The Whole Truth Read Online Free PDF Page A

worn out,” said Noni. “Would you like a nice hot bath? Then you can unpack and have supper on a tray and an early bedtime.”
    “Supper on a tray?” said Maud. “I’m fifteen!”
    “Goodness, you look just like your mother when she didn’t want to do something! Very well, Maud, after your bath you can comedown in your dressing gown and join us for dinner if you like. But Polly must go straight to bed.”
    “I’d better go and deal with that wasps’ nest,” said Gregor. “Tomorrow I’ll give you girls a tour of the island.”
    The rest of that long day was a blur. Mrs. Hooper filled the tin bath she had brought into their room. “You both look as if you need this!” she said. “I’ve left you extra water in those jugs. I’m off home now, girls, but I’ll see you at breakfast!” She blew them a kiss.
    Polly and Maud shared the blissfully hot water—they had to replace it twice it got so dirty. They washed each other’s hair, got into their nightgowns and dressing gowns, and combed out their hair in front of the oil heater.
    Noni brought up a tray of chicken soup and bread. While they ate, she put their clothes into drawers. “Tomorrow we’ll repack the big suitcase for you, Maud,” she said.
    Polly managed a few spoonfuls of soup, but her eyelids kept drooping. Maud slurped her whole bowl.
    When Noni sent them outside to the privy, Polly gripped Maud’s hand all the way as they stumbled along the dark path. She was bursting to go, but when Maud showed her the deep, open hole she was supposed to sit over, she cried, “I can’t! I’ll fall in!”
    “Don’t be silly, Poll. Of course you won’t. I’ll go first and show you.”
    When it was her turn, Polly’s urgent need overcame her fear. But she sat over the hole for as short a time as possible, terrified that something would rise up from below and bite her bottom. She held her nose until she came out. “Gregor was right,” she said as they walked back. “It
stinks!”
    “Into bed with you, Polly,” said Noni when they returned to their room. “Now, Maud, are you going to join us for dinner, or not? After all that soup you won’t have room!”
    Maud looked over at Polly huddled under her eiderdown. She yawned. “Well … I am a
bit
tired. I guess I’ll go to bed too.”
    Noni smiled. “Good girl.” She tucked them in and gave them each a brisk kiss. “Try not to be too sad, and don’t forget to say your prayers.”
    Then her voice wavered and she cleared her throat, as if she were swallowing tears. “Oh, my dear bonnie girls, I’m so glad you are here at last!”
    Polly barely heard her as she melted into sleep.
    Hours later, Polly woke with a gasp. Where was she? Her bed wasn’t swaying, so she was no longer on the train. Then she heard Maud’s gentle breathing and remembered.
    She sat up, pulled back the curtain, and looked out the window. The sea was glassy and the moon’s reflection was a silvery path to the house. The dazzling stars made the black night even blacker—far darker than in the city.
    Where was Daddy?
How was it possible that she wasn’t with him? It was a little over two weeks since he had left her—she’d never been away from him for even a day before that. Polly buried herself under the eiderdown and let some of her tears fall, pressing her pillow over her head so Maud wouldn’t hear her.
    Don’t think about Daddy.
What a stupid rule! How could she
help
thinking about him? Anyway, Maud couldn’t control what was inside Polly’s head. She tried to think of something comforting about Daddy, instead of what had happened.
    When she was much younger, Daddy had often taken her for rides on his bicycle. He’d made a special wooden seat on the handlebars, like a basket with holes for her legs. Polly would clutch the sides of the seat and scream with laughter as the bike whizzed down hills, her hair blowing back into his face. Daddy would lean down and tell her about things they were passing. She always felt