were throbbing, too, from hanging off the rope-swing.
As we got to the top of the hill, the light was changing. The sky on the horizon became an eerie yellow-green, and above us, thick navy-blue clouds like monstrous cauliflowers rolled and gathered. A chilly breeze came whipping up from the marshes.
We heard the first rumble of distant thunder. I noticed Mimi shiver as I held her hand.
“Where’s Mum?” she said.
It was the first time Mimi had said anything at all about her.
“I don’t know. Nobody’s told me nothing.”
Even though Mimi’s small fingers were locked in mine, I felt so alone, gazing down from the top of the hill over the flat wasteland to the faraway river. It was like standing on the edge of the world.
Suddenly my heart jumped. Something — somebody — was moving up the hill towards us.
Whoever it was, they were between us and Guerdon Hall. We wouldn’t be able to get there without passing them. If we turned and ran, I didn’t know if we could get back to the main road before they caught up with us. Mimi was so tired, I was so sore — how fast could we run?
“Mimi, we’ve got to get back to Roger’s, fast!” I whispered.
“Why, Cora? Look, it’s Auntie Ida down there,” she said, pulling away from my hand and beginning to run down the hill. “Auntie Ida’s coming.”
“Mimi, no —” I began, then stopped.
I must have gone mad for a moment.
It was Auntie Ida. It
was
.
What was the matter with me? What was happening to me in this place?
I shouldn’t have left it so late before going to meet them, but when the darkness came, it came suddenly. The storm is quite far away still, but with every roll of thunder, it gets closer.
They looked so pathetic, the two of them up there on the hilltop.
Probably a waste of time writing to Harry. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t even reply, let alone turn up.
I can’t believe Cora took Mimi down to the church and then left her on her own. I can’t bear to think about it.
But it’s been so long now . . . and with the flood . . . I thought the water would have finished him off. I thought so, or maybe just hoped so, until Mimi mentioned the man in the graveyard. Would she make it up, a little girl like that? Maybe it was Reg Hibbert she saw. I just assumed . . . The old fear . . . it will never go away.
I should have taken Old Peter down when Cora first asked. I don’t know what is the right thing to do anymore.
He’s out of the way now. I’ve forbidden them to go exploring upstairs. I don’t want them snooping around up there. Cora had better not disobey me again.
Harry’s just going to have to sort out something else. I can’t cope with this. They must go home.
That was a huge flash of lightning. The thunder’s right behind. The storm must be overhead. I’d better go and fetch the pails. I can’t keep this old house going. It’s all too much for me.
I’ve been trying to keep myself awake for ages now. I’m waiting until Auntie Ida goes to bed. A while ago, I heard her come up and clatter around, unlocking doors, going into different rooms, clanging buckets down on the hard floors.
I haven’t heard her since. The storm is blowing stronger, the wind whistling so hard it’s rattling the window frames, and the rain beats in furious waves on the old glass.
I might have dozed off and missed Auntie’s footsteps. I haven’t noticed her candlelight under the door, either. She must have gone to bed by now.
The wind sounds like people crying.
Water is dripping onto the floor somewhere near the cupboard, like the tick of a clock. It’s annoying because sometimes it comes when I’m expecting it and at other times it waits on purpose to irritate me.
I’m surprised Mimi’s asleep at all, especially when the room flashes bright with lightning and the thunderclaps crash like the whole world is splitting apart. Mum used to make us sit under the kitchen table when there was a storm. I wonder if she can hear this
As we got to the top of the hill, the light was changing. The sky on the horizon became an eerie yellow-green, and above us, thick navy-blue clouds like monstrous cauliflowers rolled and gathered. A chilly breeze came whipping up from the marshes.
We heard the first rumble of distant thunder. I noticed Mimi shiver as I held her hand.
“Where’s Mum?” she said.
It was the first time Mimi had said anything at all about her.
“I don’t know. Nobody’s told me nothing.”
Even though Mimi’s small fingers were locked in mine, I felt so alone, gazing down from the top of the hill over the flat wasteland to the faraway river. It was like standing on the edge of the world.
Suddenly my heart jumped. Something — somebody — was moving up the hill towards us.
Whoever it was, they were between us and Guerdon Hall. We wouldn’t be able to get there without passing them. If we turned and ran, I didn’t know if we could get back to the main road before they caught up with us. Mimi was so tired, I was so sore — how fast could we run?
“Mimi, we’ve got to get back to Roger’s, fast!” I whispered.
“Why, Cora? Look, it’s Auntie Ida down there,” she said, pulling away from my hand and beginning to run down the hill. “Auntie Ida’s coming.”
“Mimi, no —” I began, then stopped.
I must have gone mad for a moment.
It was Auntie Ida. It
was
.
What was the matter with me? What was happening to me in this place?
I shouldn’t have left it so late before going to meet them, but when the darkness came, it came suddenly. The storm is quite far away still, but with every roll of thunder, it gets closer.
They looked so pathetic, the two of them up there on the hilltop.
Probably a waste of time writing to Harry. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t even reply, let alone turn up.
I can’t believe Cora took Mimi down to the church and then left her on her own. I can’t bear to think about it.
But it’s been so long now . . . and with the flood . . . I thought the water would have finished him off. I thought so, or maybe just hoped so, until Mimi mentioned the man in the graveyard. Would she make it up, a little girl like that? Maybe it was Reg Hibbert she saw. I just assumed . . . The old fear . . . it will never go away.
I should have taken Old Peter down when Cora first asked. I don’t know what is the right thing to do anymore.
He’s out of the way now. I’ve forbidden them to go exploring upstairs. I don’t want them snooping around up there. Cora had better not disobey me again.
Harry’s just going to have to sort out something else. I can’t cope with this. They must go home.
That was a huge flash of lightning. The thunder’s right behind. The storm must be overhead. I’d better go and fetch the pails. I can’t keep this old house going. It’s all too much for me.
I’ve been trying to keep myself awake for ages now. I’m waiting until Auntie Ida goes to bed. A while ago, I heard her come up and clatter around, unlocking doors, going into different rooms, clanging buckets down on the hard floors.
I haven’t heard her since. The storm is blowing stronger, the wind whistling so hard it’s rattling the window frames, and the rain beats in furious waves on the old glass.
I might have dozed off and missed Auntie’s footsteps. I haven’t noticed her candlelight under the door, either. She must have gone to bed by now.
The wind sounds like people crying.
Water is dripping onto the floor somewhere near the cupboard, like the tick of a clock. It’s annoying because sometimes it comes when I’m expecting it and at other times it waits on purpose to irritate me.
I’m surprised Mimi’s asleep at all, especially when the room flashes bright with lightning and the thunderclaps crash like the whole world is splitting apart. Mum used to make us sit under the kitchen table when there was a storm. I wonder if she can hear this
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