Borrowed feathers

Annette Clifford can make a welcoming tea table out of fine old china, a few flowers and an afternoon's careful planning. Keeping the rest of the house running is harder. While her mother and sister are at Scarborough, she manages with an unreliable servant and looks after her brothers. The unexpected arrival of Mrs. Worsley, the godmother she calls aunty, gives her someone with whom she can share both her affection and her lively account of domestic troubles.

Ruth Lamb's short story follows the contrast between a family's social appearance and the work needed to sustain it. Shabby furniture surrounds the elegant tea service, and Annette answers callers herself while trying to make everything seem effortless. Her brothers' concern and her godmother's plans for a holiday bring warmth to a story of household responsibility, money and consideration for others. Readers of older fiction for young people will find quick dialogue and a closely observed picture of family life.