Read Our Australian Girl for Free Online Page B

demanded, stopping in front of Daisy.
    Daisy immediately held out her hands.
    â€˜Teeth!’
    Daisy opened her mouth wide.
    â€˜Humph,’ Miss Dunham answered and, unable to find any faults, began to walk away. Thank goodness, Daisy thought with relief.
    But then the woman stopped. She stared at the floor and pointed with her ruler. ‘What’s this?’ she asked, kicking Daisy’s biscuit tin from under the bed.
    â€˜That’s mine,’ Daisy said. ‘It’s got my personal things in it.’
    â€˜Give it to me,’ Miss Dunham ordered.
    Daisy felt her breath quicken as she bent to pick the tin up. She held it tightly to her chest.
    â€˜I said hand it over,’ Miss Dunham thundered, and Daisy reluctantly passed her the tin.
    Miss Dunham pulled the lid open roughly and Amelia’s letters spilled onto the floor. Daisy went to pick them up.
    â€˜Leave them! Oh, look girls,’ the woman said in a taunting voice, ‘a photograph of a horsey . . .  Oh and here, look, it’s a bit of horse hair. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were a health hazard.’
    Daisy looked over at Edith, whose eyes were shiny with anger. She looks like she’s going to explode, Daisy thought as she watched the colour rising in Edith’s cheeks.
    â€˜I’ll be taking this with me,’ Miss Dunham said, tucking the tin under her arm.
    â€˜No!’ Daisy cried and reached out to take the tin back.
    â€˜Hands
off
.’ Miss Dunham gave Daisy’s fingers a sharp whack with the ruler.
    Daisy pulled her hand back in pain, her fingers already turning blue from the blow.
    â€˜Now you.’ Miss Dunham pointed at Molly. ‘Pick up all this rubbish on the floor and take it to the Backyard Boys to put in the incinerator.’
    Daisy covered her mouth with her hands as tears poured down her face.
    Molly gave Daisy a sad look as she gathered the letters and left the room with them.
    â€˜And you,’ Miss Dunham said, pointing her ruler in Daisy’s face. ‘You can forget about breakfast. Get the bucket and scrubbing brush and make that washroom floor gleam. Maybe that will teach you a lesson for hiding things.’ With that, she lumbered out of the room.
    Daisy’s thoughts were reeling. They were the last bits of home I had. Now I have nothing. Nothing at all. She put her fingers in her mouth.
    â€˜Daisy, I’m so sorry.’ Edith’s wiry arms were around her in seconds. ‘That nasty old hag needs to be taught a lesson,’ she said. ‘She was cross ’cos of what you said about her hair in the playroom.’
    Daisy nodded. ‘I know, but they were the only things I had from home,’ she gulped, trying hard to swallow her tears. ‘I feel like I’m starting to disappear, Edith. Maybe Dad and Flora and Jimmy have forgotten me by now anyway. Maybe I should just forget about them, like Miss Dunham says.’
    â€˜Don’t you dare!’ Edith grabbed Daisy’s hand.
    â€˜Ow,’ Daisy said, pulling back her injured fingers.
    â€˜Oops, sorry,’ Edith said, ‘but look, Daisy, you can’t give up. You have to be strong. We’ll find a way to get you back to your family.’
    Daisy sighed. ‘I hope so,’ she said softly.
    â€˜And what’s more, we’ll find a way to get back at that wicked old Dunham, too,’ Edith said, balling her hands into fists. ‘We’ll make her pay, Daisy. You mark my words.’

    â€˜Daisy, psst . . .  Daisy, come here.’
    Daisy looked up from mopping the kitchen floor. She arched her back to try to ease some of the stiffness and looked around to see Edith hiding behind one of the benches. ‘What are you doing?’ she laughed.
    Edith held her finger to her lips and pointed at Miss Dunham, who stood just outside the door tapping her ruler on her hand. She stepped into the room and swept her eyes over