‘Let us hope you’ve enjoyed your morning off,’ Matron said, a touch of sarcasm dripping through the words. ‘There’s plenty to learn and I want you to start right away, so please come to my office as soon as you’ve finished.’
June helped serve the dinner, which was stew and bread, with rice pudding to follow, all the while thinking of Lizzie alone in the nursery, though it was hard to think straight with all the noise. The children were not allowed to talk but that didn’t stop them scraping their chairs, coughing, slurping, sniffing, whispering. One child was making a racket with two spoons and June was surprised Matron hadn’t reprimanded him. Then she realised. Matron would be watching to see whether she could control the children on what was only her second day.
‘Will you please stop banging those spoons,’ June said in a firm voice. The child took no notice, just grinned and carried on doing it. The child opposite with ginger hair and freckles began to giggle. She had to say something or else they’d get the better of her, though it was difficult as they were several seats away.
‘The boy who would love to play drums and is practising with two spoons – what is your name?’
There was a silence. The children’s heads swivelled to look at the offending boy. The boy banging the spoons gave another loud clash.
‘Could someone tell me his name if he can’t answer for himself?’ June persisted.
‘It’s Thomas, Miss. He’s always mucking about,’ said the ginger-haired boy.
‘No, I’m not,’ Thomas shouted.
‘No talking!’ Matron glared across from the neighbouring table. ‘That goes for you, too, Miss Lavender, unless there is an emergency.’
Several children giggled. June went red with annoyance. If Matron was going to pull her up in front of the children, she didn’t stand a chance. The children would think they could get the better of her every time.
‘This is an emergency, Matron,’ June spoke in such a low voice she wondered if Matron would hear. ‘If I hear any more from you, Thomas, I will … I’ll …’
‘What, Miss? What will you do?’ His eyes were like two shining pieces of coal, challenging her.
‘You will be promoted to monitor of the games room. And you will clean it up after the children every day for a fortnight whether you’ve played in there or not. They won’t have to do it – you will.’
‘That’d be right good, Miss,’ Peter said, grinning at the scowling Thomas.
‘Now no more talking. That goes for all of you.’
‘Even you, Miss,’ Thomas muttered under his breath.
The rest of the meal passed in silence allowing June’s thoughts to stray to Lizzie again. She couldn’t get the little girl out of her head. A child who had suffered such a terrible shock it had made her dumb. It was wrong that Matron would not allow her to join in with the other children who might even be able to encourage her to speak. And she still didn’t like the idea that Lizzie was left alone while someone came downstairs to eat a meal, no matter how quickly, and then go back upstairs. Anything could happen in between. Hilda was not acting at all responsibly but Matron had clearly sent a warning not to interfere. Well, she was afraid she might not be able to heed that warning. Where was Hilda anyway?
Completely forgetting Matron’s order to report to her office, June jumped to her feet and stacked the plates nearest to her.
‘Can you finish this?’ she mouthed to Iris, who nodded.
June dumped the dishes in the kitchen and practically ran up the flights of stairs, her heart hammering as though she were a naughty schoolgirl about to get found out. Past her own room and the maids’ to the end. A door in front of her was conveniently marked ‘Nursery’ and she tried it. It was locked.
‘Lizzie, are you in there?’ June shook the handle. There was no sound. Of course – the child couldn’t make herself heard. She thought she heard a scuffle of shoes. ‘Lizzie,’ she called again. ‘It’s Miss Lavender, the new lady who has come to help look after you and the other children. Is there a key in the door? If there is you could turn it. Open the door. And I could say “hello” to you.’
She stood quietly, straining her ears to pick up any noise of a child. Nothing. She must have imagined the other noise. Bending down she put her eye to the keyhole but her view was restricted. She could just make out what looked like the end of a cot.
‘Can I help you, Miss?’
June jumped to her feet at the sound of Gilbert. She hadn’t heard his approach and it unnerved her.
‘There’s a child in there. I was worried that she’s alone and frightened.’
‘Why do you say that?’
She shouldn’t have passed any remark to Gilbert. He’d made it clear that he disliked her on sight and she couldn’t say in all honesty she felt any better towards him. But it was too late. He was asking her questions.
‘Matron said Hilda leaves her while she has her meal.’
‘Aye. That’s right.’
‘But if the child should have an accident …’
‘I’m here if anything like that happens.’
‘But you can’t be everywhere,’ June said, knowing it was the wrong thing to say, but not able to help herself.
‘What right have you got coming here, poking your nose in things which don’t concern you? You’ve been here five minutes and want to change everything.’
‘No, you have it wrong, Mr Gilbert. I just want the children’s safety.’
‘You want to leave well alone, Miss,’ he said. ‘That’s my advice.’
What was going on here that two people were warning her to mind her own business? Why wasn’t a child’s safety and well-being of paramount importance? June sighed. Why was nothing straightforward? All she wanted to do was help. That’s what she was here for, wasn’t it?
Suddenly remembering Matron, she simply nodded at Gilbert and rushed down the stairs.
‘Where have you been?’ Matron demanded as June entered the office. ‘I said for you to come straightaway … wasting my time.’ She removed her spectacles and glared at June.
‘I’m sorry, Matron. I needed something from my room.’
‘Well, we’d better get on with it.’ Matron pursed her lips as she handed June a sheet of paper. ‘Perhaps you’ll read that and ask me any questions.’
June quickly scanned the paper. Everything was timed from the moment she rose from her bed. She was to help the children get washed and dressed, take them downstairs for breakfast, and make sure they cleaned their teeth. From that point the teachers took over until dinnertime at one o’clock, where she would help the teachers to supervise them. While the children were in class she was to make the beds of the very young children, help Hilda clean the dormitories, sort out their dirty washing for the laundry room and help there when needed, mend their clothes, darn their socks, and help Hilda with the ironing. Then help the teachers to supervise the