The Deptford Mice 3: The Final Reckoning Read Free Page A

before excusing himself and walking briskly away.
    ‘Oh dear,’ stammered Oswald, staring after the midshipmouse. ‘I do hope I didn’t say anything wrong.’
    A plump mouse stole silently up behind the albino with a huge grin on his face, ‘BOO!’ he yelled suddenly.
    Poor Oswald jumped in the air and wailed. When he saw who it was he said crossly, ‘Oh Arthur, you frightened the life out of me – especially after all those ghost stories.’ Arthur began nibbling a chestnut which he had been carrying and beamed wickedly, ‘Yeth,’ he mumbled with his mouth full, ‘old Triton’s tales are good aren’t they? He comes to visit us quite often and we nearly always get a story from him.’
    ‘You are lucky,’ sighed Oswald enviously, ‘you get to go to cousin Twit’s home and have adventures there. And to top it all Mr Triton comes and visits you.’
    Arthur licked his lips thoughtfully. He did not like to say that in his opinion the midshipmouse’s visits were not just for him and his sister. He had come to the conclusion that it was really their mother whom Thomas came to see.
    Arthur and his sister Audrey had been back in the Skirtings for two months now after their adventures in the country. On their return home Arthur and Audrey found that Thomas had been looking after their mother while they had been away and had taken to calling her ‘Gwen’ – an unsettling thing for them to hear. She had been obviously embarrassed when he said it in front of the children. Gwen Brown still addressed the midshipmouse as ‘Mr Triton’ but she said it with a growing warmth that Arthur and Audrey had not heard since their father had died.
    ‘Where is Audrey?’ Oswald was staring at everyone gathered around the fire and looking beyond at the groups of husbands sipping the mulled berrybrew. Their jolly wives were fussing and gossiping in a corner and his own mother, Mrs Chitter, was there leading the tittle-tattle, but there was no sign of Audrey.
    Arthur shrugged. ‘In her room, I suppose. She said she’d come but you know what she’s like. Since we’ve been back she’s got worse – won’t join in anything and hardly eats. Mother worries about her.’
    ‘Do you think she misses Twit?’ ventured Oswald.
    Arthur shook his head. ‘No, I told you it wasn’t like that. Twit only married Audrey to save her from getting hanged – there was nothing else in it.’
    ‘Oh,’ murmured Oswald. ‘You know, I still haven’t got used to calling her Mrs Scuttle – it doesn’t fit somehow.’
    Arthur agreed and turned to watch the group round the fire. Master Oldnose had finished his tale – much to the relief of everybody except the Raddle sisters who clapped very loudly and praised him no end. The hat was held up for the next mouse ready to tell a story and up stepped Algy Coltfoot.
    ‘This should be good,’ said Arthur, ‘Algy’s stories are always funny.’ The two friends wandered over and sat down in the dancing firelight.
    * * *
     
    Alone in her room Audrey fiddled with the ribbon in her paws. She had not yet tied it in her hair and was staring down at it dumbly. After the terrors of Fennywolde she had found life in the Skirtings very dull and the nosiness of several mice had irritated her no end. They all wanted to know just why Twit married her. Mrs Chitter had even inquired if she ought to start knitting little bonnets and booties. Audrey had made it very clear then that nothing of that kind would be necessary – indeed she had put quite a few noses out of joint and at the moment she was not the most popular person in the house.
    The sound of a whisker fiddle filtered into the room and gradually brought Audrey round. She decided it was time to join the festivities, so tied the ribbon in her hair, slipped her last remaining bell onto her tail then jumped off the bed.
    In the Hall the fire was still crackling merrily and Audrey emerged to find a crowd of mice still laughing over Algy’s story. The hat had