Ghost Abbey by Robert Westall

Author:Robert Westall [Robert Westall]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RHCP
Published: 2004-02-05T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

‘What’s frettin’ you?’ Dad asked suddenly, W putting down a carefully dried plate.

It amazed Maggi that he’d noticed. It showed how much better he was, since they’d come here. A month ago, he hadn’t even noticed when she’d been crying . . .

She was silent a long time; it was such a stupid thing that was worrying her; stupid once you put it into words, anyway. But they were alone in the sunlit kitchen, because the twins had slipped out without washing up again, and it was cosy together. So she said, ‘It’s Percy and his dog . . .’

‘The dog bin’ frightening you or what?’ She knew what the ‘what’ meant, even if Dad could never put it into words. She felt the quick rage rise in him.

‘No, no. I like Percy and I like Wolf.’

‘What, then?’

‘We-ell, Wolf’s a bit of a lost dog . . . he’s getting a bit old and tired and he’s sort of lost. And Percy is a bit of a lost dog as well and . . . Mzz MacFarlane. And the house is sort of drawing them all in. Even us. And I keep wondering what it wants us for.’

He was silent for so long she gave him a furtive glance.

He was grinning. ‘So I’m a lost dog as well?’

‘Not now. You were before we came here.’

‘Aye,’ he said, still grinning. ‘By, you’re gettin’ a sharp one, our Maggi. But Aah’ll tell ye a secret. The world’s full o’ lost dogs. And when ye get a funny job like this one, it does draw them in. Any big construction site, the motorways, the oil rigs, they all draw in lost dogs. Divorced fellers, drunks, fellers on the run. Happy men stay home with their wives, you see?’

‘Yes.’ Now she felt stupid.

‘What’s more, how come Percy started workin’ here? Who encouraged him? Who had him upstairs for a mug o’ tea? Kept him here till we came back?’

‘Me.’

‘Aye. Just like yer mam. She was always lookin’ after lost dogs as well.’

It all seemed so simple, in that sunlit kitchen.

‘How’s that poor man making out at the lodge?’ asked Mzz MacFarlane, the following lunch time. ‘The place is such a wreck, I feel ashamed. Wouldn’t he be happier living up here with us?’

‘Not on your life,’ said Dad. ‘We did the loose slates on his roof. He’s got a good log fire blazin’ in his chimney, to dry the place out. Aah took him a few spare blankets. He’s not got much in the world, apart from that dog an’ his power-saw for logs. But he’s doin’ wonders with old chairs an packin’ cases. He’s as happy as a sandboy – reckon the pair of them had a pretty rough time at his sister’s.’

‘I like his new gate across the drive – that red and white pole thing.’

‘Real army style, that!’

‘He gave me a salute when he opened it for me this morning—’

‘It’s put paid to the courtin’ couples an’ vandals . . .

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