Debutantes Read Online Free PDF Page B

it into the film tank, covering it over with an airproof lid.
    When that was done she switched on the light again and breathed a deep sigh of relief. From now on things were easier.
    Daisy carried on working quickly and methodically, adding chemicals, shaking the bath until the gong sounded for breakfast.
    ‘Just right,’ she thought.
    ‘How’s it going?’ Morgan was coming out of the kitchen, wiping the back of his mouth with his hand.
    Daisy showed him crossed fingers and he nodded understandingly.
    ‘Shall we tell them about my idea?’ Poppy was waiting outside the dining-room door for her twin.
    ‘Let’s get the photograph done first,’ said Daisy. ‘Come and help me choose the three best prints after breakfast, then we’ll show them to the others.’
    It was a good job Great-Aunt Lizzie had decided that the three older girls were now too old for formal lessons. As far as Daisy was concerned there did not seem to be enough hours in the day for all the things that she wanted to do and she knew that Poppy felt the same.
    But what about Violet? Something had to be done about her! She seemed to spend the days reading or playing endless games of Patience with a pack of cards. Daisy decided that Poppy’s idea was good. At least Violet would be occupied in making party dresses for them all. She remembered when they were young she and Poppy used to take elaborate dresses from the trunk labelled ‘Lady Derrington’ in the attic and trail around pretending to be at a ball for grand young ladies. Surely some of them would do for outfits for Violet’s birthday dance.
    ‘This one, definitely, this one and . . . and that one.’ Poppy held the negatives to the light and, as usual, was decisive.
    ‘I thought these three were the best as well.’ Daisy carefully cut them from the spool of film and poured a chemical into the bath to remove all traces of the fixer. ‘I just want to avoid white stains on the negatives,’ she muttered, praying that all would go well.
    ‘Have you talked to Morgan about the dance idea yet?’ she asked as she held the negatives under the running water for a final wash.
    ‘Haven’t seen him,’ replied Poppy.
    ‘Well, you might as well find him now and see what he thinks. This will take a good five minutes and then I’ll have to put them in the enlarger and print them.’
    It was mid-morning before the three photographs were ready. Michael Derrington was still out on his morning ride around the farms of the estate, Violet was crouched over the wood-burning stove in the hall, reading poetry, and Rose and Great-Aunt Lizzie were struggling with fractions in the schoolroom on the top floor – though why the unfortunate Maud had to toil three storeys up with her bucket of coal when the house was full of unused rooms Daisy never could understand. However, her mother’s aunt had a great sense of what was fitting and fractions belonged to the schoolroom.
    Daisy borrowed an old dark blue rug from the linen cupboard and went into the library. Maud was sitting on the floor beside the light from the crackling logs in the fireplace. She was chuckling to herself over some handwritten pages torn from an exercise book, but jumped to her feet when Daisy came in and hastily crammed the pages into her apron pocket. Daisy recognized Rose’s large scrawl.
    ‘I beg your pardon, my lady; just finishing, my lady.’ Hastily she picked up a small log and put it on top of the others.
    ‘It’s nice of you to help Rose with her mathematics, Maud,’ said Daisy, ‘and encourage her with the stories she writes.’ Her eye was on Maud’s apron pocket as she spoke, but Maud just muttered something and was out of the room before Daisy could say any more. Rose was clattering down the stairs now, jumping the odd one – no doubt Great-Aunt Lizzie was still on one of the upper floors.
    ‘Have you read it?’ Daisy could hear Rose’s eager voice, but she couldn’t make out Maud’s reply. She hurried over to the