Morgan didn't show his face at Moor View Farm again, but it was another week before we could travel back to the Spook's house. Shanks was sent for, and we made the journey back with the Spook riding on the little pony and Alice and me walking behind.
Shanks refused to set foot in the house and went straight back to Adlington, leaving the Spook with us. I'd already told my master how Alice's potions had probably saved his life. He hadn't said anything but he didn't object now when we both helped him up to his bedroom. He still wasn't himself and it was going to take some time for him to recover fully. The journey back had taken it out of him too. He wasn't steady on his legs and he stayed up in his room for a couple of days.
One thing that surprised me was that at first he never even mentioned Meg. I didn't remind him about her though: I didn't fancy having to go down the steps to the cellar by myself. As she'd spent the whole summer sleeping down there, a few more days wouldn't matter much. So I had to do most of the chores. Alice helped a bit, but not as much as I'd have liked.
'Just because I'm a girl don't mean that I have to do all the cooking!' she snapped when I suggested that she'd be better at it than me.
'But I can't cook, Alice,' I told her. 'Mam did it at home, the Spook's boggart did it at Chipenden and Meg did it here.'
'Well, now's your chance to learn,' said Alice with a smile. 'And as for Meg, I bet she wouldn't be so keen on doing all the cooking without all that herb tea!'
Then, on the morning of the third day, the Spook finally came wearily downstairs and sat himself down at the table while I did my best to cook the breakfast. Cooking was a lot harder than it looked, but not quite as hard as the bacon ended up.
We ate in silence until, after a few minutes, the Spook pushed his plate away from him. 'It's a good job I've not much appetite, lad,' he said, shaking his head. 'Because hunger would force me to eat all that and I'm not sure I'd survive the experience.'
Alice roared with laughter and I smiled and shrugged, pleased to see my master so clearly on the mend. As bacon butties went, I'd tasted better, but I was hungry enough to eat anything and so was Alice. I began to cheer up because it looked like the Spook was going to let her stay.
The following morning the Spook finally decided that it was time to wake Meg. He was still unsteady on his feet so I went down the steps with him and helped bring Meg back up to the kitchen while Alice heated some water. The effort proved too much for him, and his hands started to shake so much that he had to take himself back off to bed.
I helped Alice get Meg's bath ready. 'Thank you, Billy,' Meg said, as we began to fill it with hot water. 'You're such a considerate boy. And your pretty friend is so helpful too. What's your name, dear?'
'They call me Alice ...' she replied with a smile
'Well, Alice, do you have any family living nearby? It's nice to keep close to family. I wish I had. But now they live so far away.'
'I don't see my family now. They were bad company and I'm better off without them,' Alice said.
'Surely not!' Meg exclaimed. 'Why, what on earth was wrong, dear?'
'They were witches,' Alice replied with a wicked little sideways grin towards me.
I was really annoyed. That kind of talk might jog Meg's memory. Alice was doing it on purpose.
'I knew a witch once' said Meg, a dreamy look in her eyes. 'But it was such a long time ago ...'
'I think your bath's ready now, Meg' I told her, grabbing Alice's arm and leading her away. 'We'll go to the study so that you can have some privacy.'
Once in the Spook's study, I rounded on Alice angrily. 'What did you have to say that for? She might start to remember that she's a witch herself.'
'Would that be so bad?' Alice asked. 'Ain't fair, treating her the way he does. She'd be better off dead. Already introduced to her, I was, but she'd forgotten me already'
'Better off dead? More than likely she'd end up in a pit' I retorted angrily.
'Well, why don't you just give her a little bit less of the herb tea - so that she has a better life and don't keep forgetting everything? Get the dose just right and she wouldn't remember everything but things could be a lot better for her. Let me do it, Tom. Ain't too difficult. I'll just give her a little less each day until we get it right-'
'No, Alice! Don't you dare!' I warned. 'If the Spook found out he'd send you back to the Hursts in the blink of an eye. Anyway, it's just not worth the risk. Something might go badly wrong.'
Alice shook her head. 'But it ain't right, Tom. Something's got to be done sooner or later.'
'Well, later rather than sooner. You won't do anything about the herb tea, will you? Promise me.'
Alice smiled. T promise, but I think you should talk to Old Gregory about it. Will you do that?'
'It's not the right time to do it now, when he's still ill. But I will when I think the time is right. He won't listen though. This has been going on for years. Why would he change it now?'
'Just speak to him, that's all I ask.'
So I agreed, even though I knew I'd be wasting my time and just make the Spook angry for nothing. But Alice was starting to worry me. I wanted to trust her but she certainly had a bee in her bonnet about Meg.
The Spook came down late in the afternoon and managed to eat some broth, then spent the evening wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire. When I went up to bed, he was still there, and Alice was helping Meg to wash the pots ready for breakfast.