Gold, Babies and the Brothers Muldoon Read Free Page A

standing over her, the remains of the broken pew in his hands.
    “I’m flattered,” he continued, “really I am. I’m sure you’re a lovely girl.”
    Peg moaned.
    “But the truth is, we don’t know each other. Not really. I don’t know what your favourite song is, or what flower you like most, or what you like to do on long summer evenings. And what do you really know about me?”
    “I uv oo, Skuluggy.”
    “No you don’t, Peg. This isn’t real love. This isn’t true love. You deserve someone who can give you true love.”
    “Oo?”
    “No, not me.”
    “Moh.”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
    Peg sniffled.
    “He’s out there, you know. Your Mister Right. And I’m sure he’s looking for you.”
    She looked up. “Eally?”
    “Really. You just have to find him.”
    Peg nodded, then nodded again, with renewed determination. Skulduggery stepped back as she stood up and brushed some of the dust off her wedding dress.
    “Stay away from your brothers, OK? They’re not a very good influence on you.”
    She nodded, and marched for the church door. Before she stepped out, she stopped, and looked back tearfully. “I awah ink awoo, Skuluggy.”
    “And I’ll always think of you, too,” Skulduggery replied.
    And then Peg was gone.
    Valkyrie stood beside Skulduggery. “Anything you want to tell me?”
    “No,” he said. “Not really. Are all the babies safe?”
    “Safe and unharmed. Their folks will be glad to have them back. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me? To share?”
    “Relatively positive, yes.”
    “She seems nice. Peg, I mean.”
    He looked at her. “It’s going to take you a while to stop teasing me about this, isn’t it?”
    She grinned. “Oh, yes.”
    He sighed. “Then you may as well get started.”

Copyright
    First published in hardback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
    First published in paperback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2011
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    Derek Landy blogs under duress at
www.dereklandy.blogspot.com

    GOLD, BABIES AND THE BROTHERS MULDOON . Copyright © Derek Landy 2011. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

    Derek Landy asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

    Illuminated letters © Tom Percival, 2008
Skulduggery Pleasant™ Derek Landy
SP logo™ HarperCollins Publishers

    ISBN: 978-0-00-725705-8

    EPub Edition © APRIL 2011 ISBN: 978-0-00-744299-7

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