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“I thought you were desperate for a dog!”

Sara sighed.“I know. But you’re right, it wouldn’t be fair when we’re out all day. Cats don’t mind being left as much as dogs do. We could look after a cat, no problem.”

Dad shook his head.“We’ve only just moved, Sara. We’ve got enough to worry about without a cat as well.”

Elsa swallowed hard. She’d really hoped Dad would like Pepper – that he’d at least think about keeping the kitten. How could he just say no, straight away?

Dad sighed.“I’ll get in touch with Mrs Bell, the lady who used to live here, and see if she knows anything. Someone must be looking for him. He could have owners who really want him back.”

Elsa tickled Pepper under his chin and didn’t say anything. If they’d let such a tiny kitten wander off and get stuck in an attic all on his own, Pepper’s owners shouldn’t be allowed to have him back.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_30]

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Lilly leaned further over the edge of Elsa’s bed and bounced the feather toy she’d made for Pepper. She’d turned up with it that morning and shyly asked if she could give the kitten a present. Elsa had said of course. She liked Lilly a lot and she was so glad she’d put that letter through her door.

Lilly had promised that she and her mum and Taylor, her little brother, would come and call for Elsa and Dad on the first day of term, and that she’d make sure everybody knew who Elsa was. She said Elsa could sit with her and a couple of her friends at lunch too. Elsa was feeling a lot less worried about the new school already.

“What was Mrs Bell like?” Elsa asked. “My dad phoned up the place she’s living yesterday, but she was sleeping. They’re going to get her to call him back so he can ask about Pepper.” She sighed. “At least it means we get to keep him for another day.”

“She was nice,” Lilly said slowly, looking at Elsa. “I mean, she wasn’t around that much. Mum said she was fragile and not very well. But if we saw her she always said hello and smiled, and she remembered my name and Taylor’s.”

“So … she didn’t seem like the sort of person who’d leave a kitten in an empty house?”

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“No! Definitely not.” Lilly looked horrified. “Is that what you think happened?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t know how Pepper got in, if he came from somewhere else – he’s such a little kitten, I’m amazed he even got down the attic stairs. How could he have got into the house on his own?”

Lilly nodded.“I suppose you’re right. Though Mrs Bell did have a cat, actually. We hardly ever saw her – she wasreally shy. But she was out at the front of the house once and Mrs Bell told us she was called Jemima and she was a stray cat who’d turned up in her garden. Maybe Pepper was Jemima’s kitten!”

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?” Elsa looked puzzled. “But I don’t see how somebody so nice could leave a kitten behind. If Dad phones her and she says she wants him back, I’m not sure we should let her have him.”

“What are you going to do?” Lilly asked, wriggling round to stare at Elsa worriedly.

Elsa’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. If Dad says Pepper belongs to her I suppose wehave to give him back.”

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Dad frowned at Elsa.“Look, I know you don’t want to come—”

“It isn’t that! I don’t think we ought to be going at all,” Elsa growled back. “She abandoned him!”

“We don’t know that, Elsa. Look, Mrs Bell didn’t sound very well on the phone and she was really upset when I told her about Pepper. She said could we come and visit her, and I said we would. So we’re going.”

“But why did she leave him behind?” Elsa asked angrily. “It’s so cruel! He would have starved if he hadn’t come down the attic stairs and found us.”

“I’m sure there’s some sort of reason,” Dad said. “I know it seems odd. But I think we have to let her explain. She sounded so upset, Elsa. I honestly don’t think she abandoned him on purpose. Anyway, if we go to see her, she’ll be able to tell us, won’t she?”

“Come on, Elsa.” Sara gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, “Stop arguing! We need to keep working on Dad to let us keep Pepper – you’re not helping!”

Elsa shrugged on her coat. She was glad Sara was still hopeful, but she didn’t think it was going to work. Dad seemed so determined to find Pepper’s real home. She pulled her scarf out of the basket by the door and Pepper leaped for the dangling fringe. Elsa couldn’t help smiling, even though Pepper being cute just made her feel worse about losing him. “No, you can’t have that, silly, I need it. Oh, Sara, look!”

Pepper was climbing up the scarf now, paw over paw, looking determined.

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Dad shook his head.“I think he wants to come with you. Not this time, kitten. You need to stay here.” He picked up the end of the scarf and Pepper, and tried to unpick the kitten’s claws from the woolly fabric while Pepper squeaked crossly at him. “No, don’t grab on again… There! OK, kitten, back in your box.”