Far From My Father's House Read Online Free PDF Page B

didn’t have time to reply. There were voices in the yard and soon Tommy and Frank came into the barn.
    ‘Well, who’s a good little helper then?’ Tommy said. ‘I think she fancies him.’
    ‘Shut up!’ Annie said but Tommy went over and chucked her under the chin and when she lashed out at him he hit her round the head. Blake grabbed him even while Frank stood there and Tommy, taken by surprise, went down on to the cold stone floor winded and knocked. From there he eyed Blake, and as he did so Frank went up behind Blake and hit him and he and Frank pulled Blake down on to the floor and held him and thumped and kicked him.
    As they did so Annie heard a noise and ran outside. Alistair Vane was walking into the yard. Annie ran to him.
    ‘Come and help,’ she said breathlessly and Alistair went after her into the barn.
    *  *  *
    Alistair had walked down to Grayswell because he was bored. He had thought he might see Tommy or help Jack with something or even be invited into the kitchen for tea and ginger cake. He had whistled up his father’s labradors and made his way slowly across the fields.
    When he reached the yard at Grayswell there was nobody around but Annie Lowe ran out towards him and when she called to him he followed her into the big barn.
    Tommy and Frank Harlington had some fair-haired boy down on the floor and were thumping him. They had him helpless. Annie looked appealingly at Alistair.
    Alistair didn’t recognise the boy who was curled up as small as he could be but he could see fair hair and brown skin. Worst of all the boy was silent. Tommy and Frank stopped hitting him as Alistair said mildly, ‘Really, Tommy, what are you doing?’
    ‘I’m just teaching Blake his place, that’s all,’ and Tommy brought his fist across Blake’s face so hard that Alistair had to check himself from going forward. He had seen a lot of bullying at school.
    ‘He’s only a boy,’ Alistair said.
    ‘He thinks he’s too good to be a servant,’ Frank said. ‘And everybody knows what his mother was. He doesn’t even have a man’s name, only his mother’s.’
    Blake was struggling wildly. Frank got hold of him by the hair so that Alistair could see his face. ‘Look how pretty he is. He should’ve been a lass.’
    Alistair looked straight into the helpless blue eyes and remembered how awful school was. The blood was running down Blake’s mouth from his nose.
    ‘I think he’s had enough.’
    ‘Who asked you?’ Tommy said.
    Alistair sighed. He was beginning to wish that he had stayed at home. He hadn’t been that bored. He looked irritatedly at Blake. He could probably better Tommy but Tommy and Frank together would be too much. Tommy’s eyes widened.
    ‘You wouldn’t?’ he said. ‘For him?’ and he laughed. ‘Fancy that, do you?’
    Alistair hadn’t been angry for weeks. At school it was best not to.
    ‘Leave him alone.’
    Tommy and Frank let go of Blake and got to their feet.
    ‘You’re going to be sorry you didn’t stay at home,’ Tommy said.
    ‘Tommy, I already am sorry but I’m not going to stand here and let you half-kill him.’
    ‘Think you can fight both of us at once?’
    Behind them Blake unfolded and got quietly to his feet.
    ‘I won’t have to,’ Alistair said. Beside him Annie Lowe appeared with a hay fork.
    Tommy glanced around him.
    ‘I don’t think Goldilocks is worth it,’ he said and made a scornful exit from the barn. Frank followed him. Blake stood stemming the blood from his nose with his knuckles.
    ‘I’m going to tell Dad,’ Annie said, putting down the hay fork.
    ‘No, you aren’t,’ Blake said immediately.
    ‘It’ll only make things worse, Annie,’ Alistair said.
    *  *  *
    Blake walked out and didn’t come back. Jack questioned Tommy and Annie closely but neither of them said anything. Blake hadn’t come back when the night was dark and cool and everybody went to bed. Jack left the doors unlocked.
    Annie didn’t sleep. She felt so