Chapter 138. W.I.M.P.S.
The boysâ temporary revisiting of normality came to an abrupt end at seven the following morning, when Kimona and company were despatched to their bedroom with instructions to wake them. This task was achieved by the simple of expedient of jumping on the bed whilst screaming exhortations to get up, though not without reciprocal and less polite responses. Half an hour later they were sitting in the kitchen, bleary-eyed, drinking coffee, fending off enquiries from their erstwhile tormentors.
âWhere are you going, Philip? Why arenât you babies any more? Arenât you going to be babies? Boring. Mummy, why arenât they babies? That was fun.â
âYes, it was,â whined Dorelia. âAnd we only got to change them properly once. Why canât they? Have they been bad?â
âDonât be silly, Dorry! They were made into babies cos they were bad,â corrected Kimona, then added, after a momentâs thought, âand theyâre always going to be bad, so I think they should be babies forever!â
âWell darling,â soothed Dana, âyou know we canât keep them as babies forever. For one thing, itâs too much work.â
âWeâd look after them,â cried Lucy.
âIâm sure you would, dear. But donât be sad â youâll still be able to play with them. Weâre sending them both for sissâŚer, I mean girly training. Theyâre going to a special place where naughty big boys go to learn how to behave like well-manned young ladies.â
âOoh. Does that mean Philip will have to wear his fairy dress again?â
Philip closed his eyes in despair. Matthew glanced at him with an expression of questioning interest.
âOh, Iâm sure he will, darling,â smiled Toni. âHe looked so sweet in it, didnât he?â
Philip interrupted, desperate to change the subject.
âSo whatâs the plan Dana?â
âWeâre leaving at nine-thirty. Weâre going to take you to Westonbrook, turn straight round and come back. Weâre taking the girls to Legoland today. Jessicaâs waiting for you. Youâll be in good hands. Weâll come to see you in a few days.â
âCan we come with you, mummy? To WesternâŚwherever it is. Weâll be good!â
âYes, can we?â said Dorelia.
ââFraid not, girls,â said Jess, firmly. Weâre only taking one car, and all weâre doing is dropping them off.â
âOhhhâŚâ
âDonât worry. Youâll see them soon enough. Just think how glamorous theyâre going to be! So you can say your goodbyes here. Now make sure youâve had enough breakfast, because we wonât be eating again till this afternoon.â
At nine-thirty the boys received affectionate farewells from the four girls. They had had cereal with milk and honey for breakfast, so the boysâ cheeks were soon sticky and smelling of sweet milk from their kisses. As Kimona hugged Philip, she whispered in his ear, âdonât forget. Ask if you can wear a fairy dress, wonât you? See if they have a pretty sparkly one! Promise?â
âI promise, Kim,â sighed Philip.
âAnd wear it for me when I come to visit.â
âIf they have one, I will. I promise.â
âBye bye, Philip. I love you. Have a nice time atâŚWest-on-BooksâŚâ
The boys were mainly silent during the drive. Westonbrook was not that different from how they had imagined. It had been a Victorian primary school â red brick with little stone spires, behind a thick red brick wall pierced with one black iron gate, with a playground in front of the building. Standing on the front steps was a woman Philip didnât recognise.
âThatâs not her!â whispered Philip.
She was wearing an old-fashioned black serge suit which came nearly to her ankles, and an expression of implacable disapproval. Her grey-streaked hair was scraped back and tied in a bun. She had her hands clasped before her, in a sort of Iâve-already-made-up-my-mind-about-you-two gesture. The omens did not feel good. They clambered reluctantly out of the car. Dana exchanged a few words with the woman, and, with a wink and a wave, was gone. She surveyed her new charges with something verging on disgust.
âI am Jessica Greystone, the principal of this establishment. And you are?â
âEr, Iâm Philip, and this is MatthewâŚâ
âYes. You will address me as âmissâ, always, or âMiss Greystoneâ. Is that understood?â
âEr, yes, of courseâŚmiss. Youâre not the lady I met at my auntâsâŚ.â
âNo. Jill Manchester has left. I have taken over.â
âAhâŚI seeâŚyes, it was JillâŚthatâs rightâŚshe was younger than youâŚ.â
That was a mistake.
âNo doubt she was. She was also rather easy-going, which I am not. Now, you need to get out of those clothes. We do not allow males in male clothing anywhere on the grounds. Inside, at once.â
She shepherded them through the oak door into a gloomy corridor.
âMiss Beatson! Theyâre here. Please deal with them at once. Iâll see them in my study at the end of lunch.â
âYes Miss Greystone. This way, you two. Quickly!â
She marched down the corridor, heels clicking threateningly on the old floorboards. She opened a door.
âShoes off! Socks too. Now!â
They struggled with their shoes and socks. Her tone was of a kind that demanded obedience. She ushered them in. They found themselves in a room which could not have been less like the corridor they had just left. The first thing they noticed was the soft carpet under their bare feet â fluffy and pink. The ceiling white, studded with bright downlights. A large, long room, with two doors in each of the side and end walls. Between the doors, tall cupboards â wardrobes! Philip could see dresses peeping out of an open door. In the middle of the room, a long cabinet, with drawers all around, and three stools. On the top, two sewing machines, measuring tapes, ribbons, threads â everything for dressmaking. The boys goggled. But the biggest surprise of all was still to come. One of the side doors quietly opened, and Philip was assailed by a familiar voice.
ââAllo, darlinâ! âOw is yer, then?
For a split second he thought it might be Rebecca. He wheeled round. Sally Buttons! Grinning all over her cheeky face.
âI âear you anâ âimâs bin in nursery for a while. Well. Welcome back to the grown-up world!â
She threw her arms round Philip, enveloping him in a suffocating cloud of âCoup de Nouveauâ perfume â her favourite â and planting a violent kiss on his cheek. Matthew, startled, took a step back.
âS-Sally!â gasped Philip. âHow lovely to see you again! What are you doing here?â
âWorkinâ, silly. Buttonâs Beauticians at yer service. Come in once a week to sort out Miss Greystoneâs boys and make âem presentable. When I âeard you was cominâ, I changed my schedule so I could be âere to meet yer.â
Philip was dumbfounded.
âWell? Ainât you gonna introduce me?â
âOh, yes, course. Matthew, this is Sally. Sally is a makeupâŚâ
âArtist,â inserted Sally. âAnd in âere, itâs Miss Buttons, Iâm afraid.â
âOh. SorryâŚMiss Buttons. Yes. Er, makeup artistâŚyeah. SheâŚerâŚhelped me withâŚyou knowâŚwhen I wasâŚâ
âWhen âe was just startinâ out. âE was âalf way there already, with âis pretty face and âis little titties. I âope youâre going to be as easy, Maffew.â
âM-me?â stammered Matthew, at something of a loss.
âIn course! Why else is you âere? Youâre both gonna get the best I can give yer!â
Miss Beatson looked on with a grim smile.
âBetty? I got everyfing I need. Do you wanna come back just before lunch, anâ Iâll âave âem all ready for yer. Like we discussed, right?â
âPerfect, Sally. Boys, you do just what Miss Buttons tells you, is that clear? And by the way, while youâre here itâs Philippa and Matilda, right? Iâll see you later.â
Miss Beatson exchanged a wink with Sally, and withdrew. Sally looked Philip and Matthew up and down.
âI fink youâve grown, Philippa. Matilda, youâre nearly as big. Not so cute, mind. Youâre gonna take a little bit of work. Right, into the shower â that door â there are towels and everyfing in there â and chuck yer cloves out after youâre undressed. Off you go then!â