My Friend Walter. Michael Morpurgo

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Aunty Ellie said to him pointedly. ‘She was up there, just like I said. I told you, didn’t I?’

      The Beefeater looked at me and frowned. He was more than a little puzzled. ‘Well, I just don’t understand it, lady,’ he protested. ‘I don’t understand it at all. I was up there not five minutes ago and I’m telling you there was no one up there. Hiding under the bed were you? You’re not s’posed to go near that bed. They do that, these kids, sometimes. Got no discipline these days.’

      ‘I was out on Raleigh’s Walk,’ I said. ‘Down the end.’

      ‘I never seen you,’ said the Beefeater.

      ‘Well wherever you were you took a mighty long time about it,’ said Aunty Ellie. ‘Worried me sick, you did. And Winnie has very likely caught a cold waiting out here for you. Most inconsiderate, Bess Throckmorton. I’m surprised at you. Now come along. We’ve to drop Winnie off at her hotel and then we must get back to Devon. I promised your mother I’d have you back home by midnight.’

      And so we were. I sat in the front all the way but I could not resist looking over my shoulder into the back seat. Sir Walter Raleigh was there. I could not see him but I knew he was there. Somehow I could feel him, and more than once Aunty Ellie had to open a window. ‘I smell cigarette smoke,’ she said, tutting and shaking her head. ‘Must’ve been Winnie. I never knew she smoked. It clings to the clothes, you know. Filthy habit. Never smoke, Bessy dear, you hear me, never. Can’t think why anyone ever invented the filthy habit.’

      Mother noticed it too, as I climbed into bed that night. ‘Better wash your hair tomorrow,’ she said as she kissed me goodnight. ‘It smells of cigarette smoke. ’Spect there were lots of people smoking at the party, were there?’ I nodded. ‘Did you meet anyone interesting?’ Mindful of who was probably listening, I replied: ‘Just one.’

      ‘Who was he?’

      ‘He’s called Walter,’ I said. And Mother went out. I heard her talking to Father in the passage outside the bathroom later. ‘She met a friend called Walter,’ she said.

      ‘Boyfriends already,’ said Father. ‘Funny name, Walter,’ and their bedroom door closed.

      ‘Are you there, Sir Walter?’ I whispered.

      ‘I’m here.’ The voice came first, then the cloaked figure appeared sitting in the chair under the mantelpiece where I kept my collection of china owls.

      ‘Where you going to sleep?’ I asked.

      ‘Like your owls, ghosts don’t sleep much,’ he said. He leaned heavily on his cane and stood up. ‘Good night, dear cousin, and may God bless you always for your kindness to me. I shall not forget it.’ And he came over to my bed, took my hand and kissed it gently.

      ‘Goodnight, Sir Walter,’ I said.

      ‘I am called Walter to my friends and family. You are indeed my family and I trust you will always be my friend.’

      ‘Yes,’ I said. And my friend Walter walked out through the door and was gone as suddenly as he had come. Downstairs Humph began to bark furiously and to scratch at the back door, and only I knew it wasn’t the fox he was after.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QNxaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBNTTpPcmlnaW5hbERvY3VtZW50SUQ9 InhtcC5kaWQ6MzhFRUJFRjEyRjIxNjgxMTg3MUZCMzY2RTUxQTNCMDciIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50 SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6MDMxRjhCN0RDOTFFMTFFQUJGREU4RjcyMDVDQzQ2NTciIHhtcE1NOkluc3Rh bmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6MDMxRjhCN0NDOTFFMTFFQUJGREU4RjcyMDVDQzQ2NTciIHhtcDpDcmVh dG9yVG9vbD0iQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVk RnJvbSBzdFJlZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjg5MzdDN0I0MEQyMDY4MTE4RjYyRjZDNjZB NkRFMjcwIiBzdFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjM4RUVCRUYxMkYyMTY4MTE4NzFGQjM2 NkU1MUEzQjA3Ii8+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8 P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJyIj8+/+IMWElDQ19QUk9GSUxFAAEBAAAMSExpbm8CEAAAbW50clJHQiBY WVogB84AAgAJAAYAMQAAYWNzcE1TRlQAAAAASUVDIHNSR0IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAPbWAAEAAAAA 0y1IUCAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARY3By dAAAAVAAAAAz

СКАЧАТЬ