[362] "Yes, it is," Charmain said defiantly.
[363] Mrs. Baker sighed. "Darling, I wish you wouldn't talk in that bold way. People don't like it, you know. But I'm very glad to see you looking so well. I lay awake half the night listening to the rain and hoping that the roof on this house didn't leak."
[364] "It doesn't leak," Charmain said.
[365] "Or fearing that you might have left a window open," added her mother.
[366] Charmain shuddered. "No, I shut the window," she said, and immediately felt sure that Peter was at that moment opening the window onto the lubbock's meadow. "You really have nothing to worry about, Mother," she lied.
[367] "Well, to tell the truth, I was a little worried," Mrs. Baker said. "Your first time away from the nest, you know. I spoke to your father about it. He said you might not be managing to feed yourself properly." She held up the bulging embroidered bag she was carrying. "He packed you some more food in this. I'll just go and put it in the kitchen for you, shall I?" she asked, and pushed past Charmain toward the inner door.
[368] No! Help! Charmain thought. She took hold of the embroidered bag in what she hoped was a most gentle, civilized way, rather than the grab for it that she would have liked to make, and said, "You needn't bother, Mother. I'll take it in a moment and fetch the other one for you—"
[369] "Oh why? It's no trouble, my love," her mother protested, hanging on to the bag.
[370] "—because I've got a surprise for you first," Charmain said hurriedly. "You go and sit down. That sofa's very comfortable, Mother." And it has its back to this door. "Do take a seat, Aunt Sempronia—"
[371] "But it won't take me a moment," Mrs. Baker said. "If I leave it on the kitchen table where you can find it—"
[372] Charmain waved her free hand. Her other hand was hanging on to the bag for dear life. "Great-Uncle William!" she cried out. "Morning coffee! Please!"
[373] To her enormous relief, Great-Uncle William's kind voice replied, "Tap the trolley in the corner, my dear, and say 'Morning Coffee.'"
[374] Mrs. Baker gasped with amazement and looked round to see where the voice was coming from. Aunt Sempronia looked interested, looked quizzical, and went over to give the trolley a smart rap with her parasol. "Morning Coffee?" she said.
[375] Instantly the room filled with a warm smell of coffee. A tall silver coffee pot stood on the trolley, steaming, together with tiny gilded cups, a gilded cream jug, a silver sugar boat, and a plate of little sugary cakes. Mrs. Baker was so astonished that she let go of the embroidered bag. Charmain put it quickly behind the nearest armchair.
[376] "Very elegant magic," Aunt Sempronia said. "Berenice, come and sit down here and let Charmain wheel the trolley over beside this sofa."
[377] Mrs. Baker obeyed, looking dazed, and to Charmain's acute relief, the visit started to turn into an elegant, respectable coffee morning. Aunt Sempronia poured coffee, while Charmain handed round the sugary cakes. Charmain was standing facing the kitchen door, holding the plate out to Aunt Sempronia, when the door swung open and Waif 's huge face appeared round the edge of it, obviously fetched by the smell of little sugary cakes.
[378] "Go away, Waif!" Charmain said. "Shoo! I mean it! You can't come in here unless you're…you're…you're respectable.
Go!"
[379] Waif stared wistfully, sighed hugely, and backed away. By the time Mrs. Baker and Aunt Sempronia, each carefully holding a brimming little coffee cup, had managed to turn round to see who Charmain was talking to, Waif was gone and the door was shut again.
"What was that?" Mrs. Baker asked.
[380] "Nothing," Charmain said soothingly. "Only Great-Uncle William's guard dog, you know. She's terribly greedy—"
[381] "You have a dog here!" Mrs. Baker interrupted, in the greatest alarm. "I'm not sure I like that, Charmain. Dogs are so dirty. And you could get bitten! I hope you keep it chained up."
[382] "No, no, no, she's terribly clean. And obedient," Charmain said, wondering if this was true. "It's just—it's just that she overeats. Great-Uncle William tries to keep her on a diet, so of course she was after one of these cakes—"
[383] The kitchen door opened again. This time it was Peter's face that came round the edge of it, with a look on it that suggested that Peter had something urgent to say. The look turned to horror as he took in Aunt Sempronia's finery and Mrs. Baker's respectability.
[384] "Here she is again," Charmain said, rather desperately. "Waif, go away!"
[385] Peter took the hint and vanished, just before Aunt Sempronia could turn round again and see him. Mrs. Baker looked more alarmed than ever.
[386] "You worry too much, Berenice," Aunt Sempronia said. "I admit that dogs are smelly and dirty and noisy, but there's nothing to beat a good guard dog for keeping a house safe. You should be glad that Charmain has one."
[387] "I suppose so," Mrs. Baker agreed, sounding wholly unconvinced. "But—but didn't you tell me this house is protected by—your great-uncle's…er…wizardly arts?"
[388] "Yes, yes, it is!" Charmain said eagerly. "The place is doubly safe!"
[389] "Of course it is," said Aunt Sempronia. "I believe that nothing can get in here that hasn't been invited over the threshold."
[390] As if to prove Aunt Sempronia completely wrong there, a kobold suddenly appeared on the floor beside the trolley.
[391] "Now, look here!" he said, small and blue and aggressive.
[392] Mrs. Baker gave a shriek and clutched her coffee cup to her bosom. Aunt Sempronia drew her skirts back from him in a stately way. The kobold stared at them, clearly puzzled, and then looked at Charmain. He was not the garden kobold.
His nose was bigger, his blue clothing was of finer cloth, and he looked as if he was used to giving orders.
[393] "Are you an important kobold?" Charmain asked him.
[394] "Well," the kobold said, rather taken aback, "you could say that. I'm chieftain in these parts, name of Timminz. I'm leading this deputation, and we're all pretty annoyed. And now we're told that the wizard isn't here, or won't see us, or —"
[395] Charmain could see he was working himself into a rage. She said quickly, "That's true. He's not here. He's ill. The elves have taken him away to cure him, and I'm looking after his house while he's away."
[396] The kobold hunched his eyes over his great blue nose and glowered at her. "Are you telling the truth?"
[397] I seem to have spent all day being told I'm lying! Charmain thought angrily.
[398] "It is the exact truth," Aunt Sempronia said. "William Norland is not here at present. So will you be so kind as to take yourself off, my good kobold. You are frightening poor Mrs. Baker."
[399] The kobold glowered at her and then at Mrs. Baker. "Then," he said to Charmain, "I don't see any chance of this dispute being settled, ever!" And he was gone as suddenly as he had come.
[400] "Oh, my goodness!" Mrs. Baker gasped, holding her chest. "So little! So blue! How did it get in? Don't let it run up your skirt, Charmain!"
[401] "It was only a kobold," Aunt Sempronia said. "Pull yourself together, Berenice. Kobolds as a rule do not get on with humans, so I have no idea what it was doing here. But I suppose Great-Uncle William must have had some sort of dealings with the creatures. There's no accounting for wizards."
[402] "And I've spilled coffee—" Mrs. Baker wailed, mopping at her skirt.
[403] Charmain took the little cup and soothingly filled it with coffee again. "Have another cake, Mother," she said, holding the plate out. "Great-Uncle William has a kobold to do the gardening, and that one was angry too when I met him—"
[404] "What was the gardener doing in the living room?" Mrs. Baker demanded.
[405] As often happened, Charmain began to despair of getting her mother to understand. She's not stupid, she just never lets her mind out, she thought. "That was a different kobold," she began.