Phantom Horse 2: Phantom Horse Comes Home by Pullein-Thompson Christine

Author:Pullein-Thompson, Christine [Pullein-Thompson, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Horses
ISBN: 9781841359267
Publisher: Award Publications Limited
Published: 2012-02-04T16:00:00+00:00

7

The Millers were waiting for me. I turned Frances into the orchard beyond the stable yard, where their dogs greeted me, running round in circles and yapping. I found Annie dishing up in the kitchen.

“Do you like ice cream?” she asked. “Mrs Miller says I make it real good, so I made it especially for you.”

“I love it. Thank you very much,” I replied. “Am I terribly late?”

She shook her head. “Dinner’s just going in now,” she answered.

We ate in the large dining room, the table decorated with silver candlesticks with candles which weren’t lit. Angus had washed his hands and combed his hair. He sat opposite Wendy, cracking jokes, making everyone laugh. I wished that Pete was with us. Mr Miller asked me about Phantom and I told him how he had improved already. The evening sun shone through the Georgian windows and suddenly everything seemed dated and old-fashioned, as though we had moved into some earlier age.

After dinner Wendy and I played the piano in the large drawing room which was hardly ever used. Angus talked to Mr and Mrs Miller in the library, which had leather-covered armchairs and a shelf full of books about riding. It was all very pleasant but seemed far removed from home and Sparrow Cottage.

“Mum and Dad must be still flying,” I said presently. “Isn’t it amazing?”

I shared Wendy’s room, which had windows on both sides with bright checked curtains, white furniture, and whitewood beds with checked covers. Angus was sleeping in the spare room, which was above the drawing room and had a white carpet and a magnificent white and gold bed. It wasn’t his sort of room; not a room for jeans and trainers at all.

Wendy and I talked for hours. She told me all about a boy she had known last year. He had written her long letters. “He was the best boyfriend I ever had,” she said. “I guess your brother is all right and he’s real cute, but he’s kinda slow, isn’t he?”

I agreed. “We’re all kinda slow back home,” I said with a laugh. “It’s something to do with the weather and being so shut in.” Wendy took me seriously, while I was laughing inside all the time.

“Yeah, it must make a difference,” she said. “All that rain …”

I slept at last and didn’t dream.

The sun was streaming into the room when I woke up and I thought straightaway, they’ll be home. They’ll be stepping out of a cat, unlocking the front door, and the trees will be in blossom. And I wished I was there too, standing in the soft English air with the trees all pink with blossom and the banks still yellow with the last of the primroses.

Wendy was still asleep, her red-brown hair spread across her pillow.

I got up and dressed and found Annie making waffles in the kitchen.

“You want yours now? You want to get out real quick?” she asked. I nodded, wondering how she understood.

I sat down at the plain wood table and she gave me a plate of waffles, crisp fried bacon and maple syrup.

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