Nathan Reed – Charming or What? (страница 2)

“That will be your room …” said Pelagia, pointing through an open door where Jessica could see a pair of hammocks strung up between two round porthole windows, “… and that is my Control Room.”

Jessica got a glimpse of another hammock hanging above a large mahogany sea-chest with gilded brass corners. The lid was raised and it seemed to be full of rolled up maps, gold coins, pearls and other jewels. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“Hey,” she whispered over her shoulder to Miss Strega., “look at all that treasure.” But, even as she spoke, the chest gave a little giggle and slowly closed all by itself.

When they reached the ground floor and jumped off the handrail, there was another surprise. A large arched door swung open on a very busy, very noisy kitchen. A floor brush and dustpan were sweeping up a pile of sand that had blown in under the door. A parade of plates and cups were sailing across the room from the draining board to the dresser. A tray was busily piling itself up with tumblers, jugs of cool drinks, an ice bucket and some curly straws.

“Good show,” Pelagic, beamed. “Come out to the garden as soon as you can.”

Jessica tugged at Miss Strega’s elbow. “Who is she speaking to? Does she have an invisible helper?”

Miss Strega tapped the side of her long nose and laid a long finger on her lips, as if she knew perfectly well what was going on.

“Pelagia,” Jessica began, “how do the dustpan and brush and the cups and the tray … ?”

Pelagia chuckled. “Charming, aren’t they, like every well-run home.” And, without another word of explanation, she hurried Jessica and Miss Strega out into the lighthouse garden.

“Do make yourself comfortable, Miss Strega,” she said, pointing at a deckchair under a huge umbrella with a thatch of palm leaves. She clapped her hands and the tray with a jug of iced fruit cocktails and a large platter piled high with mango, coconut and pineapple floated towards them.

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