mother. Both little trouble makers.’
I put my hands on my hips. ‘He needs people who care about him,’ I say, my voice stern. ‘Not more rules and regula tions.’
Agnes taps her glasses on the desk and ignores me. ‘I suppose you’ll be wanting another Xbox?’ she asks Bertie.
To my amazement, the little boy nods. It’s the first time I’ve seen him actually respond to a question. So he can understand what’s going on.
‘You’ll have to wait until tomorrow,’ says Agnes. ‘I’ll have one ordered.’
‘Wait.’ I hold up a hand. ‘He doesn’t need another Xbox.’
‘Excuse me?’ Mrs Calder says.
‘He doesn’t need another one. Is that what he does all day? Play games on that thing?’
‘Yes,’ says Agnes. ‘It keeps him occupied. Stops him making mischief.’ She spots the bruise on my face and cocks her head. ‘Is that from the little hell raiser? Because if it was, I’ll drop him in a cold bath—’
I put a hand to it. ‘This? Oh. No. This was … I got this from something else. It wasn’t Bertie.’
Bertie turns to me, eyes wide with surprise.
Agnes frowns harder. ‘I didn’t notice it before.’
‘I had makeup on,’ I lie.
‘Well. Bertie does lash out sometimes,’ says Mrs Calder. ‘Just to warn you. That’s usually the point at which the girls leave. When he attacks them. There’s not much we can do about it. I punish him, but …. that’s just the way he was made, I’m afraid.’
My hands tighten on my hips. ‘Mrs Calder, Bertie was not made angry. He can be a good kid. Unless people keep telling him otherwise.’
Mrs Calder shakes her head. ‘A few days with Bertie will change your mind. You just wait and see. ’ She gives a short little laugh. ‘My guess is, with no Xbox to keep him busy today, you’ll be back in London by suppertime.’
‘ That’s where you’re wrong,’ I say. ‘I’m here to look after Bertie, and unless I’m asked to leave, I won’t be going anywhere.’
Mrs Calder raises an eyebrow. ‘We’ll see about that.’
‘No we won’t,’ I say, putting an arm around Bertie’s shoulder. ‘I’m staying. I mean it. No matter what.’
Bertie shrugs me away, and Mrs Calder laughs.
‘See? ’ she says. ‘A lost cause. The only thing you can hope for is that you get some discipline into him. What on earth are you going to do with him, if he’s not playing computer games? He’ll have fits of temper, I’ll warn you.’
‘I’ll take him outside.’
‘Outside? He’s not allowed outside.’
‘He was outside before.’
‘By the kitchen garden, yes. It’s all fenced in. But he’s not allowed any further than that. It’s too wild out there, and Bertie doesn’t know how to behave. He disturbs the birds. Last time he was let loose in the woods, he tried to destroy a bird’s nest.’
‘I ’ll keep a good eye on him.’ I say. ‘He won’t get in any trouble.’
‘You’re not to take him into the grounds , Miss Harper,’ says Agnes, her voice stern.
‘Fine.’ I plaster on a fake smile. ‘Then I guess we’ll just have to play a board game or something.’
I steer Bertie out of the room. He shrugs away from my hand again.
When I close the door, I realize I’m fuming. ‘She shouldn’t talk about you that way,’ I tell Bertie. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. You’ve just had a hard time, that’s all. ’ I sigh. ‘I wish I knew what happened to make you stop talking. Anyway. We are going to play outside, no matter what she says. It’s criminal to keep a little boy locked inside all day.’
Bertie doesn’t say anything.
‘Come on,’ I tell him. ‘Let’s walk around the grounds. Burn off some of that energy.’
We take a few twists and turns through the castle’s corridors, and then …
Oh shit. Lost again.
‘Be rtie, do you know the way out to the grounds?’ I ask him.
Without saying a word, Bertie starts walking.
‘Wait,’ I say, gently taking his arm. To my surprise, he doesn’t
I put my hands on my hips. ‘He needs people who care about him,’ I say, my voice stern. ‘Not more rules and regula tions.’
Agnes taps her glasses on the desk and ignores me. ‘I suppose you’ll be wanting another Xbox?’ she asks Bertie.
To my amazement, the little boy nods. It’s the first time I’ve seen him actually respond to a question. So he can understand what’s going on.
‘You’ll have to wait until tomorrow,’ says Agnes. ‘I’ll have one ordered.’
‘Wait.’ I hold up a hand. ‘He doesn’t need another Xbox.’
‘Excuse me?’ Mrs Calder says.
‘He doesn’t need another one. Is that what he does all day? Play games on that thing?’
‘Yes,’ says Agnes. ‘It keeps him occupied. Stops him making mischief.’ She spots the bruise on my face and cocks her head. ‘Is that from the little hell raiser? Because if it was, I’ll drop him in a cold bath—’
I put a hand to it. ‘This? Oh. No. This was … I got this from something else. It wasn’t Bertie.’
Bertie turns to me, eyes wide with surprise.
Agnes frowns harder. ‘I didn’t notice it before.’
‘I had makeup on,’ I lie.
‘Well. Bertie does lash out sometimes,’ says Mrs Calder. ‘Just to warn you. That’s usually the point at which the girls leave. When he attacks them. There’s not much we can do about it. I punish him, but …. that’s just the way he was made, I’m afraid.’
My hands tighten on my hips. ‘Mrs Calder, Bertie was not made angry. He can be a good kid. Unless people keep telling him otherwise.’
Mrs Calder shakes her head. ‘A few days with Bertie will change your mind. You just wait and see. ’ She gives a short little laugh. ‘My guess is, with no Xbox to keep him busy today, you’ll be back in London by suppertime.’
‘ That’s where you’re wrong,’ I say. ‘I’m here to look after Bertie, and unless I’m asked to leave, I won’t be going anywhere.’
Mrs Calder raises an eyebrow. ‘We’ll see about that.’
‘No we won’t,’ I say, putting an arm around Bertie’s shoulder. ‘I’m staying. I mean it. No matter what.’
Bertie shrugs me away, and Mrs Calder laughs.
‘See? ’ she says. ‘A lost cause. The only thing you can hope for is that you get some discipline into him. What on earth are you going to do with him, if he’s not playing computer games? He’ll have fits of temper, I’ll warn you.’
‘I’ll take him outside.’
‘Outside? He’s not allowed outside.’
‘He was outside before.’
‘By the kitchen garden, yes. It’s all fenced in. But he’s not allowed any further than that. It’s too wild out there, and Bertie doesn’t know how to behave. He disturbs the birds. Last time he was let loose in the woods, he tried to destroy a bird’s nest.’
‘I ’ll keep a good eye on him.’ I say. ‘He won’t get in any trouble.’
‘You’re not to take him into the grounds , Miss Harper,’ says Agnes, her voice stern.
‘Fine.’ I plaster on a fake smile. ‘Then I guess we’ll just have to play a board game or something.’
I steer Bertie out of the room. He shrugs away from my hand again.
When I close the door, I realize I’m fuming. ‘She shouldn’t talk about you that way,’ I tell Bertie. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. You’ve just had a hard time, that’s all. ’ I sigh. ‘I wish I knew what happened to make you stop talking. Anyway. We are going to play outside, no matter what she says. It’s criminal to keep a little boy locked inside all day.’
Bertie doesn’t say anything.
‘Come on,’ I tell him. ‘Let’s walk around the grounds. Burn off some of that energy.’
We take a few twists and turns through the castle’s corridors, and then …
Oh shit. Lost again.
‘Be rtie, do you know the way out to the grounds?’ I ask him.
Without saying a word, Bertie starts walking.
‘Wait,’ I say, gently taking his arm. To my surprise, he doesn’t
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