His Name Was Walter chapter sampler

Mrs Fiori smiled. ‘No, Grace. Colin found the book. He should read first.’ Colin swallowed, appalled. This was like his worst nightmare. ‘Oh — no — um — I’m not a very good reader,’ he blurted out. ‘You’ll be fine, I’m sure,’ Mrs Fiori said firmly, and he knew she’d shaken off the spell of the book and returned to brisk teacher mode. She’d made up her mind to give the quiet new boy from the country a place in the sun, and the new boy from the country had no chance of getting out of it. ‘We’ll sit at the table. Just shut that drawer again, will you, Colin, before we start?’ she added, glancing at Grace as if she didn’t trust her. Grace opened her eyes very wide, but it was true that her attention had strayed back to the open drawer as soon as she realised she wasn’t about to read. Colin did as he was told. ‘What can’t be cured must be endured.’ That had been one of his grandfather’s favourite sayings. Grandad would say it when there was drought, when the rains came early and wrecked the wheat, when a bill was bigger than expected, when the hens didn’t lay, when there was no marmalade left for breakfast. The old man’s voice was echoing in Colin’s head as he carried the book to the table feeling as if he were walking to the gallows. He could dimly hear Mrs Fiori ordering Tara to come and sit down between her and Colin, ordering Lucas not to get up, ordering

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