Pudding Lane

Sapphire Band 16

Pudding Lane

Pudding Lane PUDDING LANE

September 1666. Grace and her brother Simon are on their way to London to claim their inheritance.

As a great fire breaks out, Simon is kidnapped.

Can Grace rescue her brother and escape the flames?

A story with a historical setting collins.co.uk/collinsbigcat

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David Macphail

Oliver Averill

21/10/2021 17:48

Pudding Lane

Written by David Macphail Illustrated by Oliver Averill

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Chapter 1 1666, England A web of string wound around my fingers, stretching from one hand to the other. I held my hands out to my brother. “Help me with my cat’s cradle, Simon.”

Simon’s back was turned, his shoulders swaying to and fro with the movement of the carriage over the bumpy road. A leather case sat on his knee. He clutched it close to him, his knuckles white around the handle.

Simon swung his pale face towards me, giving my cat’s cradle barely a glance.

Then he grunted and went back to staring out of the coach window.

“Ay!” I sighed, rolling my eyes. I scrunched up my string and tucked it away, for it wasn’t a game worth playing with only one. What has

happened to my brother? I thought. He used to be such fun. He used to laugh and play tricks, but he’d changed. Now, he was sullen and angry all the time. Sometimes I thought he hated me.

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He groaned. “Leave me alone, Grace.”

It had been a terrible year, probably the most terrible in our lives. First, the Great Plague had swept the land.

It had taken away our mother, then our father, and finally our uncle, who had taken us in. Now, it was just us. Two children alone in the world, though sometimes it seemed like it was just me.

The carriage clattered over a pothole, and I turned to the window, looking past the large woman who sat opposite, fanning herself in the late summer heat.

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“I can see London!” I cried, glimpsing spires between the trees. Lots of spires. More than I’d ever seen before.

And rooftops, and smoke, billowing up from a thousand chimneys to form a great haze over the city.

“How exciting!”

Simon shrugged. “I went with Father once.

It’s horrible. And smelly. And dangerous.”

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I ignored him. I had no time for his misery anymore.

“Just think – we’ll get to see St Paul’s. And women with fine skirts. Maybe we’ll even see the king.”

“We aren’t staying long, Grace,” he replied sharply.

“We’ll meet Mr Meeks, have our papers signed, and then hopefully leave.” Mr Meeks was our uncle’s lawyer.

He was helping us with Uncle’s will.

Suddenly, as we passed a roadside inn, the carriage ground to a halt. Simon leant out of the window, calling to the driver: “What’s wrong?”

“Road’s blocked,” came the driver’s voice.

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Simon craned his neck out further, seeing nothing.

He pushed open the door and stepped out. “Stay here!” he ordered.

So, I followed him.

The road was full of wagons, carriages and people, all heading towards the city. The plague had mostly died away now, and many were still returning from the countryside, where they’d gone to keep safe.

But the carriages had all stopped dead, because up ahead one wagon had lost its wheel and was blocking the road.

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Some builders who were working at the inn ran over to help change the wheel. My brother and I stood under the builder’s scaffold, watching as the men puffed and heaved. Sweat glistened on their skin as the hot sun burnt down. Finally, after some minutes work, the wheel was back on and the wagon moved off.

We were just about to return to our carriage when, all of a sudden, there was a loud crack from above.

Then, a yell, coming loud and sharp through the crowd: “WATCH OUT!” I glanced up, to see something large and heavy hurtling towards our heads.

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Sapphire Band 16

Pudding Lane

Pudding Lane PUDDING LANE

September 1666. Grace and her brother Simon are on their way to London to claim their inheritance.

As a great fire breaks out, Simon is kidnapped.

Can Grace rescue her brother and escape the flames?

A story with a historical setting collins.co.uk/collinsbigcat

40701_Cover.indd 1

David Macphail

Oliver Averill

21/10/2021 17:48