Was this the moment to tell Lizzie and Vanessa about Ambrosine’s gift to her, which would make herpart-owner of Nightingale Woods? No, thought Meg. Wait until it’s all definite with everything signed.
Meg gave Lizzie a hug. ‘Thank you so much for making it for me. I absolutely love it!’
‘And you promise you’ll wear it at the party after the performance?’ Lizzie persisted.
‘I promise!’ said Meg. ‘Mum and David will have to wait until then to see me in it anyway. We’re full tonight for dinner.’
‘And what about Justin?’ asked Vanessa.
‘He’ll have to wait too!’
There was a brief silence.
‘And what about Simon?’ said Lizzie to Vanessa.
Vanessa just shook her head and left the room, tears beginning to fall again.
‘She does love him, doesn’t she?’ said Lizzie.
‘I really think she does,’ Meg agreed. ‘If you remember, she told us before, when you were getting married, that she’d been in love with him since she was a little girl.’
‘Simon needs to know that,’ said Lizzie. ‘If only we could find a way to tell him.’
Chapter Thirty-Six
Meg, Lizzie, Letty and Louise were coming out of the kitchen into the hall just as Dame Miriam came in through the front door of Nightingale Woods, accompanied as usual by Inigo and her enormous handbag.
‘And who is that little fairy?’ she said, looking at Letty. ‘Darling! You are so enchanting! Is this your mother?’
Lizzie blushed deeply while Louise introduced them.
‘I insist this little one is in the play!’ said Dame Miriam. ‘She can be one of my courtiers!’
‘I don’t think she could learn lines,’ said Lizzie, doubtfully.
‘She’ll only need to look pretty, which she can do just by being there!’ said Dame Miriam. ‘I wonder if we could get her a costume?’
‘My friend Lizzie is an expert seamstress—’ began Meg.
‘And she’s here as second wardrobe mistress,’ said David, who had followed Dame Miriam in.
Dame Miriam crouched down to Letty’s level. ‘Will you be in the play, darling? You’d wear a beautifuldress and dance around on stage with the other fairies? Would you like that?’
Letty considered, and then agreed that yes, she would.
‘That’s settled!’ said Dame Miriam. Then she said, ‘Meg, you should go and look at the theatre. It’s nearly set up for tomorrow and I think this is our most beautiful venue yet! Truly magical.’ She paused, ‘Inigo, darling …
Chased from the kitchen by Cherry and Susan, Meg did as Dame Miriam had suggested. Apart from anything else, her favourite bench looked out on to the natural amphitheatre. She wanted to think as well as see what ‘the theatricals’ had been up to. Where was Justin? Why hadn’t he been in touch?
Once at her favourite spot, all thoughts of Justin went from her head. It was if her favourite spot had been transported to fairyland.
There was the bench well placed to admire the garden, in an alcove backed by roses, jasmine and a scented clematis. The fragrance was heavenly.
Where once had been an empty stretch of rough grass, with trees at the far edges, was now a forest floor, and the trees now surrounded it. As she looked, Meg realised that there was a stage and painted scenery that blended with the real trees. A huge artificial moon hung in the sky, and tiny lights, like fireflies, were dotted everywhere on invisible wires, filling the sky with stars. At ground level huge exotic shrubs were actually flats, painted to look real andpossibly there so actors could appear from behind them. Other plants, toadstools and rocks made the set look both real and a little bit frightening.
There were rows of seats set out and now she looked more closely, Meg spotted a huge tarpaulin, like a circus tent, stretched over the stage. It had looked like a starry sky. That must be in case the rain came back.
In spite of sounds of banging, the odd shout and other indications that it was a stage set, it was magical.
