The House of Puzzles Read Online Free

thing.’
    Sam leaned over and patted Gerald on the arm. ‘Is that because the nasty pussy cat
had his ickle wickle paws over your eyes?’
    Felicity gave him a filthy glare. ‘You are not helping,’ she said.
    Sam shrugged and took another mouthful of peas. ‘I’m just giving him a taste of what
to expect if he tells a teacher about this. He won’t be able to move for all the
purring and the meowing.’
    Gerald cracked a smile. If he was honest with himself, his shoulder did not hurt
that much from his wrestle in the woods. The greater injury was to his pride. Besides, he was quite enjoying being the subject of some pity. Not that Ruby was doing quite
as much pitying as Gerald would have liked.
    ‘I didn’t even recognise the voice,’ Gerald said. ‘All I can say for certain is that
it was a boy.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Or a really strong girl with a head cold.’
    Ruby swallowed her macaroni cheese and gazed around the room of diners. ‘So who among
this lot would be so desperate to win the Triple Crown that they’d threaten your
life?’ she asked.
    ‘Apart from you, you mean?’ Gerald said.
    Ruby gave him a ‘Who, me?’ look.
    ‘Don’t try to pretend,’ Gerald said. ‘I saw you when Mr Beare was talking about the
Triple Crown. You were ready to kick down the door. You’re not exactly hard to read,
you know.’
    Ruby’s cheeks blossomed pink. ‘Maybe I might like to be the first to complete it,’
she said. ‘Maybe not. But I do know one thing, Gerald Wilkins.’ Ruby opened her blue
eyes wide and leaned in close to Gerald.
    Gerald’s heartbeat ratcheted up a notch. ‘And what’s that?’ he said.
    ‘I’m not going to be beaten by some sooky boy wearing a Hello Kitty head-dress.’
Ruby flashed her fingernails and murmured, ‘Meow…’
    Fortunately, Gerald’s response was drowned out by Sam and Felicity’s laughter.
    Gerald adjusted his sling and stifled a wince at a twinge in his shoulder. He looked
around the dining hall at the other campers, clustered on benches at long wooden
tables, scoffing their way through their first meal together. Someone in that crowd
had tackled him to the ground, covered his head in indignity and made some stupid
threat about—what?—a school camp scavenger hunt? Gerald shook his head. After all
he had been through over the past eight months, the stakes could not possibly be
any lower.
    After dinner, the students split into groups of twenty for some get-to-know-you activities.
Gerald was more than happy that he and Ruby were in the same group as they and eighteen
others gathered in a cosy room lined floor-to-ceiling with bookcases. All the tables
and chairs had been pushed back and everyone formed a circle on a colourful Indian
rug on the floor.
    A slender woman, her black hair cut in the style of a 1920s flapper, sat in the middle
of the circle and smiled at the students.
    ‘For those who don’t know me, I am Miss Davenport,’ she said. ‘I have been a teacher
at St Hilda’s for five years.’
    A boy sitting opposite Gerald piped up. ‘What do you teach?’
    Miss Davenport arched an eyebrow and peered across at the boy. ‘I teach young girls
how to become young ladies, part of which involves teaching them not to interrupt
people.’
    The boy wriggled in his place. ‘But what if I don’t want to be a young lady?’ he
said, winking at his friend next to him.
    Miss Davenport arched her other eyebrow. ‘And who might you be?’ she asked the boy.
    ‘I’m Charlie Blagden,’ he said, grinning.
    ‘Well, Charlie Blagden,’ Miss Davenport said, ‘if you agree not to interrupt me,
I’ll agree not to turn you into a young lady. Surgically, or otherwise.’
    Charlie’s grin faded a touch, but he nodded nonetheless.
    ‘Excellent,’ Miss Davenport continued. ‘The next ten weeks will bring a lifetime
of memories. The people in this room will be your camp group for the term. We’ll
take classes together and do extra-curricular activities