A Perfect Gentle Knight by Kit Pearson Read Free Book Online Page B

Sunday.”
    â€œI’m really sorry about yesterday,” Corrie continued quickly. “Sebastian’s like that sometimes, but I wanted you to play with us.”
    â€œYou did?” Meredith’s face was hopeful but wary. “I’d like to be friends with you, Corrie, but this week you’ve been so unfriendly I decided you didn’t.”
    â€œI do!” Corrie cried. “It’s just … it’s just hard with my family, that’s all.”
    â€œI like your family! They’re kind of strange, but they’re interesting . Can you come over to my house tomorrow after school?”
    â€œSure!” They grinned at each other.
    â€œWas that your father sitting with you?” Meredith asked.
    Corrie nodded.
    â€œHe’s so old !”
    â€œI guess he is old for a father. He’s—uh, he was—twenty years older than my mother.”
    â€œYou’re It!” cried Meredith, tapping her on the shoulder. Corrie chased her all over the parish hall. They played tag until Sunday school was over, then they joined the line of children to meet their parents coming out of church. Mrs. Rose frowned at them, but there was nothing she could do. Sunday school teachers had no authority, not like the ones in real school.
    T HE REST OF SUNDAY was as peaceful as usual. The family squished into a taxi and Fa took them downtown for lunch, to the hotel restaurant they went to every week. No one there seemed to mind the twins getting up and down, running into the lobby, and coming back to report on what they’d seen.
    This was the only good meal they had all week. Corrie stuffed herself with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and apple pie with thick cream. Fa and Sebastian were engaged in a lively conversation about the Holy Grail; Fa knew a lot about knights, almost as much as Sebastian.
    Corrie wondered if he guessed he was King Arthur. He must have noticed their game. But maybe not; Fa was so immersed in his own secret world, he was barely aware of much outside it.
    But at least on Sundays he stayed out of his study and tried to give all his attention to his children. After the taxi ride home, they changed their clothes and went for a long walk on the golf course. Then they all sat in the den with ginger ale for them and wine for Fa.
    Corrie and Harry stretched out on the floor with the weekend funnies. Harry’s favourites were “Terry and the Pirates” and “Mark Trail”; Corrie liked “Gasoline Alley” and “Prince Valiant.” Prince Valiant looked so much like Sebastian, with his long hair and handsome demeanour. And he was just as brave. Hamlet plopped down on top of the paper the way he always did when someone read on the floor.
    Fa played cribbage with Roz, Orly curled up in his lap. “When did your hair get so curly, Rosalind?” Fa asked suddenly.
    Roz looked irritated. “Oh, Fa, I got a perm three weeks ago! Don’t you remember? I asked you if I could.”
    Fa looked ashamed. “I do apologize, my dear. I forgot.” He studied her. “It makes you look much older. You’re getting to be quite a young lady!” He looked surprised that any of them were growing at all.
    Fa admired Harry’s model airplane and tried unsuccessfully to teach Juliet how to tie her shoelaces, laughing with the rest of them when Juliet simply knotted the two loops. “It’s my invention ,” she boasted. “Fa, could Orly and me get some more turtles?”
    â€œOrly and I ,” said Fa. “I thought you already had turtles.”
    â€œThey died,” said Juliet.
    â€œThey always die,” said Roz. “I don’t think you should buy any more.”
    Juliet looked so woeful that Fa said they could ask for turtles for Christmas.
    â€œFa,” said Harry solemnly, “a kid in my class says that if you cut the skin between your thumb and first finger you’ll die. That couldn’t