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Because there are sausage rolls, I tag along It’s been a while since lunch, and this trip to a pub ht not include much more to eat than a packet of chips Or crisps, as they call thee (each situated at opposite ends), but it’s hard to tell if they serve food or nothing s I’ve yet to ask about the provenance of those but I guess they’re a little like pork rinds

“Is there so frorand staircase With a pensive finger on her chin, she glances left and right along the long hallway “How odd”

I feel Hugh’s attention swing my way as I reach the bottom stair “What was that?

“It just feels like there’s soht about this space”

My response is to affect a nonco, and thankfully, Isla quickly concludes I’ a newbie here

“We should tell,” Archie whisper-hisses as Isla moves out of earshot

“No!” My sentih

“But how are we going to get it back?” Archie asks plaintively, his arlue from school, but I couldn’t!”

“Friend,” I say, reaching for his hand “Don’t worry about it And don’t borrow anything else from the classroom Leave it to me” And hopefully YouTube

“But—”

“No,” repeats his elder brother “Muht now”

Not to h, coht be me who’d suffer most Maybe I’d even be out of a job

Aiding and abetting? Being a big old liar pants? Setting the children in h for dismissal

Isla is greeting the dog as we enter a kitchen that’s a hive of activity, and the Dougal of today seems like another person Dressed in chef whites, he doles out orders like the captain of a ship, though as he catches sight of the boys, he takes ti their hair

“What happened to wee Archie?” he asks with astonishone?”

“No, Dougal,” the boy laughs, rapidly shaking his head “Tell him, Chrissy!”

“Tell him what,potatoes

“Tell Dougal I just got bigger!”

“Youfor her collaboration “Put it there,” he then says, turning to Hugh and holding out his hand The pair shake, each of therin “I expect you’ve cohtens, his demeanour and tone cordial but deferential as his attention moves the boy’s mother