Enid Blyton - R Mystery 4 - The Rubadub Mystery.t
Chapter One

Plans For a Holiday

'Snubby!' called a cross voice. 'SNUBBY! Didn't I tell you to tie Loony up?'
Snubby came flying downstairs to his aunt. 'Oh, Aunt Susan, I did! Has he got loose again? Oh, I say - did he make all that mess in the hall?'
The black spaniel sat in the middle of a few sheets of torn-up newspaper, his tongue hanging out. He looked exactly as if he was grinning.
'That's your uncle's morning newspaper,' said his aunt. 'He hasn't even read it yet. Snubby, you know that we're very rushed trying to get everything done before we leave today. I really cannot have Loony rushing about loose.'
'I'll shut Loony into my room, Mother,' said Diana, coming up. 'And I'll lock the door and put the key in my pocket. Then Loony will be safe.'
'Well, nothing else in your room will be safe!' said Mrs Lynton. 'Do what you like with him - but keep him out of my way this morning! We shall never get off this afternoon, your father and I.'
The Lyntons were going to America for a few weeks. The three children and Loony the dog were going off to the sea with Miss Pepper, Mrs Lynton's old governess. She often had charge of them when the Lyntons had to go away.
Snubby had only arrived the day before, having spent the first week of the holidays with some other cousins. He had no parents and spent his time staying with various relations - but of them all he much preferred the Lyntons. He was very fond of his Aunt Susan, and admired and respected his Uncle Richard. His uncle, however, neither admired nor respected Snubby.
'I consider that boy to be the world's worst nuisance,' was his continual description of poor Snubby.
Loony was led upstairs by a firm Diana. Sardine the cat was waiting for him at a turn of the stairs and leapt at him. He sprang back, almost pulling Diana down the stairs, and she squealed.
'This house is a mad-house,' said her father, at the top of the stairs. 'Where's Miss Pepper? Can't she take you all into some quiet corner till we've gone? America will seem a place of utter peace and quiet after this. Really, when you children come back from school, it's...'
'Oh, Daddy - you always say that,' said Diana, hauling Loony up by his lead. 'You know you'll miss us when you go. Daddy, I wish you'd take us with you to America.'
'Not on your life!' said her father, horrified. 'You'd probably all fall overboard, to start with - and Snubby would spend his time down in the engine-room with Roger...'
'Oh, I say, sir - should I be allowed to?' called Snubby. 'That would be smashing.'
'Where do you get those awful words from?' said his uncle. 'Can't you talk Queen's English?'
'I bet the Queen says "smashing" sometimes,' argued Snubby. 'I bet she...'
'Move aside and let me pass,' said his uncle impatiently. 'What with Diana and the dog on the stairs, and now you - and is that Sardine I see waiting for me to fall over her as usual - this is a real mad-house.'
'Richard dear - do come down and help me with the labelling,' called Mrs Lynton. 'We'll go into the study and shut the door and the windows, and see if we can't keep out all the riff-raff!'
'Gosh - fancy Aunt Susan calling us riff-raff,' said Snubby indignantly. 'Hey, Aunt Susan...'
A door slammed down below. Snubby gave it up. He helped to push the reluctant Loony along the landing to Diana's bedroom.
Miss Pepper was there, pulling clothes out of the drawers and cupboards. The children were to go to the seaside the next day, and Miss Pepper was trying to do a little sorting and packing in between helping Mrs Lynton.
'Hallo, Miss Pepper,' said Snubby, as if he hadn't seen her for a month. He gave her a sudden squeeze round the waist. She gasped.
'Don't, Snubby! Why so affectionate all of a sudden? What is it you want out of me now?'
'Nothing,' said Snubby, looking hurt. 'I just felt sort of thrilled - holidays, you know - no more work for ages - going off to the sea tomorrow. What's the place we're going to, Miss Pepper? Nobody's told me anything yet.'
Roger came marching in, his arms full of swimsuits. 'Here you are, Miss Pepper,' he said, putting them down on the bed. 'I've found three swimsuits each. Is that enough?'
'Good gracious yes,' said Miss Pepper. 'Oh, don't let Loony get hold of them. Snubby, take him away.'
'He's supposed to be locked up here in Diana's bedroom,' said Snubby.
'Well, he can't be,' said Miss Pepper decidedly. 'I'm doing a lot of sorting out in here and I don't intend to be locked in with Loony or any other mad dog either.'