(9/13)The School at Thrush Green Page 21

  'Never fear,' said her husband. 'The sound of infant voices raised in battle in the playground will simply bring home to them how marvellous it is not to have to cope. Anyone with any sense welcomes retirement, and those two have plenty of that between them.'

  And time proved that Harold Shoosmith was right.

  Term began at the end of August, and the two ladies were far too engrossed by then in plans for the move to take much interest in the activity so close to them.

  But they did invite the three staff to tea during the first week of term and were much impressed by the good sense and deference of the new headmaster. He was a pastmaster in diplomacy, and congratulated Dorothy on the ship-shape way everything had been left, and the ex-headmistress beamed with pleasure.

  As always the jobs at the Barton house took twice as long as estimated, and two days after term began Dorothy issued her ultimatum.

  'We shall be moving in,' she told the estate agent, the electrician, the plumber and the decorator, 'in a fortnight's time. The removal men have been engaged this end, and we expect to be in and settled before nightfall on Tuesday, September the sixteenth.'

  All protestations, explanations and excuses were swept aside, and Agnes, yet again, was filled with awe and admiration at Dorothy's command of the situation.

  Promptly at eight-thirty the removal van arrived and loading began.

  In between supervising the bestowal of their household belongings, Dorothy prepared a substantial picnic lunch, and Agnes superintended the arrangements of Tim's travelling basket.

  The greatest worry, of course, was the strong possibility that he would keep well away from all the unaccustomed activity, and Agnes had opened a tin of sardines as a particular bribe.

  Amazingly, it worked, and Agnes secured the cat in the basket just as the removal men were about to move off.

  The two ladies were to follow in the car, and to meet the van at Barton at two-thirty. The time now had come to say goodbye to Isobel and Harold who had been helping them.

  But not only Isobel and Harold, it seemed, for although the children of Thrush Green school were supposed to be at school dinner, they were instead all at the railings of the playground, with the three staff standing behind them, smiling and waving.

  'What a wonderful send-off!' said Agnes, as they drove off towards Lulling. 'What a nice idea of the headmaster's!'

  'Yes, a kindly thought,' agreed Dorothy, negotiating the traffic in Lulling High Street. 'I think the school should do quite well under him.'

  Greatly content, the two friends drove southward to their future.