The Roman and the Runaway

"Great. I'll fix us some sandwiches and you can go and check with your mum that it's OK."

Luke dashed back home and was relieved to find his mother alone in the kitchen. He told her of the plan.

"Really?" she laughed. "Well, nobody knows the walks round here better than Ned. He used to go on hikes with me and my brother when we were all teenagers. We used to tease him because he was always trying to get us interested in the plants and birds, when all we wanted to do was get away from our parents. He was the same: his dad was a complete nightmare and Ned wouldn't spend any time in the house if he could help it." She stopped and looked shrewdly at Luke. "I hope you'll be more polite to him than we were."

"'Course I will, Mum," said Luke and he went back to Mr Kelly's house before she could reconsider.

Mr Kelly was loading up a rucksack with f