Poppy's War Read Online Free Page A
Author: Lily Baxter
rhododendrons. The leaves slapped her cheeks and twigs scratched her bare legs as she forced her way through the tangle of branches. A large pigeon flew out of the bush close to her head and she screamed in fright as its wing feathers made a loud flapping noise.
Suddenly, she was out in the sunlight again and her heart was beating a tattoo inside her chest. Her feet crunched on the gravel as she ran headlong down the drive. Close by she could hear a dog barking. Too late she was aware of horse’s hooves pounding on the hard-baked grass, and the shouted warning to get out of the way. She turned her head and was paralysed with fright at the sight of flailing hooves. The horse reared on its hind legs as its rider swerved to avoid her. She raised her arm to protect her face and plunged once again into a sea of blackness.
Chapter Two
POPPY REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS slowly and found herself looking up into a pair of angry, hazel eyes, deep-set beneath dark brows that were drawn together in a frown. ‘Are you Errol Flynn?’ she murmured. His clean-cut features and strong jawline would have made him stand out in a crowd, but he looked decidedly cross.
‘Oh God, she’s concussed, Guy. Better send for the doctor.’
Poppy realised that she was lying on soft cushions and there was ceiling above her where the sky had been. A crystal chandelier dangled somewhere high above her and the female voice belonged to a young and attractive lady with blonde hair who looked just like Ginger Rogers.
‘I’m a doctor. Well, halfway there, anyway,’ Guy said, with a wry smile. ‘And she’s not concussed, she just fainted. She went down like a ninepin, having terrified poor old Goliath out of his wits and almost unseated me into the bargain.’
‘Who is she anyway?’ Pamela asked, staring curiously at Poppy. ‘And aren’t those my old clothes?’
‘She’s an evacuee from London. Mother has decided to do her bit for the war effort.’ Guy raised himself from his knees, ruffling Poppy’s hair with a careless hand. ‘What’s your name, kid?’
‘Poppy Brown, mister.’
‘How do you do, Poppy? My name is Guy and this is my sister, Pamela. I’m afraid you haven’t had a very auspicious start to your time here.’
Poppy had not the faintest idea what auspicious meant, but he seemed to understand how she felt and he was really good-looking when he smiled. She remembered what Mum had taught her about manners. ‘I’m quite well now, thank you. And I’m sorry if I frightened your horse, mister, but it scared me first.’
‘We’ll have to do something about your fear of animals, young lady. You can’t live in this part of the country and go round fainting every time you see something on four legs.’
Poppy snapped into a sitting position. ‘The greengrocer’s horse chased me up the road and bit me bum. Don’t make me go near them nasty things, mister.’
‘Don’t tease the child, Guy,’ Pamela said, frowning. ‘And we don’t say bum in polite circles, Poppy. Your grasp of grammar is appalling. If you’re going to stay here for a while I think you ought to be enrolled in the village school as soon as possible. I’ll have a word with Mother when she gets back from the morning shoot.’
Poppy stared at her in amazement. ‘Is she shooting Germans?’
Guy threw back his head and laughed. ‘I’d back my mother against the Germans any day.’
‘Don’t encourage her, Guy. The child has a lot to learn and she’ll get herself into trouble if she comes out with things like that in front of other people.’
‘That’s Mother’s department, I’m glad to say.’ Guy leaned down so that his face was close to Poppy’s. ‘And as for you, young lady, we have a date with Goliath when you’re feeling better.’
She blinked up at him, intoxicated by the scent of damp Harris tweed and spice-scented cologne. She was suddenly the centre of attention and it seemed that at least someone cared about her. All right, she
Suddenly, she was out in the sunlight again and her heart was beating a tattoo inside her chest. Her feet crunched on the gravel as she ran headlong down the drive. Close by she could hear a dog barking. Too late she was aware of horse’s hooves pounding on the hard-baked grass, and the shouted warning to get out of the way. She turned her head and was paralysed with fright at the sight of flailing hooves. The horse reared on its hind legs as its rider swerved to avoid her. She raised her arm to protect her face and plunged once again into a sea of blackness.
Chapter Two
POPPY REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS slowly and found herself looking up into a pair of angry, hazel eyes, deep-set beneath dark brows that were drawn together in a frown. ‘Are you Errol Flynn?’ she murmured. His clean-cut features and strong jawline would have made him stand out in a crowd, but he looked decidedly cross.
‘Oh God, she’s concussed, Guy. Better send for the doctor.’
Poppy realised that she was lying on soft cushions and there was ceiling above her where the sky had been. A crystal chandelier dangled somewhere high above her and the female voice belonged to a young and attractive lady with blonde hair who looked just like Ginger Rogers.
‘I’m a doctor. Well, halfway there, anyway,’ Guy said, with a wry smile. ‘And she’s not concussed, she just fainted. She went down like a ninepin, having terrified poor old Goliath out of his wits and almost unseated me into the bargain.’
‘Who is she anyway?’ Pamela asked, staring curiously at Poppy. ‘And aren’t those my old clothes?’
‘She’s an evacuee from London. Mother has decided to do her bit for the war effort.’ Guy raised himself from his knees, ruffling Poppy’s hair with a careless hand. ‘What’s your name, kid?’
‘Poppy Brown, mister.’
‘How do you do, Poppy? My name is Guy and this is my sister, Pamela. I’m afraid you haven’t had a very auspicious start to your time here.’
Poppy had not the faintest idea what auspicious meant, but he seemed to understand how she felt and he was really good-looking when he smiled. She remembered what Mum had taught her about manners. ‘I’m quite well now, thank you. And I’m sorry if I frightened your horse, mister, but it scared me first.’
‘We’ll have to do something about your fear of animals, young lady. You can’t live in this part of the country and go round fainting every time you see something on four legs.’
Poppy snapped into a sitting position. ‘The greengrocer’s horse chased me up the road and bit me bum. Don’t make me go near them nasty things, mister.’
‘Don’t tease the child, Guy,’ Pamela said, frowning. ‘And we don’t say bum in polite circles, Poppy. Your grasp of grammar is appalling. If you’re going to stay here for a while I think you ought to be enrolled in the village school as soon as possible. I’ll have a word with Mother when she gets back from the morning shoot.’
Poppy stared at her in amazement. ‘Is she shooting Germans?’
Guy threw back his head and laughed. ‘I’d back my mother against the Germans any day.’
‘Don’t encourage her, Guy. The child has a lot to learn and she’ll get herself into trouble if she comes out with things like that in front of other people.’
‘That’s Mother’s department, I’m glad to say.’ Guy leaned down so that his face was close to Poppy’s. ‘And as for you, young lady, we have a date with Goliath when you’re feeling better.’
She blinked up at him, intoxicated by the scent of damp Harris tweed and spice-scented cologne. She was suddenly the centre of attention and it seemed that at least someone cared about her. All right, she