Journey to the River Sea

‘ “All ... it ... eration is the use of words beginning with the same letter, or contain … ing the same letter...” ’ She stopped and patted her pouch. ‘I don’t know what that means.’

Miss Minton, who had explained twice, explained again. ‘Suppose you say “In a summer season when soft was the sun—” ’

It was at this moment that Mrs Carter entered the dining room.

‘Well, Miss Minton,’ she said. ‘How are the girls getting on? It’s nearly time to send a report to Dr Bullman. I hope you have it ready.’

Miss Minton looked at Beatrice, who was yawning, and at Gwendolyn, who was scratching her ear.

‘No, Mrs Carter,’ she said. ‘I do not have it ready. What’s more, I am not prepared to send a report unless the twins start to work properly. Ever since the reward came they have been impossible to teach. I think you had better write the report yourself.’

And while Mrs Carter gobbled with anger, Miss Minton got up from her chair.

‘There will be no more lessons today, girls,’ she said – and swept out of the room as though she was a person with rights and not a governess.

Maia had been in the dining room, fetching more paper, and heard everything. She could not help being pleased – but she was scared too. What if Mrs Carter sent Minty away?

The next day was Miss Minton’s afternoon off. Mrs Carter tried to stop her going, but Miss Minton said she had business to attend to in Manaus.

‘You’d better be careful, Miss Minton. I have dismissed governesses for less impertinence than you have shown in the last few days.’

‘I did not mean to be impertinent,’ said Miss Minton, but at lunchtime she was seen getting on the rubber boat, bound for the town.

‘Is everything all right, Minty?’ Maia asked before she left.

‘Everything is fine,’ said Miss Minton. ‘Or rather it will be. Keep out of the way of the twins till I get back.’

But she had explained nothing.

Supper was never a cheerful meal in the House of Rest but that day it was like eating in a graveyard. Then halfway through the meal, Tapi came in with a letter brought by a special messenger who had vanished back into the dark.

‘Gonzales!’ said Mr Carter in a low voice, and took it into the study.

The letter was as bad as Carter had feared. Settlement day was tomorrow; he would meet Carter in his office by the docks. If Carter couldn’t pay, Gonzales was going to send in the bailiffs.

‘Bailiffs!’ cried Mrs Carter, when her husband at last told her the truth of what was happening. ‘Those dreadful people who take everything away! But they can’t!’

‘Unfortunately they can,’ said Carter. ‘Don’t you remember in Littleford ...’

Mrs Carter began to sob. ‘Oh, not again! Not again! The disgrace ...’ She gave a sudden shriek. ‘Lady Parsons’ portrait – they mustn’t have that. I’ll hide it first thing in the morning,’ she said wildly.

Mr Carter gave her a look. ‘That’s not worth much, but my collection ...’

The twins, hearing raised voices, came down the corridor. ‘What’s the matter? What’s happened?’ they wanted to know.

‘Nothing, girls, nothing. It’s bedtime.’ Mrs Carter looked at the pouches round their necks. ‘Tomorrow that money goes to the bank and that’s my last word.’ Once the reward was in the bank, the manager would help her to work on the twins; it was ridiculous that they should keep it all when the family was in such trouble. ‘And don’t sleep in those things,’ she went on. ‘They could throttle you.’

Maia had gone to her room. She went to light her oil lamp but found that it had gone and only a single candle in an old brass candlestick stood by her bed. She went down to the twins’ room and, as she had expected, found that they had ‘borrowed’ her lamp.

‘It’s just for tonight,’ said Beatrice. ‘We need one each for what we’ve got to do.’

Maia was already in bed, trying to read by the light of the single candle, when there was a knock on the door and Tapi came in. She was dressed in her best clothes, but she looked worried.

‘We go to a wedding. A big wedding with dancing and eating. We must go because is Furo’s brother and he angry if we not there.’

‘It sounds fun, Tapi. I hope you enjoy it.’

‘Yes. We all go – my sister, Conchita, old Lila too. She not want to go but she must.’

Tapi sighed. There had been a furious row earlier when Lila said she could not go – none of them could go because they had promised to look after Maia – and Furo had said if they did not go, his brother would start a feud which could last for years.

In the end Lila had given in and now they were all setting off in the canoe for the long journey upriver to the village so as to be in time for the celebrations which began at dawn.

‘But you be very careful, yes? And Miss Minton she back soon. Here ... is for you.’

And Tapi took a bunch of bananas and a mango from her basket and laid them on Maia’s bed.

It was strange with the Indians gone. No sound came from the huts; they had even taken the little dog.

Maia looked at the clock. The last boat should be in soon. She would stay awake and say goodnight to Miss Minton.