Missing (62 page)
Kelsey’s head came up; her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks mottled by tears. Rufus looked so cute and funny that her mouth trembled as she tried to smile. Then she laughed and sobbed as he banged his fists joyously together and screamed exultantly again.
‘We’re going to take him to the lake to introduce him to Henrietta,’ she told her father.
‘Look behind you,’ Miles whispered.
Kelsey turned round and gave another gulp of laughter as she saw the cause of Rufus’s excitement. Henrietta was waddling up the lawn after her.
She looked hesitantly at Vivienne, then watched as Vivienne put Rufus down on the grass.
Swallowing her tears, Kelsey stooped to his height. ‘This is Henrietta,’ she whispered, as he watched the goose come. ‘Be gentle with her, won’t you?’
Rufus’s mouth was a perfect little O as he turned to look at this new person talking to him. Then all six of his teeth showed in a cheeky grin.
Kelsey laughed and held onto him as Henrietta drew closer – but she didn’t hold tightly enough, because he was suddenly running forward to meet the goose, arms open wide as he yelled with delight. Then everyone was laughing as Henrietta, without missing a step, turned tail to hotfoot it back to the safety of the lake.
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Version 1.0
Epub ISBN 9781409035343
Published by Arrow Books 2008
10 9
Copyright © Susan Lewis 2007
Susan Lewis has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work
This novel is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
First published in Great Britain in 2007 by
William Heinemann
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London, SW1V 2SA
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9780099492344