Little Darlings Read online

  ‘Oh, why did I ever think I wanted to be a wretched nanny?’ says Claudia, nearly in tears.

  She tries to set the stand to rights, while I yank Ace up out of the way and tell him that it’s getting-up time now, and pour Tigerman and his pet a pretend glass of Tiger juice for breakfast.

  We get out of the shop at last, Sweetie bedecked in all her new finery. Ace wants real juice now, so we go to a café and have a healthy juice each, and then several deliciously unhealthy doughnuts. We have to go to the ladies’ on the top floor to wipe all the sugar off Ace’s mouth (and his Tiger bear’s paws). There’s a toyshop nearby and so we have to spend a long time in there too. I start to worry that Claudia’s forgotten about my notebook, but after we’ve found a tiny toy bus for Ace and a little pocket doll for Sweetie, Claudia nods at me.

  ‘Right, Sunset. Now we’re going to Paperchase.’

  I love Paperchase with all its brightly coloured stationery. I want to spend hours gently stroking each notebook in turn, carefully flipping through the pristine pages, happily deliberating, but Ace and Sweetie are bored now and I have to pick my notebook in double-quick time. I choose a little blue velvety one with blank pages so I can draw little pictures to illustrate my songs. When Claudia buys it for me I can’t quite manage to give her a hug and a kiss because I’m too shy, but I squeeze her hand very tightly to show her how happy I am.

  ‘There now!’ she says cheerfully.

  ‘Can we go home for my party now?’ Sweetie asks.

  Claudia looks at her watch. ‘No, darling, not quite yet,’ she says. ‘Shall we go for a nice walk along the river?’

  ‘Yes, Tigerboy and I want to go swimming!’ says Ace.

  Claudia changes tack quickly, realizing this is not a good idea at all. ‘No, I know, let’s find a playground,’ she says.

  This idea takes us all by surprise. I know what a playground is, of course – children play on the swings in picture books – but I didn’t think they still existed. Sweetie and Ace get really excited.

  ‘A playground, a playground!’ says Sweetie. ‘I want to go to the Fairy Palace!’

  ‘No, I want to go on Space Mountain. I know I’m big enough,’ says Ace.

  ‘No, no, it’s not like Disneyland,’ I say quickly.

  It’s not remotely like Disneyland. When Claudia eventually finds us a playground, it’s small and grey and dismal, with little tyre swings and a tame short slide and a tiny roundabout. A little gaggle of kids about my age wearing hoodies and tracksuits are lolling on the roundabout or draped, tummy-down, on the swings. They peer over at us, particularly Sweetie in her tiara and feather boa.

  ‘There isn’t any fairy palace!’ Sweetie says, pouting. ‘This isn’t a pretty place at all.’

  The kids splutter with laughter.

  ‘Tigerboy and I want to go on a tyre, but they’re there,’ says Ace. ‘So we shall roar at them and frighten them away, won’t we?’ He gives a very timid roar, more of a mouse-squeak.

  They laugh louder. ‘Who are these nutters?’ one says.

  ‘Maybe we’d better try and find another playground,’ says Claudia, trying to take Sweetie and Ace by the hand. Ace pulls away.

  ‘Want to go on the tyre,’ he says desperately.

  ‘Well . . . perhaps one little go,’ says Claudia. ‘You look after Sweetie, Sunset.’

  ‘Sweetie! Sunset! What bonkers names!’

  Sweetie nestles close to me, bewildered. She’s so used to everyone making a fuss of her. She’s never really played with ordinary children. None of us have. I’m scared too. I’m especially terrified they’ll notice I’m holding a cardboard box containing a pathetic panda. I shall die if they start mocking me.

  ‘Now now,’ says Claudia, marching up to the children. ‘How about letting this little boy have a go on the swings?’

  ‘Now now, now now,’ they echo, mocking her posh accent.

  I ought to go and stick up for her – but then they’d pick on me. Besides, I have to look after Sweetie.

  ‘You let me have a swing!’ says Ace bravely. ‘I’m Tigerman and I can bite you.’

  ‘You’re Tiggernutter, you sad little whatsit,’ says one kid.

  He doesn’t actually say whatsit – he uses a very rude word indeed.

  ‘Stop that swearing! Don’t be so mean, he’s only a little boy,’ says Claudia.

  ‘Are you their mum then, Posh Knickers?’ says another kid.

  ‘I’m their nanny,’ Claudia says, and they all hoot.

  ‘A nanny! A nanny for a bunch of ninnies,’ says one.

  ‘Let me have a turn on the tyre,’ says Ace. He thinks hard. ‘Please.’ He tries to grab the chain, but they unpick his hands and give him a shove. It’s only a very little shove, but Ace is a very little boy. He lands on his bottom.

  His mouth gapes wide in astonishment. He looks like a bewildered baby bird. I can’t bear it.

  ‘Stay there and don’t move!’ I say to Sweetie, shoving my panda into her arms alongside her Rosie bear.

  I run over to Ace, who is now howling. Claudia’s trying to pick him up and carry him off, but he’s struggling.

  ‘Want to go on the tyre!’ he bellows.

  I dither helplessly.

  ‘Watch out, here’s another nutter. Who does she think she is wearing them daft black mittens?’

  I know who I think I am in my new black outfit. I’m dressed like my sister Destiny. So why can’t I try to act like her too?

  ‘Bog off, you lot, and let him have two minutes’ swing – go on,’ I say fiercely.

  ‘Who’s going to make us?’ says one girl.

  ‘I’m going to make you,’ I say, and I seize hold of her swing. ‘Get off or I’ll knock you off!’

  ‘All right, all right,’ she says, and she jumps off the tyre!

  I am so amazed I just stand there, stunned. I didn’t think she’d move for a minute. I thought she’d yell back, maybe even fight me.

  ‘Here’s the wretched swing,’ she says, and shoves it at me.

  It gives me a hard whack in the ribs but I don’t let myself flinch. I grab the tyre. ‘Here, Ace,’ I say triumphantly. ‘Come and have a swing.’

  He hurtles forward, still whimpering. I lift him onto the tyre.

  ‘There now. Hang on tightly,’ I say, and give him a little push.

  He squeals triumphantly, while I stand proudly pushing him backwards and forwards. Claudia and Sweetie stand watching, amazed. The hoodie kids are all watching too. One of the other girls edges off her swing.

  ‘Here, your little sister can have a swing too,’ she says.

  ‘Do you want a swing, Sweetie?’ I call, but she shakes her head, clinging to Claudia.

  ‘Why are you called them daft names?’ the girl asks.

  ‘Because we’ve got daft parents,’ I say. ‘It’s not our fault.’

  ‘I’ve got a friend called Marley-Joy – that’s almost as bad,’ she says.

  ‘I’ve got a friend called Destiny,’ I say, ‘but I like that as a name.’

  We’re chatting as if we’re almost friends. I give Ace another nine or ten pushes, and then slow him down.

  ‘Come on, we’ll go on the slide now,’ I say, hauling him off. ‘Thanks for letting him have a swing.’

  They nod at me, and I strut back with Ace to Claudia, feeling ten feet tall.

  ‘We’ll just let Ace have a little slide,’ I say. ‘Do you want a slide too, Sweetie? It’s all right, I’ll look after you.’

  I give them both a slide. Ace hurtles down happily. Sweetie is much more timid, worrying that the slide isn’t quite clean and she’ll stain her new pink trousers. I sigh at her. The girl I spoke to sighs too, raising her eyebrows at me. When we go, I wave to her and she waves back.

  ‘Well!’ says Claudia. ‘Get you, Sunset!’

  Yes, get me, get me, get me! I understand why Ace wants to wear his Tigerman suit all the time. I want to wear my Destiny outfit for ever.

  I hope Claudia will tell Mum how I cop