Menacing Manor by Kiersten White

Author:Kiersten White [White, Kiersten]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2023-05-02T00:00:00+00:00

All the kids and teens scurried backward, but before Frank could reach any of them, a bright voice chimed behind him.

“Here you are!” The door opened the rest of the way to reveal Essa. “Why did you come to the front door today, instead of using the back entrance?”

Theo wrinkled her nose at Frank. “Somehow, the path up here got blocked by a bunch of large boulders only someone very strong could move.”

“That’s odd!” Essa smiled at Frank. “It’s a good thing we have Frank here. Be a dear and go clear it.”

He glared at her, his expression flat and menacing, much like the top of his head.

“Go clear the path,” she said again, her voice still bright like the sunlit ocean, but with an undercurrent of something flashing, finned and toothy, in the depths.

With a complaining groan, Frank lumbered away.

“I’m so glad you’re all here!” Essa said, not explaining Frank’s behavior or what had happened to the path. “Breakfast is ready, and we have such a day ahead of us! Tide pools and circuitry and slime making and the most unbelievably scary but still perfectly safe demonstration of the laws of physics using a bowling ball suspended from the ceiling and swinging right at your face!”

“That sounds like a perfect day,” Quincy said, her eyes big with awe.

Essa nodded, more sincere than excited. “I’ve worked really hard to make sure everyone knows they have a place at my camp. That you’re all wanted and valued.” Her face did that thing where it went far away and almost gray, like a storm over the sea.

“No one is superfluous,” Alexander said gently.

Essa blinked, and then her smile was back in place. “Exactly. It’s going to be the best day.”

They ate breakfast (after Henry washed his hands and then dunked his head under the kitchen faucet for good measure, too, lightening his hair to a now even sandier blond) while Essa finished setting up the various stations. Essa had actually made toad-in-the-hole after Alexander mentioned it yesterday, and it was delightful, all buttery and flaky and sausagey.

Theo talked around a mouthful. “I guess sometimes when the British give weird names to things they’re actually good. As opposed to, say, traditional mincemeat pie.”

Mid-bite, Wil slapped her forehead. “Mincemeat pie! Fathoms of Fun! Charlotte!”

“Blue whales! Pineapple soda! Torches!” Quincy shouted.

“Huh?” Wil asked.

“I thought we were just shouting random things.” Quincy shrugged.

“No, I was thinking aloud.” Wil turned to Edgar. “Let’s call Charlotte and ask her how to summon Aunt Saffronia again! She should know!”

Charlotte was one of seven nearly identical sisters who helpfully haunted Fathoms of Fun. Alexander didn’t like to think about it. Not because Charlotte was a ghost—which was upsetting in general—but because it meant that most of their time at the water park they hadn’t had registered, certified lifeguards watching out for them. Charlotte had been very kind and helpful, but could a ghost perform CPR? Would a ghost even understand what CPR was?

Alexander shook his head, trying to shake himself out of worrying.

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