The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

Author:Joan Aiken
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781409025412
Publisher: RHCP

The dull, dark afternoon passed slowly by. The children worked fitfully at their tasks of mending. Bonnie was no longer locked up, but Miss Slighcarp made it plain that she was still in disgrace, never speaking to her, and giving her cold and sinister looks.

The sound of a horse’s hoofs had drawn both children to the window on one occasion, when Miss Slighcarp came suddenly into the room.

‘Back to your work, young ladies,’ she said angrily. ‘Whom did you expect to see, pray?’

‘I thought – that is, we did not expect –’ Sylvia faltered. ‘It is James, returning from his errand.’

‘So!’ Miss Slighcarp gave them again that strange glance, and then left them, after commenting unfavourably upon their needlework. She returned to the library, where she rang for James and gave him orders that utterly puzzled him.

‘The carriage?’ he muttered, scratching his head. ‘What can she want the carriage for, at such a time?’

Dusk, and then dark, came, and bedtime drew near. The children had long since abandoned their sewing and were sitting on the hearthrug, with arms entwined, in a somewhat sorrowful silence, gazing at the glowing coals which cast their dim illumination over the bare room.

‘It is too late, I fear. Dr Morne will never come today,’ Bonnie said sighing.

There was a gentle tap on the secret panel.

‘Pattern! It is Pattern!’ said Sylvia, jumping up, and she made haste to press the spring. Pattern came bustling out with a tray on which were two silver bowls of steaming bread-and-milk, besides little dishes of candied quince and plum.

‘Here’s your supper, my lambs! Now eat that while it’s hot, and I’ll be warming your beds and night-things. Thank the good providence old Pattern’s here to see you don’t go to bed cold and starving.’

When the last spoonful was eaten she hustled them into their warm blue flannel nightgowns, and saw them tucked up in bed. ‘There, my ducks! Sweet dreams guard your rest,’ she said, and gave each a good-night hug. At this moment they heard Miss Slighcarp’s brisk heavy steps coming along the passage.

‘Lawks-a-me!’ gasped Pattern. She snatched up the tray and was through the secret door in a flash. Just as it clicked behind her Miss Slighcarp entered through the other door, carrying a lamp.

‘In bed already?’ she said. She sounded displeased. The children lay wondering what fault she could find with such praiseworthy punctuality.

‘Well, you must just get up again!’ she snapped, dumping the lamp on the dressing-table. ‘Get up, dress yourselves, and pack a valise with a change of clothing. You are going on a journey.’

A journey? The children stared at each other, aghast. They could not discuss the matter, however, as Miss Slighcarp remained in the room, sorting through their clothes and deciding what they were to take with them. Sylvia noticed that she put out only their oldest and plainest things. She herself was given none of the new clothes that Pattern had been making her, but only those made from Aunt Jane’s white curtain.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.