Return to the Secret Garden by Holly Webb

Author:Holly Webb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic UK
Published: 2015-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

As she walked away from the study, with Lucy still tense in her arms, Emmie thought about keeping a cat in a house with a hundred rooms. How would she ever know where Lucy was? Emmie waited for her to wriggle and fight and jump away, but Lucy huddled still, as daunted by the huge house as Emmie had been.

Miss Sowerby was polishing a table at the end of the passage, even though as the housekeeper that was a job she wouldn’t usually do. Emmie quickened her step, and Miss Sowerby dropped the cloth as soon as Emmie appeared, and beamed at her. “He found th’ little cat for you, then?”

“You knew about Lucy too?” Emmie asked, confused. “Did Mr Sowerby tell you?” He was her brother, Emmie supposed. They would talk.

Miss Sowerby peered down at Lucy, cringing in Emmie’s arms, and made a soft, chirruping noise to her. “And desperate for someone to love. Go an’ show her to Miss Dearlove. Tell her Master Craven brought her for thee. But nicely. Don’t tha’ smirk.”

“I wouldn’t,” Emmie said quickly. “It’s too important. I wouldn’t. Miss Sowerby, can I really keep her in the house? She’s never been a proper house cat. She doesn’t know about … about being clean. What if she makes a mess?”

The housekeeper sighed, and looked thoughtfully at the two skinny little creatures. “She’ll learn, I expect. If she makes a mess, you come t’ me, and I’ll help thee clean up.”

Emmie nodded. She could feel Lucy relaxing a little, the hammering of her heart slowing. She followed Miss Sowerby through the house to the servants’ hall, gently murmuring to Lucy about how much she was loved, and how many mice she could catch in the dusty old house.

They came upon Jack in the dim passageway that led to the servants’ hall, and the kitchen, clutching a doorstep of bread and dripping. Miss Sowerby clicked her tongue at him.

“You’ll spoil tha’ dinner!”

But Jack didn’t even look at her. He glared at Emmie. “My father came home – he’s been away for months – and all he wanted was to talk to you.”

Emmie glared back. “It was important.”

Lucy’s whiskers twitched, and she leaned a little out of Emmie’s arms, catching the scent of the dripping. Jack stepped back, staring at her wide-eyed.

“Your cat!”

“He found her. Your father did. He had to go to the Home, and he saw Lucy, so he brought her back.” She swallowed, trying to think of something nice to say. Jack was horrible, but his father wasn’t. “It was very kind of him,” she managed primly.

“I don’t know why he bothered,” Jack muttered angrily, barging past. “That looks more like a rat to me.”

“Jack Craven!” Miss Sowerby snapped. “Apologize.”

But Jack was already gone, racing up the passageway and slamming the door at the bottom of the stairs. Miss Sowerby sighed, and ushered Emmie on into the servants’ hall.

“There she is!” Arthur swung round from the table as he saw them at the door. “What did he want? Emmie! Your cat!”

“Lieutenant Craven found her,” Emmie said simply.

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