Read Online The Whitby Witches 3: The Whitby Child by Robin Jarvis - Free Book Online
Authors: Robin Jarvis
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returned from school they were disappointed to find Sister Frances still at the cottage and even more dismayed to hear that Doctor Adams was once again examining Aunt Alice.
"Has she fallen again?" Jennet asked fearfully.
They were gathered in the small kitchen. Miss Wethers was trying to arrange some biscuits on a plate for the doctor but she was in such a fretful state that they kept breaking in her twitching hands. She was too busy to answer so Jennet directed her question to the nun instead.
Sitting upon a stool, with her long legs stretched out in everybody’s way Frances breathed a great sigh. "It really is miraculous!" she informed the children. "I feel so honoured that I was the one to witness such a momentous event."
Jennet looked across at her brother. They had not spoken since the girl's angry outburst and though she regretted it, Ben was not prepared to forgive her yet. Ignoring his sister, he screwed up his face and regarded the nun with annoyance.
"But what has happened?" he asked.
Sister Frances put a finger on her lips and signalled for them to listen.
The sound of Doctor Adams's voice floated from the sickroom.
"Well, Miss Boston," he said in a resigned sort of way, "I'm afraid there's no explanation for it. None whatsoever."
Ben held his breath. Whatever it was it sounded extremely serious. Perhaps the old lady had had a relapse, and he glanced worriedly up at Miss Wethers.
"There now," the woman soothed when she saw his concerned face, "have a bourbon. There's nothing to..."
Before she could finish, to both Ben's and Jennet's amazement and disbelief, they heard Aunt Alice's answering retort to the doctor.
"Of course you have no explanation!" she cried. "I always thought you were a quack, Adams—now I know for certain! Don't you think you should step aside and let a younger fellow take over? Well overdue for retirement you are."
Ben forgot that he was not speaking to Jennet and pushed her aside as he ran from the kitchen. "It's Aunt Alice!" he shouted. "She can talk again!"
In the sickroom Doctor Adams was preparing to flee from the vicinity of the restored voice when the boy burst through the door and rushed at Miss Boston.
"Benjamin, dearest!" she laughed, and the sound was wonderful to hear. "Oh my, what a commotion! It's nothing to get excited about. I was just telling Incompetent Adams here that from now on there is nothing to worry about. Ho—look at him, he's completely foxed! Hasn't a clue how I managed it."
Jennet entered the room just in time to see the doctor shift his weight from one foot to the other and hold his medical bag before him. He looked decidedly uncomfortable and felt as though he was back at school in the headmistress's office. Miss Boston's tongue was just as disconcerting as it had always been.
"It seems all I can do is congratulate you," he said with a nervous cough. "If you recall, I did say that you might one day speak again—only not so quickly as this."
"Pooh!" scorned Aunt Alice. "You'd given me up totally—another month or so and it would have been some home or other, to be sure. Well, you can take all your charlatan paraphernalia out of here and do whatever you like with it. I have no further need of your services, thank you very much."
The doctor knew it was hopeless to argue with the old battleaxe so he mumbled his farewells and hurried to the door, bumped into Jennet on the way, then was caught by Edith who pounced on him as he passed the kitchen.
"You're not going?" she simpered, bearing her tray of broken biscuits. "I was going to make a nice pot of tea."
"Not today," he snapped.
Edith's tissue dabbed her nose. "Next time then," she whimpered hopefully.
Doctor Adams was out of the front door as fast as his legs could take him and Miss Wethers stared after his receding figure with a vexed and injured look on her face.
"My!" said Sister Frances, slipping into the hall. "He's in a whirl today, isn't he? I wanted to prevail upon him and see if
"Has she fallen again?" Jennet asked fearfully.
They were gathered in the small kitchen. Miss Wethers was trying to arrange some biscuits on a plate for the doctor but she was in such a fretful state that they kept breaking in her twitching hands. She was too busy to answer so Jennet directed her question to the nun instead.
Sitting upon a stool, with her long legs stretched out in everybody’s way Frances breathed a great sigh. "It really is miraculous!" she informed the children. "I feel so honoured that I was the one to witness such a momentous event."
Jennet looked across at her brother. They had not spoken since the girl's angry outburst and though she regretted it, Ben was not prepared to forgive her yet. Ignoring his sister, he screwed up his face and regarded the nun with annoyance.
"But what has happened?" he asked.
Sister Frances put a finger on her lips and signalled for them to listen.
The sound of Doctor Adams's voice floated from the sickroom.
"Well, Miss Boston," he said in a resigned sort of way, "I'm afraid there's no explanation for it. None whatsoever."
Ben held his breath. Whatever it was it sounded extremely serious. Perhaps the old lady had had a relapse, and he glanced worriedly up at Miss Wethers.
"There now," the woman soothed when she saw his concerned face, "have a bourbon. There's nothing to..."
Before she could finish, to both Ben's and Jennet's amazement and disbelief, they heard Aunt Alice's answering retort to the doctor.
"Of course you have no explanation!" she cried. "I always thought you were a quack, Adams—now I know for certain! Don't you think you should step aside and let a younger fellow take over? Well overdue for retirement you are."
Ben forgot that he was not speaking to Jennet and pushed her aside as he ran from the kitchen. "It's Aunt Alice!" he shouted. "She can talk again!"
In the sickroom Doctor Adams was preparing to flee from the vicinity of the restored voice when the boy burst through the door and rushed at Miss Boston.
"Benjamin, dearest!" she laughed, and the sound was wonderful to hear. "Oh my, what a commotion! It's nothing to get excited about. I was just telling Incompetent Adams here that from now on there is nothing to worry about. Ho—look at him, he's completely foxed! Hasn't a clue how I managed it."
Jennet entered the room just in time to see the doctor shift his weight from one foot to the other and hold his medical bag before him. He looked decidedly uncomfortable and felt as though he was back at school in the headmistress's office. Miss Boston's tongue was just as disconcerting as it had always been.
"It seems all I can do is congratulate you," he said with a nervous cough. "If you recall, I did say that you might one day speak again—only not so quickly as this."
"Pooh!" scorned Aunt Alice. "You'd given me up totally—another month or so and it would have been some home or other, to be sure. Well, you can take all your charlatan paraphernalia out of here and do whatever you like with it. I have no further need of your services, thank you very much."
The doctor knew it was hopeless to argue with the old battleaxe so he mumbled his farewells and hurried to the door, bumped into Jennet on the way, then was caught by Edith who pounced on him as he passed the kitchen.
"You're not going?" she simpered, bearing her tray of broken biscuits. "I was going to make a nice pot of tea."
"Not today," he snapped.
Edith's tissue dabbed her nose. "Next time then," she whimpered hopefully.
Doctor Adams was out of the front door as fast as his legs could take him and Miss Wethers stared after his receding figure with a vexed and injured look on her face.
"My!" said Sister Frances, slipping into the hall. "He's in a whirl today, isn't he? I wanted to prevail upon him and see if
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