Read Online The Farm Beneath the Water by Helen Peters - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Helen Peters
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fight scenes – they’re going to be quite complicated. Hopefully the swords will arrive before Wednesday.”
“Are you using real swords?” asked Matthew.
“Samurai swords,” said Jonah. “Slice you in half like butter.”
Hannah laughed. “They’re plastic ones Lottie ordered online. They look good, though. At least,they do in the picture.”
“So do you get a budget for this play, then?” asked Jonah.
“Yep.” Secretly, it was one of the things she found most thrilling. “Fifty pounds to spend on whatever I want.”
“Doughnuts at every rehearsal,” suggested Jonah.
“I have to keep accounts, though.”
“Oh. Spoilsports.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Hannah saw Miranda swanning towards them, with Poppy beside her. She steeled herself for the encounter.
“Is Adamson coming?” asked Ben. “To the farm?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Lottie sarcastically. “He’d be really welcome on Hannah’s farm, wouldn’t he, after what he did last time he was there?”
“Hi, Hannah,” cooed Miranda. “I saw your little note about extra rehearsals at your farm. I’m afraid I won’t be able to come.”
“On Wednesday? Well, that’s—”
“To any of them. I just don’t have the time, I’m afraid.”
“What do you mean, you don’t have the time? You’re Juliet!”
“I just feel,” said Miranda, flicking her hair back, “that my time could be more productively spent rehearsing at home. And after all,” she said, smiling sweetly, “these are extra rehearsals, aren’t they? They’re not compulsory.”
Hannah opened her mouth to retort and then snapped it shut again. Why was she trying to persuadeMiranda to come to the farm? The rehearsals would be ten times more fun without her.
“That’s no problem. We’ll do the scenes you’re not in. No problem at all.”
Miranda looked slightly taken aback. Maybe she was expecting me to beg her on bended knee, thought Hannah.
“So,” said Jonah, “will you still get to live in your house when they flood the farm, or will the house be underwater, too?”
Hannah’s stomach somersaulted. “What?”
“What are you talking about?” said Ben.
“This new reservoir they’re building at Hannah’s farm. It’s going to be so cool. Windsurfing, sailing, scuba-diving…”
Hannah’s heart started beating very fast.
Matthew stopped kicking the football and looked round. “Diving? Where?”
“Wait a minute,” said Lottie. “How do you know about the reservoir? They haven’t announced it yet.”
“My dad’s mate told him. He’s on the council. My dad’s going to apply for the catering licence. He reckons he’ll make a fortune.”
Ben stared at Hannah. “They’re building a reservoir on your farm?”
“Yep,” said Jonah. “It won’t be a farm much longer. It’ll be a massive great lake.”
“Are we really getting a reservoir in Middleham?” said Matthew, tucking the football under his arm and moving closer. “That’s awesome. We never get anything good here. Hey, will there be fishing?”
“Bound to be,” said Jonah. “They’ll probably stock it with trout or salmon or something.”
“So are they going to flood your whole farm?” asked Ben. “Where are you going to live? Will you get another farm?”
Hannah couldn’t speak. The others kept talking, but their words seemed far off in the distance. Hannah felt sick, and the outside world was a meaningless blur.
So people wanted the reservoir. They weren’t going to try to stop it. They thought a reservoir would be a great thing to have in the village. They were looking forward to it. They were excited about it.
And, Hannah realised, why wouldn’t they be? What did most people in the village care about Clayhill Farm? The only thing the farm offered for everybody else was land to walk on. Whereas a reservoir…
What were a few footpaths and a bit of birdwatching compared with scuba-diving and windsurfing, fishing and sailing?
Lottie’s raised voice cut
“Are you using real swords?” asked Matthew.
“Samurai swords,” said Jonah. “Slice you in half like butter.”
Hannah laughed. “They’re plastic ones Lottie ordered online. They look good, though. At least,they do in the picture.”
“So do you get a budget for this play, then?” asked Jonah.
“Yep.” Secretly, it was one of the things she found most thrilling. “Fifty pounds to spend on whatever I want.”
“Doughnuts at every rehearsal,” suggested Jonah.
“I have to keep accounts, though.”
“Oh. Spoilsports.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Hannah saw Miranda swanning towards them, with Poppy beside her. She steeled herself for the encounter.
“Is Adamson coming?” asked Ben. “To the farm?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Lottie sarcastically. “He’d be really welcome on Hannah’s farm, wouldn’t he, after what he did last time he was there?”
“Hi, Hannah,” cooed Miranda. “I saw your little note about extra rehearsals at your farm. I’m afraid I won’t be able to come.”
“On Wednesday? Well, that’s—”
“To any of them. I just don’t have the time, I’m afraid.”
“What do you mean, you don’t have the time? You’re Juliet!”
“I just feel,” said Miranda, flicking her hair back, “that my time could be more productively spent rehearsing at home. And after all,” she said, smiling sweetly, “these are extra rehearsals, aren’t they? They’re not compulsory.”
Hannah opened her mouth to retort and then snapped it shut again. Why was she trying to persuadeMiranda to come to the farm? The rehearsals would be ten times more fun without her.
“That’s no problem. We’ll do the scenes you’re not in. No problem at all.”
Miranda looked slightly taken aback. Maybe she was expecting me to beg her on bended knee, thought Hannah.
“So,” said Jonah, “will you still get to live in your house when they flood the farm, or will the house be underwater, too?”
Hannah’s stomach somersaulted. “What?”
“What are you talking about?” said Ben.
“This new reservoir they’re building at Hannah’s farm. It’s going to be so cool. Windsurfing, sailing, scuba-diving…”
Hannah’s heart started beating very fast.
Matthew stopped kicking the football and looked round. “Diving? Where?”
“Wait a minute,” said Lottie. “How do you know about the reservoir? They haven’t announced it yet.”
“My dad’s mate told him. He’s on the council. My dad’s going to apply for the catering licence. He reckons he’ll make a fortune.”
Ben stared at Hannah. “They’re building a reservoir on your farm?”
“Yep,” said Jonah. “It won’t be a farm much longer. It’ll be a massive great lake.”
“Are we really getting a reservoir in Middleham?” said Matthew, tucking the football under his arm and moving closer. “That’s awesome. We never get anything good here. Hey, will there be fishing?”
“Bound to be,” said Jonah. “They’ll probably stock it with trout or salmon or something.”
“So are they going to flood your whole farm?” asked Ben. “Where are you going to live? Will you get another farm?”
Hannah couldn’t speak. The others kept talking, but their words seemed far off in the distance. Hannah felt sick, and the outside world was a meaningless blur.
So people wanted the reservoir. They weren’t going to try to stop it. They thought a reservoir would be a great thing to have in the village. They were looking forward to it. They were excited about it.
And, Hannah realised, why wouldn’t they be? What did most people in the village care about Clayhill Farm? The only thing the farm offered for everybody else was land to walk on. Whereas a reservoir…
What were a few footpaths and a bit of birdwatching compared with scuba-diving and windsurfing, fishing and sailing?
Lottie’s raised voice cut
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