for Freddie to leap up.
He snuggled delightedly into the gap, and sat there next to her, looking pleased with himself and panting. His tongue was huge, and it stuck out a little bit, giving him a foolish, friendly look. Amelia wondered why she had been so scared of him. His fur was browner than Frost’s, but he had the same dark eyes and pointed, velvety ears.
“I suppose you’re related to wolves,” Amelia told him sleepily. “But I bet you’ve never hunted anything in your life.Except maybe squirrels in the park.”
Freddie whined hopefully at the mention of squirrels, and Amelia giggled. “No, I didn’t mean I’ve spotted one, sorry.”
The big dog sighed and flopped down half in her lap, just as Frost had that night in the hollow tree. Was that last night? Amelia frowned, trying to work it out. Last night – or hundreds and thousands of nights ago. She didn’t know. Maybe it didn’t matter.
Freddie sniffed curiously at her hands, and Amelia gently pulled the diary away. He’d probably chew it, if she let him.
“No, we’re going to read it,” she whispered, rubbing the soft fur round his ears. “I have to know the rest of the story.”
“Open this one, Amelia,” Mum said, handing her a small, square parcel, and smiling hopefully.
Amelia giggled as Freddie stuck his great nose over her arm to sniff at the parcel. He had several presents of his own, but he still insisted on checking out hersand Tom’s, just in case they might taste good. He was sitting in between them, to make sure he didn’t miss anything. And occasionally he’d pick his way through the litter of wrapping paper to keep an eye on Bella and Lara and Anya.
“Is it chocolate?” Tom asked, eyeing the present. “Don’t open the box in front of Freddie if it is. He thinks chocolate is the best thing in the world, just because it’s really bad for dogs and he isn’t allowed it. He nicked a Mars bar out of my hand once, and it was gone in one gulp. Mum rang the vet’s and they said there wasn’t really that much chocolate in a Mars, so it was OK. But since then he’s got a taste for it…”
“I think it’s too heavy to be chocolate,” Amelia said, feeling the edges of the parcel. “It’s quite hard, too.”
“Open it!” Tom said. “Honestly, you’re so slow! I’d have ripped the paper off ages ago!”
Amelia grinned. Now that she wasn’t scared of Freddie, it seemed that she wasn’t scared of Tom’s sharp tongue any more, either. And his dark, floppy hair reminded her of Noah. He was even quite funny sometimes. He’d pulled her and Freddie all the way back up the lane on the sledge the day before. He said Freddie didn’t like having cold paws. Amelia had made Tom a cup of hot chocolate afterwards to say thank you.
Amelia peeled the paper off extra slowly, just to annoy him, and Tom slumped back on the sofa, and stared at the ceiling as if he couldn’t stand it.
“Oh!” Amelia gasped and nearlydropped the parcel.
“What is it?” Tom sat up suddenly, not wanting to miss anything.
“It’s a picture…”
“I thought it was something really exciting!” Tom muttered.
“It is…” Amelia whispered. But she couldn’t tell him why.
“Do you like it?” Mum smiled at her.“I thought she looked a little bit like you. I wasn’t sure if you’d want it, because of the wolf, but it’s so beautiful. When I saw the framed print on the gallery website, and I knew we were coming here, to Noah Allan’s house, it just seemed perfect… We could go and see the real painting some time, if you like, Amelia.”
“It does look like you, actually,” Tom agreed, glancing between Amelia and the painting in her hands. “If you were wearing funny clothes. That bonnet thing is hilarious!”
Amelia ran her finger over the dress in the picture. Grace’s brown print dress. And Frost, staring out at them, his ears pricked up as if he wanted Noah to come and play with them in the snow.
“Noah remembered
He snuggled delightedly into the gap, and sat there next to her, looking pleased with himself and panting. His tongue was huge, and it stuck out a little bit, giving him a foolish, friendly look. Amelia wondered why she had been so scared of him. His fur was browner than Frost’s, but he had the same dark eyes and pointed, velvety ears.
“I suppose you’re related to wolves,” Amelia told him sleepily. “But I bet you’ve never hunted anything in your life.Except maybe squirrels in the park.”
Freddie whined hopefully at the mention of squirrels, and Amelia giggled. “No, I didn’t mean I’ve spotted one, sorry.”
The big dog sighed and flopped down half in her lap, just as Frost had that night in the hollow tree. Was that last night? Amelia frowned, trying to work it out. Last night – or hundreds and thousands of nights ago. She didn’t know. Maybe it didn’t matter.
Freddie sniffed curiously at her hands, and Amelia gently pulled the diary away. He’d probably chew it, if she let him.
“No, we’re going to read it,” she whispered, rubbing the soft fur round his ears. “I have to know the rest of the story.”
“Open this one, Amelia,” Mum said, handing her a small, square parcel, and smiling hopefully.
Amelia giggled as Freddie stuck his great nose over her arm to sniff at the parcel. He had several presents of his own, but he still insisted on checking out hersand Tom’s, just in case they might taste good. He was sitting in between them, to make sure he didn’t miss anything. And occasionally he’d pick his way through the litter of wrapping paper to keep an eye on Bella and Lara and Anya.
“Is it chocolate?” Tom asked, eyeing the present. “Don’t open the box in front of Freddie if it is. He thinks chocolate is the best thing in the world, just because it’s really bad for dogs and he isn’t allowed it. He nicked a Mars bar out of my hand once, and it was gone in one gulp. Mum rang the vet’s and they said there wasn’t really that much chocolate in a Mars, so it was OK. But since then he’s got a taste for it…”
“I think it’s too heavy to be chocolate,” Amelia said, feeling the edges of the parcel. “It’s quite hard, too.”
“Open it!” Tom said. “Honestly, you’re so slow! I’d have ripped the paper off ages ago!”
Amelia grinned. Now that she wasn’t scared of Freddie, it seemed that she wasn’t scared of Tom’s sharp tongue any more, either. And his dark, floppy hair reminded her of Noah. He was even quite funny sometimes. He’d pulled her and Freddie all the way back up the lane on the sledge the day before. He said Freddie didn’t like having cold paws. Amelia had made Tom a cup of hot chocolate afterwards to say thank you.
Amelia peeled the paper off extra slowly, just to annoy him, and Tom slumped back on the sofa, and stared at the ceiling as if he couldn’t stand it.
“Oh!” Amelia gasped and nearlydropped the parcel.
“What is it?” Tom sat up suddenly, not wanting to miss anything.
“It’s a picture…”
“I thought it was something really exciting!” Tom muttered.
“It is…” Amelia whispered. But she couldn’t tell him why.
“Do you like it?” Mum smiled at her.“I thought she looked a little bit like you. I wasn’t sure if you’d want it, because of the wolf, but it’s so beautiful. When I saw the framed print on the gallery website, and I knew we were coming here, to Noah Allan’s house, it just seemed perfect… We could go and see the real painting some time, if you like, Amelia.”
“It does look like you, actually,” Tom agreed, glancing between Amelia and the painting in her hands. “If you were wearing funny clothes. That bonnet thing is hilarious!”
Amelia ran her finger over the dress in the picture. Grace’s brown print dress. And Frost, staring out at them, his ears pricked up as if he wanted Noah to come and play with them in the snow.
“Noah remembered
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