sneak out when no one’s looking.’
‘Are you sure?’ Lily asked anxiously, imagining Henrietta transported all the way back to London.
‘Of course I’m not sure!’ Henrietta growled. ‘How can I be? But have you got a better idea? I don’t think that wrapping me up in a petticoat is going to work now, is it?’
Lily shook her head. ‘I suppose not. Just…well, make sure you find us,’ she added, shivering as the great stone house appeared at the end of the drive.
‘I promise I will,’ Henrietta murmured, as she disappeared under the seat, and the carriage rolled to a stop.
Lily shrank away from the window as a dark figure blocked out the light, and the door handle rattled. She hated herself for being so feeble, but the idea of another dose of the spell was terrifying.
The red-faced guard opened the door, and muttered, ‘Come on out, then. Don’t try anything.’
‘I’m quite sure they won’t,’ a sweet voice murmured. ‘They look such well-behaved girls.’
Lily swallowed, and reached out for Georgie’s hand, and they stumbled down the steps.
A young woman was standing there smiling at them, in such a pleasant, friendly way that Lily automatically smiled back. Then she noticed that the red-faced guard had turned a greyish-pink, and wondered if someone scarier was standing behind the pretty, brown-haired woman. There wasn’t. It was her he was so frightened of.
‘Good morning, girls. Your names?’
‘Lily Powers. And my sister, Georgiana,’ Lily murmured. She even bobbed a little curtsey, and the woman nodded approvingly.
‘Very good. I am Miss Merganser. I am the warden of Fell Hall.’
It sounded more like a prison every moment, Lily thought, as they followed Miss Merganser up the steps into the house.
From close to, it was a greyish honey colour, not the stark white it had seemed against the trees. The same deadening spell from the carriage was wreathed all round it, but Lily was sure that she could sense something else underneath. It wasn’t like Aunt Clara’s house at all – there she’d felt stifled and wrong, all the time. But here there seemed to be a longing for magic. Perhaps Fell Hall had known magic before?
Or perhaps it was the other children, Lily thought suddenly, as she saw a tiny, thin girl in a grey pinafore hurry across the hall in front of them. She caught sight of Miss Merganser, and flattened herself against the wall, with her eyes downcast. Her lips were moving, Lily noticed, as they passed her. She was silently repeating something to herself, over and over again. Like a spell – although surely not, here.
Lily had taught herself to lip-read so she could understand Peter, so it was easy enough for her to see what the little girl was saying.
Please, please, please, please, please…
Miss Merganser led them into a pretty room, with flowered silk curtains, and ornaments across the mantelpiece. It reminded Lily of the old rose drawing room at Merrythought, that same pleasant faded look. Except at Merrythought there had been paintings – family portraits, mostly. Here the walls were bare – but there were patches of darker, pinker silk, where there had been pictures once. The family had been removed.
Miss Merganser sat down in a pale pink armchair, her hands folded neatly in her lap, and gazed at them, still calmly smiling.
‘Powers…’ she murmured. ‘Strangely appropriate. Do you understand why you are here?’
There was very little point denying their magic now, after the way Lily had fought. They nodded.
‘Mr Berryford tells me that you, in particular, are quite the adept.’ Miss Merganser laughed delicately at Lily. Then the smile disappeared. ‘We do not have magic here.’
‘There’s a spell on the house,’ Lily muttered stubbornly. They were just as bad as Aunt Clara, pretending that they had no use for magic – except when they needed it.
‘Certain spells are still authorised. For protection. And control.’ Miss Merganser eyed
‘Are you sure?’ Lily asked anxiously, imagining Henrietta transported all the way back to London.
‘Of course I’m not sure!’ Henrietta growled. ‘How can I be? But have you got a better idea? I don’t think that wrapping me up in a petticoat is going to work now, is it?’
Lily shook her head. ‘I suppose not. Just…well, make sure you find us,’ she added, shivering as the great stone house appeared at the end of the drive.
‘I promise I will,’ Henrietta murmured, as she disappeared under the seat, and the carriage rolled to a stop.
Lily shrank away from the window as a dark figure blocked out the light, and the door handle rattled. She hated herself for being so feeble, but the idea of another dose of the spell was terrifying.
The red-faced guard opened the door, and muttered, ‘Come on out, then. Don’t try anything.’
‘I’m quite sure they won’t,’ a sweet voice murmured. ‘They look such well-behaved girls.’
Lily swallowed, and reached out for Georgie’s hand, and they stumbled down the steps.
A young woman was standing there smiling at them, in such a pleasant, friendly way that Lily automatically smiled back. Then she noticed that the red-faced guard had turned a greyish-pink, and wondered if someone scarier was standing behind the pretty, brown-haired woman. There wasn’t. It was her he was so frightened of.
‘Good morning, girls. Your names?’
‘Lily Powers. And my sister, Georgiana,’ Lily murmured. She even bobbed a little curtsey, and the woman nodded approvingly.
‘Very good. I am Miss Merganser. I am the warden of Fell Hall.’
It sounded more like a prison every moment, Lily thought, as they followed Miss Merganser up the steps into the house.
From close to, it was a greyish honey colour, not the stark white it had seemed against the trees. The same deadening spell from the carriage was wreathed all round it, but Lily was sure that she could sense something else underneath. It wasn’t like Aunt Clara’s house at all – there she’d felt stifled and wrong, all the time. But here there seemed to be a longing for magic. Perhaps Fell Hall had known magic before?
Or perhaps it was the other children, Lily thought suddenly, as she saw a tiny, thin girl in a grey pinafore hurry across the hall in front of them. She caught sight of Miss Merganser, and flattened herself against the wall, with her eyes downcast. Her lips were moving, Lily noticed, as they passed her. She was silently repeating something to herself, over and over again. Like a spell – although surely not, here.
Lily had taught herself to lip-read so she could understand Peter, so it was easy enough for her to see what the little girl was saying.
Please, please, please, please, please…
Miss Merganser led them into a pretty room, with flowered silk curtains, and ornaments across the mantelpiece. It reminded Lily of the old rose drawing room at Merrythought, that same pleasant faded look. Except at Merrythought there had been paintings – family portraits, mostly. Here the walls were bare – but there were patches of darker, pinker silk, where there had been pictures once. The family had been removed.
Miss Merganser sat down in a pale pink armchair, her hands folded neatly in her lap, and gazed at them, still calmly smiling.
‘Powers…’ she murmured. ‘Strangely appropriate. Do you understand why you are here?’
There was very little point denying their magic now, after the way Lily had fought. They nodded.
‘Mr Berryford tells me that you, in particular, are quite the adept.’ Miss Merganser laughed delicately at Lily. Then the smile disappeared. ‘We do not have magic here.’
‘There’s a spell on the house,’ Lily muttered stubbornly. They were just as bad as Aunt Clara, pretending that they had no use for magic – except when they needed it.
‘Certain spells are still authorised. For protection. And control.’ Miss Merganser eyed
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