Page 9 of Play On

And I threw away a chance to get to know this man.

My crumpet pops up, and I put it on a plate and take a seat at the table. I spread some butter and marmalade on it, but then I sit there, not hungry enough to eat. All I feel is a sense of heaviness and regret blanketing my whole body as I think of Noah.

“HA-KAWWWWWWWWWW!”

I bolt upright in my chair with a start, my hands flailing and sending my plate with my crumpet clattering and falling to the floor, shattering. My heart suddenly pounds inside my chest as a horrendous shriek fills the air.

What on earth?I rise from the table, and then I hear the screaming sound become louder. Then the sound of wings flapping.

I bolt from the kitchen and find Melanie and Cara, our housekeepers, cowering and screaming in terror in the hallway as two big peacocks swoop overhead, flying through the house and screaming at the top of their lungs.

Oh my God, Nicholas bought Amelia peacocks.

She has been trying to sell him on peacocks for the estate ever since she started working here—and Nicholas, being a grump about it, told his Peahen absolutely not, he wasneverbuying peacocks—but obviously he did.

Whilst I’m thrilled with this development—because it means my twin is not only in love, butmadlyin love with Amelia for him to relent on this—I know it’s a disaster if they are in the house. Feathers are flying, and there’s bird poop all over the floor.

A peacock swoops past me, and I put my hands over my head in response, fearful of being pooped on.

“How did they get in here?” I shout to Melanie.

“How would I know? I didn’t even know we had peacocks!” she shouts back.

Then I watch in horror as they fly into the den. I hear the shouts of the painters—who come running out of the room. Then Nicholas races in from the back door, panting and following the wake of destruction to the den.

“Stay out!” he yells, running into the den and slamming the door behind him.

Then I hear all kinds of commotion coming from the den. As in banging, “HA-KAWWING,” and Nicholas swearing.

Soon Amelia is running through the house, her long jet-black hair flying behind her and a terrified look on her beautiful face. “Oh no!” she cries.

“We have peacocks flying in the house!” Melanie says loudly to her. “Scared me to death!”

“Amelia, what is going on?” I ask over the noise.

“Nicholas got me peacocks.”

A massive THUD comes from the den, and then Nicholas drops a string of choice swear words.

When I hear how angry my twin sounds, I grow fearful for Amelia. He’s been a grump about this, and now that he finally gives in with the birds and this is the result? Renegade peacocks raining down destruction of all kinds on the house?

“Oh my God. He’s going to kill you!” I blurt out without thinking.

“I know!” she shouts back over the sound of the birds.

Then she bravely opens the door and goes inside, and I hear more shouting and banging and the flapping of wings.

Then, like a figure from an action movie, Luke Ryan, our aviary expert and falconer, comes running through the house with nets.

“Den!” I shout, guiding him.

He runs past those of us in the hall and enters the den. Within minutes, it’s silent.

“Thank God,” Melanie says.

“That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen!” Cara adds, her eyes wide.

We all stand still in the hallway, still stunned by the whole sequence of events. Soon Eric—a member of our gardening staff—comes down the hallway with a big cage.

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