Belinda thought of it first, to run away that is. Mamma had told us to put on our best clothes and to wait quietly in the drawing room. We were a sorry looking pair; Belinda sulking, and me frightened, as I was about to leave for boarding school.
"I want to go to school with you! I don't want a silly old governess."
"Well you can't come - it's for boys only!"
"Then if I can't go to the village school, I'll run away!"
The late summer heat was oppressive and we longed to be outside paddling in the river, listening to the soughing of the breeze in the reeds. Belinda fidgeted and wriggled as she tried to catch the motes of dust floating in the rays of light, which struggled to get through the heavy damask curtains. Tugging at the stiff ruffles around her neck she grumbled about the temperature and drummed her heels against the seat.
My placatory words only made her more agitated so the idea of escape seemed prudent. We could take the boat and row down stream to the sea and join a circus! Creeping across the lawn, we ran stealthily to the boathouse, taking a final look to make sure we weren't being followed. It wasn't easy, the oars were heavy and awkward, but we made steady progress until without warning there was an enormous splash and a scream from Belinda. The boat rocked dangerously as she leaned over the side trying to retrieve the lost oar.
"Watch out you'll fall in and drown! - Leave it - we'll have to manage without."
With sinking hearts we realised we were going no further. Firmly entrenched in the vegetation, I tried pushing the boat free with my paddle whilst Belinda pulled uselessly at the reeds.
The sun was setting and a cold, damp mist drifted across the water. From the bank a duck took to the air before landing close to the boat. It was cackling and creating such a fuss that Belinda began to wail,
"Whose stupid idea was it to run away, we're never going to be found and we'll starve to death".
In the distance we heard loud voices and strange silhouettes formed against the landscape. We huddled together in fear as dark shapes appeared through the darkness. They grew closer and closer and calling,
"Master Edward, Miss Belinda, can you hear us? Are you there?"
Breathing a sigh of relief that rescue was at hand I called back.
"It's Tom and some of the servants, they've found us, look Belinda, he's got a rope to pull us to safety".
We hollered and yelled to the boatman, scattering the ducks and coots that had been spectators at our plight. Tom's smiling head popped up over the reeds.
"Well, well, well, what have we here then?" His deep Suffolk accent was comforting to hear, "Looks like two little lost souls to me!"
Then stepping heroically into the water he took grip of the boat and pulled,
"Steady, there, hold tight, we'll soon have you free."
In seconds Tom's strong arms scooped us up and placed us safely onto the riverbank.
"Thank you for saving us, we could have starved or drowned," Belinda hung her head,
"Yes Tom, it was good of you and the others to come and find us."
"Best get you home Missy. Your Ma's fair out of her mind with worry about the pair of you."
On the return trip we began to realise how silly we'd been and the danger we had put ourselves in. Running away wasn't the answer to our problems. Disgraced, we now had to face our parents. With Belinda on his shoulders Tom strode quickly back to the house. Through the illuminated windows we could see Mother crying and Father looking severe. The governess, sitting in the armchair that Belinda had only recently vacated, was speaking,
"Yes your Lordship I do believe in caning naughty children, who steal boats and run away. I'd give them a good purging with castor oil, to make sure they had learned their lesson too!"
Mother's sobs were louder than Belinda's. Father was pensively stroking the long scar on his cheek.
"Miss Witherspoon, I've spent five years in France fighting the bully of a Hun, I didn't expect to come back to a land where children would be treated with such barbarism."
What happened next took us all by surprise.
Father ordered Tom to take Miss Witherspoon straight back to the station, the downstairs maid was told to unpack my trunk, and cook was summoned to bring milk and a slice of our favourite cake. Then we heard the best words of all - for the time being our education would continue at the village school with Miss Truelove who knew all the names of the trees and birds of the river - and who gave you sweets on your birthday.
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