i was distraught , wiping tears from my eyes . claire 's letters gone ! `` are you going to tell the police ? '' emily asked . i reflected for a moment . surely , the police would laugh at me as well . `` i do n't know . maybe the thieves were looking for something to do with claire

it was certainly hard to imagine aspen starting a dust-up behind the barn . it was hardly gentlemanly , but then , you never knew . `` do you think he 'll be alright ? '' lee wondered , peering after them . `` aspen knows what he 's doing , '' fort assured him . `` i meant gov. '' `` so did i , '' said fort

and there was , susanna thought , a very hard , very well-pleased look about her wide blue eyes . julia , who had been moodily pushing a crust of toast round her plate , stood up all at once . `` i 'm going to walk into the village to do some errands , '' she announced . `` would you like to come along , susanna

`` thank you , '' said beifar , as they both sat down across from each other in matching armchairs , with very comfortable pillows . beifar sipped at his coffee while he studied the room . family portraits hung on the wall ; tacky drapes drooped on the side of the windows ; trinkets and lit lamps covered a variety of end tables ; and a stone fireplace . a broom that he recognized from alivan 's wizards and witches corner store rested to the side of the
fireplace