eight

When Avery and Golden arrived at the Townley sisters’ house, Goldie 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!” Golden 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 Goldie.

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

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

“Oh yes, we know where you’re from,” said one of the fairies. “You’re from”—and she paused; Goldie 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 anymore,” said Goldie. She thought the fairies were teasing her, but she couldn’t tell.

“Um . . . are you Amanda and Claudine?” Goldie asked.

The two fairies looked down their pert little noses. “Who else would we be?” said the taller one. “I’m Claudine. I and Amanda 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 Goldie did not hear. Goldie 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 Goldie, 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 Goldie. “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 supper,” said Claudine. “That will give you time to change”—she paused, and arched an eyebrow—“into something suitable.”

Goldie felt her cheeks turn pink.

“Move these bags, will you?”

Goldie reached for her carpetbags. “I’m sorry. Are they in your—”

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

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