Page 3 (1/2)

I looked up at the church façade I guessed it was Victorian architecture, with stained-glass s and two elaborate, pretty towers Brickwork alternated with crea a pattern of stripes But however high I looked, I couldn’t see a single statue on the entire building, let alone another gargoyle Odd that the ghost was haunting it all the sa to the ht in front of my nose He could climb like a lizard, of course--they all can I stared at the brick next to his head for a second and turned away

The gargoyle wasn’t so sure that I really could see him now "Oh, please," he said "It would be so nice to talk to sohost of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle"

Quite ingenious of hi for that one I did feel sorry for him, but I knehat a nuisance those little pests could be What’s more, he’d disturbed me in ht I was a silly girl who didn’t know her own argoyle

I went on ignoring hih problee of the pave out for a taxi to hail Of course a free one ca at once So like natural authority My grandmother Lady Arista, for instance She only had to stand at the roadside looking stern, and taxi drivers squealed to a halt right away

"Co, Gwyneth?"

"You can’t just walk away like that!" The hoarse, childlike voice sounded tearful, heartrending "When we’ve only just this minute found each other"

Very likely if we’d been on our own, I’d have let his and clawlike feet, he was kind of cute, and he probably didn’t get host of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had oyles What was Sir Arthur’s ghost up to in London anyway?) But if you start talking to ghosts and so on in front of other people, they think you’re a liar or just showing off That’s if you’re lucky If you aren’t, which is most of the tioyle I talked to had been so affectionate and clinging that I could hardly even go to the toilet alone

So I got into the taxi with a stony expression and stared straight ahead as we set off, with Gideon sitting next toout of theThe taxi driver raised his eyebrows as he examined our costumes in the rearview mirror, but much to his credit, he made no comment

"It’s nearly six thirty," said Gideon, obviously trying to strike up a nor of starvation"

Once he’d said it, I realized that I felt the saet half y atmosphere around the family breakfast table, and as usual school lunch had been inedible I thought rather wistfully of the appetizing sandwiches and scones on Lady Tilney’s tea table We’d missed out on them as well

Lady Tilney! Only now did it strike me that Gideon and I had better discuss our adventures in the year 1912 After all, our visit to her had gone wildly off course, and I had no idea what the Guardians, who considered ti to think of that Gideon and I had traveled back to 1912 on a raph (To be honest, I still didn’t entirely understand the reasons for that, but the whole thing seemed to be enormously important As far as I could make it out, the safety of the world itself was at stake, at the very least) But before we could do anything about thatin They were the villains of the piece, or anyway that’s how Gideon’s family and Gideon himself saw it Apparently Lucy and Paul had stolen the other chronograph and hidden in the past with it No one had heard of them for years--until they turned up at Lady Tilney’s house and wrecked our little tea party

When exactly pistols were draas soht, but at soun to Lucy’s head, a pistol that, strictly speaking, he ought not to have brought with him at all (Like me when I took my mobile phone into the past, but at least you can’t shoot anyone dead with a mobile!) Then we ran for it and took shelter in the church But all the ti that the Lucy and Paul situation wasn’t quite as black and white as the de Villiers fa to say about Lady Tilney?" I asked

"H we should actually lie, but ood idea to edit a few things out You’d better leave the talking to ain, that familiar tone of command "Oh, sure," I said "I’ll just nod and keep irl should"

I instinctively, defiantly, crossed my arms Why couldn’t Gideon act normal? First he kissedlike a lordly Grand Master of the Guardians’ Lodge again What was the idea?

We concentrated on looking out of our respective s

It was Gideon who finally broke the silence, which gave ot your tongue?" The way he asked, he sounded almost embarrassed

"What?"

"It’s what mystraight ahead and saying nothing, like you right at this moment"

"You have a mother?" Only when I’d said it did I realize what a silly question it was! Oh, for heaven’s sake!