Lily and the Shining Dragons Read Online Free PDF Page B

closed her eyes for a moment, and shuddered. ‘I hope never to see her again, for that matter. But I cannot have my nieces frequenting a common theatre. Especially when the resemblance is so distinct.’ She glanced at Georgie, and shuddered. ‘We can only hope that once you are properly dressed, no one will recognise you in Marlborough Square.’
    ‘You want us to live with you?’ Georgie whispered doubtfully.
    Aunt Clara nodded. ‘I’m offering you a home. But you must promise to behave properly.’ All of a sudden her society sweetness seemed to fall away, and she fixed them with a sharp, honest look. ‘You know quite well what I mean. No magic. None at all.’
    ‘We don’t do magic now,’ Lily told her, widening her eyes innocently. ‘Our act is just that, Aunt. It’s all an act. We could explain the illusions to you, but we’re sworn to secrecy.’
    Aunt Clara gave her a freezing glare. ‘The sooner we get you out of here the better. I’m ashamed to find you so forward. Who knows what sort of degenerate manners you’ve learned in this place.’
    ‘Lily, don’t,’ Georgie murmured in her ear, as Lily drew breath to answer back. ‘We need her, remember? She’s our magician. Our source. And she’s family. She must have some idea where Papa is, surely.’
    Lily let out an angry little sigh. Family didn’t necessarily mean safe. Daniel and Sam and the others in the theatre had taken better care of her and Georgie than Mama ever had, even if the theatre wasn’t respectable. She seethed, hating that she had to let their aunt say such things. But Georgie was right. They needed her.
    ‘You won’t send us back to our mother?’ she asked, wrapping her arms more tightly around Henrietta. ‘You won’t tell her where we are, even?’
    ‘I haven’t seen or spoken to her in more than ten years.’ Aunt Clara waved the idea away with a kid-gloved hand. ‘Why would I tell her?’
    ‘Why do you want us?’ Lily frowned. She felt better now they weren’t dancing around each other.
    Her aunt smiled tightly, and brushed invisible dust from the folds of her skirt. ‘I don’t. But you can’t stay here. It’s very obvious to me that you’re Nerissa’s daughters, and sooner or later someone else will recognise you. I have spent years – a very many years – making everyone forget my unfortunate family connections. I have no intention of letting my two little nieces rake it all up again.’
    ‘So you want us where you can see us?’
    Aunt Clara’s smile seemed to stretch around her teeth. ‘Exactly.’

‘A re you sure about this?’ Daniel muttered, a little later. Behind him, Sam stood twisting his cap in his huge hands. He looked like a caged bear next to Lady Clara, who was edging delicately away from him. He had the same bewildered, worried look as the poor dancing bear Lily had seen once when she and Henrietta were exploring the city. It was the only time she had come close to revealing her magic. She had wanted to heal the wretched creature, and tear apart the iron muzzle around its jaws. Instead she’d had to walk away feeling sick, with Henrietta trembling in her arms. Sam had that same air of helpless strength. He didn’t want them to go, but he couldn’t deny that the girls ought to be with family.
    ‘We should go. My husband and Louis – your cousin, girls – will be expecting me for luncheon.’
    ‘Now?’ Sam growled, more bear-like than ever.
    ‘Well, naturally,’ Aunt Clara replied in a frosted voice.
    ‘But the show – tonight… You haven’t found anyone to replace us. Shouldn’t we stay?’ Georgie protested, and then her voice died away as Aunt Clara’s magic spilled out over them. ‘I suppose not…’ she whispered.
    ‘We can change it,’ Daniel said dully. ‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll go back to the original act. Until I can find someone else.’
    ‘But you’ll come back? Visiting?’ Sam asked, and Lily caught his hand. Her own disappeared inside it.
    ‘That