Bridge in the Clouds

Chapter One: Return to Golden House Mary sensed there was something wrong as soon as they reached the house. There'd been more renovation work done while they'd been away and there were lights shining from one or two windows in the Elizabethan wing, which before would have been dark, but these minor changes excepted, everything seemed much as usual. Nevertheless, she felt uneasy as soon as she saw the place.It was already dusk when Mr. Jenkins' car came to a halt on the drive. The trees were dark against a cloudy sky and a thin breeze was blowing down from the heights beyond Goldenwater."Wind from the west," Mr. Jenkins remarked, as he lifted their suitcases out of the trunk. "Winter's on its way. Now, you'll be all right? Regards to your uncle and aunt. I'll not stop. There's a Farmers' Union meeting tonight. I'll be late, if I don't get a move on. I sometimes think life is one long blooming meeting these days. Glad to have been of help. Call in and see us, if you get the time. Cheerio, then..." and he drove away into the dark, the rear lights of his car glowing red, until they disappeared from view around a twist in the drive.Mary felt a wave of sadness envelope her as she went through the door and yet there was a fire burning in the hall grate and the welcoming smell of cooking issued from the kitchen."Where is everybody?" Alice said, running ahead and calling out, "Hello? We're here!"Even Spot seemed strangely subdued as he came to meet them, and Meg, who appeared after him from the kitchen door with her arms outspread, was obviously nervous beneath her cheerful greeting."Here you are at last!" she said, fussing around them and drying her hands on her apron. "Your uncle should be back any minute. I'm afraid Phoebe's taken to her bed. Best not go until she calls. She's not feeling quite herself..." and, still chattering, she hurried them toward the fire and shut the door against the chill air.Mary thought it was like watching a play, where everything is meant to be believed but at the same time you know that none of it is real. She confided these feelings to William and Alice as soon as they went up to their rooms to unpack and settle in, having refused a cup of tea because supper was, according to Meg, almost ready."I thought it was a bit funny that Mr. Jenkins came and met us at the station," William said, agreeing with her."No, it wasn't!" Alice protested, "if Phoebe isn't feeling well and Uncle Jack had to go into town. Honestly, you two! You're always looking for problems. I'm just glad to be back. I've hated this term, so far. I wanted to be here all the time."She was sitting on the floor, with an arm around Spot, who sighed and gazed at her with sad eyes."I'm sure something bad's happened," Mary said, looking at her reflection in the mirror on the chest of drawers and rearranging her fringe with her fingers. "Has it, Spot?" she asked, and as she spoke, she turned and crossed to crouch on the floor in front of the dog, who continued to stare silently, using his "haughty" expression."It's always quite difficult to get him talking when we've just arrived, isn't it?" William said, sitting on the side of Mary's bed. "D'you remember last time? We thought the magic had stopped altogether.""That wasn't last time, that was the spring holidays," Alice said, "and it hadn't, of course. It was just you. I knew everything would be all right. It always is, isn't it, Spot?" and she kissed the dog lovingly on the top of his head."All the same," William insisted, "it does take time. It's as though we have to get used to the magic all over again. As though we have to get back into the right frame of mind.""But I am!" Alice complained. "I haven't thought about anything but being back here all term. That's why I've been getting such hopeless marks. I haven't been able to concentrate on anything else. Everything's so boring compared to the magic here.""Yes, ICorlett, William is the author of 'Bridge in the Clouds' with ISBN 9780743410045 and ISBN 0743410041.