Love Lessons Read Free Page B

be a little chocolate paw left by midnight.’
    â€˜I’m not going to eat him. He’s far too wonderful. I’m going to keep him for ever,’ said Grace, but her fat little fingers had already undone his ribbon and peeled off his cellophane. She sniffed his creamy ears ecstatically. ‘Oh, he smells heavenly!’
    â€˜So eat him, silly. That’s what he’s for.’
    â€˜I can’t ! Well, perhaps I could eat his carrot? I don’t want to spoil him. Still, maybe I could just lick one of his ears, to see what he tastes like?’
    â€˜Go for it, girl!’
    Grace stuck out her tongue and licked. And licked again and again and again. And then all by themselves her teeth started chomping and the chocolate bunny was left disturbingly hard of hearing.
    â€˜Oooh!’ Grace murmured blissfully. Then she shone the torch on him. She saw what she’d done. ‘ Oooh! ’ she wailed, her tone changing.
    â€˜It’s OK, just eat his head up quickly. It’s what he’s for .’
    â€˜But it’s spoiling him. Why am I such a greedy guts? Look, he’s got a horrible gap in his head now.’
    â€˜He’s fine.’
    â€˜No he’s not. I want him to be whole again,’ Grace said, looking as if she might burst into tears.
    â€˜Well, his ears are in your tummy. If you gobble up the rest of him quickly then his body can join up with them, and they can squidge themselves together like plasticine. Then he’ll be whole in your tummy and it will be his own private burrow.’
    Grace giggled uncertainly, but started chomping on his chocolate head. She offered me one arm because she felt he could manage on three paws. I’d imagined him so vividly I felt a little worried myself. It was like feasting on a real pet rabbit.
    â€˜You eat your rabbit all up yourself, Gracie,’ I said.
    â€˜It’s the loveliest treat ever,’ she said indistinctly, mouth crammed with chocolate. ‘But when did you buy it?’ She paused. The obvious hit her. ‘ Where did you get the money ?’
    â€˜Keep your voice down!’
    â€˜I’m whispering .’
    Then we heard the bedroom door open along the landing. We held our breath. I snapped the torch off and Grace leaped into her own bed. We heard footsteps: the pad and slap of old slippers.
    â€˜It’s OK, it’s only Mum,’ I whispered.
    We heard her padding right along the landing, past our bedroom, down the stairs to the first floor, above the shop. Each stair creaked as she stepped. Our mother is a heavy woman.
    We heard her in the kitchen, opening the fridge door.
    â€˜She’s having a midnight feast too,’ I muttered.
    â€˜Not a patch on mine,’ Grace whispered, daring to take another bite.
    Mum came trudging up the stairs again, slower now, breathing heavily.
    â€˜Should I save a little piece of rabbit for Mum?’ Grace asked.
    â€˜No!’
    â€˜But she loves chocolate.’
    â€˜Ssh!’
    â€˜Not now. In the morning,’ Grace persisted.
    â€˜Shut up or she’ll hear us.’
    It was too late. The footsteps stopped outside our door.
    â€˜Girls? Are you awake?’ Mum whispered.
    â€˜No!’ Grace said, idiotically.
    Mum opened our door and came shuffling into the room. ‘You should have gone to sleep ages ago,’ she said. She came over to Grace’s bed and bent over her. ‘Are you all right, lovie?’
    â€˜Yes, Mum,’ said Grace.
    â€˜What about you, Prudence?’
    â€˜I’m fine,’ I mumbled, giving a little yawn to make her think I was on the brink of sleep.
    â€˜Are you hungry, Mum?’ Grace asked. ‘We heard you go down to the kitchen.’
    â€˜I was just getting a glass of milk for your dad. He’s not feeling too clever. He keeps getting these funny turns.’ Mum sounded very anxious.
    â€˜He should go to the doctor,’ I said.
    â€˜You know what your