunty An.'
Rebecca dragged him back towards the camp site. He kept turning and waving to the couple, until they were out of sight. Then she bunked him over the fence. 'Come on!' she whispered. 'And just you make sure you're not seen.'
Dusk was falling fast now and they made it to the tent, safely.
Blackie started to bark and bark with excitement and the three of them had great difficulty shutting him up.
They heard Miss Peabody coming across and Tommy quickly scrambled into his sleeping bag.
'Keep that dog quiet!' fumed the supervisor, not unreasonably, from outside the tent. 'He'll wake all the kids up!' Blackie at once settled down quietly in his usual position at the foot of Tommy's sleeping bag. 'That's better,' said Miss Peabody. 'I'm warning you, if that dog's going to be a nuisance like this, he'll have to go.'
She departed.
Tommy went very silent. So much so that Rebecca and Elf exchanged anxious looks.
But he had something different on his mind.
'I ain't washed,' he said, at last. He yawned loudly. 'Or – or cleaned me teeth.'
'You'll have to do it in the morning!' said Rebecca.
'Hey, miss, wanna know something?' said the boy, very drowsy now. 'It's your birthday tomorrow!'
Rebecca smiled to herself. So it was!
'Better make sure you do wash then, Tommy!' laughed Elf. 'You can't have a dirty neck on Rebecca's birthday!'
As soon as the boy was fast asleep, they slipped out of the tent and joined the others round the embers of the dying camp fire. Dusk settled over Trebizon Bay and the moon rose, turning the sea to silver.
Rebecca told the other five all about the rock of the lion and Mrs Lazarus's Roman riddle. They exclaimed and talked about it for a while, before splitting up and going to their different tents for the night.
They were looking forward to tomorrow's dig more than ever now.
EIGHT
THREE BIRTHDAY SURPRISES
It was marvellous having a birthday at camp. There were three surprises in store for Rebecca.
The first surprise of the day was a dawn chorus!
It wasn't really dawn, in fact it was shortly before breakfast. But Rebecca, still recovering perhaps from the night in her great aunt's greenhouse and the vast amount of fresh air and exercise she'd had since, slept late. She awoke to find herself alone in the tent, conscious of a great deal of movement and whispering and shuffling outside. Then suddenly, all around her tent, fifty voices burst forth in full chorus – some out of tune, some high and reedy:
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday Re-becc-a
Happy birthday to you!
Rebecca wriggled out of her sleeping bag and crawled across the tent, then opened the flap and peered outside. She laughed in delight. Apart from some Fifth Ye
ars who were on breakfast duty, and Miss Peabody herself, the entire camp appeared to be assembled there – even Donald! Sue, with her back to her, was standing conducting the choir. 'Encore!' shouted Margot, as she spotted Rebecca.
Happy birthday to you – They sang it through again and then all the children broke into loud cheers. Rebecca felt herself blushing with pleasure. What a lovely surprise!
'Bumps!' yelled Tish.
The next moment she was dragged out of the tent and lifted bodily – high in the air – down on the ground – fourteen times!
'And one for luck!'
'And one for luck!' they all roared.
'Mercy!' begged Rebecca.
She was left on the grass, exhausted and giggling, surrounded by her five friends. Somewhere in the distance the gong for breakfast had sounded and the children ran off squealing and laughing.
'Come on, Rebeck, open our presents,' said Tish, helping Rebecca to sit up.
They all crammed into the tent while Rebecca took the brightly coloured packages from her small suitcase and opened them one by one. 'Talcum powder – thanks, Tish! Oh, Sue, felt tips – just what I want!' Then, as she unwrapped a silk headscarf from Athens with a picture of the Parthenon on it, 'Mara – it's lovely!' Finally, two paperback books from Margot and Elf. 'P. G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie – hurray, I haven't read these!'
'Nor have we!'
'Mind you lend them to us!'
After that, Rebecca scrambled to get washed and dressed then hurried down to the camp fire to help serve out the last of the breakfasts. 'Remembered to wash your neck for my birthday, Tommy?' she teased him as she gave him a cup of tea. Embarrassed, he averted his gaze and mumbled: 'Happy birthday, miss.' Rebecca was slightly puzzled by his embarrassment. He looked really scrubbed and clean this morning, so it couldn't have been that.
After breakfast, Rebecca and Elf were on sandwich duty and rushed up to Juniper House. There were mountains of sandwiches to be made for the children's excursion. They were going to be away all day. They'd have a picnic lunch at Battenbury Nature Park and then a picnic tea at Dennizon Point on the way back. The coach would be arriving for them in an hour.
As Rebecca walked into Juniper House she was met by Miss Morgan carrying a large parcel and a greetings cable. The cable was from her parents. It said
HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBECCA PLEASE FORGIVE TERRIBLE MUDDLE LONGING TO SEE YOU LOVE MUM AND DAD
The parcel was the second surprise of the day.
'It arrived at Trebizon station last night,' said Miss Morgan. 'They phoned through and Hodson went down to collect it – Red Star delivery by the look of it. It's addressed to you, Rebecca – I was just coming down to camp to find you.'
'Well, here I am!' laughed Rebecca in excitement.
'Many happy returns,' added the junior house mistress, with a smile, before hurrying off to find all the things in the fridge that were needed for the sandwiches.
'Thanks!'
Rebecca and Elf put the big parcel on the floor and knelt down, struggling to get the knots untied. 'It was put on the train at Carlisle!' exclaimed Rebecca. 'Who do I know in Carlisle –'
Then, as she drew out two enormous cake tins covered in a tartan design:
'Of course, it's from Langholm! There's no railway station there so Nanny must have got a bus all the way to Carlisle –!'
The first tin contained the most mouth-watering Dundee cake Rebecca had ever seen, rich and dark and smothered with nuts. The second tin was crammed full of home-made shortbread. And there was a beautiful birthday card with a piece of heather and a note –
If you can't come to me, then I must come to you! Happy birthday, Rebecca, from Nanny XXX
'Oh!' said Rebecca, quite overwhelmed. 'Oh, Elf, aren't I lucky?'
Elf just nodded, staring mesmerized at the contents of the tins.
Rebecca took a piece of shortbread.
'Try a bit, Elf.'
'My – my diet!' the plump girl protested, feebly.
'Never mind your diet!'
They sat on the floor and ate three pieces of shortbread each. It was very delicious and more-ish and melted in the mouth. 'Better put the lid back on,' sighed Rebecca, with an effort of will. 'We'll keep the rest for the party this evening. Mmm –'
She closed the tin of biscuits and hesitated a moment before shutting the other tin as well, taking a last look at the Dundee cake.
'–what a fantastic birthday cake! We'll take it with us to the cove –to have some with our lunch.'
'We'll need it!' agreed Elf. 'After all that digging!' She eyed it very solemnly and contemplatively, like an art connoisseur eyeing an Old Master. 'Rebecca, it's beautiful. It's going to be tragic in a way, cutting it.'
Rebecca laughed as they got to their feet. She was holding the tins in her arms now.
'I can live with a tragedy like that.'
A little shiver of pleasure ran through her. Today was doubly special. Not only was it her birthday. It was the day of the Roman dig.'
Wouldn't it be exciting if by lunch time, by the time they came to cut the cake, they had something else to celebrate? Maybe this morning they'd find some sign of the coins that had eluded Mrs Lazarus for so long!
It was a pleasant morning, but cloudy. In fact all the children were wearing their anoraks when they climbed on board the coach with their sandwiches. The forecast was showers inland. Blackie tried to follow Tommy on to the coach but Elf dragged him off. 'No, Blackie! You're coming with us today!'
The six waved the coach off from the back of Juniper House then set off for Mulberry Cove with their own picnics, Blackie at their heels.
Rebecca noticed at once that the cove, so creepy and mysterious the previous evening, was back to its everyday self. There were a few people walking and bathing, one or two sailing boats being put to sea. Over in the lee of the cliffs the excavation party was working in the roped off area that the bulldozer had cleared for them.
When they got there, there were introductions all round. Mrs Lazarus was in charge, of course, holding an ancient metal detector. Then there were her son Charles and his wife Antonia, both wearing drill shorts, short-sleeved shirts and open sandals, busily sieving through piles of sand. There were two young men, stripped to the waist – Jake and Thomas – archaeology students from Cambridge University. Finally there was a wiry man in shorts and an open-necked shirt who had a small black beard.
'This is Mr Johnson,' said Mrs Lazarus. 'I think some of you met him yesterday. Did you meet them yesterday, Clifford?'
The man nodded. Rebecca gathered that he was the official representative on the dig of what Mrs Lazarus referred to as 'the Roman Antiquities people' – the organization that had been funding all the work in Mulberry Cove for the past two years.
'Pleased you're here,' he said to the girls. 'Lot to do.'
He was right.
It was slow, painstaking work.
The men dug trenches to a considerable depth, the girls riddled and trowelled and delicately sieved through pile after pile of sand, eyes and ears alert for the tiniest glitter or the briefest clink of metal. Mrs Lazarus checked and cross-checked the rows they were working with the metal detector and occasionally it clicked into life, only to reveal after much digging and sieving a rusty bottle top or a nail from a horseshoe perhaps. Once Rebecca squealed with excitement –
'A coin! I can see a coin!'
But it was a comparatively modern one, a big brown penny with Queen Victoria's head on it; an interesting enough find in itself, but hardly the real thing!
By midday, when the sun broke through the clouds, their Trebizon tee shirts were sticking to their backs.
They were glad when they broke for lunch. Rebecca cut slices of the Dundee cake and handed it round. 'Delicious!' pronounced everyone. 'Happy birthday, Rebecca!' said Antonia Lazarus, with that delicate shy smile of hers. She was a gentle, maternal kind of person, Rebecca thought. 'Will you be seeing your parents soon? I gather you don't see them very much.'
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'How – how did you know that?' asked Rebecca in surprise.
'Tommy Carter told me.'
'Oh.' Rebecca thought about that for a moment. 'No, I don't see them often.' Then she smiled. 'But they're coming home on leave at the end of next week. They'll collect me when camp finishes.'
'That's when the dig finishes, too,' said the young Mrs Lazarus with a sigh. She gazed round the staked off area, most of it still untouched. 'For good. It's a race against time, really.'
They worked hard all afternoon, with no success.
But when Mrs Lazarus said her goodbyes to them she didn't seem in the least bit downcast.
'Just look how much you've done!' she exclaimed. 'That's a whole day's work you've saved us! Now we can move on to the next strip tomorrow. Have you enjoyed it?'
They all responded enthusiastically and she asked them to come again.
'Just whenever you can. Even an hour or two's useful. You all know how to do the work now.' She gazed out to sea, towards Mulberry Island, speaking in Latin. Then she laughed to herself. 'Oh, Cabro, what a job you've given me! But I shall win in the end.'
'Confident to the last, Lottie,' said Mr Johnson, at her shoulder.
'Of course I am, Clifford. And if you were half a man, so would you be!'
There was an edge to her voice and the girls turned away, embarrassed.
'Come on, Blackie!' Elf whistled. 'Time to go back to camp, boy. Supper!'
The dog had been playing in the shallows with a piece of driftwood, but came bounding up the beach as soon as he was called.
The six went back to camp over the headland.
'I really thought we might find something today!' sighed Rebecca, at last, the long grasses tickling her legs as they walked along a narrow track.
'We were all hopeful,' said Tish. She gave her wide grin. 'But I suppose it was a bit much to expect!'
'After two years, yes,' said Mara, dark and solemn-eyed. 'That we should expect to be lucky!'
'It's hard work, isn't it?' said Elf. 'Must take a lot of patience, just to keep on and on. The way Lottie does.'
'She's just so sure she's right,' added Margot.
They all stopped at the crest of the headland and looked back – right across the bowl of the cove.