Free Eldritch Manor by Kim Thompson Page B

Willa pulled herself together and devised a plan of attack. First she phoned for pizza delivery. Then she wrested the catnip away from Baz, who put up quite a struggle. She threw what was left of the duck into a plastic bag, which she tucked under her arm as she hauled Baz to her feet and ushered her out through the parlour to the stairs.
    â€œBaz isn’t feeling well. Probably caught Robert’s flu. Just getting her to her room.”
    Willa surprised herself at the ease with which she fibbed. Nobody paid much attention to her, though. Tengu giggled in the corner while Mom stared silently at Belle with a strange look of suspicion and anger. Belle looked back warily, defensive now. What had happened? Horace leaned back in his chair, Tengu reached for another cookie, and … Dad was missing!
    Willa fairly flew into the hall, where Dad was coming down the stairs.
    â€œJust thought I’d take your sick friend that bottle. There’s nothing a shot of premium single malt won’t cure.”
    â€œYou ... gave it to him?” Willa’s head reeled. Her dad could be a little clueless, but surely even he should have noticed that Robert was half horse.
    â€œI just knocked and left it outside his door.”
    Willa sighed with relief as her dad returned to the parlour. By the time she had hustled Baz up the stairs and into her room (giving her the duck to keep her happy) the bottle had disappeared from outside Robert’s door. She knocked and peeked inside. Robert was sitting back on his hind legs in the corner opposite the birdcage. He leaned an elbow on the table strewn with chicken bones and glared across the room at the bird, gripping the bottle in much the same way that Baz had been clutching the catnip.
    â€œDamn thing keeps staring at me!” snarled Robert, taking a swig from the bottle as he flung a bone at the cage. It bounced off the bars and Fadiyah’s eyes narrowed.
    Willa hurried over and struggled to lift the cage, which was dreadfully heavy. “You know you shouldn’t be drinking. Miss Trang said so.”
    Robert hugged the Scotch tighter to his chest and pouted. Willa rolled her eyes impatiently. “Look, I’ll make a deal with you. You can keep the bottle and I won’t even tell Miss Trang, if you’ll just stay in here and be quiet. Okay? Deal?”
    Robert nodded and Willa dragged the cage out of the room. She thought about putting it in Baz’s room, but a cat and a bird in one room was probably just asking for trouble. She shoved the cage into the library and hurried back downstairs.
    Now her mom and Belle were ignoring each other completely, staring icily into space. Willa’s heart sank. Horace and Dad glanced at them uncomfortably. Tengu was laughing so hard, he fell right off the ottoman he was perched on.
    â€œWhat happened? Did they fight?” Willa whispered. Both her dad and Horace shook their heads in utter bewilderment.
    â€œNo. They haven’t said a single word.”
    Willa looked back at Belle and her mom in surprise and for a split second was struck by their identical expressions; stony and unforgiving. That’s the end of my staying here , she thought. And the thought of letting Miss Trang down pained her more than she ever would have expected.

    The pizza arrived and Willa tried to make the best of the meal. She still served the carrots and beans, and the garlic mashed potatoes, carefully smoothing over where her elbow had gone in while she was pulling Baz to her feet. It seemed like a rather bizarre menu. Horace and Belle both raised their eyebrows but said nothing. Surprisingly, her mom and dad seemed genuinely impressed when she gave them her apologies.
    â€œThat was quick thinking, Willa, ordering pizza. Well done,” her dad offered.
    The rest of the evening went a lot smoother, since Willa had rolled Belle to be seated as far as possible from her mom. Dad, as diplomatic as ever, endeavoured to smooth things