The Armourer's House Read online

  Nobody said anything just for a moment, it was as though they were all waiting; and then, suddenly, they heard the Christmas bells!

  ‘It’s Midnight!’ cried Aunt Deborah. ‘It’s Christmas Day! Quick, open the windows, my dears, and let Christmas in!’

  They tore open windows and set wide the doors; and the starry cold flowed in and the music of the bells. In the golden parlour everybody turned and looked at each other, all except Littlest, who had not woken up. The waiting was over and it was Christmas Day, and the little King had come; and from the towers and spires of London Town the bells rang out the news. From St. Paul’s, from the Savoy Chapel, from St. Mary of the Ferry, St. Olaf’s and St. Clement Dane and St. Martin in the Fields, from St. Margaret’s and the great Abbey, the bells rang out for gladness.

  And Tamsyn’s tulip on the window-sill, that the Wise Woman had said would flower at Christmas and bring her her heart’s desire, stood joyously a-tiptoe, with its scarlet petals held wide, wide open to the stars and the pealing bells.

  About the Author

  Rosemary Sutcliff was born in 1920 in West Clanden, Surrey.

  With over 40 books to her credit, Rosemary Sutcliff is now universally considered one of the finest writers of historical novels for children. Her first novel, The Queen Elizabeth Story was published in 1950. In 1972 her book Tristan and Iseult was runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and in 1978 her book Song for a Dark Queen was commended for the Other Award.

  Rosemary lived for a long time in Arundel, Sussex with her dogs and in 1975, she was awarded the OBE for services to Children’s Literature. Unfortunately Rosemary passed away in July 1992 and will be much missed by her many fans.

  Other books by Rosemary Sutcliff

  THE CHRONICLES OF ROBIN HOOD

  THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STORY BROTHER DUSTY FEET

  SIMON THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH

  OUTCAST THE SHIELD RING THE SILVER BRANCH

  WARRIOR SCARLET THE LANTERN BEARERS

  KNIGHT’S FEE DAWN WIND

  THE MARK OF THE HORSE LORD THE WITCH’S BRAT

  THE CAPRICORN BRACELET BLOOD FEUD

  FRONTIER WOLF FLAME COLOURED TAFFETA

  THE DRAGON SLAYER THE HOUND OF ULSTER

  TRISTAN AND ISEULT SUN HORSE

  MOON HORSE THE LIGHT BEYOND THE FOREST

  THE SWORD AND THE CIRCLE THE ROAD TO CAMLANN

  BONNIE DUNDEE A CIRCLET OF OAK LEAVES

  THE CHIEF’S DAUGHTER THE TRUCE OF THE GAMES

  SHIFTING SANDS THE CHANGELING EAGLE’S EGG

  ‘WE LIVED IN DRUMFYVIE’ (with Maggie Lyford-Pike)

  SONG FOR A DARK QUEEN A LITTLE DOG LIKE YOU

  THE ROUNDABOUT HORSE LITTLE HOUND FOUND

  THE SHINING COMPANY

  For Adult Readers

  LADY IN WAITING THE RIDER OF THE WHITE HORSE

  SWORD AT SUNSET THE FLOWERS OF ADONIS

  BLOOD AND SAND

  Non-Fiction

  HEROES AND HISTORY HOUSES AND HISTORY

  Biography

  RUDYARD KIPLING: A BODLEY HEAD MONOGRAPH

  Autobiography

  BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS

  THE ARMOURER’S HOUSE

  AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 17421 8

  Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,

  an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK

  A Random House Group Company

  This ebook edition published 2013

  Copyright © Anthony Lawton 1951

  First Published in Great Britain

  Red Fox 9780099354017 1951

  The right of Rosemary Sutcliff to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

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