Chapter 7 - Planning
After they returned to Beckfoot and had left Amazon secure in the boathouse Nancy and Peggy rushed into the house to tell their mother the news, both speaking at once
"Uncle Jim says we can sail without him now. Can we camp on the island again?"
"We've been invited to tea by Mr Ransome because we rescued his boat."
Mrs Blackett motioned at them with her hands to slow down. "One at a time, please. Now what is it you want to tell me? Nancy first."
"Uncle Jim says that we are good enough to sail without him now, so can we camp on the island again, by ourselves?"
"I don't see why not. But first we must make all the necessary arrangements. You are not rushing off until I'm satisfied that the Dixons are happy to supply you with milk, eggs and other fresh food, and that you have everything you need."
"Mother!"
"Nancy you heard me. I don't care if you are the best sailors in the world, I want to check all your things before you go. Now, Peggy, what was it you wanted to tell me?"
"We rescued a boat and it belonged to man called Mr Ransome and he has invited us to tea and he gave us his telephone number and said you could call to arrange it." replied Peggy breathlessly.
"Very well, I will telephone this Mr Ransome, when I have the time. Does he know what you two are really like? He may change his mind after I speak to him. Now go and wash your hands, tea will be ready soon."
"Of course, chocolate cake!" exclaimed Nancy as she rushed upstairs.
o – o - O – o - o
All through tea Nancy and Peggy chattered about what they could do now they were considered capable of sailing without supervision. Nancy was all for sailing to the island and start getting ready for camping there.
"We could build a stockade, like in Treasure Island," she said. "We could defend ourselves from attackers and then drive them back into the sea."
Peggy's thoughts were more practical. "We've hardly been to the island yet these holidays. We've been so busy learning to sail that there hasn't been time. We may need to clear the camp site and the path to the harbour."
"There will be plenty of time for that when we're actually there," Nancy said firmly. "We must set up camp as soon as possible."
That evening, at their mother's insistence, Nancy and Peggy started to make a list of what they needed to take with them to the island.
"Tent... and blankets," said Peggy.
"Axe. Useful as weapon as well chopping wood," said Nancy.
"Really!" said her mother, overhearing this last comment as she came into the room, "I try to bring you up as normal, polite girls and you seem to be turning into blood-thirsty savages."
"Weren't you ever even just a little bit blood-thirsty?" Nancy.
"No, your Great Aunt Maria wouldn't have allowed us even to think it. Now, what have you got on your list? If there is something you need I can buy it tomorrow when I go round to the village for the Sale of Work."
The remainder of the evening was spent in that most necessary chore of preparing a list of everything needed for the Amazon Pirates to spend a week on the island.
o – o - O – o - o
"It's pouring."
When Nancy pulled back the curtains the next morning she could not hide the disappointment in her voice. Grey clouds covered the whole sky and rain fell steadily.
"It will be miserable sailing in this. It won't be worth even taking Amazon out of the boathouse."
Unlike the previous mornings of this holiday Nancy and Peggy were not ready when their mother called to say that breakfast was on the table.
When they sat down mother chuckled at their miserable faces. "Cheer up, it isn't the end of the world if you can't sail today, there is still most of the holidays to go. You could even spend the day doing your holiday tasks. I don't believe you have even opened your books yet."
"Oh mother! There's tons of time to do holiday tasks yet," said Nancy.
"If you don't want to do holiday tasks why don't you come to the sale of work with me instead?"
The look on Nancy's face suggested that she would rather face a whole tribe of blood-thirsty savages than go with her mother, but later that morning she and Peggy were in the car while Mrs Blackett drove round the lake to the village.
At the hall where the sale of work was held there were numerous tables laid out all selling different things. After Mrs Blackett handed over the chocolate cake she stopped to talk o the stall-holder. Nancy started casting impatient looks at her mother.
"When you're out the lake it can get chilly at times. Now you're sailing you won't be keeping warm like when you're rowing. Why don't you look around to see if anyone has anything suitable on their stall?"
They quickly dismissed a nearby stall stocked with hand crocheted antimacassars and tray clothes and moved on the next, which was full of baby clothes. But the one after that was of knitted items. Among the display of gloves, shawls and scarves were several brightly coloured knitted hats. Nancy seized one in bright green, tried it on and turned, grinning to Peggy.
"Ugh, horrible," was her sister's immediate comment. "It's not your colour at all."
Nancy replaced the green hat and took up one in red. "How about this?" she asked.
"That's better. It even looks a looks a bit piratical. Is there another one for me?"
"Yes. Try it on."
Peggy took the hat offered by Nancy and, rather more carefully than her sister, put it on.
"Very nice," said the lady behind the stall, "will you be buying those?"
"Yes, that is if mother has some money. I've only got a few coppers."
Peggy quickly fetched Mrs Blackett, who agreed that the woollen stocking caps were just the thing.
"Knitted by my own mother," the stall holder. "Her eyesight is fading but she is still a rare one for her knitting. Now do you want me to wrap those for you?"
"No thank you, we'll wear them now," replied Nancy.
