This bit was really weird to write…any one noticed that in the film, Mary Poppins only says two words to Ellen and she doesn't talk at all to Mrs Brill or Mrs Banks?
Jane ate and dressed quickly. Grabbing her hat and gloves as instructed, Jane gave her sleeping brother a quick hug and left. She'd scampered out of the nursery and down the first flight of stairs when she heard the maid's and cook's raised voices. Their arguing again, she thought and skidded to a halt before ducking down to the children's usual spotand watched from between the banister rungs.
"But what if I catch something?! Lord knows what he's got," the maid griped.
"Well then you go shoppin' then!"
"But I might be contagious!"
"Will you heck!" Cook shot back, "you were no where near him! Unless he was hiding under your pillow, you lazy little-"
"Oi, how dare y-!"
"Ladies, Please…" the interruption finished the argument, the nanny's stern warning look making the two women (and Jane, despite it not being aimed at her) shy away. Even Mrs Brill lowered the ladle she had raised.
"This isn't helping matters. Was there any thing else Ma'am?" the nanny finished turning back to Mrs Banks.
It always amused Jane how similar both her nanny's, Ellen's and even Cook's uniforms were, even though she was certain Mary Poppins had provided her own work-dress. The nanny had her back to her and Jane decided that if the other two followed suit the only thing to tell them apart would be the little white caps that Mrs Brill and the maid wore.
"No I think that was everything," Mrs Banks said uncertainly, passing the shopping list to the cook "Mrs Brill there wasn't any thing else was there?"
The cook glanced at it then handed it to the nanny.
"Your missing the prawns, carrots, boot polish and potatoes from it," she reeled of in her Irish accent.
"Really? " sighed Mrs Banks repining her suffragette sash as the nanny finished writing down the cooks instructions, before her face lit up again, "oh Mary Poppins, would you be able to pick up some ginger bread as well? I know the bakeries a little out of the way from the market, but if its not to much hassle-"
"No hassle at all," nanny replied "I'm sure we'll manage, won't we Jane?"
The young girl gasped, making the other three woman jump in surprise.
"Miss Jane, you shouldn't go sneaking up on people like that!" Ellen complained turning around to scowl at her. Mrs Banks nodded in agreement.
"Ellen's right, dear, you know how your father feels about spying. Come downstairs please."
Jane reluctantly got up and did as she was told. She'd wanted to wait till her mother and the staff were out of the way so she could toboggan down the stairs on her bottom without getting told off, or slide down the banister like Mary Poppins.
She never turned around though, Jane mused as she stood between her mother and her nanny. How did she know I was there?
"If you'll excuse me Ma'am I've still got the washing up to do." the cook interrupted, marching off toward the kitchen "those plates aren't going to clean them selves."
"Sorry, yes thank you Mrs Brill" Mrs Banks said absent-mindedly and turned back to nanny. "Now where was I? Oh yes, gingerbread-"
"I'll be sure to get Mr Banks' favourite kind, ma'am." the nanny interrupted.
"His favourite kind?"
"Mrs Corry's specialty, exactly as you proposed."
"I did? Oh of Corse yes, I'm sorry I would lose my head if it wasn't fastened on properly." Mrs Banks laughed, taking up her straw boater and fixing it in place "Now if you take Jane with you to get those errands done, you should be back before lunch, so Ellen can look after Michael till then-"
"But I wouldn't know what ta do ma'am!" the maid piped up.
"To do when?" asked the nanny and her employer in unison.
"Well what am I to do if he wakes up and starts coughing again?"
"He wouldn't dare," the nanny sniffed. "But if your really worried Ellen, I can stay and you could take care of the errands."
"But what if he's passed it on an-"
"It's only for a little while, Ellen," Mrs Banks said firmly. "All you have to do is keep an eye on him and I'm sure he'll be no trouble. Oh goodness look at time, I'm late again!"
"But Ma'am, wha bout the silve-"
"Never mind the silver, Ellen. Jane, you be a good girl for Mary Poppins." Mrs Banks chipped, grabbing a stack of pamphlets and gave her daughter a kiss leaving a small smudge of lipstick on the child's face before leaving for her meeting. "Wish me luck, now I'll be back this afternoon, darling. See you soon."
Jane waved her mother off but Ellen scowled as her employer skipped off down the road, singing as she went. "And they'll sing in grateful chorus, "Well done, sister suffragettes-"
"He'll be no trouble, what am his stinking keeper?" She muttered as she shut the door before remembering the nanny was present. "I mean erm I-what I meant was-"
"As Mrs Banks said, he'll be no trouble for the moment." Mary Poppins said in a rather clipped tone, "I've given him some medicine so he'll make up for the lack of sleep he had last night. He should be-"
"It's all very well lettin' the young master snooze but who was up most of the night? Me, that's who!"
The nanny merely gave a slight nod of her head as an answer.
"He should be asleep till we return later on" she continued icily, "so, you've plenty of time to carry on with the silver Ellen…"
The maid's mouth opened and closed like an indigent gold fish. She drew her self up to her full height to say something, but something about the way Mary Poppins raised an eyebrow (that and how the front door suddenly opened by itself) made Ellen change her mind and she slunk off as she was told. Jane watched the maid go, and wiped the lipstick from her cheek with the back of her hand.
"Now Jane if you're ready, I suggest we make a start." the nanny said. "Off we go."
"But Mary Poppins, don't you need to get ready? You can't go out in that."
"And what, may I ask is wrong with this?"
Jane turned back to the nanny to answer and gaped. The nanny's uniform had gone and Mary Poppins was now dressed in one of her usual crisp dress-suits, flowered hat on head with parrot umbrella and purse bag in hand.
"Noth-nothing, its very pretty..." she stammered scrabbling to put on her gloves and hat.
"Good. I thought so too." Mary Poppins smiled and checked her reflection in the mirror before she swept out of the house with a still stunned Jane following behind her.
"I'd rather you didn't gawk at me like that, Jane it doesn't suit you at all. Spit spot now, don't dawdle…"
