our coats,” Isabelle said. “It’s chilly out here. Oh—and we’d better ask permission.”
“Um , I don’t think Miss Helena and Guardian Stone want to be interrupted right now, if you know what I mean,” Dani said, and started giggling again. “I’m not sure if they were kissing, but…”
Jake feigned gagging at this information , and Isabelle blushed a bit, but they all agreed to leave the pair alone.
As Isabelle had pointed out, it wasn’t that late yet. It was merely the time of year that made it so dark out.
T he older two ran to get their coats, but Dani stayed behind for a moment to pat Teddy on the head. “Good job, boy. You did great!”
“ Arf!” Teddy answered, tail wagging.
She grinned and tossed him a wee biscuit, then ran to get her coat.
A few minutes later, t he rapid clomping of footsteps filled the old medieval hallway once again as Jake and the others stampeded toward the door.
Jake was especially thrilled that Isabelle was letting him and Archie come along. For boys, it was a very rare treat. Unicorns didn’t generally like male humans. At all.
As they crowded around the door, Jake grasped the handle to lead the way, as usual, but when he tried to push it open, it was stuck. “What the…?”
“What’s wrong?” Archie asked.
“The door’s jammed. It’s like something’s blocking it from the outside.”
“But we were just out there.”
“Oh, that would be the climbing roses, children!” Snowdrop suddenly reappeared, wiping her hairy little hands on her apron as she hurried over to help them.
“The roses?” Dani echoed as the kids stepped aside to let her go to the door.
“ The rose vines round the house. Enchanted flowers,” she explained. “Every night at precisely eight o’clock, they wrap around the cottage to keep us snug and safe, thorns at the ready, so no intruder can possibly get in.”
“ Can we get out?” Jake asked.
“There’s a password, but you mustn’ t share it with outsiders.” When they agreed to keep it a secret, Snowdrop revealed it. “All you have to do is say, ‘Roses, retreat!’ Then they’ll pull back. You have thirty seconds to get through the door before they close again. Be careful of the thorns.”
“ Mrs. Fingle,” Isabelle spoke up, “if Miss Helena asks where we are, would you please tell her we went out for a walk?”
“I hope she won’t mind?” Snowdrop asked with a frown.
“We won’t leave the property. We’ll be back within the hour.”
“ Besides, we are on holiday,” Jake pointed out.
“Very well.” Snowdrop knocked twice on the front door to alert the enchanted flowers that someone wanted out. “Roses, retreat!”
As soon as she spoke the password , they heard a rustling sound outside and a bit of scraping as the retreating thorns scratched across the door.
“Look!” Dani pointed a t the window.
The thick , tangled vines with gnarled, woody branches were slithering back away from the doors and windows.
“Th irty seconds, don’t dally!” Snowdrop called after them as they raced through the doorway. “Just say it again when you need to come back in!”
“Thank you!”
“Oh, and will you children want a bedtime snack when you return?” Snowdrop asked hopefully as the flowers started sliding back into place. “Something sweet, perhaps?”
“ Mrs. Fingle,” Jake declared, “I like the way you think. Yes, please!”
Then the door slammed shut in her smiling face.
“ She’s really going to spoil us,” Archie remarked when they had all made it safely outside.
“Everyone should have a house brownie,” Isabelle agreed.
“Look at that.” Jake nodded at the cottage as the enchanted rose vines rustled and scraped and creaked back into position, like fragrant, flowery chains spiked with giant thorns.
The four glanced at each other in amazement, but could only shake their heads over this latest wonder.
Then they set off through the moonlit garden on their night’s adventure
“Um , I don’t think Miss Helena and Guardian Stone want to be interrupted right now, if you know what I mean,” Dani said, and started giggling again. “I’m not sure if they were kissing, but…”
Jake feigned gagging at this information , and Isabelle blushed a bit, but they all agreed to leave the pair alone.
As Isabelle had pointed out, it wasn’t that late yet. It was merely the time of year that made it so dark out.
T he older two ran to get their coats, but Dani stayed behind for a moment to pat Teddy on the head. “Good job, boy. You did great!”
“ Arf!” Teddy answered, tail wagging.
She grinned and tossed him a wee biscuit, then ran to get her coat.
A few minutes later, t he rapid clomping of footsteps filled the old medieval hallway once again as Jake and the others stampeded toward the door.
Jake was especially thrilled that Isabelle was letting him and Archie come along. For boys, it was a very rare treat. Unicorns didn’t generally like male humans. At all.
As they crowded around the door, Jake grasped the handle to lead the way, as usual, but when he tried to push it open, it was stuck. “What the…?”
“What’s wrong?” Archie asked.
“The door’s jammed. It’s like something’s blocking it from the outside.”
“But we were just out there.”
“Oh, that would be the climbing roses, children!” Snowdrop suddenly reappeared, wiping her hairy little hands on her apron as she hurried over to help them.
“The roses?” Dani echoed as the kids stepped aside to let her go to the door.
“ The rose vines round the house. Enchanted flowers,” she explained. “Every night at precisely eight o’clock, they wrap around the cottage to keep us snug and safe, thorns at the ready, so no intruder can possibly get in.”
“ Can we get out?” Jake asked.
“There’s a password, but you mustn’ t share it with outsiders.” When they agreed to keep it a secret, Snowdrop revealed it. “All you have to do is say, ‘Roses, retreat!’ Then they’ll pull back. You have thirty seconds to get through the door before they close again. Be careful of the thorns.”
“ Mrs. Fingle,” Isabelle spoke up, “if Miss Helena asks where we are, would you please tell her we went out for a walk?”
“I hope she won’t mind?” Snowdrop asked with a frown.
“We won’t leave the property. We’ll be back within the hour.”
“ Besides, we are on holiday,” Jake pointed out.
“Very well.” Snowdrop knocked twice on the front door to alert the enchanted flowers that someone wanted out. “Roses, retreat!”
As soon as she spoke the password , they heard a rustling sound outside and a bit of scraping as the retreating thorns scratched across the door.
“Look!” Dani pointed a t the window.
The thick , tangled vines with gnarled, woody branches were slithering back away from the doors and windows.
“Th irty seconds, don’t dally!” Snowdrop called after them as they raced through the doorway. “Just say it again when you need to come back in!”
“Thank you!”
“Oh, and will you children want a bedtime snack when you return?” Snowdrop asked hopefully as the flowers started sliding back into place. “Something sweet, perhaps?”
“ Mrs. Fingle,” Jake declared, “I like the way you think. Yes, please!”
Then the door slammed shut in her smiling face.
“ She’s really going to spoil us,” Archie remarked when they had all made it safely outside.
“Everyone should have a house brownie,” Isabelle agreed.
“Look at that.” Jake nodded at the cottage as the enchanted rose vines rustled and scraped and creaked back into position, like fragrant, flowery chains spiked with giant thorns.
The four glanced at each other in amazement, but could only shake their heads over this latest wonder.
Then they set off through the moonlit garden on their night’s adventure
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