The Girl From Over the Sea Read Online Free

You ’ re welcome to two if you can eat ‘ un. I know you ’ re used to big breakfasts over there. ’
    Lesley told her hastily that one egg would be sufficient. She had ordered this cooked breakfast for herself only to encourage the twins to follow her example.
    Rita now appeared and began to eat her grapefruit in a lethargic manner. ‘ Do try to eat most of your egg and bacon, Rita, ’ Lesley urged. ‘ In this cold climate we all need more cooked food. Mrs. Cleaver seems to think, though, that all Australians eat steak or chops at breakfast time. ’
    Rita grimaced, but made no remark when Mrs. Cleaver came in with two plates which she set down in front of the girl and in the boy ’ s place. ‘ Could you keep Rick ’ s warm for a few minutes, Mrs. Cleaver? ’ Lesley asked, getting up. ‘ I ’ ll give him another call. ’
    ‘ You sit down, m ’ dear, ’ advised the stout woman. ‘ You ’ m told that young man to come down once. Now let ‘ un bide. Young men shouldn ’ t be run after by their womenfolk. It makes ‘ un bad husbands, so it do. ’
    ‘ Rick is only a boy, ’ Lesley protested.
    ‘ As the twig ’ s bent, so it grows, m ’ dear. It never pays for a pretty young ‘ ooman to run after a man, m ’ dear. Let ‘ un do the running. I ’ ll keep his plate warm, just for this time. ’ She picked up Rick ’ s breakfast and marched out, leaving Lesley rather disconcerted and Rita giggling. ‘ Do stop it, Rita. She ’ ll hear you. ’
    Rita, who w as a good mimic, raised a finger. ‘ Just remember that, Lesley Trevendone, m ’ dear. It never pays a pretty young ‘ ooman to run after a young man. ’
    Lesley sat down. ‘ Rick is the limit ,’ she sighed.
    ‘ Stop worrying about ‘ un, m ’ dear. ’ Rita obviously found the Cornish accent fascinating, and Lesley was pleased. She was desperately anxious for the twins to feel at home in Cornwall.
    The sun was still shining when they set off to walk down the High Street, though less brightly than when Lesley had been out before breakfast, and the wind seemed to have got up.
    ‘ Let ’ s step out ,’ she suggested. ‘ I don ’ t know how far it is to Trevendone and we ’ ve got to get back here for lunch .’
    Rita and Rick were only too willing. The wind was too cold for any loitering. ‘ I guess w e ’ ll be having some more of that now ,’ Rick said as, having reached the harbour, they started up the steep cliff path.
    Lesley shook her head. ‘ Mrs. Cleaver says not.’
    ‘ Cheers for that ,’ Rita muttered, shivering. ‘ I ’ d never have come if I ’ d realised the weather was going to be like this .’
    ‘ It will improve. February can sometimes be a very mild month down here, Mrs. Cleaver says, and you can often find violets and primroses in sheltered spots, just as old Mrs. Travers told us. This year, though , they ’ ve had a cold rainy winter .’
    ‘ You can say that again ! ’ groaned Rita, continuing to shiver.
    Lesley gave her a quick anxious look. Suppose the twins weren ’ t able to stand the British climate? Then she advised herself to stop worrying. She had been brought up in Australia and the weather wasn ’ t causing her all that discomfort, so once Rita and Rick became acclimatised they would be all right.
    They were on top of the downs now with a view along the coast both ways. From where they stood they could discern only the jutting promontories and the great toothed black rocks, with the sea a dull turquoise colour lashing angrily against them. They moved nearer to the edge of the cliff and a w ide stretch of sand became visible broken by great whale-black projections of black and grey slate. White horses were leaping across the heaving mass of turquoise water as ’ far out as the eye could see.
    Lesley took a deep breath. ‘ It ’ s just out of this world ,’ s he said enthusiastically.
    Rick nodded. ‘ It ’ s got something, ’ he admitted reluctantly, but his sister shivered again. ‘