Free The Sky is Falling by Kit Pearson Page A

eyes had welled with tears until one rolled down her cheek.
    The story ended happily. Alenoushka was rescued from a witch’s spell, and when she threw her arms around the lamb he became her brother once more. “And they all lived happily together and ate honey every day, with white bread and new milk.”
    The haunting voice stopped and the room was still. Norah’s body was loose and relaxed. She felt the rough rug under her legs and Gavin’s warm thigh pressing against hers.
    The librarian stood up and left the room without acknowledging them or saying goodbye. It was as if the stories had used her to tell themselves. The children got up quietly and went in to lunch.
    N ORAH ’ S EASE ENDED after they’d eaten. She and Gavin, dressed in cleaned and pressed clothes, waited in the front hall.
    â€œWhere are we going to live now ?” whispered Gavin.
    Norah was struggling to secure her hair-slide. “What do you mean, silly? We haven’t lived anywhere yet.”
    â€œYes, we have. First we lived in the hostel. Then we lived on the boat with Mrs. Pym and then we lived here with Miss Carmichael. Now where are we going to live?”
    â€œWith a family called Ogilvie who have a posh house. You know that, Gavin, we’ve already told you.”
    Miss Carmichael came up to say goodbye. “Now, be sure to behave like polite guests and everything will be fine. Someone will come and visit you in a while to see how you’re getting along.”
    The front door opened and into the hall stepped a plain, plump woman. She wore a brown linen suit and a beige hat; her beige hair was twisted into a tidy knot and her brown eyes looked anxious. “How do you do? I am Miss Ogilvie. And this must be Norah and Gavin. I’m very pleased to meet you both.” Her voice sounded more frightened than pleased.
    Norah shook the woman’s limp hand. It was covered with a spotless beige glove.
    â€œI want to stay here,” whimpered Gavin, hiding behind Miss Carmichael.
    â€œOff you go, Gavin.” She handed him a large boiled sweet. This was such a surprise that Gavin sucked it busily instead of crying.
    Miss Carmichael kissed them both. “I’ll see you at the Christmas party,” she smiled.
    Miss Ogilvie led them out to a sleek grey car. “Perhaps you’d prefer to sit beside each other in the back,” she said hesitantly.
    Norah watched the university become smaller and smaller behind them. Then she turned around and watched the neat back of Miss Ogilvie’s hair as they drove wordlessly through the still Sunday streets to their new home.

PART 2

10
    The Ogilvies
    T he car turned into a quiet, leafy street and stopped at the house at the end, a house so tall and enormous it looked like a red brick castle. There was even a tower. The windows stared down at Norah like a crowd of inquisitive eyes. She carried her suitcase up wide white steps flanked by green pillars.
    Inside, the house was even more resplendent. The front hall was as large as two rooms in Little Whitebull. It looked even bigger because it was almost empty of furniture, except for a mahogany table on one side with a silver bowl full of roses on it. Arched doorways led to several rooms off the hall; a curved staircase disappeared upwards.
    Miss Ogilvie stood in the hall beside them as if she, too, were a stranger who didn’t know what to do next. “Now, let’s see …” Her timid voice rang out in the silence. “Mother is anxious to meet you, of course, but this is her rest time. I’ll show you your room and you can unpack before tea.”
    She led them up two levels, first on thickly carpeted stairs, then on bare, slippery ones. At the very top therewere only two rooms: a small one containing a huge bathtub and a large, circular bedroom with built-in seats around its windowed walls.
    â€œThis is the tower!” cried Norah. She ran to the windows and looked out at the