Mumbersons and The Blood Secret, The Read Online Free Page B

grandparents sooner or later.
     
    Mrs Mumberson had been baking, which surprised Billy, because he didn’t think there was enough in the house to bake anything with. But she’d somehow conjured up two batches of biscuits out of ingredients in the pantry. They were cooling on airing trays on the kitchen table. Billy wondered if his grandmother could do magic too. Maybe some of the witch’s magic had rubbed off on her. He shook his head: that was stupid.
     
    His grandfather sat at the table reading the paper. He was eating one of the newly-baked biscuits and drinking tea. Both the grandparents were cleaner and tidier than last night: their hair was done, and there was no sign of dirt. Because they were both so skinny from lack of food, the clothes they’d borrowed from Jerry and Madeleine’s wardrobes hung loosely on them.
     
    Billy introduced Olivia, and before either of them knew what was happening, they were sitting at the table with a plate of biscuits each, and hot chocolate drinks. Mrs Mumberson had found all manner of things in the pantry, some of which had been forgotten since Billy’s mother had left.
     
    ‘What was it like in the witch’s diamond mine, Mrs Mumberson?’ asked Olivia, eating her first biscuit.
     
    Mr Mumberson looked up from his paper. ‘We don’t talk about that, Olivia.’
     
    ‘It’s too painful,’ said his wife. ‘We want to forget it.’
     
    ‘But it’s so exciting, and different, and full of magic,’ said Olivia.
     
    ‘Magic is nothing but trouble,’ said Mr Mumberson.

    ‘I’ve never met anyone who’s been involved in magic before,’ insisted Olivia. Billy gave her a warning glance which she ignored. ‘I think it would be a great adventure, and...’
     
    She was interrupted by a couple of chirps from Billy’s cellphone. Both the Mumbersons looked on with interest as he checked the text; they’d never used cellphones at all.
     
    Billy said, ‘It’s from Dad. Come immediately. Meet me at the Factory gates. ’ Billy frowned.
     
    ‘Is he back in Skittleton already?’ asked Mrs Mumberson.
     
    ‘He can’t have brought her home yet,’ said Billy. ‘Didn’t he go and see Mum after all?’
     
    ‘Maybe he changed his mind,’ said his grandmother.
     
    ‘Exactly what he would do,’ said Mr Mumberson, giving the paper a snap to remove the crease.
     
    ‘Why would he change his mind?’ Billy stood up, leaving a biscuit half uneaten on his plate. ‘What’s going on?’
     
    ‘We need to go and find out,’ said Olivia. She grabbed the remainder of Billy’s biscuit off his plate, and gulped it down with the rest of her drink.
     
    Mrs Mumberson said, ‘But he took spare clothes. He said he was going to be away overnight.’
     
    ‘And his toothbrush,’ said her husband. ‘Talking of toothbrushes...’
     
    ‘Why would he be back so soon?’ asked Mrs Mumberson.
     
    ‘Probably piked out at the last minute. Thought she’d have a go at him.’
     
    ‘Oh, shut up, Mumberson!’
     
    ‘I need to go,’ said Billy. ‘Dad said come quickly.’ He headed for the door. Olivia was only a step behind him, and Stevedore two paws behind her.
     
    ‘Ring me and let me know what’s going on!’ shouted Mrs Mumberson from the front door, as they raced down the street.

     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 4 - At the Factory
     
    ‘ Come immediately. Meet me at the factory gates. ’ Billy kept trying to puzzle out the message. He hoped his Dad hadn’t changed his mind about meeting his Mum, because he really wanted to see her again.
     
    The Factory was less than two kilometres from Billy’s house, near enough for Jerry to walk to and from work rather than taking the car most days, so it wouldn’t take long to get there.
     
    Billy and Olivia ran along Fivefold St towards the steps, then raced down them two at a time. Stevedore panted along behind. Below them some shops were already shutting up for the night. As they came into The Broadway, Billy’s ear stung