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.It might be churlish to mention that she can be a fibber at times, but it’s all in good fun and you just have ignore her pranks when they get bothersome.Leastly wasn’t even a word, was it? She spoke in such a weird way.She actually viewed us as guests.I tried to imagine what my mother would say if she were here.Mom used the term ‘coping mechanism’ a lot.Perhaps this whole act was Jessamine’s coping mechanism.I couldn’t imagine the horror of being trapped down here for months—possibly years.I did want to find out who the other girls were—but it was impossible to ask them anything at this crazy tea party.I had strong suspicions about two of them.I repeated the names in my head—Jessamine, Philomena, Sophronia, Missouri.I knew none of the names were likely to be their real ones.“Why aren’t you eating too, Jessamine?” Ethan glared at her pointedly.“I’m the host,” replied Jessamine.“My priority tonight is to make sure all my friends and guests are comfortable.Now—enough of this flibberty-flabber.I haven’t introduced myself.Of course, you know my name already—Jessamine.I believe in patience as a virtue, and I do like to practice good manners.I’m partial to dancing and clever stories—and you must tell me about yourselves when you’ve had ample time to rest, perhaps in a day or two.”I flinched when Jessamine said, tonight.It couldn’t be night already.It had still been early morning when we first found this place, and I estimated less than two hours had passed since.We hadn’t somehow lost time, surely?Ethan’s expression darkened.The girls ate every scrap of their dinner.It was hardly enough for a night’s meal, but I guessed they had to ration out the food Fiveash provided them.After dinner, the two eldest girls cleaned up and Jessamine declared it was time for dancing in the ballroom.She insisted that Ethan and I dress for the dances, but Ethan refused her flatly.The girls changed into ballroom gowns that were frayed and dirty at the hems and sleeves.Ethan and I wheeled Aisha back to the carousel.We tried every way to get the carousel moving, but it didn’t shift even an inch.The one named Missouri ran to us in her stiff, pale pink gown.“Jessamine wants you all in the ballroom.Please come.”“No,” Ethan bellowed.“I’ve had enough of this rubbish.”Missouri lowered her eyelids.“I know.Trust me, I know.But if you don’t do as she wishes, it will only get worse.For all of us.”“Missouri,” I demanded.“Who is she? What is this place? Who controls the dolls—Henry?”“I can’t tell you any of that.”“Please.” My voice cracked.“We have a friend with us—Lacey.She’s missing here somewhere.We need to find her—do you know where—?”She backed away.“Jessamine’s waiting.” Gathering up her skirt, she ran back to the corridor.Ethan and I eyed each other.“We should go, Ethan.”Sighing heavily, he nodded.We wheeled Aisha down to what Jessamine and the girls called the ballroom—Ethan seating himself on the daybed next to Aisha, his hand over hers.A fire had been lit in the hearth, red flames leaping.My fists clenched at the sight of the firewood in the now-opened basket—I’d missed seeing that before.Henry’s wood.The Indian girl—Sophronia—put on a scratchy gramophone record, which played some classical music I didn’t recognize.Jessamine clapped while the girls twirled about the room in some kind of waltz that didn’t require partners.Philomena seemed to enjoy it, sashaying in her lemon dress.“It’s the Hotel California,” Ethan remarked.“It’s the what?” I said.“Never mind.Just some old song.”Sophronia didn’t dance like the rest—she seemed to hop from one foot to the other in a lopsided way—almost hobbling.Jessamine danced next.She moved around the dance floor expertly.Philomena watched in awe.“Goodness, I’m pooped,” cried Jessamine, flopping onto the floor.“Time for quiet reading!”The girls obediently pulled books from the library and settled into the chairs to begin reading.Even little Philomena soon seemed to be absorbed in a thick book.I excused myself, saying I was busting to go to the bathroom.I needed a chance to look for Lacey.Jessamine scowled and told me I was uncouth—but she waved me away.I hastened past the bed chamber, expecting the doll or clown to leap out at me—and dashed inside the bathroom.Freezing air bouncing off tiles made the bathroom a refrigerator.At least the cold air made the smell tolerable.I suspected that if the room had been warm, you’d gag coming in here.I inspected every wall, every floor tile—even pressing every tile—hoping for something to happen.Lacey had to have gone somewhere.Perhaps she’d leant against a secret door or fallen down a trapdoor.Many of the tiles here were cracked and chipped, and a few were loose, but there was nothing of interest.I put my ear to the floor—there seemed to be water rushing underneath—broken pipes maybe.The showers had only one tap each.I turned one of them on—icy water spurted from the wide nozzle.There wasn’t any hot water in the bathroom at all.A chill went through my chest.The girls had to be bathing in this water.Threadbare towels had been washed and wrung out—and hung over a dressing screen.A single mirror hung above a wooden dresser, with tiny light bulbs running along the top of it.Ethan and I had already checked the dresser, but I tried to see if the mirror could be removed.It was stuck fast to the wall.My stomach hurt and I realized I did need to go to the toilet.I peered into the toilet bowl—it seemed to be just a long, wide piece of pipe—and I could hear the rushing water again.I used the toilet as quickly as I could.The odor from the toilet told me that there was no proper sanitation here.The toilet paper on a holder nearby seemed the only modern thing in the whole bathroom.The paper was that thin, crackly stuff that some public bathrooms supplied.I washed up and returned to the ballroom.The girls read for what seemed an endless amount of time.Philomena tugged on the red-haired girl's sleeve with a book behind her back.Missouri pulled her onto her lap and began reading the book to her.Jessamine instructed them it was time to lay down their books and commence playing board games.She played a game of chess with the Indian girl—Sophronia—but fell asleep halfway through.The picture of the horse and child that Aisha had drawn entered my mind.On the ribbon had been a name.Philomena.Ethan whispered to me that he was going to check the dark low-ceilinged passage—and told me to watch Aisha.I lowered my eyes in a yes—relieved I didn’t have to go back in there.He returned less than ten minutes later, shaking his head.“Nothing there.”Jessamine woke and continued her chess game with Sophronia—as though she’d only blinked rather than had a long nap.Cups of steaming tea were brought around by Sophronia—on the cart we’d seen in the kitchen.The girls sipped their tea from the giant cups.“It’s been a most pleasant day.” Jessamine straightened in her chair.“And wonderful to share our day with such unusual guests.But, the time has come that we must sleep and refresh ourselves for the coming day.”I startled.They were all going to bed? I tried to calculate how long we’d been here.It had been early morning when we first found the place, and surely not more than five hours had passed since then? My watch refused to work, and it was still stuck on 7.12 am.Jessamine eyed Ethan reservedly.“It wouldn’t be proper for a boy to retire to the same bedroom as the ladies.I trust you won’t mind dreadfully if you stay here in the ballroom?”“I’m staying with Ethan,’ I said quickly.“And Aisha—Angeline—will sleep with us too.We’ll all sleep out here.”“I’m afraid that won’t do.The toys won’t allow it either [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]