Princess Phoebe Read Online Free Page B

imagined my first evening with my dog.
    When Dad goes out with his gun I sit outside with her until late, just as I used to with Queenie, stroking her and telling her not to worry, that I’ll sort it out. But when I leave she starts to howl and scratch again.
    â€˜Mum,’ I plead, despite knowing that it is a waste of time, ‘ please let me bring Princess indoors.’
    Mum’s watching telly, and for once Jack and Patrick are both asleep. She doesn’t even look in my direction.
    â€˜You must do as your dad tells you,’ she says.

    I wait until Dad comes home and everyone’s in bed, and I creep out to the shed and bring Princess in anyway. It’s after midnight, but she’s waiting for me in the dark. She comes in to the house and climbs the stairs so quietly it’s as if she knows what’s going on. She lies on my bed as silent as a mouse. I feel her comforting weight on my feet and know that she’s going to be the best thing in my life. And if they won’t let me keep her indoors, I’ll leave home.
    One good thing about my family is that, because there’s always so much chaos, it’s easy to go unnoticed. I come downstairs the next morning to Mum shouting at the top of her voice, as usual, trying to get the twins up and readyfor school. They’re fighting in the bedroom. Meanwhile, Patrick is trailing around the living room with his little cart of bricks, hoping for some breakfast, and baby Jack is screaming his head off because he’s hungry and needs his nappy changing. Mum’s trying to balance her ciggy on the end of the draining board in between shouts, telling me to sort Patrick out while she gets a bottle ready for Jack.
    No one sees that I’ve brought Princess down with me, and let her out into the yard. Dad’s gone out early, which is a help, and Nick’s long since left for work. I get some cereal for Patrick and quietly let Princess back in again. She lies down behind the sofa on a pile of washing, and that’s where she stays.
    I keep my promise to help, and wash up before I collect my stuff for school. Dad comes in just as I’m going. He doesn’t look very happy as he goes to hang up a couple of pheasants on the back of the door. I see him go to the cupboard where Mum keeps a jar with money in, but when he takes it down there’s no rattle of change and he sighs and puts it back. Then he catches sight of Princess behind the sofa.
    â€˜That dog should be in the shed,’ he says, but I can tell that he can’t face another battle with me at the moment. That’s the thing with Dad: he makes a big fuss and tries to tell everyone what to do, and then gives in really quickly.
    â€˜Bye Dad,’ I say, giving him a kiss. ‘Princess has promised to be good while I’m at school.’ I give him another kiss and look at him hopefully.
    He gives an extra big sigh and says, ‘Go Ellie, before I change my mind.’
    So from then on, Princess lives in the house with the rest of us, and sleeps upstairs on my bed.

    It’s great having my own dog. Princess loves going up to see Queenie and Jade at the allotment, and Margaret lets us play up there in the evenings, even though the puppies make a mess everywhere. We can’t wait for the summer holidays to start.
    â€˜Let’s make a bonfire tomorrow and have fish and chips to celebrate the last day of term,’ Margaret suggests.
    So the next day Jan gets a lift with her dad, who’s too fussy to want two dogs in his car at once, and I end up walking on my own to the allotment. I decide to cut through the park.
    â€˜That’s a nice-looking bitch you’ve got there,’ says a voice from the shadows just as I’m nearly at the far gate. It’s Frank, smiling at me through his stumpy brown teeth. The stubble on his chin has got bits of old cigarette ash stuck in it, and he’s wearing a red t-shirt pulled tight over his fat