She had pink cheeks from the invigorating sea voyage, a sprinkling of freckles on her nose, and she looked rested and bright-eyed.Zandra had been dozing in her chair, but as Matilda bounded in she woke, her face breaking into a wide, toothless smile. ‘My dear, what a lovely surprise. I didn’t think you’d be back for another couple of days.’‘The new steamers are so very fast. It’s not like the old days,’ Matilda said, going over to give the old lady a hug. ‘How have you been?’‘Fine, better still now you are back. I missed you terribly,’ Zandra said, clutching Matilda’s hand and squeezing it. ‘And you look splendid, even if I don’t approve of young ladies exposing their faces to the sun. Come and sit down and tell me all about your holiday’‘It was just so lovely,’ Matilda sighed. ‘Tabby has become quite the young lady, and so clever – why, she leaves me standing the things she knows about! You’ll remember that a while back she wrote to say an English minister called Reverend Glover was giving her extra coaching?
