Dancing Moon Bay

By Sos Ingamells and Kasey

When Charley arrives on the island she finds the sprites have been expecting her.
Will she be able to live up to their expectations and save the island?

Or will the hotel conditions be so awful that her mum insists they leave the following day?

 

114 pages with black and white illustrations

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishing Network
• Release date: Jun 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781838533922

Book preview

A drawing of a person Description automatically generated

CHAPTER 1

Charley hated peeling potatoes. She thought Millie should do it as part of her housework duties. Millie, or Mrs Millican, as Charley was supposed to call her, was paid to clean the house every Friday, to make sure it was ready to receive visitors at the weekend. There was usually some colleague or employee turning up to talk business with her mum, just when Charley would have liked to talk with her. Sighing, she put the last potato in the pan and checked her phone to see the time. Six o’clock. She’d better hurry and prepare the rest of the vegetables to go with the steak Mum was bringing.

A blast of cold air whistled through the house as the front door opened and closed. Her mum breezed into the living room, depositing her bulging briefcase on the sofa and kicking off her high-heel shoes. ‘What a day!’ she said.

‘Hi Mum,’ called Charley, ‘I’ve nearly done the veg.’

‘Well, hurry up, I’ve more work to do, but I need to eat first.’

Charley grimaced. ‘I’m just a ten-year-old slave,’ she muttered.

‘What did you say? Speak up, I can’t hear you.’

‘Have you brought the steak?’ she called.

‘Steak? Oh bother! No. I haven’t time to be thinking about food.’

Charley took some salmon out of the freezer and put everything on to cook. This was happening too often.

They ate the meal at the dining room table, mainly so her mum could read documents while she was eating.

‘I heard working while you’re eating is bad for your digestion,’ said Charley.

‘I need a manager for the Nottingham boutique. It’s opening in six weeks.’

‘Why are you opening another shop? Aren’t the others doing very well?’ She counted on her fingers, York, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham. Her mother was turning into a tycoon.

‘They are doing marvellously well. That’s why I’m opening more.’

‘More? You mean Nottingham isn’t the only new one?’

‘Charley, if you want to get on in this world, you have to take action.’

‘Aunt Jamie said you were working too hard.’

‘Shush.’ She began keying in numbers on her phone. Charley finished eating and cleared away, stacking the dishwasher. She was about to start it when she heard a shriek. Dashing back to the dining room, she saw her mum with her head in her hands, sobbing.

‘What’s happened?’

Her mum’s shoulders were shaking and as she looked up, tears streamed down her cheeks.’ Charley wondered if Uncle Ed had died. He was the only person Mum seemed to care about.

‘Shall I make you a cup of tea? Or get you a brandy?’

Her mother shook her head.

‘Is it Uncle Ed?’

‘What? No, no, no.’

‘Who is it?’ said Charley tentatively.

‘It’s York... It’s flooded. All those beautiful clothes are ruined. All my time, all the planning, wasted.’ Blinking away