Where the Stones Sing Read Online Free PDF Page A

travelled far more than I ever have. The furthest I have been outside Dublin is Tallaght. Or was it that pilgrimage I went on to Swords? But it must be hard to be out, travelling the roads all the time. And have you no other family, no grandparents or aunts or uncles who might look after you so you would not have to live so rough a life?’
    Kai shook her head. ‘No, there is just the three of us. I think my father quarrelled with his family, but he never speaks about it. It’s not so bad really; every day is different. Exciting.’
    Even to her own ears, her voice sounded doubtful. Dame Maria said briskly, ‘There’s nothing too exciting about singing for alms in the shadow of a cold wall with the night coming on. However, I see you are a loyal child, which is all to the good. Do you want to keep your own clothes? You must get into these things here and I’ll bundle the rest up for us to carry up to the priory. Listen, the bells of Christ Church are ringing – we must not be late. But first, go down to the kitchen and get yourself clean. I told Damaris to leave out soap and hot water in front of the fire. We must hurry back.’
    Kai felt herself shaking slightly. She hoped against hope that she would be left alone while she washed and changed. However, she was pleased to hear that her voice was quite steady when she asked:
    ‘Can we have a look at the garden before we go back?’
    ‘Yes, if we don’t delay too long. Do you like gardens?’
    Kai nodded. There was something so nice about the idea of having one’s own garden, of planting things and actually being there long enough to see them come up out of the soil. Dame Maria led her down to the kitchen and, to Kai’s great relief, left her alone. To make sure she wouldn’t be interrupted, Kai dragged two heavy stools in front of the door and washed and changed as quickly as she could. Then she joined Dame Maria where she was gathering herbs outside . This garden is full of music, thought Kai. There was the sound of the water beyond the wall, and birdsong and the warm buzzing of bees. Dame Maria showed her the vegetable plot, with its last crops of beans and peas and the marrows and the onions. Then they visited the pear and apple trees that already had tiny fruits hiding in the leaves, the fruit bushes and the herb garden where Dame Maria grew healing plants for the medicines she made. They gathered some honey from the hives that were lined against the western wall, and Dame Maria told her that she could take one of the combs back to the priory for the monks.
    On the way back into the house, she showed Kai the stillroom with its long table and shelves with vials and retorts, and herbs hanging everywhere. Here Dame Maria dried and distilled roses and lavender and many other plants. She used the mixes to make everything from polish to potions for those who were sick. The room smelled wonderful.
    Kai looked around her, thinking how lovely it would be to spend time in Dame Maria’s house, helping in the garden and the kitchen and the stillroom, and learning how to make beautiful things like the tapestry upstairs. But she could say nothing about this − no boy would ask to learn how to sew tapestries! She wondered how she was going to cope with being a boy all the time. Although she had always acted as a boy while out on the streets singing, up to now she had been able to relax and be as girlish as she liked when she was alone with her father and her brother. Now she couldn’t do that. Now she would have to watch herself every minute of every day. She would have to fight her corner and shout with the best of them. And her fellow choirboys were probably going to fight with her, if today’s adventure was anything to go by. Although she had a strange feeling that during their last scuffle, Jack had got in a kick at Roland, rather than actually doing her or Edward very much harm.

The Priory of Holy Trinity
    y the time they got back to Christ Church Kai was very tired.