said, confirming my fears. ‘Shall we start with the barn nearest the gate?’
There was no more ‘Jed’: it was surnames only. Da must’ve noticed it too. He stayed close to me and Peg.
‘No one is to search my barns,’ he said. ‘My daughter has done nothing wrong. You’re mistaken in coming here.’
Mr Henderson huffed irritably. ‘Very well. I can’t force a search today. But if necessary, we will return with a warrant.’
The men left soon after that. Then Da did too, heading off to work on the commission for Eden Court, which he’d talked his way into keeping, despite us. Poor Peg was still upset. Dragging me to the nearest chair, and though she was too big to do so, she climbed onto my lap and burst into a fresh bout of tears.
‘I didn’t do it,’ she sobbed. ‘I didn’t take no poultry. Everybody blames me and it isn’t fair!’
‘Hush, I know you didn’t.’
‘The whole village must hate me. But I’m not lying, Lizzie, honest I’m not.’
‘I know, I know,’ I murmured into her hair.
By the time she’d grown calmer, I felt the opposite. My brain was all awhirl. A large animal had escaped from Eden Court and was attacking poultry, of thatI was pretty certain. I needed not to be scared and to tell someone what I knew. Trouble was, I’d no idea who.
Not Da, who’d made it clear what he thought of loose talk concerning Mr Walton. And though Mercy might listen, she’d never hold her tongue. Times like these, I missed Mam so much it hurt. She’d listen. She’d believe me. She’d also know just what to do, and be bold enough to do it.
All the crying had left Peg exhausted. Through the fabric of her shift, her skin felt hot and humid. I hoped it wasn’t a fever coming on.
‘Go back to bed and cuddle up with Spider,’ I said to her, easing her off my lap. ‘I’ll wake you in a while.’
I listened to her heavy footsteps climb the stairs. Then to the creak of floorboards, the shuffling covers, her murmuring voice as she spoke to her kitten. When a hush finally settled, I got to my feet. There was laundry to wash, floors to sweep, the stove to tend. But I couldn’t settle to any of it. Instead, I went outside.
Head bent against the rain, I walked towards our hedge. Just to check. Just to be doubly certain last night wasn’t a bad dream.
Sure enough, on the ground nearby were leaves andbroken twigs that fidgeted beneath my feet. By the gate was a hole. It was way bigger than any badger would make. Against my fingers, I felt the rough ends of newly snapped hawthorn where whatever it was had smashed its way out into the lane. That strange damp smell lingered too.
What had been here last night was definitely not my sister. Nor was it even a person. It was, I recalled with a shudder, something that ate goose innards raw, which Mr Walton wanted kept secret from the world.
*
Mid morning, I took Peg up a cup of tea. Much of it sloshed down the front of my frock as I bumped my way upstairs, but I dearly hoped she’d drink what was left. The last thing we needed was for her to be ill.
Outside, the rain had turned to sleet. I found our bedroom window easy enough – icy raindrops beat against it like grit. Putting Peg’s tea on the sill, I sidestepped to the bed.
‘Wakey-wakey, Peg,’ I said.
She didn’t reply.
‘I’ve brought you some tea, sleepy,’ I said.
She still didn’t speak. Nor did she move, or groan, orsnore. I felt my way up the bed. First her side, nearest the window. Then mine. Spider was there, all curled up in a ball. But no Peg. The covers were cold to the touch.
My stomach twisted uncomfortably. Perhaps she’d fallen out of bed. Perhaps she lay fainted on the floor. Dropping to my knees, I reached under the bed, finding only handfuls of dust. I checked the rest of the floor, behind the door, the chair.
Nothing.
‘Don’t hide from me,’ I said. ‘’Cause it isn’t funny.’
I started to feel very uneasy. It wasn’t like Peg to take herself
There was no more ‘Jed’: it was surnames only. Da must’ve noticed it too. He stayed close to me and Peg.
‘No one is to search my barns,’ he said. ‘My daughter has done nothing wrong. You’re mistaken in coming here.’
Mr Henderson huffed irritably. ‘Very well. I can’t force a search today. But if necessary, we will return with a warrant.’
The men left soon after that. Then Da did too, heading off to work on the commission for Eden Court, which he’d talked his way into keeping, despite us. Poor Peg was still upset. Dragging me to the nearest chair, and though she was too big to do so, she climbed onto my lap and burst into a fresh bout of tears.
‘I didn’t do it,’ she sobbed. ‘I didn’t take no poultry. Everybody blames me and it isn’t fair!’
‘Hush, I know you didn’t.’
‘The whole village must hate me. But I’m not lying, Lizzie, honest I’m not.’
‘I know, I know,’ I murmured into her hair.
By the time she’d grown calmer, I felt the opposite. My brain was all awhirl. A large animal had escaped from Eden Court and was attacking poultry, of thatI was pretty certain. I needed not to be scared and to tell someone what I knew. Trouble was, I’d no idea who.
Not Da, who’d made it clear what he thought of loose talk concerning Mr Walton. And though Mercy might listen, she’d never hold her tongue. Times like these, I missed Mam so much it hurt. She’d listen. She’d believe me. She’d also know just what to do, and be bold enough to do it.
All the crying had left Peg exhausted. Through the fabric of her shift, her skin felt hot and humid. I hoped it wasn’t a fever coming on.
‘Go back to bed and cuddle up with Spider,’ I said to her, easing her off my lap. ‘I’ll wake you in a while.’
I listened to her heavy footsteps climb the stairs. Then to the creak of floorboards, the shuffling covers, her murmuring voice as she spoke to her kitten. When a hush finally settled, I got to my feet. There was laundry to wash, floors to sweep, the stove to tend. But I couldn’t settle to any of it. Instead, I went outside.
Head bent against the rain, I walked towards our hedge. Just to check. Just to be doubly certain last night wasn’t a bad dream.
Sure enough, on the ground nearby were leaves andbroken twigs that fidgeted beneath my feet. By the gate was a hole. It was way bigger than any badger would make. Against my fingers, I felt the rough ends of newly snapped hawthorn where whatever it was had smashed its way out into the lane. That strange damp smell lingered too.
What had been here last night was definitely not my sister. Nor was it even a person. It was, I recalled with a shudder, something that ate goose innards raw, which Mr Walton wanted kept secret from the world.
*
Mid morning, I took Peg up a cup of tea. Much of it sloshed down the front of my frock as I bumped my way upstairs, but I dearly hoped she’d drink what was left. The last thing we needed was for her to be ill.
Outside, the rain had turned to sleet. I found our bedroom window easy enough – icy raindrops beat against it like grit. Putting Peg’s tea on the sill, I sidestepped to the bed.
‘Wakey-wakey, Peg,’ I said.
She didn’t reply.
‘I’ve brought you some tea, sleepy,’ I said.
She still didn’t speak. Nor did she move, or groan, orsnore. I felt my way up the bed. First her side, nearest the window. Then mine. Spider was there, all curled up in a ball. But no Peg. The covers were cold to the touch.
My stomach twisted uncomfortably. Perhaps she’d fallen out of bed. Perhaps she lay fainted on the floor. Dropping to my knees, I reached under the bed, finding only handfuls of dust. I checked the rest of the floor, behind the door, the chair.
Nothing.
‘Don’t hide from me,’ I said. ‘’Cause it isn’t funny.’
I started to feel very uneasy. It wasn’t like Peg to take herself
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