Cat's Cradle
J
ULIA
G
OLDING
C
AT IN
S
COTLAND
First published 2011
by Egmont UK Ltd
239 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SA
Text copyright © 2011 Julia Golding
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
ISBN 978 1 4052 4305 6
eBook ISBN 978 1 7803 1138 8
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Books (Cox and Wyman)
www.egmont.co.uk
www.juliagolding.co.uk
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For Peter and Ann
C
AT
R
OYAL
S
ERIES
The Diamond of Drury Lane
â Cat in London
(On the trail of a diamond mystery)
Cat among the Pigeons
â Cat goes to school
(Pedro comes under threat from his old master)
Den of Thieves
â Cat in Paris
(Cat takes up a new career in revolutionary France)
Cat O'Nine Tails
â Cat at sea
(Our heroine takes an unplanned journey across the Atlantic)
Black Heart of Jamaica
â Cat in the Caribbean
(Cat and Pedro get mixed up in a slave revolt)
T
HE
C
RITICS
âThe British Empire need not fear going into a decline and fall while young citizens like Miss Royal bolster our national spirits!' â E
DWARD
G
IBBON
, H
ISTORIAN
âA perfectly framed tale â I enjoyed the extra twist' â S
IR
R
ICHARD
A
RKWRIGHT
, I
NVENTOR AND
M
ANUFACTURER
âA hairum-scarum, ramstam lassie, May she flourish like a lily, Now bonilie!' â R
OBERT
B
URNS
, P
OET
âAn unwarranted incursion into my territory â get back down south, Miss Royal!' â S
IR
W
ALTER
S
COTT
, P
OET AND
N
OVELIST
âHer story had me all in a spin' â J
AMES
H
ARGREAVES
, I
NVENTOR OF THE
S
PINNING
J
ENNY
âShe's barking, absolutely barking, what!' â HM K
ING
G
EORGE
III
âA total counterfeit from start to finish' â W
ILLIAM
H
ENRY
I
RELAND
,
F
ORGER
D
ISCOVERER OF NEW
P
LAYS BY
S
HAKESPEARE
âMy delight in her work never wanes' â J
OHN
C
ONSTABLE
, P
AINTER
âHer prose runs as smoothly as one of my own macadamized roads' â J
OHN
L
OUDON
M
C
A
DAM
, S
COTTISH
I
NVENTOR
âA combination of all that's best in tale-weaving' â S
AMUEL
C
ROMPTON
, I
NVENTOR OF THE
M
ULE
âHer Scottish tale needs no overture â on second thoughts, perhaps I should write one?' â F
ELIX
M
ENDELSSOHN
, C
OMPOSER
âShe packs quite a punch â just my Fancy' â P
IERCE
E
GAN
, S
PORTS
J
OURNALIST
âI never have to manufacture any enthusiasm when I read her tales' â J
OSIAH
W
EDGWOOD
, P
OTTER
âPiffle!' â W
ILLIAM
P
ITT THE
Y
OUNGER
, P
RIME
M
INISTER
N
OTE TO THE
R
EADER
L
IST OF
P
RINCIPAL
C
HARACTERS