The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood

Author:Maryrose Wood
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2012-10-22T04:00:00+00:00

AS YOU DOUBTLESS KNOW BY now, Miss Penelope Lumley was a great fan of books. Countless were the times she had read of people caught in frightening circumstances; when things seemed at their most dire, inevitably these unlucky people would be described as having “a shiver run down their spines.” Until now Penelope had assumed this was merely a neat turn of phrase that authors used to show that someone was well and truly panicked. Apparently there was more to it than that, for the wolf’s mournful cry sent an actual cold shiver trickling from the base of her neck downward, as if some mischief maker had slipped a shaving of ice down the back of her dress at a picnic.

What should she do? Should she run, or fight, or cower helplessly in the hope that the wolf would take pity and leave them alone? The beast could easily outrun, outleap, and outclimb them; that much was clear. Nor did they stand a chance in a fight, for the wolf was protected by its rough, impenetrable fur and armed with fangs and claws, while she and the children were sheathed in soft human flesh, with only their weak fists and a dog-eared hardcover book of poetry as weapons. The verse was exceedingly melancholy, to be sure, and certain passages never failed to reduce Penelope to a state of misty-eyed reverie, but even the saddest German poems (in translation) were unlikely to be a match for a wolf.

Penelope’s mind whirled in desperation. What would Agatha Swanburne do? What would Edith-Anne Pevington do? What would Simon do? What would sweet, brave Rainbow do? At least Rainbow had hooves to kick with, but Rainbow would always rather make friends than fight.

There was no time to think. “Nice wolfy,” she cooed. “Nice, pretty, wolfy-wolfy-woo. What a fine, furry coat you have.” Then, just to be clear about her intentions, she extended her two hands, palms up, and added, “We come in peace.”

“Grrrrrrrr.”

The answering growl was like a deep rumble of thunder, or the roar of a steam engine approaching the station, or the sound of a snowy avalanche on some distant alpine peak. However you might choose to describe it, it was not a friendly sound.

“Alexander. Beowulf. Cassiopeia. Stay behind me, please,” Penelope whispered hoarsely. “Move slowly. Be. Very. Quiet.”

The three Incorrigibles had other ideas, though. They had already put down their mugs of tea and half-eaten sandwiches. Now they sank down onto their haunches. One by one, each child yowled a greeting.

“Ahwoooooooo!”

“Ahwoooooooo!”

“Ahwoooooooo!”

The wolf pulled its black-rimmed lips back into a horrid grin that bared every one of its wet, razor-sharp teeth. Then it pounced.

In a useless, frantic gesture, Penelope threw her arms wide to protect the children.

“Stay back, wild creature!” she called. “Stay back, I say! For these children are my pupils, and you shall not harm them—oof!”

The bounding wolf flew past her and knocked her flat on her back, with a whoosh of hot wolf breath and dank fur smell. Scrambling to

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