1 now for the holidays!

two girls sat on a window-seat in their school study. one had red wavy hair, and so many frecklesthat it was impossible to count them. the other had dark hair that stuck up in front in an amusingtuft.

‘one more day and then the hols begin,’ said red-haired lucy-ann, looking at dinah out ofcurious green eyes. ‘i’m longing to see jack again. a whole term is an awfully long time to beaway from him.’

‘well, i don’t mind being away from my brother!’ said dinah, with a laugh. ‘philip’s not bad,but he does make me wild, always bringing in those awful animals and insects of his.’

‘it’s a good thing there’s only one day between our breaking-up days,’ said lucy-ann. ‘weshall be home first – and we can have a look round, and then the next day we shall meet the boys –hurrah!’

‘i wonder what this place is like, that mother has taken for the hols,’ said dinah. ‘i’ll get out herletter and read it again.’

she fished in her pocket for the letter and took it out. she skimmed it through.

‘she doesn’t say very much. only that she wants our home to be decorated and cleaned, and soshe has taken a cottage somewhere in the hills for us to stay in these hols,’ said dinah. ‘here’s theletter.’

lucy-ann took it, and read it with interest. ‘yes – it’s a place called spring cottage, and it’s onthe side of castle hill. she says it’s rather a lonely sort of place, but packed with wild birds, sojack will be very pleased.’

‘i can’t understand your brother being so mad on birds,’ said dinah. ‘he’s just as bad aboutbirds as philip is about insects and animals.’

‘philip is marvellous with animals, i think,’ said lucy-ann, who had a great admiration fordinah’s brother. ‘do you remember that mouse he trained to take crumbs from between his teeth?’

‘oh, don’t remind me of those things!’ said dinah, with a shudder. she could not bear even aspider near her, and bats and mice made her squeal. lucy-ann thought it was amazing that sheshould have lived so many years with an animal-loving boy like philip, and yet still be afraid ofthings.

‘he does tease you, doesn’t he?’ she said to dinah, remembering how philip had often putearwigs under dinah’s pillow, and black beetles in her shoes. he really was a terrible tease whenhe was in the mood. no wonder dinah had such a temper!

‘i wonder how kiki has got on this term,’ said dinah.

kiki was jack’s parrot, an extremely clever bird, who could imitate voices and sounds in a mostremarkable manner. jack had taught her many phrases, but kiki had picked up many many moreherself, especially from a cross old uncle that lucy-ann and jack had once lived with.

‘kiki wasn’t going to be allowed to be at school with jack this term,’ said lucy-ann sadly. ‘it’san awful pity – but still he got a friend in the town to look after her for him, and he goes to see herevery day. but i do think they might have let him have her at school.’

‘well, considering that kiki kept telling the headmaster not to sniff, and jack’s form master towipe his feet, and woke everyone up at night by screeching like a railway engine, i’m notsurprised they didn’t want kiki this term,’ said dinah. ‘anyway, we’ll be able to have her for thehols and that will be nice. i really do like kiki – she doesn’t seem like a bird, but like one of us,somehow.’

kiki certainly was a good companion. although she didn’t converse with the children properly,she could talk nineteen to the dozen when she wanted to, saying the most ridiculous things andmaking the children laugh till they cried. she adored jack, and would sit quietly on his shoulderfor hours if he would let her.

the girls were glad that the holidays were so soon coming. they and the two boys and kikiwould have good fun together. lucy-ann especially looked forward to being with dinah’s pretty,merry mother.

jack and lucy-ann trent had no father or mother, and had lived with a cross old uncle foryears, until by chance they had met philip and dinah mannering. these two had no father, butthey had a mother, who worked hard for them. she worked so hard that she had no time to make ahome for them, so they were sent to boarding school, and in the holidays went to an aunt anduncle.

but now things were changed. dinah’s mother had enough money to make a home for them,and had offered to have their great friends, jack and lucy-ann, as well. so in term time the twogirls went to school together, and the two boys were at another school. in the holidays all fourjoined up with mrs mannering, the mother of philip and dinah.

‘no more uncles and aunts!’ said dinah joyfully, who hadn’t much liked her absent-minded olduncle jocelyn. ‘just a lovely home with my mother!’

now, in the coming holidays, they were all to be together in this holiday cottage that mrsmannering had found. although dinah was a little disappointed at not going back to the home hermother had made for them all, she couldn’t help looking forward to the holiday cottage. it soundednice – and what fine walks and picnics they would have among the hills!

‘do you remember that marvellous adventure we had last summer?’ she said to lucy-ann, whowas looking dreamily out of the window, thinking how lovely it would be to see her brother jackthe day after next.

lucy-ann nodded. ‘yes,’ she said, and she screwed up her freckled nose a little. ‘it was themost exciting adventure anyone could have – but oh dear, how afraid i was sometimes! that isleof gloom – do you remember it, dinah?’

‘yes – and that shaft going right down into the heart of the earth – and how we got lost there –golly, that was an adventure!’ said dinah. ‘i wouldn’t mind having another one, really.’

‘you are funny!’ said lucy-ann. ‘you shiver and shake when you see a spider, but yet youseem to enjoy adventures so exciting that they make me tremble even to remember them!’

‘well – we shan’t have any more,’ said dinah, rather regretfully. ‘one adventure like that isenough for a lifetime, i suppose. i bet the boys will want to talk about it again and again. do youremember how in the christmas hols we couldn’t make them stop?’

‘oh – i wish the hols would come quickly!’ said lucy- ann, getting off the window- seatrestlessly. ‘i don’t know why these last two or three days always drag so.’

but tomorrow came at last, and the two girls went off in the train with scores of their friends,chattering and laughing. their luggage was safely in the van, their tickets were in their purses,their hearts beat fast in delight. now for the holidays!

they had to change trains twice, but dinah was good at that sort of thing. lucy-ann was timidand shy in her dealings with strangers, but twelve-year-old dinah stood no nonsense from anyone.

she was a strapping, confident girl, well able to hold her own. lucy-ann seemed two or threeyears younger to dinah, although actually there was only one year between them.

at last they were at the station for their holiday home. they leapt out and dinah found the oneand only porter. he went to get their luggage.

‘there’s mother!’ shouted dinah, and rushed to her pretty, bright-eyed mother, who had cometo meet them. dinah was not one to hug or kiss very much, but lucy-ann made up for that! dinahgave her mother one quick peck of a kiss, but lucy-ann gave her a bear-hug, and rubbed her redhead happily against mrs mannering’s chin.

‘oh, it’s lovely to see you again!’ she said, thinking for the hundredth time how lucky dinahwas to have a mother of her own. she felt grateful to her for letting her share her. it wasn’t verynice, having no father or mother to write to you, or welcome you home. but mrs manneringalways made her feel that she loved her and wanted her.

‘i’ve got the car outside to meet you,’ said mrs mannering. ‘come along. the porter will bringyour luggage.’

they went out of the station. it was only a little country station. outside was a country lane, itsbanks starred with spring flowers. the sky was blue and the air was warm and soft. lucy-ann feltvery happy. it was the first day of the holidays, she was with dinah’s lovely mother, andtomorrow the boys came home.

they got into the little car, and the porter put the trunks in at the back. mrs mannering took thewheel.

‘it’s quite a long way to spring cottage,’ she said. ‘we have to fetch our own goods and foodfrom the village here, except for eggs and butter and milk which a nearby farm lets me have. butit’s lovely country, and there are marvellous walks for you. as for birds – well, jack will have thetime of his life!’

‘it’s nesting time too – he’ll be thinking of nothing but eggs and nests,’ said lucy-ann, feelingjust a little jealous of the bird life that took up so much of her brother’s time.

the girls looked round them as mrs mannering drove along. it certainly was lovely country. itwas very hilly, and in the distance the hills looked blue and rather exciting. the car ran along aroad down a winding river valley, and then began to climb a steep hill.

‘oh, is our cottage on the side of this hill?’ asked dinah, thrilled. ‘what a lovely view we’llhave, mother!’

‘we have – right across the valley to other hills, and yet more hills rising beyond them!’ saidher mother. the car had to go very slowly now, for the road was steep. as they rose higher andhigher, the girls could see more and more across the valley. then lucy-ann glanced upwards tosee how high they were – and she gave a shout.

‘i say! look at that castle on the top of the hill! just look at it!’

dinah looked. it certainly was a most imposing and rugged old castle. it had a tower at eachend, and its walls looked thick. it had slit windows – but it had wide ones too, which looked a littleodd.

‘is it a really old castle?’ asked lucy-ann.

‘no – not really,’ said mrs mannering. ‘some of it is old, but most of it has been restored andrebuilt, so that it is a real mix-up. nobody lives there now. i don’t know who it belongs to, either –no one seems to know or care. it’s shut up, and hasn’t a very good name.’

‘why? did something horrid happen there once?’ asked dinah, feeling rather thrilled.

‘i think so,’ said her mother. ‘but i really don’t know anything about it. you’d better not go upthere, anyhow, because the road up to it has had a landslide or something, and is very dangerous.

they say that part of the castle is ready to slip down the hill!’

‘gracious! i hope it won’t slip on to our cottage!’ said lucy-ann, half scared.

mrs mannering laughed. ‘of course not. we are nowhere near it – look, there’s our cottage,tucked away among those trees.’

it was a lovely little cottage, with a thatched roof and small leaded windows. the girls loved itthe minute they saw it.

‘it’s just a bit like the house you bought for us,’ said dinah. ‘that’s pretty too. oh, mother, weshall have a lovely time here! won’t the boys be thrilled?’

there was a fair-sized shed at the side into which mrs mannering drove the car. everyone gotout. ‘leave the trunks for a bit,’ said dinah’s mother. ‘the man who comes from the farm willcarry them in. now – welcome to spring cottage!’