sneaked into thepassageway and looked thoughtfully from side to side. She would head away from the stairs, she decided. Further along, the passage stretched into shadows beyond a huge old wooden cupboard, and it looked exciting. She set off to explore, with the hairy blanket trailing the floor behind her, sweeping up dust.
Until a few months ago, the house had belonged to one of Mum and Laura’s aunts, but Amelia had never met her. She couldn’t imagine the old lady – she had been very old, Mum said – living here all on her own. Surely she had been lonely in such a big house far away from any neighbours? But perhaps that was why it was so full of things. Ornaments and candlesticks and rugs and all those pictures.
Amelia stopped to look at the paintingjust opposite Bella’s room. It was dark in the passageway, as there were wooden shutters closed over the window, but even in the dimness, the colours glowed. A fire blazed in the middle of the canvas, casting an eerie light on the man sitting behind it. He was wrapped in a dark, hairy blanket, just like Amelia’s. Behind him, another man was sleeping in a sort of hut, made of old branches piled together. Perhaps they were hunters, Amelia thought. It looked like they were deep in a wood. She leaned closer, drawn in by the glowing flames. The sparks were flying up from the fire and glittering in the darkness, and the firelight spread a charmed circle round the two men. But beyond it the trees were thick and dark, and she was sure that there were creatures waiting just on the edge of the light.
Amelia shivered. Probably wolves, even bigger and scarier than Freddie. She stepped back, and saw a name written in the bottom corner of the painting. She squinted down at the signature, trying to make it out, and then smiled delightedly. Noah Allan. The man the house was named after! Mum had told them abouthim – that he had been born in America, but he’d travelled to France to study. Then he had visited friends in Scotland, and found the dramatic landscape so perfect to paint that he’d settled here. He was Amelia’s great-great-great-grandfather – except that she couldn’t remember quite how many greats there should be. But she knew he had been born more than a hundred and fifty years ago. Her mum had told her that there was a very famous Noah Allan painting in a gallery in London, of a girl and a wolf. They’d go and see it one day, Mum had said.
Amelia was so excited to find another painting by their ancestor that it took her a moment to hear the scuffling and tapping of claws. She clutched the blanket round her in a panic. Tom and that enormous dogwere coming up the stairs!
Amelia scuttled down the passageway. She’d done her best to avoid being alone with Tom. He obviously thought she was stupid because she was frightened of dogs and he moaned about having to shut Freddie up during meals, in case he scared Amelia. But Anya had told Amelia that it made it much easier to eat breakfast – if Freddie was around he could have a piece of toast out of your hand in three seconds flat.
Freddie was snuffling his way along the passage now, and Amelia cursed herself for being stupid – why hadn’t she just nipped back into her own bedroom? They would catch up with her any moment, and Freddie would sniff at her, and Tom wouldn’t make him stop, Amelia knew he wouldn’t. He’d just laugh.
Amelia ducked round the huge wooden cupboard, and stood there in the shadows, hoping they’d go straight past. But she could hear Freddie sniffing at everything, and Tom sniggering as the dust made the huge dog sneeze. There was no way Freddie was going to miss her. And it would be obvious that she was hiding, and Tom would tell everyone, like it was a great big joke.
Amelia leaned back, trying to wriggle into the corner where the cupboard wasn’t pushed right up against the wall. Except that her blanket was catching on something sticking out of the wall. She looked round
Until a few months ago, the house had belonged to one of Mum and Laura’s aunts, but Amelia had never met her. She couldn’t imagine the old lady – she had been very old, Mum said – living here all on her own. Surely she had been lonely in such a big house far away from any neighbours? But perhaps that was why it was so full of things. Ornaments and candlesticks and rugs and all those pictures.
Amelia stopped to look at the paintingjust opposite Bella’s room. It was dark in the passageway, as there were wooden shutters closed over the window, but even in the dimness, the colours glowed. A fire blazed in the middle of the canvas, casting an eerie light on the man sitting behind it. He was wrapped in a dark, hairy blanket, just like Amelia’s. Behind him, another man was sleeping in a sort of hut, made of old branches piled together. Perhaps they were hunters, Amelia thought. It looked like they were deep in a wood. She leaned closer, drawn in by the glowing flames. The sparks were flying up from the fire and glittering in the darkness, and the firelight spread a charmed circle round the two men. But beyond it the trees were thick and dark, and she was sure that there were creatures waiting just on the edge of the light.
Amelia shivered. Probably wolves, even bigger and scarier than Freddie. She stepped back, and saw a name written in the bottom corner of the painting. She squinted down at the signature, trying to make it out, and then smiled delightedly. Noah Allan. The man the house was named after! Mum had told them abouthim – that he had been born in America, but he’d travelled to France to study. Then he had visited friends in Scotland, and found the dramatic landscape so perfect to paint that he’d settled here. He was Amelia’s great-great-great-grandfather – except that she couldn’t remember quite how many greats there should be. But she knew he had been born more than a hundred and fifty years ago. Her mum had told her that there was a very famous Noah Allan painting in a gallery in London, of a girl and a wolf. They’d go and see it one day, Mum had said.
Amelia was so excited to find another painting by their ancestor that it took her a moment to hear the scuffling and tapping of claws. She clutched the blanket round her in a panic. Tom and that enormous dogwere coming up the stairs!
Amelia scuttled down the passageway. She’d done her best to avoid being alone with Tom. He obviously thought she was stupid because she was frightened of dogs and he moaned about having to shut Freddie up during meals, in case he scared Amelia. But Anya had told Amelia that it made it much easier to eat breakfast – if Freddie was around he could have a piece of toast out of your hand in three seconds flat.
Freddie was snuffling his way along the passage now, and Amelia cursed herself for being stupid – why hadn’t she just nipped back into her own bedroom? They would catch up with her any moment, and Freddie would sniff at her, and Tom wouldn’t make him stop, Amelia knew he wouldn’t. He’d just laugh.
Amelia ducked round the huge wooden cupboard, and stood there in the shadows, hoping they’d go straight past. But she could hear Freddie sniffing at everything, and Tom sniggering as the dust made the huge dog sneeze. There was no way Freddie was going to miss her. And it would be obvious that she was hiding, and Tom would tell everyone, like it was a great big joke.
Amelia leaned back, trying to wriggle into the corner where the cupboard wasn’t pushed right up against the wall. Except that her blanket was catching on something sticking out of the wall. She looked round
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