Free Safe Harbour by Marita Conlon-Mckenna

there and what they did, until a few minutes later he deposited them at the curved harbour.
    There, the fishermen had nets spread over the railings and on the grey wall and the ground, and were busy mending them. A pile of lobster pots lay in a heap against a boathouse and Hugh nearly sent them all flying when he picked one up to look at it.
    ‘Leave those pots alone!’ shouted a cranky old fisherman.
    They ran down the slope of beach and climbed among the boats lying there, sitting in them and pretending to row. Time seemed to fly by, there in a world of their own.
    ‘I’m starving, Soph! When is it going to be lunchtime?’ demanded Hugh finally.
    Sophie leapt out of the boat. Oh no! The station clock had shown almost midday probably about an hour ago!
    ‘Come on, Hugh! Run!’
    They ran helter-skelter the whole way along the seafront and skidded along the gravel driveway of Carrigraun, both sweaty and out of breath. Through the window they could see their grandfather, sitting at the dinner table waiting for them.
    Hugh’s hands were filthy and Sophie had a smudge of tar on her dress.
    ‘Quick, Hugh!’ she said in a panic.
    They washed their hands and brushed their hair and joined their grandfather.
    He had finished his bowl of soup, and Nancy appeared immediately and plumped two steaming bowls of vegetable soup in front of them. It was scalding hot, and Sophie, knowing that the old man would be impatient for his main course, almost burnt her mouth trying to swallow it down. Hugh kept blowing across the top of his bowl and onto the curved silver spoon.
    ‘Manners!’ muttered Grandfather, but Hugh just ignored him, and kept on blowing.
    ‘Grandfather! We’re sorry. We didn’t realise the time,’ Sophie apologised.
    ‘Hmmmph!’ was his only reply.
    He chose not to speak to either of them again until after their main course of salty ham and potatoes and broad beans and carrots.
    ‘Well then! What did you think of the place?’ he demanded suddenly.
    Sophie considered. She wanted to be honest, and yet did not want to be disloyal to Grove Avenue and London. ‘It’svery nice, Grandfather, and I would think that it’s a very healthy place to live.’
    He threw back his grey head and laughed, thumping his hand on the table. Under his whiskers, Sophie could make out a dimple. Had she sounded stupid, she wondered?
    ‘I think it’s spiffing – like a book,’ said Hugh. ‘But still, it’s not as nice as home,’ he added wistfully.
    Grandfather stood up. ‘Remember,’ he stated, ‘this is your home for the moment – while this war madness continues.’

CHAPTER 15
Hide and Seek
    Over the next few days both of them ran wild, coming back to Carrigraun only to eat and sleep. Every morning Grandfather disappeared off into his study to work, and for the most part ignored them. They still had a few days left before starting school.
    Nancy was kind to them and occasionally told them stories about the locals of Greystones. Sometimes Sophie felt like she was in a kind of a dream, a no man’s land, where no one really minded what Hugh and herself, the two outsiders, were up to.
    Then one day the rain lashed down and they had to stay indoors. Overnight the sea had become grey and menacing, the waves churning and battering against the rocks across from the house. It was like some ancient creature trying to cross a moat, flinging itself against the sea-front, dashing itself backwards and forwards, as yet another huge swell gathered force, far in the distance. Salt spray filled the air and overhead hung a black stormy sky. The whole of Greystones was wrapped in a blanket of mist which seemed to deny the existence of an outside world.
    Sophie and Hugh had tried to venture out, but the wind had stolen their breath, driving them back, and the stinging rain had drenched them to the skin. Hugh looked like a very small drowned rat, and Sophie’s hair clung like a damp capto her skull.
    Nancy scolded them sharply for being so