The Father's House Read online

  Paul beamed with pleasure and pride.

  David jabbed the awl gently into the back of Lucy’s hand and swore to be her blood brother. He did the same with Dorothy and Paul. The others all took their turn, and the little ceremony was performed with great solemnity. Even Paul managed to jab gently and, with some prompting, recited the appropriate words. When it was over they looked at each other and smiled. Lucy’s eyes filled with tears.

  “I’m hungry,” announced Paul.

  “Don’t worry,” said Dorothy. She spoke softly out of respect for the sacredness of their vows. “We’ll find something to eat somewhere, somehow. I know a street with lots of restaurants. If we go round the back there’ll be plenty of food in the bins. That’s what I did the last time I was around here.”

  They stood up, and Drax started moving more swiftly down the side street. The children sauntered towards a bridge that crossed the river. A mist rose up above the water to meet the sun’s pink morning rays.

  “That’s the West End over there, the other side of the bridge,” said Dorothy. “It’s full of restaurants. We’ll manage. Now that we’re a family we can make a good life for ourselves if we stick together, and we’ll probably come across some of my old friends. It’ll be an adventure.”

  Their hearts sang.

  The early morning traffic was beginning to rumble as they strolled along, and they could just see the heads of the pedestrians as they crossed over the bridge on their way to work.

  “I’d love to work in an office,” commented Dorothy. “It must make you feel so safe. There’s a cake trolley, and you can wear nice clothes, and you get paid at the end of each month.”

  They didn’t notice the police car as it drove up alongside them. Father Drax ducked down behind a stationary van.

  “Hullo,” said a police officer, planting himself firmly in front of the children.

  They stopped and looked round. There was another officer behind them.

  “Hullo,” they replied, politely.

  “Are any of you called Lucy and Paul?”

  There was no response.

  The policeman bent down and spoke to Paul. “What’s your name, young man?” Paul started to hum.

  “Goodbye, we have to go now,” said Lucy, hastily grabbing his hand and moving off.

  David and Dorothy moved with her.

  “Stop a minute,” said the policeman, putting his hand on Lucy’s shoulder. He spoke kindly.

  “We’re looking for Lucy and Paul. They’re with a friend called David and a young lady called Dorothy who’s wearing a bright red suit and scarlet shoes with silver buckles.”

  Nobody answered. Dorothy looked down at her dishevelled clothes. The shoes still smiled cheerfully up at her. One of the policemen stepped over to the car. He reached inside and produced the baker boy cap.

  “Lucy left this behind in the hospital,” he said. There was a pause, and then Paul turned to Lucy. “Am I Paul, or am I Elizabeth?” he said “Or am I invisible?”

  Lucy drew him close to her and put her arm round him.

  “It’s alright, darling. You’re Paul, and that’s what you’ll always be now. You can forget about being Elizabeth, or invisible. That was just a game. When you’re grown-up I’ll explain it all to you.”

  She looked up at the two policemen.

  “How do you do?” she said. “I’m Lucy, and this is my brother Paul. These are my blood brother and blood sister, David and Dorothy. We’re a family.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” he said. “We’ve come to fetch you. Would you all like to get in the car?”

  The children looked around and then back at the two police officers. There was no way they could escape unless they separated and scattered in different directions – and that they would never do. Lucy held Paul’s hand firmly. Dorothy took his other hand, and David took Lucy’s.

  “Where are we going?” asked Lucy.

  “Your mother, Maria, is asking for you.”