The Hidden Gallery: Chapters 9–10

by Maryrose Wood
In Book 2 of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, governess Miss Penelope Lumley and the wolf-children Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia travel to London and discover more about their mysterious past.

Here are links to our lists for the book:
Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–4, Chapters 5–6, Chapters 7–8, Chapters 9–10, Chapters 11–12, Chapters 13–14, Chapters 15–16, Chapter 17–Epilogue
15 words 15 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. fend
    try to manage without help
    “My parents knew better than to abandon me in the woods to fend for myself, with only wild animals as my companions—pardon me!” she cried aloud suddenly.
  2. gait
    a person's manner of walking
    He turned and began walking back to the house with his quick, rolling gait.
  3. involuntarily
    against your will
    Penelope yelped involuntarily, for she had bumped her head on the bottom of the chair in an attempt to crawl out from underneath.
  4. mire
    deep soft mud in water or slush
    While I, Lady Constance Ashton, will be forced to trudge through muck—and mire—and—poor people!”
  5. in earnest
    in a serious manner
    Then the waterworks began in earnest.
  6. ibex
    a wild goat with large curved horns
    She scoured the surrounding pages for any tidbit that might offer more practical guidance (a street address would have been ideal), but found only a drawing of an ibex, a large goat with a flinty gaze and enormous curved horns that looked very pointy indeed.
  7. scant
    less than the correct or legal or full amount
    Of course she did not know how to ride, for without a pony of her own to practice on she had had scant opportunity to learn.
  8. heed
    pay close attention to
    “Forgive me for saying so, but that is no way to speak about your own education. You would do well to heed the words of Agatha Swanburne—you have heard of Agatha Swanburne, haven’t you?”
  9. bolster
    support and strengthen
    “Giddy-yap, Rainbow!” she cried aloud, to bolster her nerve, and also to warn any passersby of her wobbly, swerving approach.
  10. keen
    intense or sharp
    “My sense of smell may not be up to the job, but my hearing is as keen as an owl’s,” Penelope thought, still riding blindly.
  11. imposing
    impressive in appearance
    She would have recognized it even with her eyes closed, but there could be no mistaking the imposing, black-clad figure who stood before her.
  12. fixation
    an unhealthy preoccupation with something or someone
    The men in particular had showed a fixation on hunting animals that, in Penelope’s worst imaginings, nearly threatened to encompass the “wild wolf children” Lord Fredrick had bragged about finding on his property.
  13. encompass
    include in scope
    The men in particular had showed a fixation on hunting animals that, in Penelope’s worst imaginings, nearly threatened to encompass the “wild wolf children” Lord Fredrick had bragged about finding on his property.
  14. insinuate
    suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand
    How dare he insinuate anything of that sort!
  15. discombobulated
    having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion
    Perhaps she was still discombobulated from the fall, but Penelope had a nagging sense that Judge Quinzy’s tale did not quite add up.
Created on Tue Nov 19 04:43:25 EST 2024 (updated Mon Jan 27 20:13:46 EST 2025)

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