Read Dream a Little Dream (The Silver Trilogy) (F) for Free Online Page B

mistake—it tasted even worse the second time. But at least I could now identify the crunchy buttons as walnuts.
    “You see, it’s like this.…” Ernest was looking solemn and had taken Mom’s hand. Mom was smiling in a forced way at the pretty arrangement of blue hydrangeas in the middle of the dining table. No doubt about it—something serious was coming.
    “Ann … your mother … well…” Ernest cleared his throat and began again. This time he wasn’t stammering. Instead he sounded as if he were addressing the Economic and Social Committee of the European Court of Justice. “Ann and I have decided to take the fiasco over at the cottage as a sign from Fortuna to consolidate our relationship and dispense with the problem of who lives where by, so to speak … merging.”
    After this announcement there was silence for a good five seconds, after which I had a terrible coughing fit, because as I gasped for air, a raisin had gone down the wrong way. It was some time before I had dealt … no, sorry, dispensed with the coughing fit. My eyes were streaming, but I could clearly see that Florence, sitting opposite me, had stopped smiling. Even the sun had stopped shining in through the window, having disappeared behind the roof of the house next door. Grayson, to be sure, was still busy with his cell phone under the table. He was probably Googling the meaning of consolidate , although it was only too obvious.
    “Lottie says you should always explain yourself as simply as possible so that people can understand you,” commented Mia.
    “Yes, what, exactly, are you saying, Dad?” Florence’s voice was no longer sweet as honey. It sounded rather like the way the chutney tasted. “You mean that you and Ann are looking for a shared apartment? Now? At once? But you’ve only known each other for six months.”
    “So to speak … well, no, not really.” Ernest was still smiling, but tiny beads of sweat were standing out on his bald patch. “After thinking it over at length … At our age, time is a precious…” He shook his head, obviously furious with himself for being so tongue-tied. “The house is large enough for us all,” he said at last, firmly.
    “And you two grew up here,” said Mom to Grayson and Florence. The corners of her mouth were quivering slightly. “We didn’t want to ask you to face moving house in your last year at school.”
    No, sure. Moving house wasn’t good for the emotional balance of young people. Anyone could tell that from Mia and me. Mia made a funny sound, like Buttercup when you stepped on her paw by accident.
    “We’re supposed to move into this house?” she asked quietly. “And all of us live here together?”
    Ernest and Mom, who were still holding hands, exchanged a brief glance.
    “Yes,” said Ernest firmly. Mom just nodded.
    “But that’s ridiculous!” Florence pushed her plate away. “This house is only just large enough for us—where do you think we can put three extra people?”
    Four! I felt like saying. She’d forgotten Lottie. But I could only get out a kind of croak—there was still something lodged in my throat.
    “This house is enormous, Florence,” said Ernest. “It has six bedrooms. If we move around a bit, we’ll all fit in perfectly well. I thought Grayson could have the gable room at the front of the house, you can have your old room back again, and then Mia and Liv can—”
    “What?” Florence’s voice wasn’t far from being a screech now. “Those are my rooms up under the roof—I’m certainly not giving them up and sharing a bathroom with Grayson again. Grayson! Say something, why don’t you?”
    Grayson was looking confused. He hadn’t even looked up from his iPhone. Imagine that, when the world was coming to an end up above the table! He certainly had strong nerves! “Er … yes,” he said. “Why can’t Florence stay on the top floor under the roof? There are plenty of rooms on the second floor.”
    “Grayson, have you