Miss Smart, Miss Brock, Mr Xavier and Mr Reed were sitting at their own table when Matthew entered the dining room the following day. And he went over to them right away after he was reintroduced to everyone by Miss Thorn.

'May I have lunch with you?' Matthew asked. Miss Thorn had picked out for him a blue and white striped T-shirt and a pair of white pants. He looked like a sailor.

'Of course you can, Billy,' Miss Smart said with delight, brushing her curly white hair out of her face. Matthew sat down in between her and Mr Xavier, the one with the eyepatch.

'So, what brings you here?' Mr Xavier asked Matthew after he and the others had introduced themselves.

'I'm here to say hello, help out . . . things like that,' replied Matthew.

In his slow voice, Mr Reed asked, 'What's in it for you?'

'Community service hours,' replied Matthew. 'There's an award that they hand out at my school if you do so many hours throughout the year.'

'You must really want this award,' said Miss Brock, 'coming here in the summer. Surely you would prefer being outside playing.'

If only, thought Matthew. 'I really do want this award. It's nice looking . . . shiny and big.'

'Do you like writing, Billy?' asked Mr Xavier.

'Pardon?' said Matthew, surprised at the question.

Nodding, Mr Xavier said, 'Your hands . . . they're very inky.'

Miss Smart, Miss Brock and Mr Reed snapped their eyes onto Matthew's hands. He was resting them on the table, but quickly tucked them out of sight.

Indeed, Matthew's hands were inky. He had scrubbed them raw down in the cellar before coming upstairs, but the ink wouldn't come off. It was a new ink Mr Jacobs had made and it just stuck to his skin. And of course Miss Thorn was not pleased with it. 'You should have been more careful. I'll have to punish you for this of course,' she had said. 'Tomorrow night, after you've cleaned everywhere, you'll go through the entire south library and make sure all the books are in proper order.'

Matthew smiled at Mr Xavier. 'I do like writing, yes.'

Mr Xavier nodded then changed the subject. 'So, where do you live? In town?'

'No,' said Matthew, 'I live in a town nearby.'

'Do you go to school there?' asked Mr Reed.

Before Matthew could answer, there was a loud bang. A branch from a tree outside had hit one of the dining room windows. The tree, like all the others he could see, was whipping around like a bucking bronco, sending debris flying everywhere.

'Looks like a storm's a-brewin,' said Mr Xavier.

In the distance, Matthew could see thunderous clouds growing.

'Where are you four from?' asked Matthew, as the sound of wind whistled down his ears.

'Up north,' said Miss Brock. 'We live together at another residential home.'

'Why are you thinking about moving . . . coming here?' said Matthew.

'Change of scenery,' said Miss Smart.

Matthew nodded. 'Have you met any of the residents yet?'

'We've met a few,' said Miss Brock. 'Mr and Mrs Hope, and Mr Herrman. They live on the second floor. Very nice people.'

Miss O'Neil appeared. 'Sorry to disturb you. May I take your orders?'

'It's about time,' Matthew swore he heard Mr Reed mumble under his breath. 'Do you have any cereal?'

'Cereal?' Miss O'Neil looked at Mr Reed as if he was an alien. 'For Lunch?'

'If it's no trouble,' replied Mr Reed.

Miss O'Neil smiled. 'Of course not. We have puffed wheat, bran sticks, bran balls, bran flakes, rice flakes —'

Mr Reed made a face that showed he was displeased with those options. 'Wood shavings.'

'Excuse me, sir?'

'That's what I call cereal like that. Wood shavings. Chicken pellets.'

Matthew just couldn't hold it in and burst out a laugh. Miss Smart, Miss Brock and Mr Xavier, however, were not amused. They looked irritated with Mr Reed, and Matthew was quite sure Mr Xavier gave Mr Reed a little kick underneath the table.

'Do you have any cereal with marshmallows?' Mr Reed asked, his mouth open from ear to ear. Matthew couldn't tell if he was smiling or grimacing.

'Marshmallows?'

'That's right. Any Fruitie-Q's? Happy-Curls? Crocolates? Sweet Smirks? Coconut Brains? Toothsome Fairies? Syrupy Stars? Rainbow Fish? Goodgoods? Iced Chips? Fluffy Fingers? What about the cheap version of Sweet Smirks . . . Smiles-O-Sugar?'

'Sorry, we have none of that.'

Mr Reed huffed.

'There's a menu in front of you, Thomas,' Miss Smart blurted out, now more irritated, and she may or may not have kicked Mr Reed under the table too. 'I'm sure you're supposed to pick something from that.'

'Oh, that's what that is,' said Mr Reed, leaning over the menu. 'I wondered what all of you were reading.' He took out a pair of humungous purplish reading glasses from his pocket, put them on, and picked up the menu. After going over it aloud a few times, he said, while scratching his head, 'I'll have the creamy mushroom soup.'

If Miss O'Neil was getting impatient, she didn't look it. 'Excellent cho –'

'Actually, I'll have the shepard's pie.'

'Is that final?'

Combing his moustache with his fingers, Mr Reed said, 'Ummmmmm . . . yes.'

'Another excellent choice. The meat we use is from a local farm . . . very fresh,' said Miss O'Neil, writing down Mr Reed's order. Matthew knew that was a lie. 'And what would you like to drink?'

'Do you have any strawberry milk?' Mr Reed asked.

'Thomas, is it on the menu?' Mr Xavier asked.

Mr Reed looked at the menu again and read aloud the offered beverages. Strawberry milk was not on the menu. 'Ummmmm . . . now what do I fancy? I either want the tea or the apple juice.'

'How about I bring you both?'

'That would be wonderful, thank you.'

The moment their meals came, Miss Smart, Miss Brock, Mr Xavier and Mr Reed began shovelling theirs down, barely coming up for air. Matthew had never seen old people eat that fast before. They ate faster than he did, and he thought he was fast.

Mr Reed finished his meal first. 'Portions aren't exactly big, are they?' He looked at the menu once again. 'What? There's no dessert. Not even orange jello.' Wiping his mouth, he belched.

'Revolting' and 'Where's his manners?' were a couple of things Matthew heard.

'Sorry about that,' said Mr Reed, through another belch, to the tables around him.

Matthew giggled, which made Miss Smart, Miss Brock and Mr Xavier giggle.

All of a sudden Mr Reed gave out a sneeze, and then another, and then another. 'I shouldn't have put so much pepper on my shepard's p — AAAACCCCCHHHHOOOOOO!!!' Covering his nose and mouth with his hand, he said, 'Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.'

'So, Billy,' said Miss Brock, after Mr Reed had left, 'do you know Eagle Falls well?'

'Not really,' said Matthew. 'I just come to the manor. Mom drops me off and picks me up.'

'Well, you probably know it better than us. Maybe you could show us around after we've finished up here.'

Matthew wasn't expecting that. Miss Thorn hadn't told him what to say if anyone asked him to do that. He was sure she would not let him go, afraid he might try to escape, which he definitely would.

'I don't know if I'm allowed. I think I'm supposed to do my community service at the manor.' Matthew thought that was a reasonable response.

'There's Miss Thorn,' said Mr Xavier, putting his glass of fizzy water down. 'Let's ask her if it'll be okay.'

Mr Xavier stood up and began to wave passionately at Miss Thorn, who was on the other side of the dining room talking to Mrs Jacobs. It wasn't long before he got her attention and everyone else's.

'Is everything all right?' said Miss Thorn, when she came over. She noticed the empty plates and was visibly astounded. 'How was your lunch?' She then noticed that Mr Reed was missing and began scanning the dining room for him.

'Wonderful,' said Miss Smart and Miss Brock together.

'Yes, compliments to the chef,' said Mr Xavier. 'That stir fry was the best I've ever had. Delicious.'

'Did Mr Reed enjoy his food?' said Miss Thorn, still trying to find him.

'Loved it,' said Miss Smart.

'Good,' said Miss Thorn. 'So, has he gone to walk it all off?'

'He just went to the bathroom,' said Mr Xavier. He then asked Miss Thorn if Matthew could take them on a tour of Eagle Falls.

Miss Thorn was taken back again. Seemed like nobody had asked a child to do that before. 'Sorry but I couldn't allow that,' she said promptly. 'I promise Billy's father every time he drops him off that I will keep him safe and not let him outside of the manor's grounds. Besides, it looks like it's going to rain for the remainder of the day.'

'We understand,' said Mrs Smart.

'Was there anything else?' said Miss Thorn.

'No, that was it.' said Mrs Smart, and Miss Thorn left, heading straight out the dining room.

Bingo with Mr Reed was absolute mayhem. He would call bingo when he didn't have bingo, and when someone else called bingo, he would boo them or call out 'cheat.' He was only trying to be funny, but nobody, except Matthew, found him to be. Many of the old residents left the dining room at his behavior.

Matthew didn't see the four of them again that day. Despite the terrible weather, they went into town to have a look around. While Miss Thorn was ticked off that Matthew didn't spend more time with them, Matthew was disappointed for the same reason. He really liked them, especially Mr Reed. Was he ever going to see them again? Hopefully they were going to move to Bordash Manor and he could get to see them a couple times a year.

Little did Matthew know, Miss Smart, Miss Brock, Mr Xavier and Mr Reed never planned on moving in. In fact, it was Matthew who was going to do the moving.