Witch Twins and the Ghost of Glenn Bly Read Online Free PDF Page A

imagination. And Claire could bet that Daphne had imagined something far worse than Sir Percival.
    When Percival reached up and snapped a few twigs off the tree, Daphne gasped.
    “Did you hear the crackle of breaking bones?” Her eyes rounded. “It’s said that the ogre Bloatus slaughtered fifty men in a single day. Aren’t you scared?”
    “Oh, yes, I’m scared,” said Luna politely.
    “You are?” asked Daphne.
    “No, ye are not! And I have had enough of you, you impertinent, identical witch twins!” grumbled Percival. “I am off. Heigh-ho, Duncan!” With that, Percival tapped his horse’s flanks and, turning from the bridge, lightly spurred him off.
    “Wait!” Claire picked up her reins and clicked Dooley into a gallop. She clattered over the bridge in quick pursuit of the ghost.
    “Claire!” yelled Daphne. “Where are you going?” She started to give chase.
    “Daphne, n-o-o-o! Mac said you had to stay with me and Paloma!” cried Luna. “I don’t want to be all alone on the bridge at the mercy of this wild horse.”
    “Oh, brother!” exclaimed Daphne. “Paloma is about as wild as a bowl of soup.” But she turned her horse to stay with Luna.
    Good, thought Claire. She needed to speak to the ghost knight in private. “Wait up, Percival!” she cried as she caught up to his side.
    “Go away, thou witch,” said Percival.
    “I’m sorry,” said Claire. “I didn’t mean to laugh at your haunting.”
    “Contrary to what thou mightest think,” said Percival stiffly, “I have been rather good at haunting the castle till now. I even got a nice mention in the Spookiest Scottish Castles Tour Guide Book. ” He shrugged. “Alas, witches must be harder to scare. Of which clan art thou?”
    “Bramblewine.”
    The knight crooked his eyebrow. “Art thou up to mischief? The Bramblewine witches are famous for their four-star pranks.”
    “I’m not up to four stars yet,” Claire admitted. Then she quickly changed the subject. “Percival, why are you haunting Glenn Bly?” she asked. “I mean, a ghost can’t be good for a bed-and-breakfast. There’s even a sign posted out front that says ‘Glenn Bly Welcomes You.’ How can guests feel welcome if they’re also being haunted?”
    Sir Percival seemed to think about that. “My knightly duty is to protect Glenn Bly as best I can,” he said. “The castle is in danger. That is all I know. Now I must be off. Next time, witch girl, thou ought to act more scared, even if it is only pretend. ’Tis rude to laugh at a ghost.”
    With that, he vanished into the mist.
    Claire watched him with envy. In her Little Book of Shadows, Vanishing into Mist was a four-star-level spell.
    She trotted back to the others.
    “American Claire, do you always run off to have conversations with yourself?” asked Daphne as they wound the horses back toward the castle.
    “Not always. But sometimes,” Claire answered honestly.
    “Well, it’s very rude,” said Daphne.
    Claire did not answer. She was getting used to people telling her she was rude.
    As they came closer to the castle, Daphne slowed T.J. to a stop. The reins went slack in her hands.
    “Oh, no,” she breathed.
    “Oh, no, who?” asked Luna.
    “Oh, no, where?” asked Claire.
    “Oh, no, that .” Daphne pointed. “That big, silver car in the middle of the front lawn. The notorious Rolls-Royce.”
    Now both twins caught sight of the large luxury car parked smack in the middle of the castle’s front lawn.
    “Whose notorious silver Rolls-Royce?” asked Claire.
    Claire saw that Daphne’s face had become rather pale. “The notorious silver Rolls-Royce of Lord and Lady Shrillingbird,” said Daphne. “The dreadful owners of Glenn Bly.”

5
The Shrillingbirds
    A CCORDING TO DAPHNE, LORD and Lady Shrillingbird were the pickiest, grouchiest, complaining-est couple in all of Scotland. Flowers sagged and soufflés flopped in their presence. Cats growled. Dogs hid. Nothing was ever good enough for the