Magic at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant Read Free Book Online Page A

couldn’t help a giggle spluttering out. “Isn’t it funny the way I keep saying ‘home’? I suppose it’s because school is my home in term time. And of course there’s always someone on duty, like Matron or Mrs. Pridham. They can help with—”
    â€œAntonia, we need to talk.”
    I got a shock at those words of Papà’s, because they’d come out so strongly and seriously, and he hadn’t called me Toni. There was something in his tone that reminded me of the time last spring in Italy when he’d first mentioned Silver Spires. And why was Mamma looking down? What did we need to talk about? Whatever was the matter? Mamma sat on the edge of my bed and Papà sat in the chair next to it.
    â€œSo perhaps we should go to the café?” he said more calmly.
    I shook my head and he sighed.
    â€œAntonia, your mother and I have made a decision.”
    My mouth felt suddenly dry and I sipped at the water on my trolley as my father kept talking.
    â€œWe didn’t want to say anything until you felt well again, but this whole experience has made one thing quite clear to us. It was such a shock when we heard the news that you’d had a bad accident on your bike. We felt so worried and so powerless and helpless with the enormous distance between your school and our home. And I can’t tell you how difficult and complicated it was to make this journey to England at such short notice to be with our precious daughter, which was all we wanted to do…”
    He paused and my heart pounded and pounded with fear and yet I didn’t know what there was to fear.
    â€œâ€¦So we are taking you back home with us to Italy.”
    I swallowed. His voice and his face were too grave for the words that had just come out of his mouth. I wasn’t sure what he meant. Or was it that I was sure but I couldn’t face it? My voice shook as I asked the question that had found its way from my racing mind to my mouth. And my insides trembled with dread at what his answer would be.
    â€œDo you mean you’re taking me home early for the holidays or…” It was no good I couldn’t say the rest of the sentence.
    â€œNo, we’re taking you out of Silver Spires altogether. It’s for the best.”
    My heart stopped pounding and squeezed with misery.

Chapter Five

    For the first time in my life I was about to cross a line with my father. I was going to question his decision, because it was stupid and just…wrong.
    I raised my voice. “You can’t do this to me!”
    Mamma quickly pulled the curtains round the bed and told me to be calm.
    â€œHow can I be calm? You’re making me cross. It was you two who wanted me to come to Silver Spires in the first place. You said I had to improve my English…”
    â€œYes, you’re right,” said Papà. “And that job is now done. You speak English wonderfully well. Better than we had hoped for.”
    I wished I hadn’t said anything about English now.
    â€œBut it’s more than just the language. It’s the whole…culture. That’s what you said. I remember.” I felt close to tears, because I didn’t have enough arguments. Not ones that Papà would listen to anyway. This had to be a terrible dream that I was about to wake up from.
    He was nodding. “Yes, I agree that culture takes a while to absorb, but you have had a good taste of it.” Then he sighed. “Look, Toni, we know how much you love your school, and if it were in Italy then everything would be fine. But it is simply too far away. Your mother and I had no idea what it would be like if you had an accident or an illness. That was short-sighted of us. But now with all this…” He held up his hands and cast his eyes around the ward. “…It’s frightened us. It’s changed our view. We can’t take the risk of something like this happening again. You need to be