to the village she glanced up. A night hawk was in a sycamore tree, preening itself after a kill. With a flick of its tail it headed towards the hunting ground. Janey turned to follow it, her eyes coming to rest on the slope and the trees. Their leafy tops swayed in a mild breeze, brightened by moon-gleam and stars.
Only Elliott left now, she thought. One more child to fish out.
Eve didn’t need her help any more. The little girl was determined to do it all herself. She had already instructed Ben on what to do tomorrow. He’d remember his part in the morning. Eve was the fisherman now, Ben her shiny lure. Janey wondered what plan the two of them would hatch. It wouldn’t be straightforward getting Elliott back inside the East Wing. But then again, if Cullayn had taught the imaginative Eve one thing, it was how to turn everything into a game.
THE DOLL’S HOUSE
Elliott couldn’t remember falling asleep, and woke next morning from a night of troubled dreams. By contrast, Ben seemed refreshed. Up bright and early to the bathroom he was, washing his face and brushing his teeth until they gleamed. His tiredness was gone. Even his bruise looked less angry.
‘I’m starving,’ he announced at breakfast, tucking in.
While he ate he chatted perkily about Eve the ghost. He didn’t seem to mind sharing a house with her after all. Elliott and Dad had little appetite, but Ben savoured his food. He looked so genuinely unconcerned to be in the house that Dad nearly revised his decision to leave today. Had his judgment been overhasty? No, he decided. We’re leaving anyway. He reminded them of the departure time: twelve noon. By then he’d have the razor-wire back over the main gates and the external alarms set. Heading off into the grounds, he left clear instructions with Elliott to remain with Ben at all times and to stay away from the East Wing.
No need to tell Elliott that, of course. He had zero plans to go anywhere near it.
‘You’ve changed your tune,’ he said, when he and Ben were back in his bedroom.
Ben was whistling as he put his toothbrush and a couple of shirts into a carry-all. He took his time folding his pyjamas. ‘It’s OK. We’re going. I get it,’ he said. ‘I’m not happy – I think it’s wrong to leave Eve here – but, well, there’s nothing I can do about it, is there, so …’ He shrugged.
‘What’s that?’ Elliott said. He’d seen something white poking from Ben’s pyjama top – a creased sheet of paper.
‘Dunno,’ Ben said. He removed the sheet, unfolded it. ‘Oh, wow!’ With open-mouthed excitement he handed it to Elliott.
The sketch showed a large doll’s house. The front of the house had been removed to show five partitioned floors with twelve rooms. Each room was filled with dolls. In front of the doll’s house stood Eve. She was holding out a hand in a hopeful way towards a boy standing to her left. The boy was Elliott. On the other side of her, already holding Eve’s hand in the sketch, was Ben. The three of them formed a little human daisy-chain. It was a happy-looking picture. A girl with her friends.
Elliott stared at the sketch. ‘Me and you and her,’ he whispered.
‘And a doll’s house,’ Ben added breathlessly. ‘Didn’t you say there was a doll’s house in the attic?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘But what?’ Ben cried. ‘That’s it! That’s what she’s telling us! She
does
want to play! I told you! Come on!’
Before Elliott could stop him, Ben was on his way out of the room.
‘Hey, where are you going?’ Elliott ran hard after him, but Ben had always been fast, and Elliott only caught up with him on the fifth floor.
The ladder to the attic was inexplicably lowered. Elliott wondered if Dad had been fetching stuff from inside. Ben was already clambering back down the steps, a huge box balanced in his arms.
‘See! This is what she wants!’ he said. ‘She must have come in during the night and put the sketch in my pocket to let me know.
Only Elliott left now, she thought. One more child to fish out.
Eve didn’t need her help any more. The little girl was determined to do it all herself. She had already instructed Ben on what to do tomorrow. He’d remember his part in the morning. Eve was the fisherman now, Ben her shiny lure. Janey wondered what plan the two of them would hatch. It wouldn’t be straightforward getting Elliott back inside the East Wing. But then again, if Cullayn had taught the imaginative Eve one thing, it was how to turn everything into a game.
THE DOLL’S HOUSE
Elliott couldn’t remember falling asleep, and woke next morning from a night of troubled dreams. By contrast, Ben seemed refreshed. Up bright and early to the bathroom he was, washing his face and brushing his teeth until they gleamed. His tiredness was gone. Even his bruise looked less angry.
‘I’m starving,’ he announced at breakfast, tucking in.
While he ate he chatted perkily about Eve the ghost. He didn’t seem to mind sharing a house with her after all. Elliott and Dad had little appetite, but Ben savoured his food. He looked so genuinely unconcerned to be in the house that Dad nearly revised his decision to leave today. Had his judgment been overhasty? No, he decided. We’re leaving anyway. He reminded them of the departure time: twelve noon. By then he’d have the razor-wire back over the main gates and the external alarms set. Heading off into the grounds, he left clear instructions with Elliott to remain with Ben at all times and to stay away from the East Wing.
No need to tell Elliott that, of course. He had zero plans to go anywhere near it.
‘You’ve changed your tune,’ he said, when he and Ben were back in his bedroom.
Ben was whistling as he put his toothbrush and a couple of shirts into a carry-all. He took his time folding his pyjamas. ‘It’s OK. We’re going. I get it,’ he said. ‘I’m not happy – I think it’s wrong to leave Eve here – but, well, there’s nothing I can do about it, is there, so …’ He shrugged.
‘What’s that?’ Elliott said. He’d seen something white poking from Ben’s pyjama top – a creased sheet of paper.
‘Dunno,’ Ben said. He removed the sheet, unfolded it. ‘Oh, wow!’ With open-mouthed excitement he handed it to Elliott.
The sketch showed a large doll’s house. The front of the house had been removed to show five partitioned floors with twelve rooms. Each room was filled with dolls. In front of the doll’s house stood Eve. She was holding out a hand in a hopeful way towards a boy standing to her left. The boy was Elliott. On the other side of her, already holding Eve’s hand in the sketch, was Ben. The three of them formed a little human daisy-chain. It was a happy-looking picture. A girl with her friends.
Elliott stared at the sketch. ‘Me and you and her,’ he whispered.
‘And a doll’s house,’ Ben added breathlessly. ‘Didn’t you say there was a doll’s house in the attic?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘But what?’ Ben cried. ‘That’s it! That’s what she’s telling us! She
does
want to play! I told you! Come on!’
Before Elliott could stop him, Ben was on his way out of the room.
‘Hey, where are you going?’ Elliott ran hard after him, but Ben had always been fast, and Elliott only caught up with him on the fifth floor.
The ladder to the attic was inexplicably lowered. Elliott wondered if Dad had been fetching stuff from inside. Ben was already clambering back down the steps, a huge box balanced in his arms.
‘See! This is what she wants!’ he said. ‘She must have come in during the night and put the sketch in my pocket to let me know.
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