Eldritch Manor by Kim Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

teeming with spiders, and sometimes bats as well. (Willa never saw any sign of mice, however. If there wasn’t an actual cat on the premises keeping them out, she felt there must surely be some kind of ghost cat at work.) Robert didn’t seem to mind insects or pests, but they made it doubly hard for Willa to keep the place even remotely tidy.
    Tengu’s room, on the other hand, was a snap to clean. It was a small room, simple and clutter-free. He slept on a mat on the floor and had next to no personal possessions. That’s not to say he didn’t want things, though. Willa often heard him begging Miss Trang for ...
    â€œA bardiche? Or a morningstar! No? How about a sweet little shuriken? Just one?”
    Willa would go to the immense dictionary in the library to look up his requests — massive medieval weapons mostly, pretty gruesome-looking. And the “sweet little shuriken” was a razor-sharp throwing star. Fortunately Miss Trang held firm. No weapons was a fundamental house rule. Thank goodness for that , thought Willa.
    Baz’s room was dominated by a great huge cabinet with dozens of tiny drawers containing all sorts of dried herbs, dead bugs, and reptiles, and unidentifiable bits of fuzz which made Willa queasy. Belle had a wardrobe full of gorgeous clothes she never wore and an ornate vanity table with a beautiful set of ivory and pearl brushes and combs. A golden inlaid with gemstones probably held her jewellery, though Willa didn’t have the nerve to peek inside. Mab’s dollhouse was usually tidy enough, which was good, because Willa didn’t know how she’d ever dust in there without breaking something. Miss Trang’s room was the only one she was still not allowed to enter, though she could now go in to clean the office.
    Baz did all the cooking, but Willa helped there too whenever she could. The backyard remained off limits to her. Willa thought it would be wonderful if it was cut back, mowed, and cleaned up. As Miss Trang pointed out, however, the overgrown trees and bushes effectively shielded them from the prying eyes of the outside world — most notably the nosy next-door neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Hackett. The Hacketts were fond of calling to Willa from their front porch, waving her over as she was arriving or leaving so they could complain about something ... most often the abysmal condition of the front or back yards. They were annoyed enough at the sight of a single weed in a neighbouring lawn, so naturally the jungle in Miss Trang’s backyard was really driving them up the wall. It was part of Willa’s job to listen sympathetically and try to keep on good terms with the Hacketts, which was possibly the hardest part of her work at the house.
    There was a lot to do, but Willa arrived every morning eager and excited. She worked hard to finish her chores as quickly as possible so she’d have at least some of the afternoon free, all the while pondering what question she would ask that day. It was a difficult decision to make. Willa felt fortunate to be in Miss Trang’s good graces at last, so she certainly didn’t want to push her luck by being too inquisitive. And she was still a little afraid of Miss Trang, so she decided to steer clear of her for the first week at least. Better to start with the others, and the simpler, more straightforward questions.
    So on her very first day she sought out Horace, in the library as usual, and in human form. The day outside was rainy and grey, and the library was dark, but there was a fire lit in the fireplace and the chairs were big and cozy. Horace smiled to see her and set his book aside.
    â€œCome. Sit down.” Willa climbed into a tall wingback chair as he poured her some tea. He passed the cup and looked at her kindly. “You’d like to ask me something?”
    â€œYes, please. If you don’t mind. I was wondering what you ... what exactly ...” She paused