Hampton House / Hampton House

Jenny Dooley

Express Publishing

PublishingPublishedExpress by LibertyHouse, GreenhamNew Park,

Newbury, Berkshire RG19 6HW

Tel: [phone] - Fax: [phone] e-mail: [e-mail] http://www.expresspublishing.co.uk

©Jenny Dooley 1996

trationDeignsIllu & ExpressPublishing© 2002

Colour Illustrations: Nathan

ISBN 1-84216-904-1

Chapter 1: The Helping Hand Club
Chapter 2:		The Lady in Room 16	9
Chapter 3:		The Dance	15
Chapter 4:		The Accident	19
Chapter 5:		Life or Death	23
ChapterHampto6:	Housn e		27
Chapter 7:		The Investigation	32
Chapter 8:		Lord Hampton's Story	36
Chapter 9:		A Matter of Choice	40
Chapter	10: ThFinaMomentl		43s

3

Chapter 1

Willia	wam	bus	usualsy	ibuildin,th e		whicg	wah ths	e
offic Helpinfor	Handg	Hworke.e	therd	everSaturdaey	y

morning. Today the building was full of teenagers, all waiting for someone to tell them what to do and where to go.

"Sally		Mr,Smits eedhnomeos			collecto .shoppinghetr				"
	Sally went to the desk and took the shopping list for Mrs
Smith	the,	witn	smilha	oe heprettn	facy	saigoodbye	ane	d
walke	oud	otofficeth		.
"John		Mr,Jones wants			yos	uttako	he	dor	fog lkarw	.
	And be careful not to step on the dog this time."
"Gary			ca, yobabysinu			fot	hSmitre		afternoon?thiss
	"Jo,MworBr	deen lehs .pinniehdrags	"

The telephone never stopped ringing, but slowly, as time passed, the office became calm again. Most of the teenagers were out helping the people of the town, the rest were by the

coffemachine Someon. switche do cassettthn playe anr d

William sat in his chair more comfortably and closed his eyes. "Hello."

William opened his eyes. A lovely girl stood in front of his desk, smiling.

"Hello youn, ladyg Wh. aryou?e "

"I'm Kathy. I'm new here and I don't know anybody, so I thought perhaps I could help you."

"Yo	saiu	thdmagie	wordc	Hel.	alwaypis	needes	round	d
here Ifact.n	asoo,	naJoas	getnbacks	I'takin,m	Librarthge	y

7

van to the Old People's Home and I need someone to help with the small trolley. Why don't you get some coffee and meet the rest of the group?"

Suddenly the door flew open and a tall, smiling girl came

in.

"Sorr yI'latem M.Tagr toog kvera lony timg finiseto ha t

the Foot Clinic. He's back home now, so here I am. Any problems, William?"

"Nothing serious, but we do have a new helper. Kathy, come and meet Joan. She's the manager here."

"William's taking me to the Old People's Home to give out

the library books - if that's all right."
"Lovely	buwatc,		outhWillia!			mterriblsa	driver	fasteo,	n
you seabelt!r				"
"Don't believe a word she says. Bye-bye everybody. See you
later."
"All right, but not too much later. We have a lot of things
to do, you know!"
Everyon	laughe	dathers waerealls		noy mucsto	ht	od o
thadayWilliat .	anmhtaKd walkey	oud oticthfofe	ane god	t
into the van.
"Don't worry, Kathy. I'm a safe driver, and it won't take us
very long to do this job."
Kath	smiley dWilliatmanlooked dahebust streeoutsidey .
"I'mnoworriet		aboud	youdrivingtr		bu,	wiltt takl	ue as
long time as there's a lot of traffic in the streets, today."
"Alrighl hent let',		his hroad!t e	"

8

Chapter 2

The Old People's Home was outside the town. When they
arrivedWillia,	parkem	dahtmaientrancen		Hwen.		ttho	e
bac	ko	thf	vae		anpushed				dabitrolleg		ooky
Kathy took the smaller trolley.
"I'll go to the main room downstairs and you take your
trollerouny	thdroome	tstho olpeopld whe can'o		get out	t
bedof Thmatro.e			wiln		givl		yoe	thu roo.numbers		"
	Just then the matron arrived.
"Hello, William. They're waiting for you ... but who's this?"
"Hello	KathyI',m		I'. mne Helpinwat				Hang	anWilliadd	m
asked me to come here."
"Than		yokcomingfour			Thealway.			liks	etmeo netpeoplw	e
from the town. This is the list of room numbers. Leave the
lady in Room 16 last, because she likes to talk and feels lonely
no thaw			sht	hae			ststao		y.bedin	"
	"All right."
Willia	pushem		hitrolleds				inty	thlargeo	sunn, rooy	mo n
the left of the hall. Kathy pushed her trolley down a narrow
corrido witrdoorh		oseacn sideh	Th. peoplold	werhappe		y
to meet her and asked her lots of questions.
At last Kathy arrived at Room 16. She knocked on the door,
and when a gentle voice called "Come in." Kathy opened the
door and pushed the trolley into a pretty room, which at that
moment was full of						sunshine. An old lady, with bright blue
eyebehins		ameoundrf-metal,						glassed	was lyins	gbedin He.	r

9

hai war ofs

anwhited shinin,

sunlightithn e

Shsmile.

da t

KathKathy . emilsybackdahert .

"Good afternoon. My name's Kathy Watson and I'm working

at Helping Hand. I brought you some books. Do you want

one?"

"IaMismEmilys Nic.

etmeo yout

Ma.

yIas hok wol yod

u

are, Kathy?"

"I'm nineteen."

"Now com,

her

ane

dle mtlooe

kyouat

Yes.

yo, reminudo

d

m oe

girfa kneIl

lonw

ago

Sh.

wae

verprettys

too,

Bu.

t

enoug

hothatfPleas.

come

ane

dsidowt

no thin stoo besidl

e

mea havIs

name thingy

tstelo yol anutherd ivers littly e

time left."

Kath

saydowt besidn

the

olladye

Sh.

fel calt

mn

peaceful, but curious too. The old lady began to speak softly.

"I am very old now but when I was young I went to work

inahousebi g

workeI.

basemendith e

doint

washinthge

g

and ironing. Lord Hampton, the young master, lived alone,

but many rich friends came to visit him and his parties were

famous in the town. Hampton house was beautiful then. Bright

lighthons

ei aln roomsthle

The.

mady

thewooe

furnitur

shine

ane

thdsilvesparkl

Thcarpet.

wers

es

o

thick your feet disappeared inside the wool when you walked

on them ... I was lucky. The cook let me have some food after

Hampton'Lord

meals

cams

bace

kkitchenoth

e

servant

wers

ofte

coln .hungryandd

"

"How terrible!"

"Lord Hampton wasn't a bad man, he just thought servants

No...

didn'th, e

thin aboukservantt

as alltRic.peoplh

ane

d

workhis

tha,

wat

alsthoughel

.about

"

11

"Do people still work there - cleaners, gardeners and maybe the young people from Helping Hand sometimes?"

"No. The house is old and needs lots of repairs. Nobody evegoer thers .nowe "

"And Lord Hampton?"

There was no answer from Miss Emily. Her eyes were shut and there was a smile on her lips - the kind of smile children have when they are keeping a secret, thought Kathy.

"D yo wanu booat read?kto "

"No, thank you. Come and visit me again another day,

Kathy."
Kath stooy	du anpquietld pushey	thtrolled	yt thodoore

She opened it, went out of the room and back into the narrow corridor.

"What took you so long?"

"Miss Emily. She told me about the days when she was young."

"Who'	MisEmily?s		"
"The lady in Room 16, the one the you told me to leave last."
"Bu	htlade	yRooin m1	calle6is Kared .Blackn		"
"That's strange. Maybe I got the name wrong."
"Com		thenon	w,have	et geo bact		.workto		"
BacHelpinkat			Handg		Joa, asken Kathd					answeyto
telephon	foe	arfehoursw	Willia.	mlef	thelo		MpFisher	painr	t
his house.
o'clockA2t everyon,			returne		dtofficeth e		Joa. gavn		eac	h
theof	browenvelopma					wite eiht namr				eo thntn
gavKathe	envelopeya		tooInside,.			ther, pounwae-fivesa				d
note.
"OhWhat'!		this?	"

13

"Yodidn'u hint	yoworkeu	toda nothing?foyr	"
"Yes, I did."
"Joastarten Helpind		Hang	ds thoyoune	peoplg
have much money could find work and at the same time help
peopl whe can'o	thingdothemselvesb y		Yo.	seeu w, hel

the town's people and they help us, then everyone is happy! Do you want to come to the dance here tonight?"

"Oh, I didn't see any notices about a dance. How do you know there's going to be a dance here tonight, William?"

"There's a dance here every Saturday night for the people from Helping Hand and any other young people who

wan comet It'. fus anyou'ld meel nepeopletw So. wil, yol u come to the dance?"

"OK then, I'll come. Thank you for asking me, William." "See you at 8 o'clock outside the office, then."

14

Chapter 3

whe don'

t

p

That evening Kathy took a long time to dress because she didn't know what to wear. She finally put on her best dress shoesand The . shehnsurbtegnel-rehedlduohsr iafh iahr r

until it shone. A last look in the mirror showed a slim girl with

happbrowy	eyesn	he,ovar	facframel	dbsofycurlst	.
William stood at the end of the road and waited. When he
Kathysaw	hurriee,		dmeeto	hert	.
"Hellagaino Read!		ygo?t "
"Yes, let's go!"
Togethe	ther weny	inttbuildingthoe	I.wat fuls younfl	g

people. Some girls were in mini skirts and T-shirts, others in

longhgirb,dressest		Mos.		otnuhftoye	emgworn	snaej -T, -
shirt	anleathesd		jacketsEveryon.			wante	lvesdtnjoethemsy	.
Williamgreete	sdnhiedirfs eht	,etivni	nhtaKd	tcnyado hte	e

moment the music started. They danced nicely together. And when the music stopped, a girl with soft brown hair and shining brown eyes came near them.

"This is Sue. Sue, say hello to Kathy!"
"HelloKathy,	Nic!	etmeo	youtCom.		anemeed	ht res
of the crowd."
Just then, a tall young man came forward. He held his
glasse ions hanhandkerchieean da	finthother .
"Thi Johnsis	alwayH.e	cleans	ehiglass	whes	thinkinghe's	.

He's terribly clever, so he cleans his glasses a lot."

"M haiy fallacrosr

ons yewhe

.angryI'm

"

15

She looked into his kind green eyes and didn't believe he could ever actually get angry.

"Hercome Pams		Yo! heau	hebefor	yoe useherbecaus,	e
alwayshe's.gnihguals "	"Are you talking about me?"
	"Yes."
	"I hope it was something nice."
Ashsmile				hed gre		yeshon		ounA.
her.
"Hello	Mname'.y	.Adams	"
"Gla	dmeeto yout .I'Kathy.m	"
"Woul	yod likdance?ut o	"
	"I'd love		to!"
	For the rest of the evening, Kathy danced and talked to her
friendsw			anWillia,d		enjoyem	himselfd	too,	.
"Las.dancet "

"My dance!"

William led Kathy to the dance floor. As they were dancing Kathy took a look at her face in a mirror. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were shining.

After the dance was over, William and Kathy went home, walking through the streets of the town which were now quiet.

"Setomorroyoeu thenw.Kathy, "

"See you tomorrow, William. Bye-bye!" yardervuEtaS y htaK , naaiylliW dekrowm niapldeH t g

dnahHtaK .eyojney niodd htgodenujobsdra nwotd Sh . e

even sang for a pop group because their singer was sick. And then she had to serve drinks and food to the guests at a garden party, but the name ofthe house was "Pine Lodge" not "Hampton House" as she had hoped.

17