Read Online A Partridge in a Pear Tree by AMANDA MCCABE - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: AMANDA MCCABE
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hedge, and now stood crowded close to Allison and William, peeking up at him with their large eyes.
“ What is this house called?” Gertrude asked.
“ Swan's Court,” John Harper answered. “In the summer there's swans what lives on the pond. But in the winter the villagers come to skate on it. So I suppose you could, too.”
“ Lovely!” the twins shouted, casting longing glances at the sparkling pond.
William stepped forward slowly to offer his hand for Mr. Harper to shake. “I wonder, good sir, if we might ask you another great favor...”
**
“ Allie! Allie, watch me!” Kitty darted out onto the ice, and executed a pretty spin.
“ Do be careful, Kitty,” Allison called, reaching down to tighten the fastenings of her skates, borrowed from the Swan's Court store room. “I don't want you to fall and break anything.”
“ Of course I won't,” Kitty scoffed. She slid away to join Jane and Gertrude, who were circling the edges of the pond.
Allison looked back across the field to the house. I looked like a fine jewel amid the greenery and the sparkling snow. She could just barely see where William and John Harper were standing on ladders to take a rubbing of the swan frieze.
Now that they were free of the threat of Mr. Harper's gun, she could think more clearly of the delicious sensations of having William's body pressed against hers.
It had truly been most interesting, she mused, watching as William shed his coat to work on the frieze. It made her shiver even now to remember it. Maybe, if they had not been under attack for trespassing, he might even have kissed her...
She wondered what that would have been like.
“ Allie!” Jane called. “Aren't you going to skate with us?”
Startled out of her daydreams, she glanced up to find that the girls had stopped quite close, and were watching her expectantly.
“Oh, yes. Of course,” she said. As she pushed out onto the ice and joined them in their circle of the pond, Kitty gave her a teasing smile.
“ You certainly had a dreamy look on your face, Allie,” she said.
“ She was probably wondering what it would be like to live here,” Jane said with a giggle. “With a certain person and a nursery full of pretty babies.”
“ Girls,” Allison said warningly, looking at Gertrude to see if she knew that the twins were teasing about her own brother. But Gertrude was studying Swan Court.
“ I wouldn't mind living here,” Gertrude said. “It would probably be lovely. Like a real home.”
“ Don't you like where you live, Gertie?” Kitty asked, doing another graceful little spin.
“ It's very big and empty,” Gertrude answered in a small, distant voice. “Not cozy and pretty like here.”
“ well, if it is cozy you want, you should come and see our cottage,” said Jane. “It's so cozy, there is scarcely room to walk.”
“ We're always tripping over the dogs and Mama's sewing,” added Kitty.
“ It sounds wonderful,” said Gertrude. “There is nothing at all to trip over at my house.”
“ Not like here, on the ice!” Kitty cried. “Come on, I'll race you all the to the end of the pond.”
The three girls dashed off amid a tangle of coats and laughter, flashing skates, but Allison lingered to wait for William, who was coming along the field with his skates in his hand.
As she watched him move closer, his golden hair tousled in the wind, his smile bright and warm, she thought about his sister's words. It made her heart ache to think of William and Gertrude living in a cold, empty house, a house that must echo with sad memories of their parents' deaths. At least in their cottage, as small as it was, there was always love and laughter.
Suddenly, her family's quiet life together didn't seem bad at all. She missed her mother with a sharp pang.
“Why, Allison!” William said, coming upon her just as she felt the prickle of tears at her eyes. “Whatever is the matter?”
She attempted a smile. “Nothing at all! How could
“ What is this house called?” Gertrude asked.
“ Swan's Court,” John Harper answered. “In the summer there's swans what lives on the pond. But in the winter the villagers come to skate on it. So I suppose you could, too.”
“ Lovely!” the twins shouted, casting longing glances at the sparkling pond.
William stepped forward slowly to offer his hand for Mr. Harper to shake. “I wonder, good sir, if we might ask you another great favor...”
**
“ Allie! Allie, watch me!” Kitty darted out onto the ice, and executed a pretty spin.
“ Do be careful, Kitty,” Allison called, reaching down to tighten the fastenings of her skates, borrowed from the Swan's Court store room. “I don't want you to fall and break anything.”
“ Of course I won't,” Kitty scoffed. She slid away to join Jane and Gertrude, who were circling the edges of the pond.
Allison looked back across the field to the house. I looked like a fine jewel amid the greenery and the sparkling snow. She could just barely see where William and John Harper were standing on ladders to take a rubbing of the swan frieze.
Now that they were free of the threat of Mr. Harper's gun, she could think more clearly of the delicious sensations of having William's body pressed against hers.
It had truly been most interesting, she mused, watching as William shed his coat to work on the frieze. It made her shiver even now to remember it. Maybe, if they had not been under attack for trespassing, he might even have kissed her...
She wondered what that would have been like.
“ Allie!” Jane called. “Aren't you going to skate with us?”
Startled out of her daydreams, she glanced up to find that the girls had stopped quite close, and were watching her expectantly.
“Oh, yes. Of course,” she said. As she pushed out onto the ice and joined them in their circle of the pond, Kitty gave her a teasing smile.
“ You certainly had a dreamy look on your face, Allie,” she said.
“ She was probably wondering what it would be like to live here,” Jane said with a giggle. “With a certain person and a nursery full of pretty babies.”
“ Girls,” Allison said warningly, looking at Gertrude to see if she knew that the twins were teasing about her own brother. But Gertrude was studying Swan Court.
“ I wouldn't mind living here,” Gertrude said. “It would probably be lovely. Like a real home.”
“ Don't you like where you live, Gertie?” Kitty asked, doing another graceful little spin.
“ It's very big and empty,” Gertrude answered in a small, distant voice. “Not cozy and pretty like here.”
“ well, if it is cozy you want, you should come and see our cottage,” said Jane. “It's so cozy, there is scarcely room to walk.”
“ We're always tripping over the dogs and Mama's sewing,” added Kitty.
“ It sounds wonderful,” said Gertrude. “There is nothing at all to trip over at my house.”
“ Not like here, on the ice!” Kitty cried. “Come on, I'll race you all the to the end of the pond.”
The three girls dashed off amid a tangle of coats and laughter, flashing skates, but Allison lingered to wait for William, who was coming along the field with his skates in his hand.
As she watched him move closer, his golden hair tousled in the wind, his smile bright and warm, she thought about his sister's words. It made her heart ache to think of William and Gertrude living in a cold, empty house, a house that must echo with sad memories of their parents' deaths. At least in their cottage, as small as it was, there was always love and laughter.
Suddenly, her family's quiet life together didn't seem bad at all. She missed her mother with a sharp pang.
“Why, Allison!” William said, coming upon her just as she felt the prickle of tears at her eyes. “Whatever is the matter?”
She attempted a smile. “Nothing at all! How could
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