Step by Wicked Step
Anne Fine
 Five children, Claudia, Colin, Pixie, Ralph and Robbo arrive at an old mansion known as Harwick Hall on a school trip. Upon reaching the hall, they discover a secret room. Claudia notices a diary on the desk belonging to previous owner Richard Harwick. The children read his story; apparently Richard had run away from home after the death of his father and his mother's subsequent remarriage to the strict Reverend Coldstone. While reading the story, the children all react in some way. They then realise that the reason they were grouped together was because they had both written two addresses on their forms. All of their parents are separated. After Richard ran away from home, he returned to an empty house. His mother had died of grief while his sister had also passed away from childbirth fever. This sparks a discussion of Richard's actions between the children. The discussion leads to each of them divulging their own family problems. Claudia reveals that her parents had divorced after several fights. The 'scarlet woman', a pleasant woman named Stella, tries but fails to win Claudia's approval.However, after a dinner party with her father's friends who too ignore Stella, Claudia realises her mistake and attempts to make nice by wearing beautiful pyjamas bought by Stella in front of the guests, shocking them into politeness. Colin reveals that his 'Dad' (who was his mother's partner but not his biological father) was left behind by his mother after they had absconded one day. While his mother was frustrated with Jack (Dad)'s unemployed state, Colin, who loved him very much, attempted to keep in contact with Jack. Failing to do so, he plans to find him in the future. Pixie recounts her parents' separation and her father's second marriage. She dislikes both her stepsisters. In a quarrel with her stepmother Lucy, Pixie unburdened herself of her grievances. Lucy aired her frustrations as well, and they made up. Ralph entertains the children with a comical description of his extended stepfamily, spanning two previous stepmothers and their children, one stepfather and one future stepmother, whom he is infatuated with. Robbo's story is about his stepfather, The Beard, and his sister Callie, who cannot get along. This had caused much trouble for the family especially after the birth of stepbrother Dumpa. Callie finally moved in with her father instead. Before going to bed, the other children secretly place a broken wooden cow made by Richard Harwick into Colin's bag, as a reminder to him to make the best of what he faces.