Thornhall Manor Read Online Free PDF

today, so how would you and your brother like to come with me and Sally, me dears?”
    â€œMay we, Grandma?”
    â€œOf course you may. Now, look after them, Peg.”
    â€œNow, are you two comfortable?”
    â€œYes, Mr Pegington.”
    â€œCall me Peg. Now, don’t worry, Mary. They’ll be fine with me. Now, what about a kiss before we go?”
    â€œBe off with you!”
    Grandma, waving, disappeared into the distance.
    â€œGrandma tells me, Mr Peg, that you’re a tinker.”
    â€œThat’s right, me girl.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œIt means pots and pans, knives and forks - everything for the kitchen. I’m also an odd-job man.”
    As they bumped along the unkempt highway, Mr Peg never stopped talking.
    â€œWhoa, Sally. I’ll be stopping here for a moment or two,” he said, jumping down and selecting some pots and pans from the back of the cart.
    We watched him making his way up a garden path to a small cottage. The door was open and in he went. It wasn’t long before laughter could be heard.
    â€œUntil the next time. Goodbye. Good luck to you both.”
    â€œNow, me darlings, on to see Joe Sheppard; then back to Rose Cottage in time for tea.”
    As we clattered along the tree-lined dusty highway, we laughed at Mr Pegington’s many stories of days gone by.
    â€œWere you ever caught poaching, Mr Pegington?”
    â€œOnly once,” he replied, pulling hard on the reins and bringing Sally to a stop, “by a villain who owned that place down there.” He pointed through the trees and there in a valley we could see the ruins of a large mansion. “That’s Thornhall Manor.”
    Paul’s face lit with excitement - Thornhall Manor.
    Flicking the reins, Mr Pegington said, “Come on, Sally. There’s a good girl,” and slowly we moved forward.
    â€œMr Pegington, please tell me more about Thornhall Manor.”
    A long silence followed.
    â€œThey say it’s haunted. No one goes there now. Murdered he was - never found the body. They do say his ghost walks at night.”
    â€œWhose ghost?”
    â€œThe squire’s nephew, Peter Nesbit. It was a sad day when he arrived at the manor.”
    Without a command, Sally stopped outside a tiny rose-covered cottage.
    â€œI won’t be long, me dears.”
    The children watched him walk up the garden path and disappear into the cottage. In no time at all the cottage door opened again and a tall, thin lady with a wrinkled face appeared.
    â€œThere you are, Sally. Now, you two, jump down and follow me,” she said in a commanding voice. “You sit there, young lady, and you there, young man.” Upon this she presented us with a large glass of cold milk. “Now tell me: have you enjoyed your trip with Mr Pegington?” Before we could answer: “Hark at them in there!”
    We could here the tinkling of glasses and laughter from the next room.
    Paul said, “We passed Thornhall Manor on our way to you, Mrs Sheppard. There’s not much of it left now, after the fire.” Paul just had to mention Thornhall Manor. He seemed obsessed with finding out everything connected to the manor. “What caused the fire, Mrs Sheppard?”
    â€œNo one seems to know, me lad, but I have many happy memories of Thornhall Manor. Every year the squire and his lovely wife, Kathleen, held a grand ball. From miles around guests would arrive in all their fine clothes and grand coaches. The local farmers and tenants came too, with their wives and children. Feasting, music and dancing would go on late into the evening. It was at such an occasion that I met Mr Sheppard. I was helping Annie in the kitchen when in he came, picking at the food we’d prepared. Little did I realise the hand I slapped belonged to the man I was to marry. Annie - I often wonder what happened to Annie. Suddenly she left without a word. I don’t know why - something