4 In the attic

Chapter 4 In the attic

That first night in the attic, Sara lay awake in the dark. She could hear rats scuffling in the walls. "My father's dead!" she sobbed. "I'll never see him again."

Everything in Sara's life changed at once. When she came down the next morning, Lavinia had taken her place next to Miss Minchin. "You're late, Sara!" said Miss Minchin, coldly. "Don't let it happen again. Begin your new duties by looking after the little ones."

Every day, Sara was sent on errand after errand. She was expected to go out in all weathers and to dust and scrub the rooms. At the end of each busy day, Miss Minchin sent her to the schoolroom to study, so she would learn enough to teach the younger pupils.

Over time, Sara's frocks grew shorter and shabbier and she became thin and pale. The other pupils stopped talking to her. "To think she was the girl with the diamond mines," scoffed Lavinia. "Now she's nothing."

"I won't cry," thought Sara, biting hard on her lip. "I won't." Her only friend was Becky. They had little chance to talk during the day, but each night, Becky crept into Sara's room.