“I think you should all go and take a shower before your guests come back,” said Aunty Izzy as she headed straight back to her painting. The twins went upstairs to change but Jenny stood behind her Aunt looking at the painting.
“Did you say that the windmill is part of the property you rented?” asked Jennifer.
“Yes. I am sure that it said so in the contract I signed.”
“So there shouldn’t be anyone else allowed to go near it?”
“No. Why? Did you see someone when you went on your walk?”
Jenny was getting a little red in the face but, even though she didn’t like lying, she decided it was the best option. She didn’t want to worry her Aunt or be forbidden to go in search of the windmill.
“Oh! No. It’s just that when we do go looking for the windmill we want to be sure we are not trespassing.”
Aunty Izzy didn’t seem to notice the fact that Jenny’s voice croaked for a second because her mouth was so dry. Jenny coughed to cover it up.
“Oh,” she said, “Do you think the painting would look silly with a night sky?” Her Aunt had clearly forgotten all about the windmill and the children’s search. “I really want to include the constellation of Orion, but obviously can’t do that if I paint a day sky. I think it could work, what do you think, Jen? Aunty Izzy looked over her shoulder but Jenny had gone.
“Oh well,” she muttered, and wiped her hands on one of her painting rags.
About half an hour later, the twins and Jenny came downstairs having changed clothes. Jenny had washed her hair, which was still wet and they had all decided jeans and tea-shirts would be the thing to wear. Of course they were all thinking of the adventures they would have later on, but their Aunt thought they would be too hot dressed like that. “Your choice my treasures,” she said, not really concentrating. “Why don’t you make up a picnic for your supper tonight? You can eat up in your rooms if you like. I don’t really want to be bothered cooking again and I’ve got to finish the sky on this painting.”
“O.K.” they all shouted. Jenny wondered how she could convince the twins not to come into her room for their picnic but, to her surprise, they broached the subject themselves.
“Can we have our own picnic, Jenny?” they asked. “We want to play with Blanca upstairs in our rooms.”
Jenny was delighted, of course, although she pretended not to be to cover her tracks. “You don’t think Thierry and Aliénor will be upset?” she asked them, hoping they wouldn’t change their minds.
“No!” came the unanimous reply. “And if there’s another thunder storm we will have Blanca for company,” added Claire.
The twins pricked up their ears at Jenny’s reply. “Oh there won’t be a thunder storm tonight,” she said, “Uncle Bernard said it’s going to be clear with a full moon. And he should know. He has to know exactly what the weather will be doing, in his job.”
“Excellent!” they both said. But realising they sounded a bit too excited the hurriedly added, “Then Blanca won’t be scared.”
“You two sound like one person sometimes,” said Jenny, laughing. The twins were relieved that she didn’t seem to have noticed their hurried cover-up.
Jenny had packed a proper picnic basket for the twins containing chocolate milk in cartons, two half-litre bottles of water, cold sausages, some baby cheeses, a large baguette that she had buttered and two small raspberry tarts. She didn’t pack any knives and forks because everything could be eaten with fingers, which she knew the twins would love. She thought the more food she gave them the better and hoped they would be so tired after their day at the beach that they, and Blanca would fall asleep before the Three Musketeers were due to go back to the windmill. She was a bit worried that Blanca might hear Thierry and Aliénor sneak out with her and bark, but they would have to deal with that when, and if, it happened.
The picnic Jenny packed for them was similar to the twins’ basket without the tarts, but she thought they could each carry a plastic bag containing their food and their flashlights instead of a cumbersome basket.
It seemed ages before the French children and Blanca arrived but finally they did. The twins noticed they were carrying torches and wanted to know why. “Well it’s getting a little bit dark outside,” said Thierry, “and we didn’t want to trip over anything.” The twins simultaneously turned to look out of the window where it was still quite light but thought they could use this to their advantage.
“Can we have torches Aunty Izzy?” they both asked. “We want to play lighthouse keepers and smugg….” Claire kicked Jack before he could finish and give the game away.
“There are some in that old armoire,” answered their Aunt, vaguely pointing to an old cupboard in the corner under the stairs.
“We brought that old book that Uncle Bernard promised you,” said Aliénor, “but do you mind if we take it up to Jenny’s room to read it first?”
“Yes, that’s fine. I won’t read it until tomorrow anyway. I must finish the sky.” said Aunty Izzy. “Did you say it was getting dark outside?”
“It will be really dark in about half an hour,” replied Thierry evasively and quickly added, “then you will be able to see the stars properly. Uncle Bernard said you wanted to paint the stars.” Aunty Izzy picked up her brushes and didn’t seem to be at all aware that both sets of children seemed quite relieved to change the subject.
“Do you mind if we go up to our rooms now?” asked the twins.
“Us too,” said Jenny.
Aunty Izzy didn’t mind. “I’m quite happy alone with my muse!” she answered. They didn’t know what she meant, but were glad to be escaping upstairs to get on with their mysteries. Aunty Izzy could talk to her imaginary friend all night if she wanted to.
“Don’t forget Blanca’s bag,” called Aliénor as the twins began to climb the stairs. “She’s got a brush, a blanket, some food in a plastic box and a bowl for water. And you need to take her out into the garden just before you go to sleep. She needs her toilet time!”
“Cool!” they both said to no one in particular.
“Good luck with the painting,” said Jenny, “See you for breakfast.”