Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 76

"Are we nearly done?" Pat asked, twisting around to try and see what Virgil was doing.

"You asked that five minutes ago." Virgil said. He pulled the pencil out from behind his ear and noted something down. "And yes, you can go do whatever Remus said you had to."

Pat leapt down from the stool he was stood on. "Does this mean we'll be able to get new windows?" He asked, grabbing his boots. "There's a hole in mine, it makes a draft."

"Probably." Virgil said with a small smile. "We'll be fine, don't worry. Soon, we'll be living like kings."

Pat grinned and - with a quick goodbye - he ran out, the door barely closing behind him. Virgil let out a small sigh.

"Living like kings, huh?" Virgil muttered to himself, pulling the dress book forward. "At least one of us will be..."

Logan had barely gotten over the river when Pat was upon him, shouting his name. He raised his hand in greeting but Pat grabbed both of his hands and danced him round in a circle.

"Lo, Lo, Lo, you'll never guess what!" Pat screamed excitedly, letting go of Logan's hands and hugging him so tightly Logan thought he heard his back crack.

"Pat, I can't breathe." He said, slightly strangled. Pat jumped and pulled back quickly.

"Sorry." He apologised sheepishly. "But anyway, you'll never never guess what!"

"I'm guessing not." Logan laughed. "What is it?"

Pat took Logan's hand and swung it, spinning himself around. "I know what my papa's getting me for my birthday." He sang. "And it's going to be brilliant!" He shrieked the last word at such an ear-splitting volume Logan thought he saw a few birds take flight.

"What is it?" Logan asked. Pat's excitement was infectious, he was intrigued now.

"I'm getting a dress!" Pat yelled, jumping up and down. "I woke up really early this morning and saw a book on the table and it had this beautiful dress in and papa had written all along the margin different things like what kind of colour he wanted and things about the neckline. And then," he said excitedly, leaning closer, "he asked me to measure for someone. He said they were this rich noble lady who couldn't come out to our house for whatever reason. And she was 'the same size as me' so I had to model."

Pat giggled. "He's never done dresses before. Papa's not a seamstress. He's a toy maker." Pat couldn't help but grin. "Oh, Lo, I'm going to look beautiful!"

"I bet you are." Logan grinned. "I wish I could wear a dress, I'd never be able to make it look right."

"Oh, I've never worn a dress either." Pat said like it was a huge secret. "But it can't be that hard, can it? All those people at the big fancy ball a few years back were wearing them. And they all shone in the candlelight-" Pat gasped loudly. "Lo, what colour d'you think it'll be? D'you think it'll shine?! I hope it'll shine because then I can spin round and round and round and round," Pat spun himself around with Logan's hand again, "and round and round and round and glitter like a spinning top!"

"I assume it will be blue." Logan said. "Has your father made all your clothes?"

"Well... no." Pat furrowed his brow. "He makes my shirts but the trousers we got years ago from the market and the shoes we get every year. I used to go barefoot in the summer before the toys really started to sell."

"Then I assume it will be blue." Logan repeated. "He's definitely decided it's your colour."

"And?" Pat did another spin. "Is it?"

The sun broke through a cloud just then, casting a beam down onto the pair. In the sun, Pat looked like the Greek God Apollo, bronze curls shining, face glowing and smile beaming. Logan felt his throat run dry for some reason.

"Absolutely."

I wrote! And I am proud of myself for that!
Bye,
Blaize