The Girls of Chequertrees
Page 5
*CHAPTER V*
*MAKING PLANS*
In the morning, as soon as breakfast was over, Pamela held an informal'council meeting' in the drawing-room.
"I thought we'd better just talk over some sort of plan for organizingthings, so that we shall all be as comfortable as possible," she said,leaning her elbow on the small round table before her and resting herchin in the palm of her hand. "You see, it isn't as if there was a realhostess here--you know what I mean--it isn't as if we could drop intothe ordinary life of the household. Here we are--four strangersyesterday, four acquaintances to-day--and we've got to live and work andplay together for the next six months. Now what are the bestarrangements to make, so that we'll all have a good time? It's leftentirely in our hands. Anybody got any suggestions?" She lookedsmilingly round at the other three girls.
Isobel was the only one who answered.
"Of course we didn't know _what_ we should be expected to do when wecame here," she said. "It was all such an _awful_ hurry andscramble--there was no time to think of anything."
"I know," agreed Pamela. "But now we are here, we'd better have somesort of plan, don't you think--so as to leave each other as free aspossible--I do hate tying people down to time and--and things--but we'llhave to have some sort of arrangements about meals, for instance, orelse we'll keep Martha and Ellen busy all day long. Luckily, we've gothardly any housekeeping difficulties. I had a talk with Martha andEllen this morning, before breakfast, and they're going on with theirwork just as usual. Martha does all the cooking and washing, and Ellendoes the general work. But I expect four girls in the house will make agood bit of difference! So I propose that we each make our own bed andtidy our own room every morning--and Ellen will clean the rooms out oncea week. It won't take each of us long of a morning. What do you say?"
Beryl agreed at once; and Isobel, though she said she wasn't _used_ todoing housework, promised to do her best; Caroline was understood to sayshe preferred making her own bed because other people never made a bedto her satisfaction.
Having settled this little point, Pamela went on:
"As regards shopping--Martha says she always sees about getting inprovisions, but she would like us to say what we'd like for breakfasts,and dinners, and so on. She says Miss Emily Crabingway left a sum ofmoney with her for purchasing enough food for the next three months;after that time has elapsed, Mr Joseph Sigglesthorne is to send on afurther sum--enough for the final three months. You see that's allarranged for us; but we've got to choose the meals, and I thought itwould be a good plan if we took it in turns, each week--first one, thenthe other--to draw up a list of meals for the week. Write it all out,and take it in to Martha. What do you think? Martha likes the idea."
"I'm quite willing, but I don't believe I could think of enough varietyfor a week straight off," said Beryl.
"Oh, yes, you could," said Pamela, "with the help of Mrs Beeton'sCookery Book--there are no end of hints in there. Martha has a copy ofthe book on a shelf in the kitchen; she'll lend it to us. She says it'svery useful, but rather too extravagant for her liking, with its 'breakeight eggs and beat them well,' and 'take ten eggs' and 'take six eggs'and so on. Martha says she always looks up a recipe in Mrs Beeton's,and then makes it her own way (which is always quite different)."
"As long as you don't choose boiled haddock every morning," said Isobel,"and don't give us lamb chops and mashed potatoes everydinner-time--with rice pudding to follow--I'm sure we'll none of us tryto assassinate you on the quiet."
"I don't mind taking my turn at choosing the meals," said Caroline,thinking tenderly of suet roly-poly.
"And I'll do what I can," remarked Isobel, more in her element whenchoosing work for others to perform than in doing work herself. She hadmomentary visions of how she would astonish the others by themagnificence of her menus; none of the 'homely' dishes for Isobel; withthe aid of Mrs Beeton, who knows what might not be accomplished in theway of exclusive and awe-inspiring dishes. "But _you_ choose the firstweek's meals, _do_," she begged Pamela.
As this suggestion was proposed, seconded, and carried unanimously bythe others, Pamela agreed, and so the matter was settled.
"Having now disposed of our housekeeping duties," Pamela laughed, "nowwhat are we going to do with the rest of our time? Had any of you anyidea of keeping up studies, or attending classes, or anything of thatsort? You see we are left idle--to act entirely on our owninitiative--without any suggestions or arrangements whatever on MissCrabingway's part. And I know that, speaking for myself, I don't wantto idle away the next six months."
"_I_ shouldn't mind being idle," observed Isobel. "In fact mater saidthe six months' rest would do me no harm. I was just going back tocollege, you know, when we heard from Miss Crabingway--and of course allmy plans were upset--but I didn't mind so much with the prospect of alovely, lazy holiday at Barrowfield. But still, if you are all going totake up some sort of work, I suppose I must, as well.... I should bebored to death with my own company--if you are all going to work."
"I only suggest a few hours' work each day," reminded Pamela. "It makesthe day seem so much more satisfactory when one has _done_ something."
The question of what to study, and how to study, gave much food fordiscussion; but the subject was prevented from taking too serious a turnby Isobel's constant stream of facetious remarks on the kind of work shewould take up. She seemed to think it a huge joke; though Caroline, whowas apt to take things literally, was much perturbed at the numerousstudies Isobel proposed, until she realized that Isobel was only makingfun all the time.
"I should prefer to keep up my music," said Beryl, presently. "Andstudy hard at theory, harmony, and counterpoint--and if it wouldn'tannoy anyone--perhaps I could practise on the piano here. I--I shouldlove that."
"Of course it wouldn't annoy anyone, would it?" Pamela appealed to theother two, who said that it certainly wouldn't annoy them.
"It isn't as if it were the five-finger exercise--thump--thump--thump,"added Caroline cautiously.
"Well, we should _hope_ you'd got beyond that," said Isobel to Beryl,who flushed nervously.
"Oh, yes," she hastened to assure them.
"There are worse things than the five-finger exercise," broke in Pamela."I have a sister at home who knows _one_ piece, and whenever she getsnear the piano she sits down and plays it--thumps it, I shouldsay--because she 'knows we love it,' she says. We always howl at her,on principle, and the nearest of us swoops down on her, and bears her,protesting, out of the room."
The others laughed with Pamela at this recollection of hers, andattention was distracted from Beryl, much to her relief.
"Well," said Pamela, "for myself--I am going to do a heap ofreading--especially historical books; and I want most of all to continuemy sketching. I'm very fond of dabbling in black and whitesketching--and I want lots of practice. I've brought with me some booksabout it--to study."
"Oh, you _energetic_ people," yawned Isobel. "It makes me tired tothink of the work you're going to do."
"What are you going to do?" Pamela asked, turning to Caroline.
"Well," drawled Caroline, "I like doing needlework better thananything."
Isobel put her handkerchief to her mouth to hide a smile. FortunatelyCaroline was not looking at her, but Beryl was. Caroline went onundisturbed.
"I'm not fond of reading or books, but I've been thinking--if there wereany classes near by, on dressmaking--cutting out and all that, youknow--that I could attend, I wouldn't mind that; but anyway I've gotplenty of plain needlework to go on with. I brought a dozenhandkerchiefs in my box to hem and embroider--and I've got a tray-clothto hem-stitch."
"Mind you don't overtax your brain, my dear," muttered Isobel, gigglinginto her handkerchief.
"Eh?" asked Caroline, not catching her remark.
"Nothing," said Isobel. "I was only wondering what work I could do."
"I daresay you'll be able to f
ind some dress-making classes, Caroline,"said Pamela. "We'll go out and buy a local paper and see what's goingon. But, Isobel, what are _you_ going to do?" Pamela asked, lookingacross at Isobel.
"Ah me!" sighed Isobel. "Well, if I must decide, I'll decide ondancing. I'm frightfully keen on dancing, you know. I'll attendclasses for that if you like--that is, if there are such things asdancing classes in this sleepy little place.... I might do a bit ofphotography too. I didn't bring my camera--but perhaps I can buy a newone--it's great fun taking snapshots."
"If there are no classes in Barrowfield there is almost sure to be atown within a few miles, where we can get what we want," Pamela said.
Matters now being settled as far as was possible at the present moment,Pamela said she was going out to look round the village, and Isobelimmediately said she would go with her as she wanted to buy some buttonsfor her gloves. Beryl would have liked to go with Pamela, but feltsensitive about visiting the village for the first time in Isobel'scompany--for more than one reason; so she said she would go and unpackher box and get her music books out, and look round the village lateron. Caroline also elected to stay and unpack and put her room in order.So Pamela and Isobel started off together.
They had been gone but five minutes when the post arrived with aregistered letter addressed to Pamela.
"Ah," said Martha knowingly, as she laid the letter in the tray on thehall-stand.