Published in 2017 in Great Britain by Barrington Stoke Ltd 18 Walker Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7LP www.barringtonstoke.co.uk Text Š The Estate of Philippa Pearce 2001 & 2017 Illustrations Š 2017 Cate James The moral right of Philippa Pearce and Cate James to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in any part in any form without the written permission of the publisher A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library upon request ISBN: 978-1-78112-685-1 Printed in China by Leo This book is in a super readable format for young readers beginning their independent reading journey.
Contents 1. Haunted
1
2. The Wind
15
3. In the Shadows
33
4. Thunder and Lightning
47
5. Little Black Cat
67
CHAPTER 1
Haunted
3
At first Emma Brown liked the look of the little attic bedroom. “I thought you might like to sleep here, dear,� Great Aunt Win said.
5
“Oh, yes!” Emma said at once. “Thank you!” Emma and her brother, Joe, and their parents had come to stay for three nights with Great Aunt Win in her little cottage by the sea. There was not much room for visitors.
6
Joe was going to sleep downstairs on a camp-bed. Mum and Dad would sleep in the spare room upstairs. And then there was the attic bedroom at the very top of the house … “I’m so glad you like this bedroom, dear,” Great Aunt Win said to Emma. “It’s a little girl’s room – my little girl’s room.” Great Aunt Win sighed. “Oh, I still miss Annie so!”
7
“Who’s Annie?” Emma asked. Mum was standing beside her at the top of the attic stairs. She frowned. “Really, Emma!” she said. “You ought to know about your cousin Annie. She was your aunty Win’s little girl, long ago.” “Oh,” said Emma.
8
Later, downstairs, when the two children were alone, Joe said to Emma, “You’re going to sleep in the haunted bedroom.”
9
“Don’t be stupid,” said Emma. “I’m not being stupid,” Joe said. “Dad and Mum were talking, and they didn’t know I could hear. They said the attic bedroom was haunted, but the ghost wouldn’t do you any harm, anyway, probably.”
10
“I don’t believe you,” said Emma. “How could you overhear all that?” “I just could.” “It’s all rubbish,” said Emma. “I’m going to ask Mum and Dad.” “Oh, yes, you do that!” Joe jeered. “Of course they’ll say there isn’t a ghost, just to comfort you.”
12
So, after that, Emma didn’t ask about any ghosts in the attic bedroom. Besides, as she told herself, Joe liked to tease her. Sometimes his teases were really bad, and she hated them. Like now. But the main thing for Emma to remember was – there was no ghost.