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Part Three

Tom and Hatty meet the local Geese with all the baby goslings. The geese seem to be able to either see Tom or sense his presence as they become rather aggressive especially with the young goslings to care for. The two friends go far out of the garden to the river whilst the geese go through the hole in the hedge that Tom and Hatty created. Hatty informs Tom that she will be in trouble if she is caught as she is not allowed to go this far. Hatty wants to go into the river and follow it to the sea but she is afraid that she will get muddy and into more trouble with Aunt Grace. On returning to the garden Tom and Hatty discover that the Geese have invaded the garden lawn and vegetable patch. Aunt grace comes storming out of the house demanding to know who is responsible for this outrage. Abel tries to evade the questioning as he knows who is to blame and tries to protect Hatty. Evil Edgar informs Aunt Grace that Hatty created the gap in the hedge and that was the route by which the geese gained entry. Aunt Grace begins a scathing attack on the young girl, she scolds Harriet (Hatty's real name) while Abel and the boys herd the geese back out of the garden. Pincher the family dog attacks the geese who eventually turn on him. The frightened little dog goes running back in to the house.

Tom wants Aunt Grace to shut up and cannot understand why Hatty's mother and father do not help her. Aunt Grace calls Hatty a criminal, a monster. Tom cannot believe his ears and pleads for her to stop. He falls to his knees and closes his eyes and is transported to another time. He sees that is a garden of some kind and goes to explore. Whilst walking through the new garden looking for Hatty he comes across a small girl dressed in black crying on a garden bench. He tells her to stop crying and asks her what is wrong. She tells him that she is crying for her mother and father. She looks up and he realises it is a very young Hatty at a time long ago at which her parents have just died. She is all alone now. He is then taken back to his own time and he conveys all the new information to Peter.

Tom is back in the kitchen and Aunt Gwen changes the date on the calendar. She unhappily reminds Tom that he has only one more day to go. To her surprise Tom asks if he can stay longer. This takes even Uncle Alan by surprise and he questions Tom whether he is sure or not. Aunt Gwen is overjoyed and promises to take him to the cinema and out shopping now that he is no longer under quarantine. Tom's mother receives a telegram stating that he (Tom) will be staying on. She shows it to Peter but he denies knowing a reason why Tom would want to stay.

Tom goes back to see Hatty. She has a small pocket knife and has carved her initials on a tree - HM - Harriet Melbourne. Tom and Hatty spend the rest of their time climbing trees. Tom asks Hatty about being a ghost but she says he is a ghost since he can move through the orchard door. They almost fall out over this. Back in his own time Tom and Aunt Gwen visit a museum. Tom sees some clothes which Hatty wears. Aunt Gwen says the clothes must have been quite restricting but Tom knowingly informs her that you could quite easily climb tress in them. Aunt Gwen is puzzled how Tom knows this. Tom asks more about the clothes to change to subject. He is told that they are from Victorian times and Tom now wonders if Hatty is a ghost. Tom and Aunt Gwen return to the flat where he asks her about Mr. Bartholomew and the house's previous owners. Tom almost gives the game away but luckily for him Aunt Gwen is a bit slow on the uptake. Peter asks his mum if he can go to stay with Tom. Mum is not very happy that both her boys wish to be away.

Back in the garden we find that Hatty has grown up again. The pair are watching birds fly from a garden wall ornament. Tom goes up high on the wall to see if there is a nest behind and there is indeed one complete with eggs. Tom does not fear the height since he cannot feel anything, not even the cold. Whilst he is up on the wall, Abel comes running across the path and asks miss Hatty to place her hand on the bible and promise never to go onto the wall. Again we get the suggestion that Abel can see or sense Tom. Hatty and Tom together, try to make sense of Abel's strange actions and even stranger request.

Tom writes back to Peter and suggest to Peter that maybe Abel can see him. Tom and Peter's mum is starting to get upset that both her boys want to go and stay with Aunt Gwen and also that Tom is still away.

Back up in the tree in the garden the Hatty and Tom are building a treehouse. Hatty puts her weight on a branch and falls to the ground. she is seriously hurt. Abel quickly arrives and picks her up. As he takes her back to the house he shouts at Tom. "Get you back to hell from where you came" he cries. "I've seen you from the start and heard you." "Get you gone." "You've tried to kill her often enough." Abel thinks Tom is the devil or an evil demon. Tom hangs around outside concerned about Hatty's well being. Abel will not talk to Tom but merely tells him that she is alive. Tom cannot leave and so goes into the house to find Hatty and see for himself.

At first he goes into the wrong room. He sees a much older James knocking on his mother's bedroom door and goes in when she bids him to enter. He asks about Hatty and is thankful that she is okay. Aunt Grace is very annoyed that Hatty is climbing trees at her age. Aunt Grace does not want Hatty in the house anymore. James suggest that she may marry someone. Aunt Grace states quite clearly that if anyone from this household was to marry Hatty then that individual would get none of Aunt Graces money or estate. James does not want to marry Hatty but suggest that she goes out more in the world and meets people. Aunt Grace does not care but she is only too happy for Hatty to go out more as it would mean she would see even less of her around the house. Tom eventually finds Hatty's room and passes through the door. Hatty gets a small fright when she sees Tom travel through the door but wants to see how Tom does this trick. Hatty is sat up in bed but she has a large bandage on her head. Tom notices that she has bars on her window like Tom's window back in his own room. Tom looks at the wonderful view wishing he had a view like that one.

Tom then asks Hatty about the writing on the clock downstairs. Hatty promises him to examine it the next time she can as it is hidden from view. Hatty then shows Tom her secret hiding place in the cupboard under the floor boards containing all her favourite items. A gong then goes downstairs and Susan the maid comes into the room. Susan collects the tray and leaves. Tom says that he will come back tomorrow but Hatty states that it is sometimes months before he is seen. Tom is a bit confused as he says he comes back every night. Back downstairs Tom goes into the garden and then back into the house. He closes the door expecting to be returned to his own time but everything remains the same. Nothing has changed, he has not moved in time. He starts to panic a little and runs back up to Hatty's room but she is fast asleep. He decides to sit next to her and falls asleep holding her hand.

The next thing Tom sees is his own room back in the flat. He is back in his own time sitting next to his own bed. He suddenly remembers the front door being ajar and rushes to remove the shoe and to lock it. He succeeds in doing so with no one seeing him and so returns to his room. At breakfast Aunt Gwen reads a letter from Tom's mum. Mum is really missing Tom but also states that Peter is missing him as well. Tom's mum wants him to return on Saturday by train. Peter has also written a letter to Tom and warns him of Mum's intentions and that Peter is not missing Tom (as it says in Mum's letter to Aunt Gwen). Uncle Alan agrees that Tom must think about going home. "Life is full of compromises" says Uncle Alan. "Time flies" he says as he leaves for work. This phrase sticks in Tom's mind. Aunt Gwen then takes Tom to see the river. She is unhappy that he will be leaving as she really likes the company around the flat. The river is nothing like what is is in Hatty's time. It is polluted and lots of factories and buildings are situated next to it. Tom is most unhappy at the view.

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