Daisy in the Mansion Page 5

  Minutes later Mrs Bailey stood in the doorway. ‘You will take every piece of material out to the gardener so that he can burn it all. You will stay in your room for the rest of the day,’ Mrs Bailey said in a sad voice.

  Daisy glanced up and noticed Mrs Bailey’s face was pale and the corners of her mouth drooped.

  ‘Other than that, I just don’t know what to say, Daisy,’ she sighed. ‘I really don’t. I will have to speak to my husband.’ She shook her head and left.

  Hot tears spilled down Daisy’s cheeks and she pushed her face into her pillow to sob. But she’d done the right thing – the only thing . . . hadn’t she?

  DAISY stayed in her room the next morning rather than face up to the disappointed looks of the Baileys. She tried to think up a new story to tell Annie, but her head ached from sleeping so badly. One minute she’d been terrified about what had happened to Dad, the next she was stricken with guilt and horror about her terrible behaviour.

  But at least it should be enough for the Baileys to send me away, she thought. Maybe I’ll even be back with Edith at the orphanage tonight. Well, if it’s my last day, I’d better visit Annie, she finally decided.

  She washed her face and combed her hair and within minutes was tiptoeing down the hall. She tapped at Annie’s door. ‘It’s me, Daisy,’ she said softly.

  ‘Come in,’ Annie answered weakly.

  Daisy sat on the bed beside Annie, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She looks terrible, Daisy thought, aware of how much thinner Annie had grown in just the past week.

  ‘How are you today, Annie?’ she asked.

  ‘I don’t think I’ll be out frolicking with dragons today, Daisy, dear,’ she said, her voice sounding thin and distant.

  ‘I wish there was something I could do to help you,’ Daisy said.

  ‘You could always sneak me out to visit those lovely duckies,’ Annie said with a hopeful smile. ‘I would so like to cuddle one before I have to go off to heaven.’

  Daisy’s throat felt tight and sore and she found it hard to speak. ‘Don’t say things like that,’ she croaked. She swallowed hard and tried again. ‘You’re going to get better, Annie, I promise.’

  Annie stared into the distance. ‘I don’t think so, actually, Daisy, though it is sweet of you to say so. I can feel myself getting weaker every day.’

  ‘Right,’ Daisy said. ‘I think you need a change of scenery. We are going to see those ducklings, and we’re going now.’

  Annie’s eyes shone with delight. ‘Really, Daisy? Do you mean it? But how?’

  Daisy twisted her hair around her finger and thought hard. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘it must be about ten-thirty by now. That means your dad is at work. Where would your mum be today?’

  ‘Oh, that’s easy,’ Annie said. ‘She helps out at the church on Thursdays.’

  ‘So if we avoid Mrs Bird, everything will be all right – I’m sure Lizzie won’t dob us in.’

  ‘Mrs Bird has gone to visit her sister,’ Annie said, and smiled happily. ‘We’re free for a few hours.’

  ‘Perfect.’ Daisy clapped her hands with delight. ‘Now, let’s get you rugged up, and I’ll give you a piggy back.’ She looked at Annie’s hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. ‘Are you sure you will be all right?’

  ‘Please, Daisy,’ Annie begged, ‘I so want to feel the sunshine again.’

  Daisy nodded and turned to rummage through Annie’s drawers. She pulled out a red woollen jacket and helped her button it on.

  ‘Now, just wrap your arms around my neck, and we’ll be on our way,’ Daisy said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  Annie wrapped her spindly arms around Daisy’s neck and Daisy stood to lift her up.

  She’s as light as a feather, Daisy thought. She opened the door slowly, peered out, then crept to the staircase. There were footsteps below, so Daisy stood behind a statue and peered over the railing. Lizzie was dusting the lounge room.

  ‘It’s all right,’ Daisy said. ‘It’s just Lizzie.’

  ‘Okay,’ Annie answered, her warm breath tickling Daisy’s ear.

  Daisy walked cautiously down the stairs. I don’t want to trip and hurt Annie, she thought.

  They finally reached the bottom, Daisy snuck toward the front door and in seconds they were out in the sunshine.

  ‘Oh my,’ Annie sighed and Daisy felt her small body stiffen with excitement. ‘Over there.’ Annie pointed to a shady spot in the corner of the huge grounds. ‘Mummy and Daddy didn’t want a pond, because we have a big fountain in the back garden, but I absolutely insisted. I knew the ducks would love it.’

  Daisy could see that lily pads covered the top of the water and ivy cascaded down the pond’s high concrete sides. She crouched, let Annie slide off her back and sat next to her on the edge of the pond.

  ‘It’s more beautiful than I remembered,’ Annie sighed. She trailed her fingers in the water, sending ripples in all directions.

  Daisy noticed how Annie’s hair shone golden in the sunlight and her cheeks now had a slight tinge of pink. This was the right thing to do, she thought with relief.

  A noisy gaggle of ducks waddled up from the garden, followed by a trail of fuzzy yellow ducklings.

  ‘Oh look,’ Annie cried. ‘They’re so sweet.’

  Daisy scooped up the smallest duckling and placed it in Annie’s lap where it promptly sat down and fell asleep.

  A cool breeze shifted the leaves above them and dappled sun glistened on the pond’s surface.

  It’s like being back on the farm, Daisy thought, feeling warm and drowsy. Annie started humming gently under her breath as she patted the downy feathers of the duckling.

  ‘Do you miss your home very badly, Daisy?’ Annie asked.

  ‘Oh yes,’ Daisy said, her chest feeling tight with sadness. ‘I miss my dad and Flora every second of the day.’ She felt a wave of sickness as she thought about Dad.

  Daisy felt Annie’s little body droop beside her. I’ve tired her out too much, she thought. ‘Never mind about all that now,’ she said softly. She took the duck from Annie’s lap and returned it to the pond. The little girl looked up at her, her eyes dark with exhaustion.

  ‘Thank you, Daisy. I think this is just what heaven will be like,’ she said with a weak smile.

  Daisy lifted her up and carried her back to the house. Before they had reached the front door, Annie had fallen asleep in her arms.

  I don’t care if I get caught, Daisy thought grimly. It was worth it.

  But the house was quiet when they returned and she gently tucked Annie into bed.

  Daisy wandered back to her own room and sat looking out her bedroom window. She closed her eyes and imagined she was riding Jimmy under the vivid blue sky, and soon she fell asleep, too.

  ‘DAISY, Mr Bailey wants to see you downstairs.’ Lizzie shook Daisy gently and she woke with a start.

  Daisy sat up and shook her head. ‘What time is it?’ she asked, her head thick with sleep.

  ‘It’s four o’clock. You’ve been asleep for a couple of hours, but I thought I’d let you be,’ Lizzie said. ‘But Mr Bailey is expecting you in the library. I wouldn’t keep him waiting.’

  This is it, Daisy thought, a mixture of fear and confusion surging through her. They’re going to send me back to the orphanage.

  ‘I’m coming,’ she said, and slid off the bed to follow Lizzie downstairs.

  Her stomach sloshed with nerves as she knocked on the library door.

  ‘Come in,’ Mr Bailey’s deep voice called.

  He was sitting in a leather armchair, reading the paper. ‘Sit here,’ he said and dragged a second chair to face his.

  Daisy sat and folded her arms around her, trying to hide her nerves.

  This is what I want, she reminded herself. I want to be sent away. I just hope he’s not going to shout too much.

  ‘Now, my wife tells me you behaved in quite a shocking manner yesterday,’ he began.

  Daisy hung her head.

  ‘Please
look at me when I’m speaking, Daisy,’ he said.

  She looked up, and saw that his eyes were warm and kind despite his serious tone.

  ‘I can’t imagine how frightened I would be if I ever got separated from Annie and Mrs Bailey,’ he said.

  Daisy’s mouth dropped open.

  ‘You mustn’t be upset with Lizzie, but she told me a little bit about your family situation,’ he said.

  Daisy said nothing.

  ‘And I’m sure all the worry about your father and sister has made you act in ways that you would never normally act.’

  Daisy blushed with embarrassment. I wish he would just send me away and be done with it, she thought. I wonder what’s on for dinner at the orphanage tonight. I hope it’s not tripe.

  ‘ . . . one more chance,’ Mr Bailey was saying.

  Daisy shook her head and looked at him. She hadn’t been paying attention.

  ‘Pardon?’ she said.

  Mr Bailey looked at her patiently and repeated. ‘I said, Mrs Bailey and I don’t believe in giving up on people, so we’re giving you one more chance.’

  Daisy was stunned. It felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach and all the air was pushed out of her body. She stared at Mr Bailey in shock. Exactly how bad do I have to be to get out of here? she thought wildly.

  ‘But . . . but,’ she said, ‘I don’t think I can behave better, Mr Bailey, I’ve tried, and I just can’t . . .’ Her voice trailed off.

  ‘Oh, I’m sure you can, dear. Just think of how proud your father would be of you.’

  Daisy looked at him for a moment. Could she tell him her plan? She knew he was a good man, kind and fair. Maybe he would even help her find Dad.

  She swallowed, took a deep breath, and then it came out all in a rush. ‘I wrote to my friends,’ she said. ‘And they told me my dad was hurt in an accident. And that he was at a town on the border. And he sent word with a friend because he hadn’t heard from us. That’s why I’ve been so naughty, and if I can go back to the orphanage and get Edith, we can escape and I can go and get Flora and then find him because I’m so worried about him, and I’m sure he needs help, and Flora might be sent to Sydney any day, and –’

  Mr Bailey frowned and held up his hand. ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean, your father was injured? What happened? When was this?’

  Tears dropped onto Daisy’s cheeks. ‘I don’t know.’ She shook her head with sadness.

  ‘And where is he now?’

  He doesn’t seem angry, Daisy thought with relief. ‘I . . . I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘I think still in a town near the border.’

  ‘And you and your friend,’ he said gently, ‘how exactly are you planning to escape from the orphanage?’

  ‘Um . . . I don’t know,’ Daisy admitted. When she’d said it all out loud, her plan did seem a little complicated. ‘Somehow. I just have to.’

  ‘And when was the last time you heard from your father directly?’ Mr Bailey asked.

  Daisy paused. ‘Not since he left us with Aunty May,’ she whispered. ‘He never wrote. He promised he would.’

  Mr Bailey looked thoughtful. ‘Even if I took you back to the orphanage, I don’t know that you’d be any closer to finding him, my dear. And we don’t know for sure that he’s been hurt – it seems this is just a story from someone your family doesn’t know. Best that you stay with us, where you’re safe, don’t you think? If you leave word with your friends, your father can get in touch when he’s in a better spot.’

  Daisy felt her heart sink along with her hopes. What about Flora? ‘But –’

  ‘Run along now,’ Mr Bailey said, and picked up his paper again. ‘I’ll see you at dinner.’

  Daisy stood up and stumbled blindly out of the room. I thought I was going to be back with Edith tonight, plotting our escape plan, she thought desperately. And now what? It would be even more difficult to get sent home because Mr Bailey would know what she was up to. She’d have to run away. Again. But look how it had turned out last time.

  Her stomach growled angrily and she remembered she hadn’t eaten all day. I might see if I can get a snack, she decided. I’ll be able to think better on a full stomach.

  Cook was in the kitchen, her face flushed with heat as she prepared dinner. Before Daisy could open her mouth, she called out, ‘Hey there, Daisy, run and get me some curry powder from the larder.’

  Daisy darted into the huge cupboard that was almost as big as a room. She looked through spice tins and jam jars, the bags of salt and flour, but couldn’t see curry powder. She poked her head out to tell the cook, but realised she had gone. Just then Mrs Bird came into the kitchen. Daisy watched as the woman looked around, as if checking to see that she was alone. Daisy pulled back to hide behind a sack of sugar.

  Mrs Bird took a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with soup that was bubbling on the stove. She’s making Annie’s lunch, Daisy realised. But why does she look so nervous? Mrs Bird was still looking around and moving very quickly.

  As Daisy watched closely, she opened a cupboard above her, pushed aside the plates and cups, and took out a small steel box. Daisy leant forward to see more clearly.

  Mrs Bird took a key from the pocket of her apron, and after a last glance around, opened the tin and took out a small bottle of liquid.

  What in heaven’s name is she up to? Daisy wondered.

  Mrs Bird quickly poured some liquid into the soup, before replacing the lid, snapping the box closed and pushing it to the back of the cupboard again.

  Just then, the cook walked back in and Daisy stood back further to avoid being seen.

  ‘G’day, Mrs Bird. I see you’ve found the soup,’ the cook said.

  ‘Yes indeed. I’m just taking Annie’s tray up now,’ Mrs Bird said as she left the kitchen.

  What did she put in the soup? Daisy wondered. Maybe it was a special tonic from the doctor? But then why was she being so sneaky?

  It’s all very mysterious, Daisy thought, and her mind flicked back to Mrs Bird’s face the night of the midnight feast. There was something a bit odd about Mrs Bird. Daisy leant against a large bag of sugar, but it slipped sideways and sent her sprawling onto the ground. A river of sugar spilled onto the kitchen floor before Daisy could stop it.

  ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, Cook, I’ll help you clean it up,’ Daisy said and attempted to pick up the heavy corner of the sugar bag, but ended up tipping out another mound of sticky grains.

  Mrs Bailey walked into the kitchen just as Daisy was skidding in sugar as high as her ankles.

  ‘Go to your room, please, Daisy,’ she said, her voice tight with anger.

  ‘Oh no, Mrs Bailey, please, I didn’t mean to . . .’ She slipped sideways and knocked a treacle tin off the shelf. Its lid sprang open and a golden sea of thick syrup mixed with the sugar on the ground.

  ‘At once,’ Mrs Bailey said, ‘and not another word.’ She stalked out and called for Lizzie.

  ‘Well, this is a nice job you’ve done this time,’ Lizzie said as she came into the room. She stretched a hand out to help Daisy stand up. ‘Let’s get you cleaned up.’

  ‘All right,’ Daisy said. ‘But I have to tell you something about Mrs Bird.’

  ‘Come on then,’ Lizzie said, ‘tell me upstairs.’

  ‘What do you mean, Mrs Bird is up to something?’ Lizzie asked.

  ‘I don’t know for sure,’ Daisy said as Lizzie combed the sugar and treacle out of her hair in the bathroom. ‘But I saw her put something in Annie’s soup. What could it have been?’

  ‘Some sort of medicine, of course,’ Lizzie said, and shook her head. ‘What else would it be?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Daisy said. ‘But if it was medicine, why would she be acting so suspicious and why would she keep it hidden?’

  ‘Goodness only knows,’ Lizzie said, and shook her head. ‘But I don’t reckon there’s any mystery here.’ She tugged the brush through Daisy’s hair. ‘Besides, it’s not your problem. Aren’t you trying to get
sent away?’

  Oh no, Daisy thought, as she followed Lizzie back to her room. I can’t escape now – I have to find out what’s going on! She had never felt more strongly that something wasn’t right.

  ‘I think you should forget about it,’ Lizzie said as she helped Daisy out of her sticky clothes. She passed her a blue cotton dress. ‘Here, you can wear this. It’s one of mine.’

  Daisy looked at her gratefully. ‘Thanks, Lizzie,’ she said. ‘But I have to get to the bottom of this.’

  ‘Suit yourself,’ Lizzie said as she left the room. ‘Just try not to upset the Baileys any more.’ She closed the door behind her.

  Daisy paced up and down the room. I have to find out what’s going on. But how? She twisted her hair around her finger, deep in thought.

  I’ve got it, she thought, stopping in the middle of the room. She had the perfect plan!

  THE house was dark and silent as, giddy with nerves, Daisy crept along the hallway toward Annie’s room, a flickering candle providing a small glow of light.

  Daisy remembered that Mrs Bird’s room was next to Annie’s. I’ll sneak in while she’s asleep and find the key, Daisy thought to herself. Then I’ll open the tin and find out what she’s putting in Annie’s food. Daisy couldn’t think of how to solve her own situation, but maybe she could do something to help Annie. She’d be so much happier without that awful Mrs Bird around.

  A floorboard squeaked loudly underfoot and Daisy stopped in her tracks, her heart beating so loudly she was sure it would wake the whole house. Everything was quiet, so she continued on a few more steps until she reached the door. I hope she’s a deep sleeper, Daisy thought. She swallowed hard, held her breath and reached out to turn the doorknob and push open the door.

  Loud snores came from the room. Good, she’s fast asleep, Daisy thought with relief. She tiptoed into the room, and looked for Mrs Bird’s apron. I hope she left that key in the pocket.

  She stood in the middle of the room and moved the candle from side to side. Mrs Bird muttered and rolled over in her sleep, and Daisy froze in fear. Seconds later the nurse gave a deep, shuddering snore. Daisy moved the candle toward Mrs Bird’s dressing table and saw the apron on the back of the chair.