The Dollhouse by Charis Cotter

Author:Charis Cotter [Cotter, Charis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tundra
Published: 2021-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Nine

SNEAKING

After we assembled swimsuits and towels and snacks, we said loud goodbyes to Mom and Mary and headed down the driveway.

Once we were out of sight of the house, Lily hauled me behind some bushes and then led me in a roundabout fashion into the back garden. By dashing from one tree to another and edging along the side of the house, we managed to get right up to the kitchen door without being seen. Lily had obviously done this before.

“We’re invisible!” she whispered as we stood with our backs to the wall outside the kitchen. “I think so.”

There was no sound from within. Lily peered around the corner of the door, then beckoned me to follow her. On tiptoe we went into the kitchen and up the stairs to the dining room. She opened the door just a little and we listened. It was very quiet. Mary must have finished the vacuuming.

Lily put her finger to her lips. “Wait,” she said. We listened some more.

A low, murmuring sound was coming from the living room. Like someone talking to themselves, or maybe singing.

Lily stifled a giggle. “Mama,” she breathed at me. “She sings while she’s dusting.”

We made our way silently through the dining room, and Lily peeked through the doorway. She gave me the all clear, and we went swiftly around the corner and up the stairs.

“Come on, baby, light my fire,” sang Mary in the living room, her voice rising a bit.

Trying not to giggle, we climbed nearly to the top of the stairs, but then Lily made me crouch down and we listened again. I could hear voices rising and falling softly a few rooms away.

“It’s okay,” whispered Lily. “Your mom’s with Mrs. Bishop. I think so.”

In a flash we were through the hall and into my room, closing the door softly behind us. I retrieved the keys from my underwear drawer, and we crept upstairs as quietly as we could. The stairs creaked a few times, but not too loudly. We made our way into the dollhouse room and shut the door.

“There!” said Lily, a look of triumph on her face. “I told you! It’s easy to be invisible! I think so.”

I laughed, a little uncomfortable. I remembered how it had felt to really be invisible, which wasn’t anywhere near as fun as pretending.

Together we walked over to the dollhouse. Lily stopped dead when she saw the summerhouse on the other side.

“Where did that come from?” she asked. She sank down to her knees and peered inside.

“It was just here when I came up yesterday.” I sat down beside her. “It’s another thing that happened in the dollhouse world and then happened here. I dreamed I was in the summerhouse with Fizz and Bubble and—”

“A dog?” asked Lily, picking up Sailor. “He looks just like Buttercakes. I think so.”

“Yes, that’s their dog, Sailor.”

Lily looked back into the summerhouse. “The dolls have dolls,” she said delightedly, putting out a finger to touch one of them. “Having a tea party.

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