When Avery and Lily arrived at the Townley sisters’ house, Lily was exhausted from her journey, but not exhausted enough to miss out on any detail. “A crystal chandelier!” she cried. “And look at this staircase! It curves!” Lily imagined herself floating slowly down the staircase with her fancy-dress costume on. She imagined the other fairies looking at her with wonder and disbelief. Could a Sheepskerry fairy really be so stylish? “You bet!” said Lily.

“I’m sorry?” A cool voice interrupted Lily’s dream.

Lily spun around to find two very pretty and very fashionable fairies staring at her. “Oh, no, I’m sorry!” Lily said. “I was thinking out loud!” Her face turned pink. “I’m Lily Bell, from—”

“Oh yes, we know where you’re from,” said one of the fairies. “You’re from—” and she paused; Lily thought she heard a little sniff, “Sheepskerry Island. I suppose you’re a shepherdess?”

The other pretty fairy giggled.

“No, there aren’t sheep there any more,” said Lily. She thought the fairies were teasing her, but she couldn’t tell.

“Um … are you Amanda and Claudine?” Lily asked.

The two fairies looked down their pert little noses. “Who else would we be?” said the taller one. “I’m Claudine. Amanda and I own this house. Queen Titania has made us host all twelve fairies for the fancy-dress party. From the mainland and the islands.”

“Avery, take her coat, please,” said Claudine. “How quaint it is too,” she added quietly, but not so quietly that Lily did not hear. Lily was glad she had worn her little blue suit as her arrival outfit. They can’t make fun of this, she thought.

“It’s very kind of you to have invited us all to stay with you,” said Lily, using her best manners, even though the Townley sisters were being not so polite themselves. “I adore your house,” she said. “It is so elegant! And so huge! You must love living here.”

“Humph!” said Amanda. “I suppose you haven’t seen many real fairy houses before.”

“I’ve seen almost all the houses on Sheepskerry, plus the summer cottages,” said Lily. “So I think I do know pretty well what a fairy house looks like.”

Amanda and Claudine smiled. “Not a mainland fairy house,” said Amanda.

Then they turned to go. “We will see you at dinner,” said Claudine. “That will give you time to change—” she paused, and arched an eyebrow, “into something suitable.”

Lily felt her cheeks turn pink.

“Move these bags, will you?”

Lily reached for her bags. “I’m sorry. Are they in your—”

“Please, Lily. Avery carries bags here,” said Amanda.

“I’ll just take these upstairs,” said Avery to Lily. Then she whispered, “Never mind them. Not all mainland fairies are so snobby. Come on up with me. I’ll get you settled in.”