Chapter 7
Can you keep a secret?
‘Oh, Miss! Oh, Miss!’ Martha cried when Mary told her about Colin.
‘What’s wrong?’ Mary asked.
‘Mrs. Medlock will think I told you about him! I’m in such trouble now!’
‘Why?’
‘I just will be!’ Martha said, pacing up and down. ‘Master Colin’s probably in one of his paddies right now! Did he scream at you?’
‘No, we just talked.’
Martha stopped pacing. ‘Talking? What, like you an’ me do?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s a first!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He can be a bit… erm… difficult sometimes.’
‘Maybe he just needs fresh air like I did.’
‘Oh no! We tried that! The worst fit he had was when we took him out and one of the gardening lads stared at him by mistake. Master Colin threw such a paddy he was up all night with a terrible fever.’
‘Well, if he threw a paddy with me I’d just walk out.’
Martha began her pacing again. ‘Oh, I bet he’s in a state this morning! I’d best go help to see him.’
Mary ate her breakfast, deep in thought. What a strange place this was! Secret gardens and secret passageways. Boys crying in the night and boys who talked to animals.
Remembering Dickon, she pushed her dish away and went to find her tools. The trouble was it was pouring down with rain. There would be no gardening today.
A few minutes later, Martha came in. She had a strange look on her face. ‘Master Colin wants to see you,’ she said.
‘All right,’ Mary said, glad she had something to do.
‘I just hope Mr. Medlock doesn’t get to hear this!’ Martha told Mary. ‘I’ll be in the next room… with his nurse… if you need help.’
‘I shan’t need any help!’ Mary said. She didn’t understand why Martha was making such a fuss.
Colin was sitting upright against a mountain of pillows. ‘So you weren’t a ghost!’
‘No.’
He grinned and pointed to some books spread out on his bed. ‘Look, I’ve been finding pictures of some of the things you told me.’
They sat and chatted. ‘Indian sounds such a magical place,’ Colin said.
‘Yes, it is.’
‘Not like here. There’s nothing magical about living here. It’s like a prison’
‘I suppose if you stay in one room every day it does.’
‘Exactly.’
He looked so glum. It made Mary want to cheer him up. ‘But there’s magic here too.’
‘What do you mean?’
Mary hitched closer. Could she trust him? She wondered. He wasn’t the same as Dickon but… ‘There’s a secret garden,’ she whispered, ‘full of the most wonderful things.’
‘What, here? At Misselthwaite? I’ve never heard of it! Why have I never heard of it?’
Mary put her fingers to her lips. ‘Shh! Nobody knows. Only I know where it is, and DIckon.’
‘Dickon?’
‘Martha’s brother. He’s amazing.’ And she told Colin about Dickon and his way with animals. The she described the garden. Every bit of it. Colin’s face lit up. ‘It does sound wonderful.’
‘It is,’ Mary said. But then she grew worried. She plucked at the bedcover. ‘Colin, you won’t tell anyone, will you? They’ll spoil it otherwise. They’ll stop me from going. Can you keep the secret about the garden?’
Colin shuffled upwards in bed. ‘Of course,’ he said. He raised his eyebrows. ‘I’ve never had a secret before!’
Mary sighed with relief.
◆ ◆ ◆
The rain didn’t stop for several days but this time, instead of feeling bored and unhappy, Mary had Colin for company.
Martha couldn’t believe the difference Mary had made to Master Colin’s moods. ‘He‘s like a different boy!’ she said, following Mary down the corridor towards Colin’s room. ‘I think you’ve put a spell on him.’
‘He’s just lonely, like I used to be.’ Mary said, sounding very wise, ‘and when you are lonely it turns you a bit mean.’
Martha shook her head and went to chat to Colin’s nurse, who couldn’t believe the change in Master Colin either. ‘Listen to that,’ the nurse said, as sounds of laughter were heard coming from Colin’s bedroom.
‘Incredible!’ Martha agreed.
‘What’s incredible?’ Mrs. Medlock asked, coming up behind the pair and startling them.
Martha was so shocked at seeing Mrs. Medlock she couldn’t speak. Mrs. Medlock pushed Colin’s bedroom door open. ‘What’s all this?’ she cried. ‘What’s that girl doing here?’
Master Colin scowled. ‘I asked her to come, Medlock!’ he told the housekeeper.
Her tone changed immediately. Her voice was soft and smarmy. ‘But Master Colin! Your cheeks are flushed! You must not get excited! The girl must leave at once!’
‘If anyone must leave at once it’s you, Medlock! Get out! Shoo, you daft woman! Shoo!’
‘Master Colin!’
‘Did you hear what I just said?’ Colin growled, puffing himself up. Mrs. Medlock fled.
Mary began to giggle. ‘You sounded just like a proper little rajah then,’ she told him.
Colin sniffed. ‘Good,’ he said.
