Princess Phoebe by Scilla James

long I’d had my dog and said he’d lost one practically identical. I said her name was Phoebe and that I’d had her a long time. I’m not good at telling lies and he stared at me as if he knew that’s what I was doing. Luckily, my Phoebe was asleep in the kitchen as usual so he never caught sight of her. I told him I’d got to get on and called ‘Phoebe!’ to Princess to come indoors. She was hiding behind me – I’m sure she knew him – and I think she’d have come no matter what name I’d called. But I’m sure he’ll be back, Ellie, and I can’t keep the dogs in the whole time.’
    â€˜Oh Mrs Henderson, you’ll have to keep her in,’ I say.
    â€˜No dear,’ she says firmly. ‘I’ll do my best for a day or two but then you’ll have to tell your parents and come and get her. I’m frightened he might try and break into my house. I’m even wondering whether I should call the police now but you can’t really do that unless you can show there’s a threat. And, as I say, he was perfectly polite. But I have to be able to go out you know. Monday is Gardening Club and I wouldn’t want to miss that. But the question is, how did he know to look here?’
    â€˜Because your house is near where he last saw her,’ I say, ‘and he knows that area because it’s not far from Granddad’s place and Frank came from the same village. His brother still lives near there. He must have been driving around looking when he saw her in your garden.’
    I can almost feel Mrs Henderson shudder.
    â€˜Please keep her a bit longer,’ I beg, ‘I promise I’ll think of something.’ Though I can’t imagine how.
    I’m just about to ring off when Mrs Henderson goes on to say, ‘Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. They did find a greyhound in Batts Wood, a black one. He was wandering around in a terrible state, frightened and hungry, but he’s safe now and they’ll find him a new home as soon as they can. So that’s one bit of good news.’
    She rings off.
    It occurs to me that Princess might have been safer in the rescue centre too, but then I realise that Frank would have gone there to claim her as his. Jan thinks the same when I tell her what Mrs Henderson said.
    We’ve reached the allotment by this time and Margaret tells us to sit down while she gives us a massive pile of old beans to shell, so she can plant them again or something. Queenie gives me a big lick and I stroke her ears. I feel guilty that by keeping Princess I seem to have caused such trouble.
    â€˜Somehow I will make Princess safe,’ I tell Queenie, ‘and perhaps one day you’ll see your beautiful daughter again.’ I’m not sure that greyhounds understand words like ‘daughter’, but I reckon Queenie at least knows that I’m trying to tell her something important, and she gives me another lick.
    Then Jan says, ‘I think you should talk to Nick.’
    I suppose I’ve been thinking the same thing. I need my big brother and, of course, I need his van. If he could take me over to Mrs Henderson’s we could pick up Princess and maybe think of somewhere else to hide her.
    â€˜OK,’ I agree with Jan, trying to sound braver than I feel.

10
Granddad
    â€˜You could take Ellie,’ I hear Mum say as I come in to the house later. She’s talking to Nick.
    â€˜Take Ellie where?’ I ask, while I look in the cupboard for a glass. I’m desperate for a drink of water but nothing’s clean and the sink’s piled up with dishes. I wash up a mug.
    â€˜I’m going over to see Granddad,’ says Nick.
    â€˜What?’ I ask. ‘Why? I thought we’d quarrelled.’
    â€˜Well,’ says Nick, ‘Dad’s been talking to Granddad again lately, and things have been looking hopeful for an end to it all. Then last night it seemed as if they