Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Author:Eva Ibbotson [Ibbotson, Eva]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780330477444
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Chapter Eleven

By the time Clovis had been in Finn’s hut for three days, he knew Westwood by heart. He could go upstairs and downstairs, into the attics where the maid Bella had hidden Bernard’s secret pile of money, and into the cellar where he had made friends with the bats. He knew the outhouse where Bernard had kept a pet rat and the tree to which Dudley and Joan had tied a little girl from the village and beaten her with willow twigs because she had been trespassing by the lake.

And he could imitate any accent.

‘After he’s been there a week, he’ll be talking like Sir Aubrey or braying like Joan,’ Finn said to Maia.

The Goodleys had taught Clovis to fence and he had been in so many plays set in grand houses that his table manners were excellent. If he got to Westwood, Finn was sure he could hold out for a little while. Finn had shown him a map of the north of England and Clovis had discovered that the village where his foster mother lived was only thirty miles away, which had cheered him up a lot.

‘But he’s such a coward,’ Finn said to Maia. They were scraping the old paint off Arabellas deck-fittings, a job which Clovis did not care for.

‘I don’t think it’s cowardly to be afraid of hiding in a dark cellar and waiting to be snatched by two horrible crows,’ said Maia.

Finn frowned. ‘You’re always defending him,’ he said crossly.

‘Well, he’s alone in the world.’

‘So am I alone in the world,’ said Finn.

‘No, you aren’t. You’ve got Lila who adores you and Professor Glastonberry and the chief of police, and all the Indians here. And when you get to the Xanti you’ll probably have lots and lots of relatives. Aunts and uncles and cousins – and maybe grandparents too. A huge family . . .’

‘Do you think so? I hadn’t thought of it like that.’ Finn did not look particularly pleased.

Maia nodded. ‘It’s sure to be like that. Whereas Clovis and I don’t have anybody.’

‘You’ve got Miss Minton.’

It was Maia’s turn to stare. Three months ago she hadn’t known that Miss Minton existed. When she’d first seen her, she thought she was a terrifying witch. But now . . .

There was a pause. Then:

‘And you’ve got me,’ said Finn.

Maia lifted her head and smiled at him. For a moment she felt completely happy. Then she looked at Finn’s hand resting on the tiller.

‘But you’re going away.’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘That’s true. I’m going away.’

Later that night when Maia was back in the bungalow, and Finn was frying some eggs Furo had brought for their supper, Clovis said, ‘There’s something I want to ask you about. When I was looking for Maia the first time, I asked for a place called Tapherini, or the House of Rest. Maia told me that that was what it was called and that Mrs Carter had it on her notepaper. But no one had heard of it and they looked .

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