Read Online The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeanne Birdsall
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sprain,” said Aunt Claire. “Help me stand.”
But when Aunt Claire put weight on the bad ankle, she cried out in pain and had to be lowered onto the seawall.
“She needs to see a doctor,” said Jeffrey.
“I’ll drive her to the hospital,” said Alec. “There’s one only about a half hour away.”
“We’ll all go.” Skye was determined that there beno more tearing apart of the family, especially in emergencies. “Aunt Claire needs people she knows around her for comfort.”
“Comfort is good,” Alec agreed, “but since your aunt will need to stretch out in the backseat, there won’t be room for all of you.”
“Even if we can’t all go with Aunt Claire, some of us can,” said Jeffrey. “I will, if that would make you feel better, Skye.”
“I’ll go, too,” added Batty.
Skye couldn’t help noticing Alec’s mouth twitching with amusement at the idea of this small girl in her orange life jacket being any kind of help or comfort. He did sort of look nice, she thought—not as respectable and dignified as her father, but who was? Some people might even think him handsome in a grown-up sort of way, with brown hair that didn’t seem to want to lie down properly and a splatter of freckles across his nose. It could be just the beard, she thought, that gave him a less-than-dependable look.
“All right, Jeffrey, you go with him,” she said.
“Good.” Jeffrey grinned at Alec. “And, Skye, I like him, even if he can’t control his dog.”
“I like him, too,” said Jane. “I even like his dog.”
“Oh, I don’t like his dog,” said Skye.
“Stop this right now!” Aunt Claire waved her arms frantically. “Listen to me. I don’t need comfort. I just need a ride, which means that Alec will drive me tothe hospital, just me, by myself. You four will stay here and have a good time and not worry. Agreed?”
“You can’t expect Skye not to worry,” said Jane. “She’s the OAP.”
“Fine. Skye, as long as you do everything else I say, you may worry all you want.”
Skye wasn’t going to give up altogether without one last gasp of authority. “You need ice for your ankle. Jane, go get the ice. Batty, your job is to keep Hound calm.”
“And I’ll take Hoover home,” said Jeffrey.
So while Jane went inside to fill a plastic bag with ice, and Batty whispered words of comfort into Hound’s ear, and Jeffrey set off for Alec’s house with the wayward Hoover, Skye and Alec managed to get Aunt Claire to the car without causing her too much more pain.
“Here’s the ice,” said Jane, running up.
“Thank you, girls. You are my angels,” said Aunt Claire. “Now, truly, there’s nothing to be concerned about. I’ll call you.”
Skye and Jane smiled and waved as the car pulled away.
“Nothing to be concerned about,” said Skye, her smile gone as soon as the car was out of sight.
Jane and Batty were staring at her like they expected her to know what to do. She’d seen them stare like that before, but always at Rosalind, never at her.She turned her back on them for a bit of relief, and then, because a tree happened to be in front of her, she kicked it. Pleased with herself, she kicked another tree. Maybe she could escape to the pinewood at the end of the street, where there were hundreds of trees to kick.
She was the OAP, however, and having the OAP respond to a crisis by kicking too many trees would demoralize the troops. She had to think, and quickly. She was certain that neither her father nor Rosalind had given her guidance for what to do in the case of Aunt Claire damaging an ankle. Skye glanced over her shoulder at Jane and Batty huddled together, looking scared. Think! If only she weren’t so hungry—the gingerbread was a distant memory—maybe her brain would be working properly. No leader, not Caesar or Napoleon, not Washington himself, could have developed strategy on a stomach this empty. And then Skye realized that there was her answer. In any emergency, food
But when Aunt Claire put weight on the bad ankle, she cried out in pain and had to be lowered onto the seawall.
“She needs to see a doctor,” said Jeffrey.
“I’ll drive her to the hospital,” said Alec. “There’s one only about a half hour away.”
“We’ll all go.” Skye was determined that there beno more tearing apart of the family, especially in emergencies. “Aunt Claire needs people she knows around her for comfort.”
“Comfort is good,” Alec agreed, “but since your aunt will need to stretch out in the backseat, there won’t be room for all of you.”
“Even if we can’t all go with Aunt Claire, some of us can,” said Jeffrey. “I will, if that would make you feel better, Skye.”
“I’ll go, too,” added Batty.
Skye couldn’t help noticing Alec’s mouth twitching with amusement at the idea of this small girl in her orange life jacket being any kind of help or comfort. He did sort of look nice, she thought—not as respectable and dignified as her father, but who was? Some people might even think him handsome in a grown-up sort of way, with brown hair that didn’t seem to want to lie down properly and a splatter of freckles across his nose. It could be just the beard, she thought, that gave him a less-than-dependable look.
“All right, Jeffrey, you go with him,” she said.
“Good.” Jeffrey grinned at Alec. “And, Skye, I like him, even if he can’t control his dog.”
“I like him, too,” said Jane. “I even like his dog.”
“Oh, I don’t like his dog,” said Skye.
“Stop this right now!” Aunt Claire waved her arms frantically. “Listen to me. I don’t need comfort. I just need a ride, which means that Alec will drive me tothe hospital, just me, by myself. You four will stay here and have a good time and not worry. Agreed?”
“You can’t expect Skye not to worry,” said Jane. “She’s the OAP.”
“Fine. Skye, as long as you do everything else I say, you may worry all you want.”
Skye wasn’t going to give up altogether without one last gasp of authority. “You need ice for your ankle. Jane, go get the ice. Batty, your job is to keep Hound calm.”
“And I’ll take Hoover home,” said Jeffrey.
So while Jane went inside to fill a plastic bag with ice, and Batty whispered words of comfort into Hound’s ear, and Jeffrey set off for Alec’s house with the wayward Hoover, Skye and Alec managed to get Aunt Claire to the car without causing her too much more pain.
“Here’s the ice,” said Jane, running up.
“Thank you, girls. You are my angels,” said Aunt Claire. “Now, truly, there’s nothing to be concerned about. I’ll call you.”
Skye and Jane smiled and waved as the car pulled away.
“Nothing to be concerned about,” said Skye, her smile gone as soon as the car was out of sight.
Jane and Batty were staring at her like they expected her to know what to do. She’d seen them stare like that before, but always at Rosalind, never at her.She turned her back on them for a bit of relief, and then, because a tree happened to be in front of her, she kicked it. Pleased with herself, she kicked another tree. Maybe she could escape to the pinewood at the end of the street, where there were hundreds of trees to kick.
She was the OAP, however, and having the OAP respond to a crisis by kicking too many trees would demoralize the troops. She had to think, and quickly. She was certain that neither her father nor Rosalind had given her guidance for what to do in the case of Aunt Claire damaging an ankle. Skye glanced over her shoulder at Jane and Batty huddled together, looking scared. Think! If only she weren’t so hungry—the gingerbread was a distant memory—maybe her brain would be working properly. No leader, not Caesar or Napoleon, not Washington himself, could have developed strategy on a stomach this empty. And then Skye realized that there was her answer. In any emergency, food
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