The Secret Lake Read online

  Just then four feet dangled down into the fireplace; two wearing bright blue plimsolls, two clad in tatty brown lace-up ankle boots.

  ‘That’s Jack!’ said Tom, pointing at the boots and giggling.

  Stella and Jack jumped down and emerged dusted with soot. Emma stepped back a pace, her candle flickering violently.

  ‘It’s the boy thief!’ she squeaked. ‘What are you doing here? And what are you doing with Lucy’s cousins? You stole our silver – and mama’s beautiful coin purse, you mean boy!’

  ‘Emma, it’s not like that,’ whispered Stella politely. ‘We came to get food. Please, let me explain about Jack.’

  ‘How did you know we were here?’ said Tom, frowning.

  Emma smiled proudly. ‘I saw you come across the lawn, of course! And by the way, you left your binoculars on the table downstairs, silly!’

  Tom gulped and studied his shoes.

  ‘Anyway,’ she said, straightening her back, ‘if I’d have known you had the boy thief with you I’d have woken mama and papa. I thought you were with your cousin Lucy coming on a mole hunt!’

  ‘Jeepers, yer knows about the moles ’n all!’ blurted out Jack. Emma threw him a nervous glance.

  ‘So, what’s it got to do with you?’ she demanded.

  ‘Emma,’ whispered Stella, ‘we all know about the moles. Do you know they have special powers?’

  Emma frowned suspiciously.

  ‘You see, Emma, Tom and I aren’t really from Australia, we’re from another time! And Jack didn’t steal from your family. It was Crawley!’

  Emma’s candle flickered violently again. Then, very slowly, her eyes began to widen. Emma opened her mouth and took the deepest of breaths while Stella, Tom and Jack all froze, waiting for her to scream.

  9

  The Dance of the Moles

  ‘I knew it!’ she squealed. ‘I knew it! I told Lucy the moles must have special powers, but she didn’t believe me! And I’m glad to hear you’re not the thief, Jack, otherwise I’d have to call papa!’ She gave him a sweet smile then gathered up her night gown. ‘But quick. I’d better get you out of here. Papa might wake and there’s soot everywhere!’

  It was half-past two by Stella’s watch as they emerged into the moonlight. Emma had slipped on a pair of ankle boots and donned an extremely fine looking coat over her night dress.

  ‘Tell me more about the moles,’ she said, brushing back her dark ringlets as they trooped across the lawn towards the trees.

  ‘Well, what does yer know already?’

  ‘Not much, except I’ve seen them loads of times from my bedroom window in the night – all scuttling in a circle in the moonlight. At first I thought it was a dream, but finally I told Lucy about them and we planned a mole hunt for tonight – except she’s forgotten of course. Dear silly Lucy!’

  They all sat down under a tree out of the sight of the houses and tucked into the food. Between them they told Emma about the time tunnel, about Jack’s father being wrongly accused and Jack coming to get his tools, and about Crawley acting suspiciously in the drawing room.

  ‘Oh dear, Jack. I am sorry. Papa can be so beastly sometimes. So you think Crawley took the silver?’ Jack nodded solemnly. Emma frowned deeply. ‘You know I’ve always thought there was something strange about him. I told Sophie, but of course she said it was just my childish imagination. Sophie can be such a bore sometimes!’ She shook her head disapprovingly.

  ‘Don’t you go worryin’ about what yer sister says!’ said Jack, laughing. ‘She obviously ain’t one of the chosen few!’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Emma gave Jack a puzzled look.

  ‘Well,’ said Jack, ‘looks like the moles on’y appears for some folk – an’ it looks like we’s the ones who’s extra special round ’ere!’

  ‘They must have appeared for Harry too!’ piped up Tom.

  ‘What’s Harry got to do with this?’ said Emma quickly.

  ‘Everything!’ said Stella smiling. ‘He’s why we came here in the first place!’

  ‘My Harry?’ said Emma, sitting back.

  ‘Emma, does Harry ever… go missing?’ said Stella slowly.

  Immediately Emma’s face lit up. ‘Oh, all the time! Mama finds it so tiresome. But he always comes back, without fail! Dearest Harry! We were born for each other!’

  Stella suddenly kneeled up. ‘Look – over there!’ she whispered. They all turned and gazed out to the lawn. Under the silver light of the moon a group of four moles scuttled round and round, forming a tight circle. The children sat transfixed while the moles continued their ritual for about a minute before vanishing right before their eyes.

  ‘Hopefully that means the time tunnel’s ready,’ said Jack quickly. ‘We’d better get goin’. I’ll row you over.’ They scrambled to their feet.

  Emma glanced across at the houses, then quickly back at the children. ‘I’m coming with you!’ she said firmly. ‘Lucy or no Lucy!’

  ‘Brilliant!’ said Stella. ‘And I’ll tell my parents you’re a neighbour’s niece from Australia and you’ve come to visit for the day!’ Suddenly she realised how much she’d missed having a true friend in her new home. Emma would help fill that gap – and they’d be able to visit each other back and forth.

  At that moment a door slammed over by the houses. Within seconds men’s voices and the crack of dry twigs underfoot echoed around the garden.

  ‘Emma! Emma! Where are you? Are you out there Crawley, you go that way!’

  ‘It’s papa!’ gasped Emma looking terrified. ‘Quick! You must go!’

  Tom immediately turned and started running towards the woods.

  ‘Emma, darling. Are you out there?’ Mrs Gladstone’s anxious calls had joined the chorus.

  ‘Come on, Stella, we must go!’ said Jack.

  ‘Run, Stella! Go!’ Emma’s voice was quivering as her eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m coming, papa!’ she shouted, without moving. ‘It was only Harry!’

  ‘Let’s go, Stella!’ said Jack.

  Stella stared into Emma’s eyes. Was their adventure really ending so soon?

  ‘Come on will yer! The tunnel won’t wait forever!’

  Jack was tugging at Stella’s sleeve, and now as his words echoed in her ears she found herself glancing, as if in slow motion, from Emma to a tall figure of a man racing across the lawn towards them.

  ‘You get back! I’ll ’ead ’im off!’ shouted Jack. And before Stella could react he had pushed past her and dashed out into path of Henry Gladstone.

  ‘It’s the boy!’ roared Mr Gladstone. ‘I’m going after him! Emma’s here!’

  Stella glanced back at Emma.

  ‘Find the tunnel! Come and see us!’ she whispered, holding back her tears, then she turned and ran towards the trees.

  Tom and Stella entered the wood breathless. Stella flicked on her torch as they crashed through the branches in a half-run. ‘Don’t worry, Tom we’ll be home soon,’ she said panting.

  ‘But what about Jack?’ cried Tom, already slowing down. ‘We can’t leave him – they’ll catch him!’

  ‘He’ll be fine… He’ll hide up a tree,’ Stella called uncertainly over her shoulder. Just then a child’s pained scream filled the night air and echoed eerily around the treetops.

  Tom halted in his tracks. ‘That was Jack!’ he shouted. ‘He’s been caught, Stella. Jack’s been caught!’

  Stella stopped and turned, resting her hand on her chest. Her heart was pounding so heavily she could feel it against her palm. She swallowed hard as she fought back tears. ‘There’s nothing we can do, Tom,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘We must go home!’

  But Tom had other ideas, and immediately turned and started heading back towards the clearing. Stella raced after him. ‘Come back, Tom! Come back will you! The tunnel won’t wait you know! Do you want to get stuck here forever?’

  ‘They’ll beat him!’ screamed Tom. ‘They’ll lock him in some horrible child’s prison! That’s what they do here! We can�
��t leave him, Stell, we can’t!’

  Stella grabbed Tom’s arm and started dragging him backwards. ‘Tom! It’s too dangerous! If they beat Jack they’ll beat us too! We’ll end up in prison!’ Tears were suddenly streaming down her cheeks.

  The voices in the garden were drawing nearer. ‘Let’s go, Tom! Let’s go!’

  Seconds later they were fleeing through the trees.

  The children rowed back in silence. A low mist hung over the water, dampening their downtrodden spirits further. In her mind Stella battled with images of whippings and beatings. Crawley had it in for Jack, of that she was sure. Why oh why had she lingered on the lawn? She sighed deeply, but said nothing. Tom stared despondently at the seat where Jack had sat earlier. They hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye. Slowly he started to sob.

  ‘You first!’ said Stella quietly as she gave Tom a leg up to the first nodule on the tree. The higher they climbed, the darker the air all around them became and very soon the dense branches had completely blotted out the light of the moon. Stella flicked on her torch again. Moments later Tom located the first rung of the ladder. And now, as he climbed towards the light source in silence, all he could think about was coming back down and rescuing Jack.

  10

  About Turn

  Tom and Stella emerged squinting out of the little hole deep inside the bushes. Stella looked at her watch. It was almost 4 o’clock; six hours after they had gone down.

  ‘Look, Tom, our lunch boxes!’ She tried to sound cheerful as she peered out towards the log. ‘At least mum and dad can’t have been out.’

  They picked up the lunch boxes and hurried out onto the lawn where the sound of their mother’s piano playing danced on the afternoon breeze. A lump rose up in Stella’s throat. How abruptly their dream had turned into a nightmare! And now, as she looked all around the garden, she could only imagine how it might have been with Emma there.

  Tom stared at the grass in despair. Each step took him further away from the possibility of helping Jack. How could they do this? How could they abandon Jack after he’d been so kind to them? As their garden gate came into view, his heart skipped a beat. He stopped dead. ‘But Stella, what about Jack’s father? He might die if Jack doesn’t go back! We’ve got to go back and help him!’

  Tears of frustration clouded Stella’s eyes. ‘Are you mad, Tom? Do you know how lucky we were to get away just then? They’ll be searching that garden high and low for us right now! Besides, if the tunnel disappears again then what? What about us? What about mum and dad?’ As she turned and walked towards their gate her heart sank at the hopelessness of it all.

  Tom didn’t move. All he could hear were Jack’s cries echoing inside his head. Then, as if from nowhere, a passion took hold of him and swelled through his body, urging him to turn around and go back. Stella, lost in a world of her own, was almost at their back door.

  Tom cupped his hands each side of his mouth and called to his sister. ‘JACK RISKED HIS LIFE FOR US, STELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO LEAVE HIM THERE TO DIE!’ He turned and started running towards The Island, overcome with a sense of elation. ‘IT’S NOW OR NEVER!’ he shouted to the treetops. ‘IT’S NOW OR NEVER!’ Suddenly he didn’t care whether Stella was coming – or that other people might hear him. Nor, for that matter, did he care that Charlie Green was giving him one of his strange looks from a distant flowerbed. He must do this. He must do this for Jack – and for Jack’s father, Jacob.

  Stella reached for the kitchen door handle. ‘There it is!’ she breathed, spying her friendship bracelet. She swallowed hard as she slipped it off the door handle and onto her wrist. What a perfect present it would have made for Emma! Something she could have travelled back and forth through time with! She knew that Hannah would approve once she’d explained everything – the bracelet would join all three of them across time and distance.

  Suddenly something made her start. She spun round. Tom had been yelling at her, but she had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn’t been listening.

  ‘IT’S NOW OR NEVER!’ came an echo through the trees. ‘NOW OR NEVER…!’

  To her horror she just caught sight of the back of Tom disappearing onto The Island.

  It was difficult to see inside the rhododendron bush without Stella’s torch and Tom had to scrabble about for several seconds feeling for the hole. For a terrible moment he thought it had gone. But then as his hand slipped over the edge he breathed a deep sigh of relief. He placed his foot down onto one of the ladder rungs and looked out towards the mound.

  ‘It’s still here, Stell! It’s not too late!’ he shouted. He took a deep breath, promised himself he wouldn’t be scared by the dark, then slowly started climbing down.

  Inside the tunnel Tom could see nothing. He gripped tightly onto each rung, counting each step as he went and watching the dim pool of light disappear above him. He was surprised by how quickly he could go. Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. He swung his foot below and found the first nodule. And now, as he took one last look up towards home, he longed for his sister’s company.

  Stella raced towards The Island, her heart pounding. What if the tunnel disappeared with Tom inside it? What if he got trapped in the past forever! And whose fault was it, after all, that Jack was stuck in the woods? If she hadn’t lingered in the garden none of this would have happened! She dived inside the rhododendron bush and flicked on her torch. Tears blurred her vision as she scrambled across the undergrowth. Tom might be stupid sometimes – and extremely annoying – but how incredibly brave he was!

  At first she couldn’t remember where the hole was, and as she thumped with her torch on the ground all around her, her cheeks began to burn in terror. Then, just as the first tear broke free and rolled down, her left knee slipped over a ledge and disappeared beneath her.

  Slowly and carefully Tom located the first tree nodule, then the next and the next, his sweating body clinging tightly against the tree trunk as he dangled one foot down, rested it, then released his grip on the nodule above him. After a few moments he began to make out shadows. Soon he could see the branches of the tree below him through the faint glimmer of dawn. He jumped the last few feet, as before, and landed awkwardly on the soft ground below. Then, as he scrambled up and stared out across the lake his heart sank. He would never make it over on his own.

  An eerie yellow light suddenly bounced through the trees and onto the lawn.

  ‘Tom! I’m here!’ called Stella in a whisper. And, as Tom looked up to see the outline of his emerging big sister, his mouth curled into a crescent-shaped grin.

  ‘So, you thought you’d row over on your own, did you?’ said Stella, smiling. As the oars moved heavily through the water a gentle lapping sound broke the stillness of the night air.

  ‘I could have done it!’ said Tom, frowning.

  Stella burst out laughing. Tom frowned for about two more seconds then slowly started to giggle.

  As they neared the far bank voices echoed in the distance. ‘They’re still looking for us!’ whispered Stella, her heart starting to race again. They clambered out of the boat and walked a short way into the wood. ‘Okay,’ she said, her voice trembling. ‘We’re just going to have to wait here ’til everything’s died down.’

  ‘Then what?’ said Tom anxiously. His hand was sweating as he grasped onto his treasure rag in his pocket.

  Stella breathed in deeply and shrugged her shoulders. ‘Who knows?’

  At that moment Tom felt something cold and metallic between his fingers. It must have been trapped in the folds of his treasure rag. ‘Stella!’ he gasped pulling the key from his pocket. ‘It’s the Gladstones’ key. I never gave Jack the key back!’

  The garden had been quiet for a good half an hour. Finally the children got up and crossed to the line of trees that looked towards the houses. The moon had faded leaving the lawn dull and lifeless. The trees and bushes now stood wrapped in the grey cloak of dawn and as the children peered across, they could see that the house was in darknes
s, apart from the faintest glimmer of light from a small window high up.

  Slowly they crept across the lawn and into the patio garden. ‘I bet that’s Emma’s window up there!’ whispered Stella.

  ‘Maybe she’s waiting for us. Maybe it’s a sign!’ whispered Tom.

  ‘I hope she hasn’t fallen asleep!’ murmured Stella, twirling the bracelet on her wrist.

  The kitchen was in darkness as they peered on tip-toe through the window. Suddenly the silence and the emptiness were too much for Tom. ‘It’s too late, Stell!’ he whispered desperately. ‘He’s gone! They’ve taken Jack to the prison!’

  ‘Oh no they haven’t!’ said an excited voice behind them. ‘They’ve tied him all up and locked him in the cellar!’

  Tom and Stella swung round in terror to find a young girl standing triumphantly behind them with her hands on her hips and her feet wide apart. She was wearing a long dark coat over ankle length boots.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, her eyes doubling in size. ‘I’m Lucy Cuthbertson. Who on earth are you?’

  11

  Rescue

  Lucy had been woken by Mr Gladstone’s shouts and had seen everything through the kitchen window.

  ‘Poor Emma! Mr Gladstone gave her a real going over about who’d she’d been with out in the garden. Emma stuck to her story, though. Blamed Harry of course.’ Lucy tossed her long blonde hair back behind her shoulder and lifted her chin. ‘Of course I knew she’d been with someone else!’

  ‘How?’ whispered Tom, transfixed.

  Lucy sighed impatiently and glanced at her eyebrows. ‘Curling her hair around her forefinger of course! Emma always does that when she’s lying! Anyway, which house are you from? Emma didn’t tell me it would be a mole hunting party! Otherwise I might have woken up on time!’ She gave a quick frown. ‘You still haven’t told me your names by the way!’