Read Online A Partridge in a Pear Tree by AMANDA MCCABE - Free Book Online
Authors: AMANDA MCCABE
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little.”
“ Maybe we'll find a whole family asleep in there,” said Kitty.
“ Don't be silly, girls,” Allison murmured, nudging a chunk of fallen brick with the toe of her half boot. “It's just a house.”
But it was rather nice, quiet and echoing and sweet in the cold morning light. Almost like it really was out of a fairy story, she thought as she looked up at the gray stone portico.
Then she saw it. Above the double front doors was a stone frieze, depicting six beautifully carved swans and one tiny cygnet, trailing after them. All shining white marble.
“Oh!” she breathed, in awe at the lifelike beauty of them. “Oh,” she said louder, recognizing the perfect significance of them. Right when they most needed it.
She tugged at William's sleeve. “Look,” she said, pointing her gloved finger at the frieze. “Swans a-swimming.”
The twins and Gertrude, who had wandered off to peek in some of the windows, came running back to join them in staring up at the swans.
“ Perfect,” William said with a smile.
“ They are beautiful,” said Jane.
“ Our seven swans!” Kitty cried happily. “They are just right.”
“ Unless you think we should find some real birds, like Sir Reginald seems to have a penchant for doing,” William teased.
“ Ugh!” Gertrude wrinkled her pretty nose.
Allison climbed the front steps to get a closer look at the carving. “I think it's just what we need. The only problem will be getting it down from there. It seems quite solidly attached to the wall. Perhaps we could do a rubbing of some sort, like people do on medieval monuments...”
The rest of her words were drowned out by the explosion of a shotgun blast echoing across the overgrown courtyard.
The twins and Gertrude shrieked, and ducked behind a tangled hedge. William dove across the front steps and caught Allison around the waist, pulling her down onto the cold marble and throwing himself over her.
Ordinarily, Allison would scarcely have complained. His hands were warm through the layers of his gloves and her pelisse, and he smelled utterly delicious. But the steps were quite cold indeed, and some sharp edge was jabbing her in the back.
It also somewhat lessened the romance of the moment that they had just been shot at.
“Are we under attack?” she said, her voice muffled against his wool greatcoat.
“ Ye're trespassin',” a stentorian voice rang out, along with the ominous click of a gun being reloaded. “I hates trespassers.”
Allison peeked past William's shoulder to see a large, burly man in sturdy country tweeds and tall boots. His small blue eyes and cold-reddened nose were almost hidden behind bushy white brows and a wild beard.
Did the Sleeping Beauty's castle have a guardian troll in it? Allison couldn't remember that part of the story.
“ Stay behind me,” William whispered. He rose to his feet, pulling Allison up with him. “Forgive us, sir, but we never meant to trespass. Are you perchance the owner of this house?”
The man lowered his gun a fraction. “Nay, I be the caretaker. John Harper.”
“Well, Mr. Harper, we only wished to ask permission of the owner to skate on the pond. We were struck by the beauty of the carving over the door, and came to examine it closer.”
John's brows softened a bit. “Oh, aye. It's a pretty piece, that. But you can't ask the owner nothing.”
“Is he away?” Allison asked carefully, standing on her tiptoes to peek past William's shoulder.
“ Has been these last two years. He lost all his money, y'see, and went off to India. I looks after it until a new owner can be found to buy the place.”
“ You mean no one has yet purchased such a lovely house?” Allison was incredulous. Why, if she had a chance for such a home...
John Harper relented completely then, and lowered the gun to the ground. “It's a right pretty place, miss. But some folks thinks it's too far from London.”
The girls had cautiously ventured out from behind the
“ Maybe we'll find a whole family asleep in there,” said Kitty.
“ Don't be silly, girls,” Allison murmured, nudging a chunk of fallen brick with the toe of her half boot. “It's just a house.”
But it was rather nice, quiet and echoing and sweet in the cold morning light. Almost like it really was out of a fairy story, she thought as she looked up at the gray stone portico.
Then she saw it. Above the double front doors was a stone frieze, depicting six beautifully carved swans and one tiny cygnet, trailing after them. All shining white marble.
“Oh!” she breathed, in awe at the lifelike beauty of them. “Oh,” she said louder, recognizing the perfect significance of them. Right when they most needed it.
She tugged at William's sleeve. “Look,” she said, pointing her gloved finger at the frieze. “Swans a-swimming.”
The twins and Gertrude, who had wandered off to peek in some of the windows, came running back to join them in staring up at the swans.
“ Perfect,” William said with a smile.
“ They are beautiful,” said Jane.
“ Our seven swans!” Kitty cried happily. “They are just right.”
“ Unless you think we should find some real birds, like Sir Reginald seems to have a penchant for doing,” William teased.
“ Ugh!” Gertrude wrinkled her pretty nose.
Allison climbed the front steps to get a closer look at the carving. “I think it's just what we need. The only problem will be getting it down from there. It seems quite solidly attached to the wall. Perhaps we could do a rubbing of some sort, like people do on medieval monuments...”
The rest of her words were drowned out by the explosion of a shotgun blast echoing across the overgrown courtyard.
The twins and Gertrude shrieked, and ducked behind a tangled hedge. William dove across the front steps and caught Allison around the waist, pulling her down onto the cold marble and throwing himself over her.
Ordinarily, Allison would scarcely have complained. His hands were warm through the layers of his gloves and her pelisse, and he smelled utterly delicious. But the steps were quite cold indeed, and some sharp edge was jabbing her in the back.
It also somewhat lessened the romance of the moment that they had just been shot at.
“Are we under attack?” she said, her voice muffled against his wool greatcoat.
“ Ye're trespassin',” a stentorian voice rang out, along with the ominous click of a gun being reloaded. “I hates trespassers.”
Allison peeked past William's shoulder to see a large, burly man in sturdy country tweeds and tall boots. His small blue eyes and cold-reddened nose were almost hidden behind bushy white brows and a wild beard.
Did the Sleeping Beauty's castle have a guardian troll in it? Allison couldn't remember that part of the story.
“ Stay behind me,” William whispered. He rose to his feet, pulling Allison up with him. “Forgive us, sir, but we never meant to trespass. Are you perchance the owner of this house?”
The man lowered his gun a fraction. “Nay, I be the caretaker. John Harper.”
“Well, Mr. Harper, we only wished to ask permission of the owner to skate on the pond. We were struck by the beauty of the carving over the door, and came to examine it closer.”
John's brows softened a bit. “Oh, aye. It's a pretty piece, that. But you can't ask the owner nothing.”
“Is he away?” Allison asked carefully, standing on her tiptoes to peek past William's shoulder.
“ Has been these last two years. He lost all his money, y'see, and went off to India. I looks after it until a new owner can be found to buy the place.”
“ You mean no one has yet purchased such a lovely house?” Allison was incredulous. Why, if she had a chance for such a home...
John Harper relented completely then, and lowered the gun to the ground. “It's a right pretty place, miss. But some folks thinks it's too far from London.”
The girls had cautiously ventured out from behind the
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