Read Online Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell - Free Book Online Page A

know about, and I feel that your little Will—much as I would love to keep her here—can’t be happy with us. Not now her father has”—she laid a hand on her breast—“passed away. Just too many sad memories, don’t you think?”
    Captain Browne frowned. “Oh no, my dear.”
    â€œNo?”
    â€œNo, pet.” Captain Browne was making the mistake of thousands of men before him: he was failing to recognize the skill of his opponent. He tried to brush her off, heartily, like a caricature of himself. “Oh no, my dear. Will isn’t going anywhere! No, no. No! Out of the question. The girl’s got nobody else.”
    Cynthia squeezed his thigh. “Charlie, my love. I had no idea you felt this way.”
    â€œWell, I do, Cynthia. And you must trust that I know best, ja .”
    Cynthia winced. Only common people said “ ja .” “No, Charles. It’s not that simple. Because I had hoped”—she pouted a little—“that what I’ve arranged would please you. . . . I wanted us to enjoy our love, alone. . . .”
    The captain looked at the blandly innocent face. A fear flickered on in his heart. “What have you done,” he said, and added, through a sticky voice box, “my dearest?”
    â€œThere’s a school, Charles,” said Cynthia. Her voice sank to a coo. “A boarding school. In England. A school that’s agreed to take your sweet Will at short notice. Very short notice. She’s English by birth; she’s nearing the difficult age; she’ll be so much happier there. And of course you won’t object, Charles, will you, not now I’ve settled it all?”
    Browne was growing red with the weight of his unspoken protestations.
    â€œCynthia.” He could barely speak. “Cynthia, that child . . . How could you have . . .” He looked ashen and old. “If you knew . . . knew what she is to me . . .”
    Cynthia’s eyes were growing chilly. She was sick of  Will, sick of the subject. Children were exhausting and tedious. “There’snothing so hugely special about the child, Charles. School will be good for her. I’ve been watching her, and you should know, my dear , she’s no genius. She’s never been to a proper school, never learned anything—nothing that takes practice. She’s lazy.”
    â€œUntamed.” And Captain Browne added to himself, Oh, God. I hope it will be well .
    â€œShe has no knowledge of culture, of art, of music—”
    â€œShe sings, Cynthia. I’ve heard her. Sings like a bloomin’ violin.”
    â€œShe can barely count; she knows nothing about geography, history—”
    â€œ Ja . But she’s read every book in my study.”
    â€œExactly!” Seamlessly, Cynthia changed tack. “So she’ll need new books, won’t she, Charles? And she can’t use money, or hold a knife and fork properly, or”—she was running out of ammunition—“arrange flowers—”
    â€œArrange flowers!” The captain was suddenly austere, booming and muscular, back in his regiment, “For God’s sake, woman! Why on earth, Cynthia , would she want to arrange flowers? No. Will is coming with us wherever we go. You’ll have to unbook the flights.”
    â€œCharles!”
    â€œCynthia. I will not allow this to happen. Do you understand?”
    Cynthia shook back her hair. “Charles. Please don’t talk to me like a child. I didn’t want to tell you at the time; I didn’t want to sound petty. Men are notoriously unjust about these things, my dear. But that plate Will broke—it was extremely valuable.”
    â€œIt was a plate .” The captain tried to look unconcerned.
    â€œNo, my dear.” Cynthia put on a patient face. “It was an heirloom. It was symbolic .”
    â€œYou’re