The Lost Queen by Frewin Jones Read Free Book Online

he said. “That’s the place on the Thames, isn’t it?”
    â€œThat’s right. It’s supposed to be an exact replica of the theatre that stood there in Elizabethan times, when Shakespeare’s plays were first being performed. Mrs. Wiseman thinks it’ll inspire us to perform better if we have a look at the real thing.”
    â€œSounds like fun,” her father said. “And speaking of fun, your mum telephoned the owners of that cottage in Tintagel that we went to last summer. We’ve booked it from Monday week for a fortnight. What do you think?”
    â€œSounds great,” Tania said, carefully hiding her dismay at this suggestion; a family holiday was going to be yet another barrier between her and the search for Titania.
    â€œSo Mrs. Wiseman wasn’t annoyed with you forgoing awol, then?” her father asked.
    â€œNo, she just made a few pointed remarks about working with prima donnas and then got on with the rehearsal.”
    â€œI suppose you’ll need to do some extra sessions to catch up, though?”
    â€œI expect so.”
    â€œDoes she want you to go in tomorrow?”
    Tomorrow was Saturday, the day she and Edric hoped to slip away to Richmond.
    Tania looked apologetically at her father. He had given her the perfect opportunity to avoid a direct lie. “There is some stuff that needs doing,” she said. “Would you mind driving me over here about ten o’clock in the morning?”
    â€œNo problem,” he said. “And when you’re done, just give me a call and I’ll come and pick you up again.”
    â€œThere’s no need. I can find my own way home.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” her father said firmly. “I’ll pick you up from the school, okay?”
    Tania nodded.
    â€œBy the way,” her father said, changing the subject in a very obvious way. “What happened to that book? You know, that nice old leather-bound book that we took into the hospital for your birthday, the one sent by your mysterious benefactor.”
    Tania knew exactly where the book was. It had been put back in its proper place in the Great Libraryin the Faerie palace—standing on a shelf between the Soul Books of her sister Rathina and of her uncle, the Earl Marshal Cornelius.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Tania said, gazing out of the car window. “I put it somewhere safe.”

IV
    It took Tania and Edric an hour on the Underground to get from Camden to Richmond. They came up to ground level in a crowded main street with wide pavements lined with black railings.
    It was a relief for Tania to be out of the claustrophobic swelter of the tube train, but even out on the streets, the Saturday crowds hemmed her in as she walked hand in hand with Edric toward the first of the post offices that he had found on the Internet.
    It turned out to be a busy main branch with a steady stream of customers coming and going through the double swing doors.
    â€œThere must be about fifty people waiting,” Tania said gloomily, peering through the doors. “We’ll be here all day.”
    â€œDon’t join the queue,” Edric suggested, holding open one of the doors for her. “Go straight up to acounter and ask to speak to the manager.”
    â€œIf you say so.” Tania slid between the racks of greetings cards and stationery and made her way up to the first counter. A woman was being served.
    Tania fixed a friendly smile on her face. “Excuse me,” she said to the customer. “Could I interrupt for a moment?” The woman gave her a blank look. Tania turned her smile on the clerk behind the glass partition. “Would it be possible to speak with the manager, please?”
    â€œJust a moment.” The man slid off his chair and went into a back room. Tania gave the woman at the counter an apologetic look. “Sorry about this,” she said.
    The clerk came back. He pointed to a closed