Read Online Goldwhiskers by Heather Vogel Frederick - Free Book Online

‘Buy yourselfsomething nice at Harrods afterwards. The driver is going to drop you all there for lunch. Won’t that be fun? A little shopping? Ice cream and treats at the Chocolate Bar? A ride on the Egyptian escalator?’
    Priscilla was not to be jollied out of her ill temper. She flounced in her seat, giving Nigel Henshaw a spiteful jab with her elbow as she did so.
    â€˜Ouch!’ cried Nigel, recoiling.
    â€˜Don’t be such a baby,’ snapped Priscilla. ‘It was an accident.’
    She glared at her mother. Her mother glared back.
Ferret senior and ferret junior squaring off for a fight
, thought Oz. He nurtured this little fantasy for a moment, imagining a limousine full of flashing fangs as the mother-daughter duo scrapped and tussled in the back seat.
    Lavinia Levinson tugged on her colleague’s arm. ‘Come along, Prudence,’ she said. ‘They’re expecting us in rehearsal. Luigi will sort it all out.’
    With a defeated sigh, the British soprano withdrew. Ignoring Priscilla, who was still glowering, Oz’s mother leaned in through the window, gave Oz and his father each a kiss on the cheek, and smiled at DB and Nigel. ‘Have fun, kids!’
    As the limousine drove off, Priscilla Winterbottomglared at Nigel Henshaw, who hugged his arms round himself and stared at the floor. Oz and DB gawked at the city through the windows.
    No wonder James Bond chose to live here
, thought Oz as they passed Trafalgar Square and St James’s Park. London was beautiful. Maybe he’d live here too when he was a grown-up spy. Lost in this pleasant daydream, he nearly jumped out of his seat when Priscilla kicked him in the shin.
    â€˜This is all your fault!’ she snarled. ‘If it wasn’t for you and your stupid mother, I wouldn’t be here.’
    Oz stared at her, casting about frantically for a comeback and coming up empty-handed as usual. DB was much better at this sort of thing. He usually thought of snappy things to say about three days later, when it was far too late to matter. ‘Leave my mother out of it,’ he mumbled finally, prodding at his glasses.
Pathetic
, he thought, even as the words left his mouth. Oz wished desperately that James Bond were here. Agent 007 would know exactly how to deal with Priscilla Winterbottom.
    Priscilla’s junior ferret lips stretched out in a sneer. Her junior ferret eyes narrowed. Beside her, Nigel Henshaw scooted as far away as he could. He’d obviously seen that look before, Oz realized. So hadhe, unfortunately. It was a shark look. Cold. Calculating. Searching for weak spots. Sadly, he had many to choose from.
    â€˜You want to know something else about your mother?’ Priscilla said, softly so that the adults in the front seat wouldn’t overhear. ‘She’s fatter than mine, and her voice is nowhere near as good. I heard Mr Henshaw say so. Didn’t he, Nigel?’
    Nigel looked around desperately for rescue, but Oz’s father and the limousine driver were still deep in conversation. Priscilla Winterbottom reached out and grabbed the boy’s scrawny arm. She gave it a sharp twist. He winced and cried out. ‘I said, “Didn’t he, Nigel?”’
    Nigel’s pale blue eyes flicked quickly towards Oz in wordless appeal. He nodded unhappily, and Priscilla released him.
    DB leaned forward. ‘You know, if I had a name like Priscilla Winter
bottom
, I’d be keeping my stupid mouth closed,’ she warned.
    Priscilla flushed an angry red. She glared at DB, then threw a calculating glance towards the front seat. Poking her lower lip out, she squinched up her eyes and wailed suddenly, ‘Mr Levinson! They’re making fun of my name!’
    Oz’s father turned round in his seat. Priscilla took a hankie out of her pocket and wiped at her eyes dramatically. ‘Wa-aa-aah!’ she wailed again, louder this time, peeking over the edge of fabric to see if