Goodly and Grave in a Case of Bad Magic

by Justine Windsor

  Lucy manoeuvred the creature to the first-floor-landing windows. She’d just applied the vinegar mixture to them when she saw a blur of movement. Curious to see who it was, Lucy cleared a small patch of glass and peered through. Lord Percy was standing on the stairs, dressed in a white nightshirt and red plaid dressing gown. He wasn’t alone. Becky was with him and the two of them seemed to be having a rather lively conversation. Lord Percy was pointing at Becky as if scolding her. Becky was halfway through making a rude gesture back when she seemed to sense someone was watching, and turned towards the window.

  “Duck!” Lucy snapped instinctively.

  Remarkably, the giraffe seemed to understand this command and lowered its neck so that the top of Lucy’s head was just below the windowsill.

  “Up a tiny bit so I can see what’s going on,” Lucy said quietly to the giraffe, which obliged. She was just in time to see Becky running off in the direction of the east wing. As for Lord Percy, he hunched himself up, clutched his head and began swaying as though he was about to faint. A moment later, Lord Grave came striding along the landing. He looked surprised to see Lord Percy out of bed. The two men had a short conversation, then Lord Grave took Lord Percy’s arm and began steering him back towards his bedroom.

  Lucy was perplexed. Why would Becky have been speaking to Lord Percy alone like that? And how could she dare to be so rude to him? Something odd was going on. She decided to investigate further.

  “Would you mind moving to the left, towards the east wing?” she asked the giraffe. “But maybe keep your head down?”

  The giraffe began shuffling left. As it made its way along, Lucy cautiously peered through each window, hoping to spot Becky. It wasn’t until the giraffe reached the windows in the outer wall of the east-wing corridor that Lucy spied her. She wasn’t alone – Violet was there too.

  “Stop here, please,” Lucy whispered to the giraffe.

  The two housemaids were doing something very unexpected. They were tugging and rattling at the doorknob of a locked room. This was the Room of Curiosities, and Lucy had been inside it on a number of occasions and knew that it held many strange artefacts. Were Violet and Becky trying to break in and steal one of them? Lucy could believe Becky might do such a thing, but sweet, shy Violet? It seemed most unlikely. Obviously neither of them knew how to get inside the Room of Curiosities, but Lucy did. The statue of Lady Constance Grave, Lord Grave’s great-grandmother, which stood outside in the corridor, guarded the keys. The only way to get hold of them was to tickle Lady Grave under the chin.

  From the way they were gesticulating at each other, it was clear Violet and Becky were having yet another argument. Lucy tutted in frustration. If only she could hear what they were saying, she might be able to work out what they were up to! Then she noticed the handle of one window was slightly raised, meaning that it hadn’t been shut properly from the inside. Lucy gingerly reached up and pushed at the window. It opened a little, enough for her to be able to hear the conversation.

  “Why are you bothering?” Becky snapped. “You really think it’s just going to unlock itself?”

  “Well, it has to open somehow,” Violet replied. “Are you certain it’s in there?”

  “Stop asking me that!” Becky exclaimed. “Like I told you, Goodly got in a few weeks ago. Then after that there was a day when half the house were in there. Crawley, Vonk, Grave, all of them. So I started keeping a close eye on it. I finally managed to get a glimpse inside when Grave went in a few days ago, and I’m sure I saw it. It’s under a glass cover.”

  Violet gave the door a kick. “It’s hopeless. If you’d been a bit sharper, Bone, you’d have realised months ago it was here. We’d have had more time to make a proper plan to get it.”

  “How could I have possibly known that, you idiot? I told you – I didn’t even realise this room was here until I saw Lucy flaming Goodly going inside a few weeks ago.”

  “You’re useless,” Violet said, and rattled at the doorknob again.

  Becky slapped at her hand. “Stop it, you’re making too much noise.”

  Violet punched Becky on the arm. Lucy couldn’t believe it. Sweet-natured, timid Violet wouldn’t normally dare touch Becky, let alone fight with her twice in one morning! She fully expected Becky to retaliate and punch Violet right back, but she didn’t. Instead, she said something that Lucy didn’t catch, and then the two housemaids trotted out of sight round a corner.

  “What was all that about?” Lucy said aloud. She decided to wait for a few minutes to see if Becky and Violet returned. After five minutes, Lucy was considering opening the window wider and climbing through to have a look around, when Becky came charging back along the corridor, her face screwed up in fury. She headed towards the stairs. A few seconds later, someone came running after her. Lucy nearly fell off her giraffe when she saw who it was.

  The curly-haired boy with the bluebird neck tattoo who had ambushed her and Violet!

  Lucy was so astounded that for a few moments she couldn’t move. Her brain scrambled to understand what she had just seen. Where was Violet? Had the boy done something to her? Why was she behaving so strangely? Lucy hesitated for a few seconds before deciding what to do next.

  “Could you lift me up a bit higher, please?” she asked the giraffe. “I’m going inside for a minute, if you don’t mind waiting for me here.”

  Lucy clambered through the window and jumped down into the now-deserted east-wing corridor. She scurried past the statue of Lady Constance Grave and the Room of Curiosities, and round the corner, in the direction she’d seen Becky and Violet go. There were a few spare bedrooms here, and she began carefully opening each door a crack and peering inside. There was no sign of Violet anywhere. Mystified, Lucy began to make her way back to the window where the giraffe would be patiently waiting. She was about to climb outside when that she noticed something floating along the corridor. It was a small web-like thread strung with tiny multi-coloured beads of moisture.

  Lucy knew what it was at once – a trace of magic. She watched as it drifted along before vanishing in a flurry of sparks. The trace meant that someone had recently cast some sort of magic nearby. But neither Becky nor Violet were magical, so it must have been the boy she’d seen, which backed up Lord Grave’s theory that he was a magical escapee from Hard Times Hall. But where had he gone? She hurriedly scrambled through the window and clambered on to the giraffe.

  “Thanks very much for your help. I think we’re finished with the window cleaning for today. Could you possibly let me down now?” The giraffe did as Lucy asked, bending its lengthy neck so that she could slide down to the ground. Then the two of them parted ways, Lucy heading for the kitchen while the giraffe lolloped off in the direction of the wildlife park.

  When Lucy reached the kitchen, she found it full of circus folk, drinking tea and eating biscuits.

  “Lucy!” a young woman called.

  Lucy hurried over to her. “Hello, Diamond!”

  “How are you, my darling? I’m sure you’ve grown!” Diamond O’Brien, the owner of O’Brien’s Midnight Circus, gave Lucy a warm hug. As usual, she was dressed in black satin offset by brightly coloured scarves. Her sleek dark hair was as short as ever, cut into sharp points round each ear.

  “Good to see you, Lucy,” said the man standing next to Diamond. He was very tall and wore an eye patch over his left eye. His beard was white with grey tips and was so long he wore the end thrown over his shoulder to keep it from dragging on the ground.

  “Hello, Herbert,” Lucy said, taking his outstretched hand and shaking it heartily

  “We’re so excited to be here,” Diamond said. “We’ve got a treat of a display in store for this ball.”

  “I can’t wait to see it!” Lucy replied.

  Vonk came over to them. “Miss O’Brien! How lovely to see you again!”

  Diamond smiled brightly. “Oh, Mr Vonk, do call me Diamond.”

  “You’re so kind. I must say I’m terribly looking forward …”


  While Vonk and Diamond were exchanging pleasantries, Lucy craned her neck, trying to see if Becky and the boy were anywhere to be seen. She quickly spotted Becky. Violet was with her. At least she was safe. But where was the boy? Lucy watched intently as the two maids weaved their way through the circus folk and slipped into the scullery, unnoticed by anyone else.

  “Excuse me a second,” Lucy said to Vonk and Diamond. Neither of them seemed to hear her, as they were too busy chatting and laughing. Lucy politely pushed her way through the throng of people to the scullery, stopping just outside.

  “What a stupid thing to do! You’re lucky no-one saw you!” Becky was saying.

  “Oh, stop complaining for five seconds will you? Be grateful you don’t have to wear one of the wretched things. It gets so hot. And smelly. I just wanted a break from it.”

  “Well, you won’t need to use it for much longer. Valentina said once we find a way into that room, it’ll all be over for Grave and the others.”

  “Shame you messed things up last night, Bone. You’re lucky Grave didn’t suspect anything,” Violet said.

  “Maybe I should try to take Goodly,” Becky replied.

  “You’d better ask Valentina first. Let’s get out of here. I want to find out what the plan is for tonight.”

  Lucy turned round to try to get out of sight as the two maids left the scullery. But the crowd was blocking her in and she couldn’t shove her way through in time to avoid being seen.

  “What are you lurking around for, Goodly?” Becky asked in her usual charming manner, narrowing her eyes.

  “I wanted to ask you a question,” Lucy said. She was about to mention the boy she’d seen, but then she hesitated, rapidly changing her plans. Perhaps she’d better pretend she hadn’t seen him. There was obviously something suspicious going on and it seemed as though Becky and Violet might be involved, so it was probably better to keep quiet for now.

  “Well?” Becky said, tapping her foot impatiently.

  Lucy grinned desperately. “Isn’t this all really exciting? I can’t wait for the ball!”

  “Oh, shut up, Goodly. I’m not even going to be here for the stupid ball. Why would I care anything about it?” Becky turned and stalked off, leaving Violet and Lucy standing there, eyeing each other. Usually Violet would have said something sweet to counteract Becky’s nastiness, but she seemed to be lost for words. She did smile at Lucy though, not that it was any comfort. Lucy had never been one for playing with dolls as she found them rather creepy with their fixed smiles and glassy eyes. Violet’s smile was doll-like and false and Lucy didn’t like it, not one bit.

  “I’d better go, I think Vonk wants me,” she told Violet before hurriedly jostling through the crowd, back to where Vonk and Diamond were standing, still wittering away. Diamond was laughing merrily at something Vonk had just said. Lucy tugged at his sleeve.

  “What is it, Lucy?”

  “I need to speak to you. In private.”

  “Can’t it wait?”

  “No.”

  Vonk sighed. “Sorry, Diamond. I was really enjoying our chat. But perhaps we’ll have a chance to meet again later?”

  “Of course, my darling! I look forward to it!”

  Vonk, who was looking rather rosy about the cheeks, led Lucy over to his pantry and opened the door for her to step inside. It was a large room, with space for a gleaming table and chairs. All the Hall’s serving dishes, plates and silverware were kept in the wooden cabinets which lined the walls. Vonk invited Lucy to sit down.

  “So what’s the matter?” he demanded.

  “Something strange is going on,” Lucy said, then explained about seeing Becky and Lord Percy together and about Violet and the boy from the alley, the trace of magic she’d seen and the conversation she’d just overheard.

  Vonk was silent for a few moments before asking, “Are you sure this boy you saw was the same one who attacked you? Is there any chance one of Diamond’s troupe wandered up to the east wing by mistake and that’s who you saw?”

  “I’d know that boy anywhere! What about the trace of magic? And who’s this Valentina that Becky and Violet mentioned? I think I should go and see Lord Grave and tell him about it all.”

  “I agree. But he’s already gone out. Lord Percy is feeling much better, but somewhat down in the dumps. Lord Grave has taken him for a drive and then they’re going for an early dinner, just the two of them. He said they’d be back by nine, although I wouldn’t bank on it.”

  “Perhaps we should talk to Lady Sibyl instead, then?”

  “I don’t think his Lordship would like that. He’s the head of MAAM: we should tell him first. Let’s wait until he comes home.”

  But by ten o’clock Lord Grave and Lord Percy still hadn’t returned. Eleven o’clock came and went, and there was still no sign of them. At midnight, Lucy was sitting alone in the kitchen, hoping to hear the sound of Lord Grave’s carriage any second, when Vonk came in and told her to go to bed.

  “I know what Lord Grave can be like when he’s out with Lord Percy, just the two of them. They get on the brandy and cigars and lose track of time. We can speak to him in the morning. Mrs C and Becky are in bed. You’d best go too.”

  Lucy reluctantly did as she was told, determined to stay awake until Lord Grave came home. But the night was chilly and her bed was warm, so she kept almost drifting off. In the end, she decided to sneak back down to the kitchen to wait for Lord Grave. Hopefully Vonk would have gone to bed by now and wouldn’t be around to tell her off for being up and about.

  She tried to be quiet as she slipped out from under the covers, but the mattress springs twanged unhelpfully. Lucy held her breath, but, thankfully, the noise didn’t wake Becky from her slumber. In fact, the housemaid gave a small snore. Lucy picked up the candlestick she kept next to her bed and then tiptoed out of the room. When she was safely out in the passageway, she lit her candle.

  She was about to begin creeping down to the kitchen when she had a better idea. She’d go and have another look around the east wing in case the mysterious boy was there again. Even if he wasn’t, she might uncover some new clues to give her something more definite to report to Lord Grave when he finally arrived home.

  She began making her way down to the first floor. At the bottom of the stairs, her foot caught against something warm and furry and she nearly tripped over.

  “Watch out, Luce!” Smell said, getting to his paws and arching his back. “What are you up to?”

  “Looking for a boy. What are you up to?”

  “Just ’aving a doze. What boy? Still a bit young for that, ain’t you?”

  Lucy huffed. “Don’t be stupid. There’s something funny going on. And I’m sure Becky’s involved. Maybe Violet too.” She explained to Smell what she’d witnessed.

  “Why didn’t you report this to ’is Lordship?”

  “I’m going to, but he hasn’t come home yet!”

  Smell swished his tail thoughtfully, and let out a toot.

  “Oh, that’s disgusting!” Lucy held her nose.

  “Sorry. Was thinking a bit too ’ard. Tell you what, let’s both ’ave a look for this kid. I don’t reckon you should be doing it on your own.”

  “Come on, then. Try to not to think so hard, though.”

  When the two of them reached the corridor where the guest bedroom was, Smell suddenly stopped and twitched his ear. He gave a low growl of warning. “Someone’s up ahead, can ’ear ’em talking. Sounds like Percy and Grave. Bit of an argument—”

  BANG!

  The explosion was so loud it rang through the whole house, making the chandeliers tinkle and the windows rattle.

  “Get down!” Smell yelled.

  Lucy flung herself to the floor. Chips of grey stone flew through the air. One fragment grazed her cheek, others hit a nearby mirror and vase, shattering both instantly. Shards of glass and china rained down.

  “What the ’eck was that?” Smell said, shaking his head in pain. His half-ear was
cut and bleeding.

  “I don’t know. Come on, let’s find out,” Lucy said, getting to her feet and dusting herself down.

  “I dunno if that’s a good idea.”

  “That noise will have woken the whole house. Everyone’ll be down here any minute, so we won’t be on our own,” Lucy said, and ran off along the corridor before Smell could protest further.

  The origin of the exploding stone soon became clear. The statue of Lady Constance Grave was now nothing more than a pile of rubble. Lord Grave and Lord Percy, who was looking remarkably recovered from his traumatic experience, were staring at it in disbelief. The two of them didn’t even notice Lucy at first. They were too busy berating each other.

  “Don’t talk to me like that,” Lord Grave was saying. “You—”

  Lord Percy dug his elbow into Lord Grave’s side; he’d spotted Lucy and Smell.

  “Ah,” Lord Grave said. “Lucy and, um. We’ve had a slight incident.”

  “What happened?” Lucy asked, gazing at the ruins of Lady Constance Grave, which were still smoking.

  Before either of their Lordships could reply, someone suddenly pushed past Lucy. It was Becky. She positioned herself in front of the two men, her hands on her hips. “This is just stupendous, isn’t it?” she said angrily.

  Lord Percy and Lord Grave exchanged glances.

  “We, er—” Lord Percy began.

  “We don’t owe servants any explanations!” Lord Grave snapped. “Know your place, Bone. Remember who I am!”

  Becky opened her mouth and closed it again.

  “Quite right, Grave. Do you think we should have a man meeting about this … incident?” Lord Percy asked.

  “You mean a MAAM meeting,” Lord Grave replied. “Good idea.”