Elly had enough of her brother and came storming from his room, stamping her foot and saying a few words that she had overheard the servants saying. She stopped and to her horror saw a pair of familiar shoes, looking up she saw her father, Now father had a stern face but Elly knew she was safe because the corner of he's mouth was turned up.2
"Hello father did business go well yesterday?"3
"Yes thank you Elly, now can you tell me what Eddy has done that he deserves such hard words."4
Elly couldn't explain about the teasing for father would think her immature to have retaliated back.5
"I'd rather not father."6
"I would rather not." He corrected her.7
"I would rather not father."8
"Well between you and me he probably deserved it, Just don't let your mother hear you, she hasn't been well lately and she does not need to know you two have been fighting again."9
Elly's governess came into view and waited patiently for father and daughter to finish.10
"I had better go father Doreen is waiting for me," She bade her father a good morning and said she would see him this afternoon.11
"It is little Tom Miss, he won't sit down for he's lessons until you are there also, keep giving the nanny an awful time.12
The lessons went well, Elly with her governess and Tommy learning his letters with the nanny. But Elly found it difficult to concentrate on her history lesson, all she could think about was this afternoon. Charles Montague was coming to take the yearly family photograph, thinking about him gave her goose bumps.13
The children had a rather hasty lunch in the children's quarters with there respective governesses and the nanny, Tommy was still to young for a governess but father believed that he wasn't to young at four to learn to read and write, So that was one of Nanny's many duties.14
After changing into their best clothes they rushed downstairs to await the photographer. Elly could not resist checking herself in the mirror.15
While tidying up her hair she glimpsed a reflection of a painting on the wall that she had not noticed before, a vase of yellow tall flowers, she recognised them as Sunflowers, they grew along the vegetable garden, as she turned though she could not see the painting. Shaking her head she resumed checking herself in the mirror but her mind was now busy thinking about the painting.16
"Elly are you deliberately ignoring me?" her mother asked.17
With a jump she realized that her mother was coming down the stairs and had been calling her for some moments.18
"I am sorry mama but my mind was occupied on something else and I did not hear you call."19
"Well that is understandable," she winked at her daughter.20
Elly blushed, did everyone know how she felt about Charles? 21
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Elsie had moved in and felt at home straight away, her grandmothers chest which had housed all of Elsie's bottom draw was now unpacked, all the things she had bought and saved hard for, for when she had her own place were now all around the flat, and the chest now sat in it's usual place at the bottom of her bed.24
Elsie opened her bedroom window for the sent of apple blossom to waft through, standing in the bedroom doorway she checked everything was in it's right place, from her grandmothers lace bed throw, now over her bed, to the vase of roses. Such frivolous things her mother couldn't stand, but Elsie loved them.25
With a start she realized the main doorbell was going, she went to the main doors to find her mother standing there.26
"Well I thought you been here a few days already and you had forgot to invite me, so i would surprise you and come and visit."27
"Me forget to invite you, never. I have just been so busy mum, what with work and moving in."28
Elsie closed the door after her mother came through the main doors. Walking to her own front door which she had left open she looks back to find her mother had stopped.29
"I didn't know it was so big, and impressive." Her mother was walking around the main entrance with awe. She run her hand along the railings and jumped back with a fright.30
"What is it mother?"31
"Nothing dear." But her eyes were looking up, as though someone was there.32
"Well let me show you my own place then." Elsie walked in with her mother walking very close behind.33
Elsie left the black room last, knowing her mother liked a mystery and the dark.34
"This is my dark room Mum,"35
Opening the door Elsie told her mum everything Mr Jones had told her.36
"Now I'm going to get you a key made so if you visit and I'm not in you can wait for me, but I don't want you going in here on your own."37
Elsie watched her mum and could see the tiny cogs going on in her brain.38
"I'll put the kettle on, I haven't got work today it being a Saturday, maybe in a while we can go shopping."39
Her mum nodded and turned away from the room. While Elsie put the kettle on, her mum excused herself and went to the bathroom. thinking of what she wanted to buy for the flat, like a pair of heavy curtains for her bedroom before the winter, Elsie heard her mother scream.40
"I heard voices in your darkroom and I opened the door but it was still dark, Then I thought I saw a chink in the curtains, then it was gone."41
Of course Elsie thought, the curtains, why had she never thought of that before.42
"Mum you sit in the kitchen, I just want to look around the front."43
"Oh no you don't, I don't want to be left in here while your outside." 44
So together they went to the front of the house, Elsie was so used to seeing the curtains closed on the outside of the house that she didn't give it anymore thought, yet this was her darkroom. Trying to estimate how big the room was, she realized it was fairly large.45
"You definitely need some new curtains there Elsie. I hate to think what the neighbours would say if they new those belonged to my daughter."46
So They went shopping, for very powerful torches and a tape measure, maybe if they could get to the windows and just open the curtains. But Elsie had a suspicion that it wasn't going too be that easy. After all surely Mr Jones would have tried the same. 47
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