I replied, “I’m not so sure, Ian.”
Later on, as we were about to get back on the bus, I saw Miss Watson sitting in the front seat by the door and so I pretended to miss-step as I got on and ‘fell’ up the steps so my eyes were level with her knees; she had on a looser dress that day and I could see the ends of lots of white net petticoats and, further, up a glimpse of lace underneath.
She said, “Alex don’t sit there staring into space all day, get into your seat.” I don’t think she knew what I was looking at, but now I wonder. Mrs McTaggart had come up behind me by this time and, as I was bending to get up, she put her hand on my bum and said, “Come along Alex, we have all seen enough scenery for one day.” I was pretty sure then that she had a very good idea of what we had been up to at the shop and what I was doing on the bus. Her hand seemed to stay for rather a long time on my bum cheek before she gave me a little push up the steps.