Pandora Read Online Free PDF Page A

quietly establishing order.
    “No, no, no!” wailed Mrs Laskaris, immediately in her element as she had something to complain about, thus placing herself in the middle of everything. “The books all have to go upstairs, except for the cookery books and the gardening books, they’re all clearly marked, that sofa should be in the other room, and why have you put the dining table in the back room?” Heedless of her husband’s protests that the back room would be far more pleasant to eat in than the front, offering as it did greater privacy and a cooler environment, Mrs Laskaris set to work organising the house and annoying both her family and the removal men.
    “We’ll get the girl’s things upstairs first,” she announced. “That way, they can start their own unpacking. I’m not doing it for you,” she snapped to Pandora and the twins. This was almost true. She would indeed refuse to do the unpacking, but she would then reorganise everything that her daughters did, moving their furniture, clothes and possessions around until satisfied.
    “Girls,” she continued to the twins. “Your room is on the next floor up, at the back, where it will be quieter for you. Your father and I will have the front room that overlooks the street, and I hope you appreciate the sacrifices we make for you.”
    “Yes, Mummy,” chorused the twins, though neither could work out exactly what sacrifices were being made on their behalf, given that it was a very quiet road.
    “Pandora, you’re on the top floor.” No explanation was given as to why Pandora was in the top bedroom, but Pandora guessed that she too was expected to appreciate whatever sacrifice had been made for her. She dashed upstairs, following the removal men as they carried her boxes to her new room.
    The bedroom had been converted from the original attic. Looking up, Pandora could see the pointed roof of the house, plastered and painted a bright, cheerful white. Indeed, the whole room was very light and airy, thanks to two large windows set in either side of the roof. They gave rather good views of the village at the front and the woods behind. The removal men dropped the last of Pandora’s boxes down, followed by her bed, which they assembled in record time.
    “There you go, love,” said one of them. “All ready for you to sort your stuff.”
    “Thanks, I’ll do that and stay out of the way of Mum,” replied Pandora with a conspiratorial grin.
    The men laughed as they left.
    Pandora looked around, her grin widening. Her new room was twice the size of her old one, was far lighter and didn’t suffer from damp. She began to appreciate why her mother had been so keen to move. Everything she had seen so far did seem to be much better than Lowell.
    Pandora set about her boxes, unpacking her belongings. She didn’t have much in the way of possessions. She then turned her attention to her clothes, hanging her favourite items up neatly and shoving the rest into cupboards and shelves before sitting on the bed and taking a break, at which point her mother walked in.
    “What are you doing?” she demanded. “You’ve no time to be sitting there, not with all the work going on. If you can’t find something to do up here, I can find you plenty to do downstairs.”
    How does she do it? wondered Pandora. It was uncanny. If Pandora had just wrestled an alligator before re-tiling the bathroom, her mother would walk in just as she was taking a five-minute rest. And probably complain about the dead crocodile on the floor.
    “Yes, Mother,” replied Pandora with what she hoped was noticeable sarcasm. “I’ve just sorted my clothes, and now I’m going to do everything else.”
    “See that you do. I’ve no time to do anything for you, not with your father making such a mess of things downstairs.” As she spoke, Mrs Laskaris began rearranging Pandora’s clothes on their shelves and re-hanging those in the wardrobe.
    “I thought you didn’t have time to do that?” said