The Little Secret (12 page)

It was of the purest white, with a huge skirt and short sleeves, embroidered all over with shimmering silver stuff that gleamed and glittered in the feeble electric light.

“It's made of cobweb,” Twilly whispered. “The queen ordered it for you two weeks ago.”

She brushed Jane's long red hair, and dressed it with jewels. She pulled long white gloves over Jane's bare arms, and buckled white shoes onto her feet.

Jane stared at herself in the long mirror. She didn't look like herself at all. She wished Mom and Dad could see her. She looked like every girl's secret idea of a princess.

“Oh, Jane!” sighed Twilly. “You're as beautiful as Migorn!”

Jane knew this was a great compliment — Twilly adored Migorn. She asked, “Will Migorn be at the ball?”

“Lawk, no,” Twilly said. “Theater people don't mix with royalty. But you might get to see her at the Races.”

There was a knock at the door. Jane thought it would be Staffa, but it was Captain Hooter — very splendid in his purple dress uniform, so crusted with gold that you could hardly see the purple.

He had come to escort Jane down to the ballroom.

Twilly gave her a friendly kiss. “Have a wonderful time — I'll be watching!”

Jane felt a little awkward with Captain Hooter, but she enjoyed the way her white skirts billowed around her as they walked in silence through the endless corridors. After all the boredom and gunfire of the revolution, it lifted her heart to hear the buzzing sound of the orchestra, and the roar of a crowd from behind the doors of the palace ballroom.

Captain Hooter threw open the doors. In a very loud voice, he announced, “The Lady Jane!”

Instantly, all the music and the talking stopped. Jane found herself staring at several hundred Eckers, all staring at her. There was a sudden movement like wind over a cornfield as they all bowed or curtseyed.

Jane was very embarrassed, and rather alarmed — why on earth were they doing this?

To her relief, the talking and music started again immediately afterwards. Once everyone had stopped taking notice of her, Jane could look around. She saw that the ballroom blazed with light. Besides the feeble lamps, there were large, flickering, shifting orbs of light in cages that hung from the ceiling.

“They're fireflies, madam,” Captain Hooter explained. “They were captured in your world a hundred years ago by King Harpong the Innovator. They're specially bred to light large spaces.”

The ballroom windows stood open. More firefly cages glowed in the trees outside, like Japanese lanterns. The ballroom and the gardens were thronged with the cream of Ecker society, in splendid dresses and uniforms. Jane had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. This was a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

The royal family sat on a low platform. Jane was surprised and pleased to see that the old princess was with them. She was beside the young king, holding his hand tightly and looking very happy — Jane guessed that she had not been out of her secret room for ages. She wore a gray satin gown and a small, glittering crown, and she smiled when she saw Jane.

“Oh, Jane, my dear, how thrilling — your first Race Week Ball! And you look so pretty! Doesn't she, Quarley?”

“Very pretty,” the king said, giving Jane a friendly smile. “I hope you'll save me the first dance.”

Jane said, “I don't know any dances.”

“Don't worry. This one couldn't be easier.” He lowered his voice. “Sorry about the bowing and curtseying — I think Mother must have gotten a bit carried away.”

“I thought they'd all made a mistake,” Jane said, giggling. “Who do they think I am?”

Staffa said, “The Eckers seem to think you're a visitor from a foreign government.” She was wearing a long dress of sky blue velvet and a small crown that blazed with diamonds. Jane saw that she was uneasy about something — why did she keep frowning to herself, and glancing suspiciously at her mother?

“Jane!” boomed the queen. “You are simply divine! Don't sit down for a minute, dear — let the Eckers see you properly. They're terribly nosy creatures; even the posh ones.” She wore an amazing crown of knobbly gold that looked like plumbing. Her bright green dress had a very low neck, to show off her ironed bosom, which was as hard and white and shiny as a new sink.

Jane dropped her a deep curtsey, to hide an attack of nervous giggles.

The queen's voice suddenly dropped to an exaggerated whisper. “Keep smiling, Jane. We have had some unsettling news. The upper classes can no longer be trusted. My spies inform me that there is a leading terrorist working in my own aristocracy! The ingratitude! I wish I could arrest them all, but there isn't the prison space.”

The band began to play. It was a strange, mourning, whining sound, like gnats on a summer evening. Quarley stood up and bowed to Jane. The crowd of Eckers broke into a round of applause. Jane's cheeks were hot. Never in her life had she felt so embarrassed. Everyone in the huge ballroom was suddenly silent, and staring at her.

The old princess kindly patted her hand. “I know just how you feel,” she said softly. “I was nervous too. But you mustn't worry — these people have very good hearts!”

“Do I have to?” Jane whispered to Quarley. “I'm lousy at dancing — my dad says I've got two left feet.”

Quarley smiled — he was unusually cheerful tonight. “You'll soon get the hang of it.” He led Jane to the middle of the dance floor. “Don't mind them staring at you. They don't mean any harm.”

“But what if I fall over, or something?”

“You can if you like,” said Quarley. “They'll only copy you. That's the thing about being royal — whatever you do, it's always right. Look.” He suddenly kicked up one of his legs. Everyone in the crowd immediately did the same.

Jane couldn't help laughing — the Eckers looked so silly, sometimes kicking each other by mistake. Many of them were laughing, and the old princess clapped her hands delightedly. Jane began to think this might be fun. The dance was called the Race Week Gallop. Quarley and Staffa showed her the movements, which were mainly twirling around very fast, and stamping the floor very hard. The pace was furious. Part of the dance was a race around the floor with all the other couples. Jane twirled and stamped until she was breathless and her hair was falling down on one side.

The dance ended with a round of applause. Jane collapsed into the chair next to the old princess.

“That was perfectly brilliant!” declared the old princess. With a shaking hand, she tidied Jane's hair. “Oh, look — there's my little Twilly, and dear Narcas, up in the gallery! Let's give them a wave.”

Jane looked up at the servants' gallery. The bedspring curls of Twilly and Narcas bounced right at the front of a crowd of palace servants. They were eating cake and talking nonstop. When Jane and the old princess waved to them, Twilly was so excited that she waved her slice of cake, and dropped it into the helmet of a soldier standing below.

“I wish they could be down here with us,” Jane said.

The old princess chuckled. “I think they're having much more fun up there. Narcas will be full of stories tomorrow.”

Captain Hooter came to the royal platform. “Excuse me, Your Majesty.” He bowed to the queen. “The Dancing Orphans are here.”

Queen Matilda scowled. “Who invited the Dancing Orphans?” She shook with fury. “Tell them to go away at once!”

“Don't do any such thing, Hooter,” Quarley said sternly. “The orphans must have heard that the princess was going to be here tonight. They only want to pay their respects.”

“I don't trust those orphans!” hissed the queen. “I daresay they've all got bombs hidden up their skirts!”

“Mother, don't be silly — they're children!”

“They catch them young, you know!”

“It's too late to turn them away,” Quarley said, “unless you want another revolution.”

“Oh, very well!” snapped the queen, hideous with fury. “Hooter, let in the little squirts!”

Jane couldn't imagine why she was in such a state — especially when Staffa explained to her that the Dancing Orphans came from an orphanage that had been founded by the old princess. What was wrong with that?

“She taught them to dance, and they've had a dance troupe ever since,” Staffa said.

The ballroom fell silent. The crowds stepped back, to make a large space in the middle of the floor. A little Ecker girl, dressed in a pink tutu, tripped into the space. She carried an odd-looking musical instrument, a little like a small harp. Her delicate hands plucked at the strings, and the air was filled with a twanging that sounded strange yet sweet.

Ten little girls, also in pink tutus, and wearing the wings of butterflies, fluttered out with wonderful grace, standing on the very tips of their long feet. Their legs were long, and their feet were very flexible. They did not dance like humans exactly, yet there was something enchanting in the sight of them. Jane thought she had never seen anything so close to real fairies. They shimmered and spun, as light as gossamer, and finished their dance by sinking into deep curtseys at the feet of the old princess.

“Thank you, my dears,” the old princess said. “You all dance beautifully!”

The little girl with the harp walked up to the king. With a curtsey, she gave the harp to him. The Eckers, who had been watching in silence, broke into murmurs.

Someone bold shouted, “Sing, Your Majesty!”

A few people tried, and failed, to start a round of applause. Everyone was staring at the queen.

“Oh, I see what's going on!” fumed Queen Matilda. “Don't you dare sing, Quarley. Your father used to sing all the time. It was just plain embarrassing if you ask me.”

“I'm not asking you,” said Quarley. He bent down towards the old princess, and the expression on his stern young face was very tender. “Would you like me to sing?”

The dim eyes of the old princess shone with happiness. “Oh, darling, I'd love it.”

“You'll remember this. It comes from the happy old Pangbourne days.” He struck a silvery chord and began to sing, as if he and the old princess were the only people in the room:

Darling, I am growing old,

Silver threads among the gold

Shine upon my brow today,

Life is fading fast away.

But, my darling, you will be

Always young and fair to me!

The old princess listened with a dreamy smile. The years seemed to peel away from her. How pretty she was, Jane thought.

The last notes faded away into silence.

“Thank you,” the old princess said. With a frail hand, she wiped her wrinkled cheek where a tear had fallen. “That brought back some lovely memories. You've made me feel quite young again.”

Quarley leaned down close to the old princess, and Jane heard him murmur, “Always young and fair to me!”

Queen Matilda coughed irritably. “Is it finished? Good. Let's have more dancing.”

The crowd of Eckers stood absolutely still and absolutely silent.

“What's the matter with you?” shouted the queen. “Start enjoying yourselves at once!”

A man's voice shouted, “Long live the old princess!”

There was a great gasp of horror. Then another voice took up the cry: “Long live the old princess!”

The Eckers began to clap — just a few of them at first, then more and more, until the whole ballroom was clapping and cheering. Up in the servants' gallery, Narcas and Twilly cheered with all their might.

“Captain Hooter!” roared the queen, “this is sedition and insurrection and sheer CHEEK! Arrest as many people as possible!”

A DAY AT THE RACES

“Good morning, Your Janeship. It's a lovely day, and you're off to the Races. You're to wear the short blue dress with a matching bonnet.”

“Morning, Twilly.” Jane opened her eyes. Twilly stood beside her bed, holding out a sky blue dress. She was doing her best to smile, but her triangular face was blotchy and swollen with crying. She looked as if she had been crying for hours.

“Twilly? What's the matter?” Jane scrambled out of bed. “What's happened?”

“Nothing,” Twilly said miserably. “I'm fine. Nothing's the matter.”

Jane grabbed one of her hands. “Something's wrong — you can't hide it from me. Why are you crying?”

Twilly said, “I'm not crying!” — and immediately broke down into frightened sobs. “Oh, what shall I do? Don't notice me!”

“I can't help noticing you — oh, please tell me what's wrong! I might be able to help!” Jane put her arms around her weeping little maid and hugged her until her sobs died down. Then she made Twilly sit in the soft armchair while she poured them both a refreshing glass of Buttercup Yar.

Twilly blew her red nose. “You mustn't say it was me who told you. I'm not supposed to know until the official announcement.”