and trying to make her giggle. “But you have to put up with that kind of thing. They’re very powerful herbs, and they make it absolutely certain you’ll have true dreams. Is she listening?” she added to Izzy in the breath of a whisper.
“Oh, definitely,” Izzy whispered back, looking cautiously sideways round the seat of the coach. “They all are. So what did you see?” she asked more loudly.
“A figure…” Poppy hissed dramatically. “Dressed in green, floating across a stretch of water – but it was strange; the water was an odd colour, almost golden.” She paused, and then stretched her foot under the seat in front to kick Emily,who’d missed her cue.
“Oh!” Emily nodded. “Golden? That sounds like Amberlake, Poppy. It’s the stones around the edge of the lake – they’re a sort of yellowy colour, and it makes the water look amber. The house is named after it. Wow, isn’t it weird that you dreamed about Amberlake, when we’re going there!”
Poppy shook her head. “Not really. I told you, that spell always gives you true dreams. Special ones. Almost more like a foretelling than a dream.”
“Maybe you saw the Amberlake ghost!” Maya said excitedly, remembering her lines a bit better than Emily. They’d worked it all out, but it was harder to say the story naturally when they knew Ali and the other two were listening.
“Is there one?” Izzy asked.
“Oh yes!” Maya nodded. “I looked it up; we’ve got a National Trust guidebook. The ghost’s really famous – she’s called the Green Lady. She’s a girl who fell in love with someone she wasn’t allowed to marry, and then she died in a horrible accident by the lake. And now she haunts Amberlake, seeking revenge.”
Poppy shuddered. She’d come up with this story but it sounded ever so real. “Revenge on who?” sheasked, her voice rather squeaky. At least it would make it sound real to Ali too.
Maya shook her head thoughtfully. “I’m not sure – I suppose her family, but they died hundreds of years ago now. You called her up, Poppy. Don’t you know?”
Poppy swallowed. This was the important bit. “Not really. I know in the dream she wanted to help me – she stretched out her hands and smiled, and I was sure she was friendly. But I didn’t know about the revenge thing…” She paused, for just long enough, and then added, “I wonder what she’ll do?”
“Oh look, look!” Emily whispered, peeping through the gap between the seats. “Ali’s gone white, and Lucy and Elspeth are arguing. Elspeth looks like she can see a ghost right now, walking down the bus to get her. Oh!” She whisked herself round as Lucy got up and called down the aisle.
“Mr Finlay! Elspeth thinks she’s going to be sick!”
“Awww, poor Elspeth!” Emily giggled.
“Don’t forget the bag,” Izzy reminded Poppy.
“It’s OK, I’ve got it. I’m still not sure it’s going to work though.” Poppy slung the bag over her shoulder. It had her lunch in it, but also a bundle of green silky fabric – a huge scarf that belonged toMaya’s mum. Poppy had been a bit worried about borrowing it, but Maya said her mum had so many clothes she probably wouldn’t even notice it had gone.
“It will work,” Maya said definitely. “You didn’t see Ali’s face. I was watching, and she absolutely believed you. I told you they scared themselves with all those books. She’s been so awful to you, and now the Green Lady’s going to get her back.”
Mr Finlay had explained to everyone on the trip that there would be a guided tour of the house first, and then a chance to explore in small groups. They had to meet back at the picnic area for lunch, and then Cam Morris himself was going to be there for the announcement at two o’clock.
Usually, Poppy would have really enjoyed the house tour, but she was too bound up in their ghost story to pay much attention. At least their plan to get Ali back was stopping her being nervous about the
“Oh, definitely,” Izzy whispered back, looking cautiously sideways round the seat of the coach. “They all are. So what did you see?” she asked more loudly.
“A figure…” Poppy hissed dramatically. “Dressed in green, floating across a stretch of water – but it was strange; the water was an odd colour, almost golden.” She paused, and then stretched her foot under the seat in front to kick Emily,who’d missed her cue.
“Oh!” Emily nodded. “Golden? That sounds like Amberlake, Poppy. It’s the stones around the edge of the lake – they’re a sort of yellowy colour, and it makes the water look amber. The house is named after it. Wow, isn’t it weird that you dreamed about Amberlake, when we’re going there!”
Poppy shook her head. “Not really. I told you, that spell always gives you true dreams. Special ones. Almost more like a foretelling than a dream.”
“Maybe you saw the Amberlake ghost!” Maya said excitedly, remembering her lines a bit better than Emily. They’d worked it all out, but it was harder to say the story naturally when they knew Ali and the other two were listening.
“Is there one?” Izzy asked.
“Oh yes!” Maya nodded. “I looked it up; we’ve got a National Trust guidebook. The ghost’s really famous – she’s called the Green Lady. She’s a girl who fell in love with someone she wasn’t allowed to marry, and then she died in a horrible accident by the lake. And now she haunts Amberlake, seeking revenge.”
Poppy shuddered. She’d come up with this story but it sounded ever so real. “Revenge on who?” sheasked, her voice rather squeaky. At least it would make it sound real to Ali too.
Maya shook her head thoughtfully. “I’m not sure – I suppose her family, but they died hundreds of years ago now. You called her up, Poppy. Don’t you know?”
Poppy swallowed. This was the important bit. “Not really. I know in the dream she wanted to help me – she stretched out her hands and smiled, and I was sure she was friendly. But I didn’t know about the revenge thing…” She paused, for just long enough, and then added, “I wonder what she’ll do?”
“Oh look, look!” Emily whispered, peeping through the gap between the seats. “Ali’s gone white, and Lucy and Elspeth are arguing. Elspeth looks like she can see a ghost right now, walking down the bus to get her. Oh!” She whisked herself round as Lucy got up and called down the aisle.
“Mr Finlay! Elspeth thinks she’s going to be sick!”
“Awww, poor Elspeth!” Emily giggled.
“Don’t forget the bag,” Izzy reminded Poppy.
“It’s OK, I’ve got it. I’m still not sure it’s going to work though.” Poppy slung the bag over her shoulder. It had her lunch in it, but also a bundle of green silky fabric – a huge scarf that belonged toMaya’s mum. Poppy had been a bit worried about borrowing it, but Maya said her mum had so many clothes she probably wouldn’t even notice it had gone.
“It will work,” Maya said definitely. “You didn’t see Ali’s face. I was watching, and she absolutely believed you. I told you they scared themselves with all those books. She’s been so awful to you, and now the Green Lady’s going to get her back.”
Mr Finlay had explained to everyone on the trip that there would be a guided tour of the house first, and then a chance to explore in small groups. They had to meet back at the picnic area for lunch, and then Cam Morris himself was going to be there for the announcement at two o’clock.
Usually, Poppy would have really enjoyed the house tour, but she was too bound up in their ghost story to pay much attention. At least their plan to get Ali back was stopping her being nervous about the
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