Read Loose Connections Online

Authors: Rosemary Hayes

Loose Connections (16 page)

‘She was out riding and the pony bolted,’ repeated Jake, softly. And then, more loudly. ‘What was the pony like?’


What
? How do I know what the pony was like, for goodness’ sake?’

Jake shook his head, trying to free it of the image of the gentle black pony which had nudged at his pocket. What had scared it so much that it had bolted? He came back down to earth and
realised that Mum was staring at him.

He cleared his throat. ‘How old was she when she was killed?’ he asked.

‘Fourteen, I think.’

‘Gran must have been very sad.’

Mum nodded. ‘I think it affected her really badly. There’s always such a strong bond between twins.’

A strong bond? Strong enough to break through barriers of time?

Mum was still speaking. ‘Gran hardly ever mentioned her, though. I guess they were that close, she couldn’t bear to think about it.’

Poor Gran. Her other half.

‘We’ll be together again soon.’

There was that voice, the voice in his head. But he knew whose voice it was now.

Jake looked at the floor. Time was running out for Gran. Verity was right. She and Gran would be together again soon.

The baby started to cry in earnest and Jake looked up again. Something about the fury of that cry made him laugh. ‘She sounds really cross!’

Mum smiled, and picked her up. ‘I expect she’s hungry.’

Jake watched as the baby sucked strongly.

‘Lucinda Verity,’ he said, trying out the name.

Dad went and stood behind Mum. He planted a kiss on the baby’s head as Mum gently unlatched her, held her over one shoulder and stroked her back until she burped.

‘Of course, everyone will call her Lucy,’ said Dad.

‘I won’t call her Lucy,’ said Jake.
She’ll always be Verity to me.

And then, again, the voice in his head, so quiet he could hardly hear it.

‘Remember us, Jake. Remember us both.’

About the Author

 

Rosemary Hayes
’ first novel,
Race Against Time
was runner up for the Kathleen Fidler Award and since then her many books for children have included
historical and contemporary fiction and fantasy. Her recent Frances Lincoln novels have all been shortlisted for awards:
Mixing It
, set against a background of terrorism, is about
the relationship between a Muslim girl and a non-Muslim boy,
Payback
is based on the real-life experiences of a young Muslim woman who rejects the husband chosen for her, and
The
Blue-Eyed Aborigine
tells the astounding story of a 17th-century shipwreck through the eyes of a cabin boy. Rosemary lives and works in Cambridgeshire.

MORE BOOKS FROM FRANCES LINCOLN CHILDREN’S BOOKS

 

 

PAYBACK

Rosemary Hayes

 

Halima has her whole life to look forward to. Brought up in a Pakistan village and now settled in London with her family, her horizons are widening all the time. She is starting
university in London and has met a Muslim boy she really likes.

And then she discovers her father’s plan – to marry her to the son of a distant relation in Pakistan who once did him a favour. Halima is to be the repayment of a
debt, and it’s payback time.

 

“A powerful, moving read.”

Irish Examiner

 

THE BLUE-EYED ABORIGINE

Rosemary Hayes

 

It is 1629, and there is mutiny in the air aboard the Dutch ship
Batavia
as she plies her way towards Java with her precious cargo. Jan, a cabin boy, and Wouter, a young
soldier, find themselves caught up in the tragic wrecking and bloody revolt that follow. But worse is to come…

Based on real events, Rosemary Hayes’s gripping story recaptures some of sea history’s most dramatic moments, linking the fates of Jan and Wouter with discoveries that
intrigue Australians to this day.

 

“A definite must-read.”
Young Writers

“A captivating tale.”
ReadPlus

“An intriguing, hard-hitting story.”
Reading Upside Down

Dedication and Copyright

In loving memory of Lucie Bates and Rosalind Hayes

Loose Connections
copyright © Rosemary Hayes 2012
The right of Rosemary Hayes to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (United Kingdom).

First published in Great Britain and in the USA in 2012 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 4 Torriano Mews, Torriano Avenue, London NW5 2RZ
www.franceslincoln.com

This eBook edition first published in 2012

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electrical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the United Kingdom such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron
House, 6-10 Kirkby Street, London EC1N 8TS.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

eBook conversion by CPI Group

ISBN 978 1 781011 00 3

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