A Mischief of Mermaids Read Online Free

that’s very nice of you,” she said. She turned a scornful look on Will. “It’s good to know that some boys know how to act like gentlemen.”
    Will snickered, and Henry’s ears turned scarlet.
    â€œI’m not a gentleman,” he protested. “I’m a, a . . . what’s the opposite of a gentleman?”
    â€œA scoundrel, a bounder, a cad?” suggested Poppy.
    â€œYes, that’s what I am,” said Henry. “I’m a cad who happened to notice that Franny’s suitcases looked kind of heavy, that’s all.”
    â€œThat’s what I mean,” said Franny. “You saw someone in need and you offered to help. Unlike some people”—she nodded toward Will—“who simply stand by and let the tired and poor struggle on their own.”
    â€œHey, you pack ’em, you carry ’em,” said Will carelessly. “That’s my motto. Why do you need all those suitcases anyway? We’re just going to be swimming and kayaking.”
    Franny tossed her head so that her long gold curls flashed in the sun. “That’s no reason not to look one’s best,” she said, surveying Will with a look of distaste. “I’d think you would be ashamed to be seen wearing that outfit.”
    â€œIt’s not an outfit,” snapped Will. “It’s clothes .”
    He glanced down. His T-shirt told the story of his recent activities (faded ketchup blotches from a food fight with Henry; “Twilight Mist” stains from when he had, under protest, helped Mrs. Malone paint the front porch; dirt and grass stains from an ambitious attempt to build a tunnel from the house to the toolshed; and several rips from the day he climbed the tallest oak tree in the woods). His khaki shorts had also suffered in these adventures, plus he had now worn them for a record seven days in a row.
    â€œAnd anyway,” he said, “what’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
    She raised one eyebrow. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you just came back from five months in the wilderness.”
    â€œAwesome,” he said stoutly. “That’s exactly the look I was going for.”
    Franny rolled her eyes. “Just promise you’ll stay far away from me. I’d like to make some new friends, thank you very much, and I don’t want them scared off by my little brother.”
    â€œNo problem,” said Will. “I’ll get started right now. Come on, Henry. Let’s move far, far away and get the magnetometer out of the car.”
    As the boys moved away, Poppy asked Franny, “Who do you think you’re going to meet in the middle of the lake?”
    As if in answer to her question, a boy with white-blond hair sped past on a Jet Ski, leaving a ripple of water in his wake. He was moving fast, but he still managed to flash a smile in their direction. Franny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled back.
    â€œOh,” said Poppy. “Right.”
    Franny tossed her head. “You don’t need to sneer,” she said. “What’s wrong with making new friends?”
    Nothing, Poppy thought. The problem is that we never stay anywhere long enough for them to become old friends.
    â€œWe don’t need to make any new friends,” said Poppy. “We have Henry.”
    â€œHenry is nice,” Franny admitted, “but he’s just one person.”
    â€œOne is enough,” said Poppy. “If it’s the right person.”
    â€œThat’s what you think now,” Franny said darkly. “But you feel differently when you get to be my age.”
    She put on a quoting voice. “A young person needs at least three close friends who will offer support and a listening ear in order to make it through the stresses and traumas of middle school.” She paused long enough to give Poppy a significant look. “And I’m going to be in a