▁tries ▁his ▁best ▁to ▁protect ▁his ▁sib lings ▁and ▁to ▁act ▁like ▁a ▁responsible ▁young ▁adult . ▁In ▁the ▁book , ▁it ▁is ▁imp lied ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁more ▁m ature ▁than ▁his ▁sib lings ▁because ▁after ▁their ▁father ▁was ▁called ▁out ▁to ▁fight ▁in ▁the ▁war , ▁Peter ' s ▁mother ▁told ▁him ▁to ▁support ▁his ▁three ▁sib lings ▁through ▁the ▁or de al ▁of ▁their ▁father ▁going ▁away . ▁He ▁is ▁ev acu ated ▁to ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁with ▁his ▁sib lings ▁by ▁train ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁air - ra ids ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁In ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide , ▁they ▁stay ▁at ▁the ▁old ▁m ansion ▁of ▁Professor ▁Dig ory ▁Kir ke . ▁ ▁When ▁Lucy ▁first ▁st umb les ▁on ▁the ▁w ard ro be , ▁Peter ▁doesn ' t ▁believe ▁her , ▁thinking ▁it ▁is ▁just ▁her ▁imagination ▁until ▁he ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁Pe vens ies ▁enter ▁the ▁w ard ro be ▁themselves ; ▁" A ▁j olly ▁good ▁ho ax , ▁Lu ". ▁He ▁later ▁apolog izes ▁to ▁Lucy ▁for ▁not ▁bel ieving ▁her ▁and ▁is ▁quite ▁angry ▁with ▁Edmund ▁for ▁earlier ▁den ying ▁N arn ia ' s ▁existence ▁( Lu cy ▁had ▁seen ▁Edmund ▁in ▁N arn ia ▁before , ▁but ▁he ▁had ▁li ed ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁just ▁" pret ending "); ▁" Well , ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁poison ous ▁little ▁be asts ". ▁This ▁is ▁caused ▁by ▁Edmund ' s ▁revel ation ▁of ▁his ▁dece it ▁when ,