Read Online A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michelle Cooper
Ads: Link
otherwise – you know how stubborn they both are.’
I could see my pathetic attempt at scheming amused him. Still, if he was half as ambitious as Veronica claimed, he’d want to get on Aunt Charlotte’s good side. And regardless of everything else, at least he was looking at me, for once.
‘Very well,’ he said, leaning on his axe. ‘I’ll give you some reasons why Her Highness might want to leave Montmaray for England. And in return, you’ll convince her that Montmaray needs to take part in those nonintervention talks regarding Spain.’
‘But, but,’ I spluttered, ‘I don’t know anything about ... and anyway, she doesn’t–’
‘I’m aware she doesn’t trust me,’ he said evenly. ‘But she ought to. I care about the same things she does. We all want the best for Montmaray.’
Had he been eavesdropping on Veronica and me in the library the day before? I was instantly ashamed of myself for having such an awful, suspicious thought. Meanwhile, Simon kept talking – about how Montmaray needed to regain its rightful place in Europe, about politics and diplomacy and the important role Montmaray played all those centuries ago during the War of Spanish Succession, and then later, when Napoleon invaded the Peninsula...
Well, to be honest, I can’t remember his exact words, even though I was listening very hard to his voice (so deep and rich – a bit like treacle, if treacle were a sound) and watching his eyes lighten and darken, and his brows raise and narrow, and his hands wave around in elegant patterns.
‘...a united front with Toby, don’t you agree?’
I blinked. What was I supposed to be agreeing to? ‘Yes?’ I ventured.
He sighed and I felt ashamed all over again.
‘So you’ll talk to her,’ he said with studied patience. ‘About the need for Montmaray to take part in these talks in London? She’ll listen to you.’
‘I ... all right,’ I said.
‘Excellent,’ he said. ‘Now, as for your problem. What might appeal to Her Highness? The British Museum. Westminster Abbey. Debate in the Houses of Parliament. Exhibitions at the Royal Academy. The Tower of London. St Paul’s Cathedral. Libraries. Bookshops. Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. Dozens of daily newspapers. Radios that actually work and regular news broadcasts, in English. Oxford University. Cornwall and the ruins of Bartholomew’s castle. Stonehenge. Hadrian’s Wall. Mind you, if she’s determined to stay here, then let her. It shouldn’t stop you from going wherever you please.’
‘She’s not stopping me! I just ... We do everything together and–’
‘You pay far too much attention to her opinions and not enough to your own,’ he said, taking up the axe again.
I gaped at him. ‘Well!’ I said, because he was so wrong, I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Of course I pay attention to Veronica’s opinions! That doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions of my own, just that hers are interesting and well-thought-out and...
Anyway, why shouldn’t she be the most important person in my life? I don’t have a mother or a sister (I can’t really count Henry) or neighbours my own age or school friends. Thank Heavens I do have Veronica. I can’t picture my life without her – truly, I can’t, because every significant memory of my life features her. I remember her hitting Toby after he threw the croquet mallet at me. I remember her sneaking into the Blue Room to read to me from The Magic Fishbone when I was quarantined with measles and going mad from itching and boredom. I remember curling up in her bed each night for weeks on end after Mother and Father were killed – it was the only way I could get to sleep. She’s part of all the big memories – and all the little ones, too. She was the one who taught me how to tie my bootlaces, how to extract bee stings, how to light Vulcan without setting my eyebrows on fire. But how could I explain all this to Simon? And anyway, he’d already turned his attention
I could see my pathetic attempt at scheming amused him. Still, if he was half as ambitious as Veronica claimed, he’d want to get on Aunt Charlotte’s good side. And regardless of everything else, at least he was looking at me, for once.
‘Very well,’ he said, leaning on his axe. ‘I’ll give you some reasons why Her Highness might want to leave Montmaray for England. And in return, you’ll convince her that Montmaray needs to take part in those nonintervention talks regarding Spain.’
‘But, but,’ I spluttered, ‘I don’t know anything about ... and anyway, she doesn’t–’
‘I’m aware she doesn’t trust me,’ he said evenly. ‘But she ought to. I care about the same things she does. We all want the best for Montmaray.’
Had he been eavesdropping on Veronica and me in the library the day before? I was instantly ashamed of myself for having such an awful, suspicious thought. Meanwhile, Simon kept talking – about how Montmaray needed to regain its rightful place in Europe, about politics and diplomacy and the important role Montmaray played all those centuries ago during the War of Spanish Succession, and then later, when Napoleon invaded the Peninsula...
Well, to be honest, I can’t remember his exact words, even though I was listening very hard to his voice (so deep and rich – a bit like treacle, if treacle were a sound) and watching his eyes lighten and darken, and his brows raise and narrow, and his hands wave around in elegant patterns.
‘...a united front with Toby, don’t you agree?’
I blinked. What was I supposed to be agreeing to? ‘Yes?’ I ventured.
He sighed and I felt ashamed all over again.
‘So you’ll talk to her,’ he said with studied patience. ‘About the need for Montmaray to take part in these talks in London? She’ll listen to you.’
‘I ... all right,’ I said.
‘Excellent,’ he said. ‘Now, as for your problem. What might appeal to Her Highness? The British Museum. Westminster Abbey. Debate in the Houses of Parliament. Exhibitions at the Royal Academy. The Tower of London. St Paul’s Cathedral. Libraries. Bookshops. Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. Dozens of daily newspapers. Radios that actually work and regular news broadcasts, in English. Oxford University. Cornwall and the ruins of Bartholomew’s castle. Stonehenge. Hadrian’s Wall. Mind you, if she’s determined to stay here, then let her. It shouldn’t stop you from going wherever you please.’
‘She’s not stopping me! I just ... We do everything together and–’
‘You pay far too much attention to her opinions and not enough to your own,’ he said, taking up the axe again.
I gaped at him. ‘Well!’ I said, because he was so wrong, I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Of course I pay attention to Veronica’s opinions! That doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions of my own, just that hers are interesting and well-thought-out and...
Anyway, why shouldn’t she be the most important person in my life? I don’t have a mother or a sister (I can’t really count Henry) or neighbours my own age or school friends. Thank Heavens I do have Veronica. I can’t picture my life without her – truly, I can’t, because every significant memory of my life features her. I remember her hitting Toby after he threw the croquet mallet at me. I remember her sneaking into the Blue Room to read to me from The Magic Fishbone when I was quarantined with measles and going mad from itching and boredom. I remember curling up in her bed each night for weeks on end after Mother and Father were killed – it was the only way I could get to sleep. She’s part of all the big memories – and all the little ones, too. She was the one who taught me how to tie my bootlaces, how to extract bee stings, how to light Vulcan without setting my eyebrows on fire. But how could I explain all this to Simon? And anyway, he’d already turned his attention
Similar Books
