Just Like Magic by Elizabeth Townsend Read Free Book Online Page A

herself, animated and happy. And why shouldn’t she be? She was going to all the parties and having a wonderful time.
“It’s so nice to see you,” I said, and it was, but—
“I was so sorry when I heard you wouldn’t debut this Season. Remember how we always used to plan how we’d debut together? I miss you!”
I missed me, too. “Stepmama says perhaps in the fall,” I said. “What’s it like?”
“Exhausting! But fun. And I’ve met—some very nice people! One in particular, in fact—oh, I really shouldn’t say anything, Ella, but I do like him, and he seems to like me! Actually we first met before I went to the island—perhaps you remember him? James Totley?  And now we’ve danced together and talked together—”
I sat stunned. This was Anna, the plain one who had always followed my lead? I remembered Mr. Totley vaguely as a young man whose admiring eyes I thought had been following me . Next I knew Anna would be engaged, and where would I be? Still stuck in the kitchen? I smiled and chatted, and when Anna left I went downstairs, threw myself on my bed and cried.
But she wasn’t my worst caller. One cloudy afternoon in late April when all four of us were reading in the sitting room, a knock sounded at the door, and I stomped off to answer it after several glares from Lucy. Yanking the door open, I found a short, graying woman in a long brown cloak looking at me with a question in her eyes.
“Godmother!” I gasped.

 
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    Lower and Lower
“Ella! So good to see you, dear,” said my godmother, smiling tentatively and handing me a bunch of yellow and white daffodils. “These are for you, from my garden.”
“Oh!” I stood paralyzed at the door until Stepmama’s feeble “Who is it, Ella?” reminded me of my manners. “Please, come in.”
As Mrs. Wilkins stepped into the sitting room, Lucy stood up, wrinkled her nose, and said, “Charmed, I’m sure. But I’m afraid I must get ready for the party tonight.”
“Equally charmed, Lady Lucinda,” said Mrs. Wilkins, bowing slightly. I blushed. Gerta looked up from her novel, murmured a polite nothing, and buried herself back in the book.
“Dear Mrs. Wilkins! How do you do?” Stepmama sat upright, offered Mrs. Wilkins her fingertips, and waved her to a chair and a box of chocolates as I poured a cup of tea.
“Quite well. Business is good. I’ve been living here in Kingston for the season, to be near my clients, and I had a spare moment today, so I thought I’d visit.” Godmother took a sip and gazed at me inquiringly. “How are you doing, dear?”
I was arranging the daffodils in a vase and was glad I wasn’t facing her, because I was still blushing. Talking about business! What if someone else came to visit while she was here, what would they think? “I’ve been fine, just fine. I think town agrees with me.” I turned and smiled brightly.
“That’s good,” said Mrs. Wilkins, eyeing me closely. There was silence.
“And how is our house, dear Merton Manor, do you know?” Stepmama finally asked. “Are our tenants treating it well?”
“I think so. I was in Little Owlthorpe just last week, and from what I saw, Merton Manor looks quite nice, gardens kept up and all.”
Another silence. I stared out the window.
“Anything I can do for you, dear?” Godmother asked, leaning toward me.
“No! No, everything’s fine,” I said hastily.
“Mmm. Well, that’s good.” Mrs. Wilkins put her teacup down as the silence thickened. “Guess I’d better be off, then. It’s been lovely to see you all.” She stood and looked across at me. “Goodbye, Ella.”
“Goodbye, Godmother.” I didn’t even look her in the face.
“Ella! You can show Mrs. Wilkins out, can’t you?” said Stepmama anxiously.
“Oh, I can find my way out. No bother.” Godmother was already at the sitting room door, and a few seconds later we heard the front door open and shut. I let out my breath.
“So nice to see dear Mrs. Wilkins. And what lovely flowers…”