Wolf Notes and Other Musical Mishaps

Wolf Notes and Other Musical Mishaps by Lari Don Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Wolf Notes and Other Musical Mishaps by Lari Don Read Free Book Online
Authors: Lari Don
that study for the Professor forever if there hadn’t been a queue of students building up outside.
    She walked dreamily out of the lodge front doors, but the cool air blowing off the loch woke her up. She stood for a moment, staring at the magnificent mountains ahead of her, watching dozens of tiny silver burns flow down their rocky sides into the loch.
    Then she remembered she had a small boy to feed that night, so she hoisted the violin case onto her back, and headed for the McGregors’ cottage. Helen knocked. Mrs McGregor opened the door.
    “How’s James?” Helen asked.
    “How nice of you to ask! He’s awake, but I think he’s coming down with something. He’s sleepy and doesn’t want to eat.”
    Helen looked into the small living room. The little girl was at the table, rattling buttons in a bowl; the boy was sitting straight up on the couch, covered by a blanket.
    Helen stared at him. He had been lying down last night, now he was sitting up! Surely a wooden statue couldn’t do that! If James was at home after all, then the Faery Queen didn’t have a hostage and no one would have to play at her revels.
    “Hello!” Helen said.
    “Hello!” the boy replied, with exactly the same intonation.
    “How are you, James?”
    He didn’t answer, just stared ahead with half-shut eyes.
    His mum said, “He got a bit of a chill last night. He’ll be better soon.”
    “Better soon,” he agreed.
    Helen frowned. He was just repeating other people ’s words. He wasn’t really talking.
    Then the boy turned to Mrs McGregor, with a slight creak that might have been the couch, or might have been his stiff shoulders, and gave her a blindingly bright smile.
    She laughed. “That’s my boy!”
    Helen shivered. She’d seen a smile that bright last night. She’d better take the picnic into the forest tonight after all.
    She sighed. “Would you like me to play with Emma for a while? She’s the same age as my wee sister and it would give you both some peace and quiet.”
    Mrs McGregor smiled. “That would be great. I’m too busy to play with her just now, with James under the weather and their dad away on an outdoor activities course in Fort William, so I’m sure Emma would love someone to play with.”
    Helen held her hand out to Emma. “Let’s go and make a noise somewhere else, shall we?”
    Emma trotted along beside her to the rehearsal room in Murray Wing. It was just as messy as Yann and Sylvie had left it after their attemptedsabotage: the bookcase squint against the armchair ; loose music all over the couch; the bent music stand flung in a corner; the ripped drums under the shelves.
    Perhaps teenagers didn’t notice mess. Or perhaps they assumed someone else would tidy it up.
    Helen offered Emma an intact African drum to bang and spent five minutes clearing up to the noise of elephants crossing the savannah. Helen grinned. Her own wee sister used drums for animal noises too.
    She sat down beside the three-year-old. “What does James like to eat?”
    “Birthday cake,” answered Emma, still tapping the drum.
    “Cake?”
    “Just birthday cake, but he doesn’t eat the candles.”
    “I’m glad he doesn’t eat the candles. Does he like apples?”
    “No.” Emma’s voice was firm.
    “What about chocolate biscuits?”
    “No. I like chocolate biscuits.” Emma smiled up at Helen.
    “I’ll get you one in a minute. What does James eat then? Does he eat sandwiches?”
    “Chocolate biscuit?”
    Helen wasn’t going to get any more answers until she had produced a chocolate biscuit. She nipped into the kitchen and got Emma two chocolate biscuits.
    When the little girl had finished getting chocolate all over herself and the genuine Africandjembe, Helen tried again. “Does James like cheese sandwiches?”
    “No.”
    Helen sighed. Just her luck to have to find lifesaving , non-magical food for the fussiest boy in Scotland.
    “Does he like jam sandwiches?”
    Emma nodded. “Yes.”
    Helen gave Emma a

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