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My mum smiled at me. “Eat something, darling. At least a little fruit. And don’t listen to her.”
“And then along came this lion.” Aunt Maddy sighed. “With a lovely golden coat.”
“Uh-oh!” said Xemerius. “And sparkling green eyes, I bet.”
“You have felt pen on your face,” I told Nick.
“Shh,” he replied. “This is where it gets exciting.”
“And when the lion saw the heart lying there, he gave it a push with his paw, and it fell down and down into the ravine below,” said Aunt Maddy, dramatically putting her hand to her bosom. “When it hit the bottom, it smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces, and when I looked more closely, I saw that they were all drops of blood.”
I swallowed. Suddenly I felt queasy.
“Oops,” said Xemerius.
“Then what happened?” asked Charlotte.
“Nothing,” said Aunt Maddy. “That was all—and quite nasty enough, too.”
“Oh,” said Nick, disappointed. “It started so well.”
Aunt Maddy’s eyes flashed at him angrily. “Young man, I’m not writing film scripts.”
“Thank God,” murmured Aunt Glenda. Then she turned to me, opened her mouth, and shut it again.
Charlotte spoke up instead. “Gideon says you did all right at the soirée. I must say I’m very relieved. I think everyone will be very relieved.”
I ignored her and looked reproachfully up at the chandelier.
“I was going to tell you yesterday evening that your pushy cousin had supper at Gideon’s place. But you were—how can I put it? You were a little indisposed,” said Xemerius.
I snorted.
“Well, I can’t help it if your sparkly diamond friend invites her to stay and eat, can I?” Xemerius took off and flew across the table to Aunt Maddy’s empty place, where he sat upright on her chair and curled his lizard tail neatly around his feet. “I mean, I’d have done the same in his place. For one thing, she spent all day babysitting his little brother, and then she tidied up his apartment and ironed his shirts.”
“What?”
“I said, I can’t help it. Anyway, he was so grateful that he decided he had to show her how fast he could conjure up a spaghetti dish for three.… Wow, he was in a really good mood. Like he’d scored points or something. Now close your mouth. They’re all looking at you.”
They were, too.
“I’m going to finish doing my other eye,” I said.
“Maybe a touch of rouge on your cheeks, too?” said Charlotte. “Just a friendly hint.”
* * *
“I HATE HER!” I said. “I hate her. I hate her!”
“Oh, come on! Just because she ironed his stupid shirts?” Lesley looked at me, shaking her head. “I mean, that is plain silly!”
“He cooked for her!” I wailed. “She spent all day in his apartment!”
“Yes, but he was snogging with you in that church,” said Lesley, sighing.
“He wasn’t.”
“Well, no, but he’d have liked to.”
