Chapter 6 LUCAS - AND HIS TALE
It was fun storing all the shopping away. Anne enjoyed it more than anyone, for she really was amost domesticated¹ little person.
'A real home-maker!' said Dick, appreciatively, when he saw how neat and comfortable she had madethe loft², where the three boys were to sleep. 'Just about room for the three of us, plus all the baggagein the corner! And how good the larder³ looks!'
Anne looked at her well-stored larder, and smiled. Now she could give her little 'family' really nicemeals. All those tins! She read the names on them. 'Fruit salad. Tinned pears. Tinned peaches.
Sardines⁴. Ham. Tongue.' A new cake in that round tin, big enough to last for at least three days.
Biscuits. Chocolate wafers - good old Julian - he knew how much she loved those -and George did, too!
Anne felt very happy, as she arranged all her goods. She no longer felt guilty at drenching⁵ poorWilfrid. Indeed she couldn't help feeling a little thrill when she remembered how she had suddenlyturned into a tiger for a minute or two! It was fun to be a tiger for once. 'I might even be one again, ifthe chance arose,' thought Anne. 'How surprised Wilfrid was - and Julian too. Oh dear - poor Wilfrid.
Still, he's much nicer now.'
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And indeed he was! He was most polite to both the girls, and, as Dick said, he didn't - throw hisweight - about nearly so much. They all settled down very well together in the little cottage.
They had most of their meals out-of-doors, sitting on the warm grass. It was rather a squeeze indoors,for the cottage really was very small. Anne enjoyed herself preparing the meals, with sometimes alittle help from George - and the boys carried everything out. Wilfrid did his share, and was pleasedwhen he had a clap on the back from Julian.
It was glorious sitting out in the sun, high up on their hill. They could look down on the harbour,watch the yachts and the busy little boats, and enjoy the wonderful views all round.
George was very curious about the island that lay in the middle of the harbour. 'What's it called?'
she asked Wilfrid. But he didn't know. He did know, however, that there was a queer story about it.
'It belonged to a lonely old man,' he said. 'He lived in a big house in the very middle of the wood. Theisland was given to his family by a king - James the Second, I think. This old man was the very verylast one of his family. People kept wanting to buy his island, and he had some kind of watchmen tokeep people from landing on it. These watchmen were pretty fierce - they had guns.'

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