The Trouble with Polly Brown (41 page)

Both boys looked up, and Justin Thyme was the first to speak. “Look, I don't know who you are or why you are speaking such utter tosh! I, for one, have never met you or your friend Sir Egghead, or whatever his name is. So do us all a big favor and leave us alone.”

Polly stood silent and dumbfounded, unable to hide the look of great shock that was clearly visible to all as Justin Thyme continued on.

“I can also categorically state that as I am very unfit, I've never as much as climbed a mole hill let alone a mountain. So, young lady, you are suffering from a case of mistaken identity, for you really do have the wrong people. Get it into your thick head that we don't want to talk to you, so push off,” he exasperatedly expressed through gritted teeth.

Polly drew breath before letting out a gasp that genuinely conveyed her pure disbelief.

“Justin, don't be silly. Of course you know me,” she cried as she quickly gave Will a friendly dig in the ribs, as if to convey that all this was just a friendly game that the boys were playing on her.

“Guys, come on now. Stop messing around, for you saved me and Jessica when we were lost in the desert. Come on. Tell Will here the truth,” she cried out in desperation.

“Come on, Polly. Let's get out of here.” Will sniffed, as he was now feeling very embarrassed by her.

But Polly refused to leave, even after he grabbed hold of her arm and gently attempted to pull her away from the group to head out of the door. “No, Will. Let go of me, for I'm not leaving until these lads finally admit the truth. Justin Kase, tell your friend off; for he is just fooling around, isn't he?”

Justin Kase looked up and shook his head. “Buzz off, for we've all had enough! We've tried to be nice, but for some reason you won't listen. Neither of us has ever met you before, and we have no reason to ever want to get to know you either, as you're obviously completely deranged. Also, this scar is from a biking accident that I had two years ago, so I would suggest that both you and your friend do the right thing by leaving this café to get the next train out of here.”

“Yes, go back home to your silly little fantasies, for if you continue bothering us, I warn you now, things might just get ugly,” Justin Thyme added.

Polly looked both boys directly in the eye, and both boys surreptitiously looked away. She then stood, arms folded, shaking her head to express her utter disbelief.

Will could tell she had really believed that the boys would help her out, and instead they had contributed to making a complete fool of her. As Polly turned to leave, she was finally forced to admit that it was she alone who had made a complete fool of herself.

“Will, I'm so sorry. I know I have been incredibly stupid. I feel so humiliated. Just take me home, please,” she whispered through a mist of tears, her voice showing great strain. Will obliged by taking the same train and then walking her the distance to the castle.

As they continued the walk together but alone, neither uttered a single word to the other. The sky above them quickly turned the most oppressive dark gray, and the sun, which moments earlier had shone so gloriously, instantly disappeared completely behind thundering, rolling clouds, as though it were going into premature mourning for the loss of a unique and once beautiful friendship.

“Take care, Polly,” was all Will felt capable of muttering as with a seriously burdened heart he left her at the castle gates to walk the long distance home.

“Will, I'm telling you the truth, really I am,” she cried out after him.

Will pretended not to listen as he slunk away with his hands thrust deep into his trouser pockets and his head and upper torso stooped low as though he were carrying the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. With each sad and lonely step he took, he tried hard to give serious thought to all he had heard that night. As he went over and over all she had told him, it all had him feeling very perplexed and wondering quite where to go from here!

“Hey, Will. See you at school tomorrow. Perhaps we can meet up at lunchtime,” a desperate Polly called out after him. “Please save me a seat in the dining hall.”

Will made no attempt to turn around and reply. He just continued on walking.

Chapter Sixteen

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

A
S
P
OLLY OPENED
the front door of the castle, she was caught off guard as she was greeted by much noise and excitement. “Polly, guess what? Aunt and Uncle are finally home, and they've brought us all a wonderful present of some strawberry-flavored candy. Aren't they the best?” a sticky-faced Bertha Banoffee ecstatically shouted.

“Great!” was all Polly managed to mutter, as Bertha then began dancing in circles around Polly before rather grossly plunging the end of her thick candy stick straight back into her strawberry-smeared mouth to continue on with the sucking.

Polly's heart sank as she considered how little it took to get all the children into a crazed, euphoric state. She also knew deep in her heart that in no time at all things would indeed be back to normal, and ten, twenty, or a hundred sugary candy sticks could never even begin to sweeten that bitter truth.

Polly wearily climbed the stairs and forlornly headed toward the dormitory to change from her uniform into her work clothes. In truth, she had no need of candy; all she hoped was that no one had missed her or realized she was late home. This time she was very fortunate.

As the evening drew to a close, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that she only had the shoes left to clean and then she could head off to bed. As she stood in a freezing cold room rubbing and polishing each pair of shoes until they shone, she found herself feeling quite concerned that Will had seemed so terribly tired and withdrawn on the way home. She could only hope to put things right the next day.

Suddenly the door opened, and she could hear the pitter-patter of feet as well as the heavy breathing that could only come from one source, and that was Pitstop!

“Well, good evening to you, Polly,” Uncle Boritz snorted.

“Good evening, Uncle,” Polly half-heartedly mumbled as she lowered her head and with a polish rag began to feverishly rub the shoe she held out.

“Most sadly, we have clean run out of candy, and therefore there is none available for James or your good self—not that you are entitled to any such treat, for may I remind that you, girl, are still on relinquishment of all privileges and enjoyments. With that in mind, may I use this opportunity to bring to your attention that we have yet to deal with the scene of utter carnage I encountered regarding my handmade coffins.”

Polly lowered her eyelids as she continued vigorously rubbing the shoe she was still holding.

“I am therefore putting you on notice that you will be attending a meeting with Dr. Ninkumpoop to decide where we go from here. But before this happens, I need you to know that Mildred and I have spent the past two weeks running around the countryside like a couple of headless chickens in our attempt to find out anything concerning this ring. And I'm sorry to say that, no thanks to you, we have come back from this quest none the wiser as to where this valuable ring originated from.

“As you continue to refuse to cooperate with us, I have been left with little choice other than to go ahead and contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation, better known across the pond as the FBI. They are in the process of sending me two of their best men, who have truly spectacular skills when it comes to ousting the truth from people such as yourself, as well as many other potential or international terrorists.

“They land at Heathrow Airport tomorrow morning. Of course, they will need some time of refreshment in a London hotel, but then they will immediately make their way here. So it is very much in your interest to be as cooperative with these gentlemen as you are able; otherwise I cannot even begin to imagine the consequences.”

Uncle Boritz plunged his hand deep into his pocket and pulled out a long stick of strawberry flavored candy. “Yes, this was the piece I was saving for you, but sadly, as you can see, Pitstop got to it first. Such a disgusting animal to have slobbered all over this candy treat, don't you think?” he smugly grinned. He then proceeded to bring the candy up to his own mouth to stick between his thick, generous lips to slowly suck on. “Hmm, lovely. Ooh, strawberry. Delish. Here, Pitstop. You can now dispose of the rest. There's a good boy,” he said, patting the beast with one hand while holding the candy up to the beast's slimy, drooling jaws with his free hand to allow Pitstop to once more slobber all over the candy stick.

Polly continued to fervently polish the same shoe that was still in her hand as she tried hard not to show any emotion or distress that would encourage him to taunt her further.

“All the same, admit it: you would have so loved this treat, for it was a yummy strawberry flavor, and I do believe strawberries are your all-time favorite fruit, am I right?” he mischievously quizzed. “Speak up! Am I right?”

“Yes. Yes, Uncle Boritz, you are correct. They are my favorite, not that I ever get to eat any,” she answered in little more than a whisper.

“Shame. Never mind. You wouldn't want to savor this one now, would you? It's now well and truly covered in his thick, slimy drool. Hmm, most unhygienic, if you ask me,” he snorted as he quickly removed the candy from the jaws of the beast to wave in her direction.

Pitstop made a loud growl, that if interpreted would clearly express, “Give me back my treat, or you're dead meat.”

“Ha ha. Polly dear, I, for one, am certain that one of the other children will give you a lick of theirs, that is, if you care to get down on both knees and beg them. Well, good night.”

“Good night, Uncle.” Polly finally placed the gleaming shoe back on the table next to the last pair of shoes on row two that still required polishing.

Polly instantly felt sad at the news that James had been denied the candy treat, for she believed it had everything to do with him standing up and trying to defend her at the last family meeting. She also knew that the other boys would make much of this, as all sweets tasted even better if they could be used as a weapon to taunt any child who had been denied the treat due to some punishment. For once, Polly was truly glad that dear Thomas was no longer around, for she felt sure he too would have been denied the candy and would therefore have been forced to face similar taunts and humiliation from some of the other bully boys, as well as Uncle Boritz, who simply relished the thought of children groveling at his feet as they wished with all their being to obtain something of his mercy.

She considered how James would be baited by the gloating boys as, sucking on candy, they sought to torture him further in any and every way they could. She wished with all her heart that she could save him from all further misery, but sadly, as always, she felt completely overwhelmed and powerless.

With all her chores finally completed, Polly quietly made her way to the stairs to head for bed. She knew it was very late, and therefore assumed the other children would be fast asleep, so she was truly taken by surprise to find her younger brother, James, sitting hunched up in his dressing gown at the bottom of the staircase.

“How are things?” she asked as she sat down beside him and gently slipped her arm around his shoulder.

“Awful, just awful,” he tearfully replied.

“James, I'm so sorry, for I know you didn't get any candy, and I bet the boys got a lot of pleasure out of seeing you suffer,” she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. James nodded his head.

“But at the end of the day it's only candy, and we all know that it rots your teeth,” she commiserated.

“Oh, Polly. It's not just the candy. I asked Uncle Boritz this evening if I could have my models back, and he said that he could not even remember where he put them. I don't believe him. He is so mean and spiteful. I hate him, I really do,” he moaned.

“Hmm. James, I'm so sorry. I have no idea what to say to comfort you.”

“You don't have to say anything, for I'm not staying here any longer. I am leaving this horrid castle, and I'm going to find somewhere else to live.”

“James, don't be crazy. Where will you go? The streets are very dangerous, especially at nighttime. Please rethink before you do something crazy that you may well live to regret,” she pleaded, as she was now feeling very anxious and concerned for her younger brother.

“I don't know where I'm going, but to be honest I really don't care. I just want to get out of here for good,” he adamantly cried.

“James, running away is no answer, trust me.”

“Oh, Polly, don't you even dare to preach at me, for you of all people have no right to tell me what to do, especially as you've run away many times before.”

“Yes, and look where it got me,” she gently reminded him.

“Look, Polly, you don't have to worry, because Toby is coming with me, and he says his mum and sister live in London, so we are going to go and find them. So good-bye, dear sister.” James got up from where he was sitting and walked toward the front door.