Dead of Winter - James Goss [20]
‘What were they doing to him?’
‘I cannot say,’ I said, desperately. ‘But please, monsieur, this is MOST important. I am trying to tell you about Amy. We were visiting the Prince in the Tower and I think the ogre captured him.’
‘Ogre?’ He blinked. ‘Could you just repeat that a bit more slowly?’
I explained as best as I could about Prince Boris and his dreadful manservant Kosov and the chariot race. Twice.
Eventually Dr Smith stood up.
‘Thank you, Maria. You’ve been very brave.’
I flushed with pride.
‘But… I really think… you’re in a lot of danger. More danger than a young girl should be in, no matter how brave she is.’
‘It’s all right, monsieur,’ I said. Dr Smith made me feel all warm inside. He really is ever so kind. ‘It really is going to be all right.’
He shook his head again. ‘No, no it is not all right.’ He stuck his hands in his pockets. ‘Amy is missing, there’s a secret patient under guard, the patients are being attacked, you can’t go home, and there’s something wrong about that beach… No, the time has come to tell you something very special.’
He looked at me very, very seriously.
‘Right then. Maria. Please listen terribly carefully. If you ever get into trouble, I want you to scream this word at the top of your lungs. If I hear it, I will come running. All right?’
I nodded solemnly.
‘Right. In a minute, I’ve got to go and rescue Amy. But first, promise me you’ll stay safe.’ He smiled, but he wasn’t happy. ‘Maria, I am going to tell you my secret name. It is very special. Can I trust you only to use it if you’re in trouble?’
‘Cross my heart.’
And so, Mother, Dr Smith told me his secret name. I’d love to tell you, but a promise is a promise.
Your ever loving
Maria
Dr Bloom’s Journal
6th December 1783
Drat the child. Drat that Maria!
If her mother won’t have her then… well, I don’t see why I should. I’ve put up with her behaviour for quite long enough. But I won’t stand for it. I just won’t stand for it any longer. That’s absolutely it. I am putting my foot down.
Perdita was very understanding. ‘Of course you’re right, my dear husband. Something must be done about Maria.’
‘She nearly ruined everything with that fool Nevil,’ I said, feeling the need to explain myself.
‘But it’s all fine now,’ she said, soothingly.
She poured me a cup of tea, and I sipped at it gratefully. My Perdita makes wonderful tea.
‘Don’t worry. You can’t cure everyone. In which case…’ She smiled that beautiful, understanding smile of hers. ‘We’ll do something about the child tonight. We’ll take care of her together.’
I crossed over to the window. In the darkness outside I could see Kosov walking down to the beach. ‘Oh dear,’ I sighed. ‘I wonder what he’ll tell them.’
Perdita clucked disapprovingly. ‘I’m sure he’ll just tell them the truth. It will be fine, my love, just fine. They are very understanding.’
She can always mollify me. But I am glad we’re taking care of that wretched girl.
What Amy Remembered
No doubt about it, we’d been locked in by Prince Boris’s servant. Which was a sackable offence, if you ask me.
Prince Dreamy was most apologetic, but far too calm about it for my taste. When he’d stopped coughing, that is. I offered him a glass of water, but he waved it away. ‘Just… let… me… get… my… breath…’ he pleaded.
While I waited I contemplated climbing out the window. Turns out it was a very big drop. So no.
‘I guess it’s just you and me, your majesty,’ I muttered. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve got Connect 4?’
I was taking this quite casually, almost as though I was used to being locked up. I scratched away at my brain. What was my life like? Why couldn’t I remember?
‘What’s Connect 4?’ asked Boris. Good point. Turns out, that was another thing I couldn’t remember. So I tried Pond Distraction Tactic No. 3, and changed the subject.
‘How are you feeling?’
Boris sat up slightly. ‘The fit has passed. Kosov is a saint, you know. If I hadn’t have come here, if he wasn’t looking after me…