The Summer of Secrets Read Online Free PDF

lifted a hand and called out.
    ‘Thank you.’ She wasn’t sure what she was thanking her for, but still. ‘Thank you, Mrs—’
    ‘Tyler.’ The woman went through the door without a backward glance. ‘For sixty years and not many to go.’ The door shut behind her.
    There didn’t seem much point in hanging about, but Helen stayed to throw a few more stones before heading home, taking her time in case they came by. When she got home, something was wedged in the letter box, a fat book, the pages slightly spread and wrinkled. Had it been there all along? Surely she’d have noticed? It took some minutes of wiggling to get it free.
Ulysses.
Wasn’t he Greek? Something was scribbled on the inside cover. ‘
Had this lying around. Thought it would make a good start.
’ The letters were small and tight, and she hadn’t signed her name. Helen turned to the first page, doubts starting to flicker as she tried to work out what was going on. It wasn’t her usual thing, but it gave her a connection, anyway. She needed to try, that was all.
    In the garden again, she tried to get comfortable. The book was thick enough to need both hands to keep it open, and doing that lying down made her back hurt. She wriggled into a sitting position and leaned against the tree, with her knees propping the book’s weight.
    Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.
    She riffled through the pages. Seven hundred to go. And she hadn’t understood a word so far. With a groan, she turned the page and flattened it down. She had to do it. But first she might let her eyes close for a second.
    A lean, golden-skinned boy was standing above her. He used his foot to turn the book over from where it had fallen face down.
    ‘
Ulysses
, huh?’ He grinned. ‘Joyce always makes me go to sleep too. How are you getting on with it?’
    Helen’s neck ached. How long had she been asleep? She had a hideous vision of herself with her mouth open, snoring in the sun. Sitting up, she fiddled her hair straight. What were you supposed to say in a situation like this, anyway? He answered for her by holding out a hand.
    ‘Seth.’
    His hair was the same brown as Victoria’s, but curly, standing out from his face and falling a good few inches below his shoulders. Helen remembered his hand, and held her own out. He took it in a firm grasp and then dropped to the ground beside her. With an air of being completely at home, he let himself fall back and tilted his face up towards the sun, his eyes closed.
    ‘I’ve only been back for an hour, and I’ve spent most of that trying to round people up. The twins were up a tree in someone’s garden, and now Victoria has disappeared again. I thought she might be here.’ He opened one eye in joke consternation. ‘You are Helen, aren’t you? Pippa’s horse-riding friend?’
    So someone had been talking about her. ‘Yes.’ She felt her tongue begin to tangle already. ‘Though I don’t actually ride them at all. I mean, real horses. It was Pippa, she got really keen.’
    He laughed, but it was a warm sound, comfortable somehow.
    ‘Pippa and her ponies. She has me leading them out to grass on a regular basis. It’s those pony club books she keeps reading.’ He had both eyes closed again. ‘So tell me: why are you out here on this beautiful day reading
Ulysses
? Can’t be for exams.’
    Helen hoped he wouldn’t ask what she thought of it. ‘It’s for Victoria’s reading list.’
    He gave her a sideways glance.
    ‘Victoria’s?’
    ‘Yes.’ Helen picked the book up and riffled the pages under her thumb. ‘She’s got a list of books, ones that no one ever finishes or something, and we’re going to read them all and compare …’ Her voice trailed off. She wasn’t sure it was making sense now she was saying it out loud. ‘She must have finished this one already.’
    ‘Did she tell you that? Because she’s having you on.’ Seth