by Betty Neels
Deborah beamed at her, ‘Of course. The twins want to go in the pool but they’ll have to wait until after breakfast, I can’t leave Dee…’
The door behind Eleanor was pushed wide and the professor, looking huge in a towelling robe, flung an arm round his daughter. He wished them good morning, dared them to utter a squeak and suggested—in a voice which commanded more than suggested—that there was no reason why they shouldn’t all go to the pool. The twins opened their mouths to shout delightedly, ‘Quiet!’ He told them firmly then went on: ‘Eleanor, help them into their swim suits or whatever they wear; Deborah, go and put on your bikini and put Dee in her basket, we’ll take it in turns to mind her. Now look sharp everyone.’
Deborah found herself doing exactly as she had been bidden; it took only a couple of minutes to get out of her few garments and in to the newest of the bikinis she had brought with her. She snatched up Dee’s basket, popped her in and went into the children’s room. ‘Towels?’ she asked.
‘In the changing room at the pool.’ He looked at her briefly: ‘Don’t ever expect me to call you Nanny again,’ he observed silkily. ‘Shall we go?’
It was already warm and the garden smelled delicious. They ran over the lawn, the professor with a twin on each hand, Deborah with Dee and Eleanor skipping between them, all of them in silence. ‘If anyone wakes up and hears us they might get cross, so mum’s the word, especially you Simon.’ The professor turned to grin at Deborah before he slid into the pool, helped the children in and began swimming up and down its length with first one then the other of them. Eleanor, Deborah noticed, could swim well, and between them she and her father ferried the little ones to and from each side with a lot of suppressed laughter and splashing.
‘Now it’s your turn,’ the professor had heaved himself out and was sitting beside her, ‘In you go, do you swim?’
She gave him a cold look. ‘All Nannys swim,’ she told him and slid in at the deep end to shoot down the pool to where Eleanor was playing with the twins. The water was warm; this would be where she would spend her precious free time, she decided as she joined the others in a watery game of ring o’roses.
The professor sat like Buddha with Dee cradled on his crossed legs. He watched the twins with tolerant amusement, his daughter with tender affection and then turned his gaze on to Deborah, bounding around like a twelve-year-old. He watched her for so long and so intently that a casual observer might have been forgiven for scenting a romance, but there was no romance in his face only a kind of intense speculation.
They all scrambled out presently and went in to dress for breakfast, leaving him there by the pool. It was half an hour before they met again at table, the twins in shorts and cotton tops and Eleanor and Deborah in sun dresses.
‘A heavenly morning,’ declared Mrs Burns from behind the coffee pot, ‘who’s for the beach?’
It seemed that they all were, although Mrs Burns stayed behind for a little while to settle Mrs Beaufort in a shady corner of the garden. Half way through the morning, when everybody was tired from being in the water and the twins had turned their energies to making sand castles, Deborah was asked—very nicely—if she would go back to the house and make sure that the old lady was all right. ‘And don’t bother to come down again,’ said Mrs Burns, ‘we’ll be up for lunch in less than an hour, so I’ll look after the children.’
Her husband and brother exchanged amused glances; Peggy was a good mother and a loving one but she had long ago devised a system of delegating maternal authority to whoever happened to be handy. She smiled at them both: ‘I’m quite exhausted with all this heat, will you two keep an eye on them while I snatch a few minutes’ peace?’ She added generously: ‘You can leave Dee here in her basket.’
Easily done since Dee was asleep. ‘You’re a humbug,’ declared the professor equably, ‘I pity Bill from the bottom of my heart.’
‘Wait until you marry,’ said Peggy. ‘No don’t answer that, I’m asleep.’
Eleanor had listened. ‘If you ever marry again, Daddy, can it be someone just like Deborah, I do like her.’
‘You mean, Nanny, darling?’ asked Mrs Burns.
‘She said I could call her Deborah: I’m too old to say nanny.’
‘So you are love.’ The professor had got to his feet. ‘You and I are going for a short walk—we haven’t had a talk for a long time have we?’
Eleanor took his hand. When they were well away from the others she asked: ‘What about, Daddy?’
He flung an arm round her small shoulders. ‘I’ve had a rather nice idea,’ he began and started to explain it to her.
Back in the garden, Deborah fetched another jug of lemonade for Mrs Beaufort, walked her gently up and down in the shade for a short time, and then sat down on the grass at her feet. The sun was really warm now and despite the sun hat and sitting in the shade, her freckles were making a splendid show. They made her look very young and Mrs Beaufort said suddenly: ‘You’re nothing more than a child…’
‘I’m twenty-three, Mrs Beaufort, and I’ve been trained for more than three years now.’
‘Indeed? And no boy-friends?’
‘No, I’ve lots of friends though. I think perhaps I’m not the kind of girl a man wants to marry.’ She turned her head, her ordinary face lighted by a smile. ‘Isn’t it lucky that I like my job. After Christmas I shall look for a permanent post—you know, with some county family with hordes of children, so that I can stay with them forever.’
‘You’d like that?’
‘It’s the next best thing to being married and having children of my own, isn’t it?’
‘I daresay it is. Peggy has been very lucky in her marriage; her husband adores her and the children are charming, which is a fortunate thing for I am sure she would have made a deplorable mess of a job and being single. As for Gideon—well, at least he has Eleanor—his wife left him when Eleanor was three years old. An American millionaire I think he was, it’s a terrible thing to confess, but I was glad when she died in an accident a year later. There was no love left between them but it has changed him.’ She gave a little chuckle: ‘He’s not quite a misogynist but he has cultivated an amused tolerance toward women. Some girl will come along one day and crack it wide open, and the sooner the better.’
They had lunch out of doors under the orange trees before Deborah took a sleepy pair of children up to their beds and set about feeding Dee. There were small chores to do after that, and she was hot and tired by the time they were done. She got on to her own bed and dozed until Simon came pattering in, asking for a drink, and while he had it she told him a story.
They went to the beach again before tea but this time Deborah didn’t go into the water; Mrs Burns hadn’t joined them and she sat with Dee while Mr Burns splashed around with the twins. They trooped up to the house presently and found the others sitting in the garden round a table laden with a teapot and plates of sandwiches and cake. It was the professor who observed presently: ‘Isn’t it about time Nanny had an hour to herself. It’s cool enough now to play ball with the children.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ said Eleanor eagerly as Deborah got up and before her father could say anything Deborah said cheerfully: ‘Yes, do—we’ll go for another swim shall we?’ Although she longed to be alone just for an hour. All the same Eleanor was good company, they swam for a while and then strolled along the beach, letting the warm water wash round their feet, until Deborah glanced at her watch. ‘Time to feed Dee,’ she cried, ‘my goodness I almost forgot.’ She took the hand Eleanor held out. ‘It’s been fun, hasn’t it?’
The twins didn’t want to have their supper, neither did they want to go to bed, it took all Deborah’s powers of persuasion to settle them for the night and by the time she had tidied the room and put out clean clothes for the morning, she had to rush through a shower and change of clothes, not wasting much time over her hair or her face. The freckles looked worse than ever, she decided, dabbing on powder and then washing it off agai
n because they weren’t to be disguised. She got downstairs with a couple of minutes to spare, and accepted the glass Mr Burns offered her.
‘A lovely day,’ observed Mrs Burns happily. ‘I say, Nanny, you have caught the sun—have you something to put on your face? Those freckles…’
Everyone looked at her as she said quietly: ‘Aren’t they awful? I get them every summer and it makes no difference what I put on them.’ It vexed her very much that she blushed as she spoke and that made the wretched things even more noticeable.
The professor started to talk about something else, turning attention away from her and she was grateful for that. He could be kind, she had discovered. After dinner, making the excuse that she was tired so that she wouldn’t be the odd man out in the family, he had gone to the door with her. ‘I hope Eleanor didn’t spoil your free time,’ he said quietly, ‘that wasn’t intended.’ Then he added: ‘We must make amends.’
CHAPTER FOUR
THERE WAS NO SIGN of the professor making amends during the next few days, not that Deborah was at all sure what he had meant. Amends for what? Did he think that she expected to be free for hours on end? Or that she had minded having Eleanor for company when she was free? She dismissed the subject as being too trivial to think about, in any case she hadn’t all that much time to sit about thinking. The days fell quickly into a pleasant pattern, if a hard working one, for the children were here there and everywhere; eating their meals out of doors, up at first light and never wanting to go to bed. Nonetheless, Deborah heard without rancour Mrs Burns’ suggestion that they should drive along the coast to Cape St Vincent and have lunch out: ‘That nice place at Sagres…’
‘Pousade do infante,’ murmured the professor.
Mrs Burns nodded. ‘That’s the one. Nanny you won’t mind staying here with Dee, will you?’ She smiled charmingly, ‘you’ll be glad of a nice quiet day with her. Maria will look after you and we’ll be back in good time for the children to go to bed.’
Deborah agreed with ready cheerfulness, forbearing to mention that Dee was cutting a tooth and had had a restless night so would probably have a restless day too. Perhaps it was just as well that everyone was going out so that she could give her her whole attention. At least for the moment the infant was sleeping which gave Deborah the chance to get the twins ready for their outing.
‘I wish you were coming too,’ said Eleanor softly as the party assembled at the front of the house. ‘There’s heaps of room because Daddy’s taking his car and there is only me with him.’
‘Another time, love,’ promised Deborah and went to settle Mrs Beaufort in the front seat of the Burns’ car, and then arranged the twins one each side of their mother in the back. ‘We shall be very hot,’ said Mrs Burns worriedly, and then: ‘You’re sure you’ll be all right, Nanny?’
‘Quite sure. Have a lovely day.’ Deborah dropped a kiss on each twin’s cheek, ‘Bring me back some seaweed.’
Mr Burns drove off and she turned to the professor’s car. ‘Have a nice day,’ she repeated and was engulfed in Eleanor’s hug.
The professor was leaning against the bonnet: ‘I heard Dee grizzling dreadfully during the night. Teething?’
He didn’t look the kind of man to bother about childish ailments. Deborah said shortly: ‘That’s right, yes,’ and then, ‘I hope you have a lovely day.’
‘You said that just now. When do you have your day off?’
She flushed slowly, ‘Mrs Burns hasn’t had time to discuss it with me,’ she told him shortly. ‘In any case…’
‘It’s none of my business,’ he finished for her smoothly. ‘Jump in, Eleanor and let us sample the delights of Cape St Vincent and Sagres.’
He drove off with a careless wave of the hand and Deborah waved back, not to him but to Eleanor, standing watching the little Fiat until it had reached the lane and disappeared. It was still early and the day stretched before her; she went indoors and changed into a bikini and put the sun hat and sun glasses on and carried the still sleeping Dee out into the garden setting her basket against one of the orange trees. It was pleasantly cool and shady and she sat, doing nothing until Dee woke and began to cry. Deborah took her out of the basket and sat her on her lap giving her a teething ring, but she went on wailing. It was too early for her feed so Deborah tucked her under her arm and wandered round the garden with her until presently the sobbing stopped. Fed and changed and for the moment content, Dee slept again and Deborah lay back, idly day-dreaming. To be married to a man who could provide luxurious villas for holidays and charter planes to get one there would be quite something. She wasn’t envious of Mrs Burns, she was too sensible for that, but there was no harm in letting her imagination run riot for a bit. She wouldn’t want a husband like Mr Burns though; he was a dear, kind and thoughtful and good natured and he spoilt Mrs Burns outrageously. Deborah thought that a man like him would get on her nerves after a time, but neither would she want to be bullied. The professor came near to doing that from time to time, perhaps not bullying, but certainly overriding anyone who didn’t fall in with his suggestions. She was aware that she wasn’t being quite fair but she busied herself thinking up all his faults and failings so that she could prove to herself that she was right.
The day wore on slowly with Dee getting more fractious as it became warmer, Deborah was walking up and down in the shade with her over one shoulder, longing for the tea which she saw no chance of getting, when the Fiat raced up the drive and stopped by the house. Eleanor and her father reached her at the same time. The professor stretched out an arm, transferred Dee to his own shoulder and patted the small back with a large hand.
‘Take Deborah into the house and see that she gets some tea,’ he told Eleanor. His eye lighted on Deborah’s face which was all ready to refuse. ‘And you do as I say Debby.’ His eyes skimmed the bikini. ‘Since you’re dressed for a swim, I suggest that you have one as soon as you’ve had tea.’
He marched off with Dee, and Eleanor tugged at Deborah’s hand. ‘Come on, Daddy’s awfully good with babies and children—he frightens grown ups sometimes, but that’s all.’
Quite enough too, thought Deborah, allowing herself to be led indoors to fall gratefully upon a plate of sandwiches and drain the teapot.
‘Did you have a nice day?’ She offered a sandwich to her companion.
‘Lovely. We went to Prince Henry’s Fort and watched the fishermen and went swimming at Sagres. Has Dee been crying all day?’
‘Well, on and off, yes. The tooth’s nearly through though. I daresay she’ll be happier tomorrow, the poor poppet.’
‘Aren’t you tired, Deborah?’
She swallowed the rest of her tea and got up. ‘Only a very little bit—that tea was lovely, I was beginning to think that I wouldn’t get any.’
‘Daddy drove back very fast because he said perhaps you’d need a break. Wasn’t it lucky that we got home early?’
‘Very, and I’m most grateful. Now I’m going back to Dee…’
‘You haven’t had your swim, Daddy said you had to have a swim.’ Eleanor took her hand as they went back into the garden. ‘There’s heaps of time, the others hadn’t even started when we left.’
There was no sign of the professor and Dee, Deborah stood uncertainly for a moment, and then, urged on by Eleanor, followed her down the path to the beach. The water was warm; she swam lazily, keeping an eye on Eleanor and left the sea reluctantly. They went back into the house and ten minutes later were back in the garden, both rather damp about the head but cool in sundresses.
The professor was lying under the trees, his niece spread over his chest asleep. He opened an eye as they reached him. ‘The tooth’s through, thank God. How nice and clean and cool you look.’
‘The water was heaven and so was the tea. Thank you very much, Professor.’
‘The pleasure was mine. I do hope that my sister hasn’t any plans for this evening, I’m for early bed.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘They’ll be here shortly. The twins have
had a busy day I can tell you, with luck they’ll gobble their supper and fall into bed.’
‘They said they never wanted to go home again,’ said Eleanor.
‘Then we must remind them that the puppy will be waiting for them. Here they are now. I’ll stay with Dee while you deal with the twins, Deborah.’
She collected them without loss of time, pausing only long enough to murmur sympathetically at Mrs Burns’ rather plaintive remark that she was exhausted. Mrs Beaufort looked exhausted too, but the quicker the twins were fed and put to bed the sooner everyone could relax. For once they were angelic; eating their suppers with no fuss at all, submitting to lightning showers and pyjamas with the minimum of complaints, indeed they chattered happily about their day, only stopping when Deborah popped them into their beds and tucked them up. She went along to her own room then, made sure that she was presentable and then went downstairs. Mrs Burns was lying on one of the sofas in the sitting room. ‘Bill’s gone to see to something in the car and Dee’s still asleep with Gideon; Eleanor’s with them. I’m very weary, Nanny, will you be an angel and help Mother to bed? I think she should rest at once and have her dinner there, don’t you?’
Mrs Burns was undoubtedly tired, Deborah told herself going back upstairs and tapping on Mrs Beaufort’s door. She was tired herself, but she forgot that when she saw Mrs Beaufort sitting in a chair by the window.
‘I’ve had such a lovely day,’ she told Deborah, ‘but you know, I’m too tired to get undressed! Isn’t that silly?’
‘It was a long day,’ observed Deborah, ‘and of course you’re tired. Mrs Burns asked me to give you a hand and I’ll tell Maria to bring you up a tray and you can have it sitting up in bed. That way you can go to sleep just whenever you feel like it. Now let’s get you to bed…’
It took quite a while; Mrs Beaufort wasn’t to be hurried and she wanted to talk about her day, so it was well past the time for Dee’s feed by the time Deborah had been to the kitchen to arrange for Mrs Beaufort’s supper and Dee still had to be got ready for bed. Of course, Mrs Burns might have started…