Magnificent Lizzie Brown and the Fairy Child by Vicki Lockwood

Author:Vicki Lockwood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Capstone Global Library
Published: 2015-04-28T00:00:00+00:00

The chosen picnic site was a clearing in the forest. Lizzie sat down on a log and watched wind-blown seeds dancing through the golden sunbeams. It must be after midday now, she thought, but with nature all around her, she was losing track of time. She was used to the heartbeat of the city, not this wild outdoor space.

The party spread out tartan picnic blankets and unpacked the hampers. Grant’s bunch of Spiritualists were giving the circus children a wide berth now, setting out their feast on the opposite side of the clearing. Lizzie didn’t mind a bit.

While the Spiritualists chatted about the different types of fairies, from the evil Jenny Greenteeth to the helpful Cauld Lad of Hilton, Dru brought Lizzie a plateful of Scottish delicacies to try. ‘Smoked salmon,’ he said. ‘Oatcakes and fromage. Bottled lemonade! We are living the high life now, eh?’

‘This is more like it,’ Lizzie agreed, tucking in. Fairies might not be real, but this feast was, and it made the whole trip worth it. Amelia smiled across at her, her face covered in shortbread crumbs.

Later, as everyone sat relaxing and the plates were packed away, Douglas Grant stood up and sauntered to the centre of the clearing. Uh-oh, Lizzie thought. He’s up to something.

‘To round off this excellent meal,’ he said, ‘perhaps the famous Lizzie Brown could give us a demonstration of her psychic skills? We’ve all read about them in the newspaper this morning, but as they say, you can’t believe everything you read. I, for one, would like to see a little proof.’

‘I’m not a performer like you, mate,’ Lizzie said coldly, without getting up. ‘I only do private readings.’

His angry scowl told her she’d scored a point. ‘Of course,’ he retorted, ‘it stands to reason you’d be afraid to have an audience. In the privacy of a dark tent, you can get up to all sorts of trickery, can’t you?’

‘I don’t trick anybody!’

‘I suppose the Lobster Boy and the Mermaid in your little freak show are real too?’ Grant smirked. ‘A sucker is born every minute. That’s the circus proverb, isn’t it?’

‘You’re the fraud, not me!’ Lizzie yelled. ‘You don’t need to be a psychic to see that. You’re just jealous of someone who’s got real psychic powers, like you only pretend to have!’

Grant froze on the spot. He made a gurgling noise in his throat and his body shuddered.

‘She’s bewitched him!’ one of the Spiritualist ladies screamed.

‘Going … into … trance,’ Grant spluttered. ‘I see … the future.’

‘Everybody, hush!’ shouted another Spiritualist. ‘Mister Grant is speaking a prophecy!’

Lizzie folded her arms and rolled her eyes. ‘Here we go.’

Grant pointed at Lizzie with a shaking finger. ‘Hear ye the words. Terrible misfortune shall befall you! From the gutter you came, and to the gutter you shall return!’

Biting back a rude reply, Lizzie abruptly stood up. ‘Excuse me, everyone. I think I’ll go for a little walk.’ Her friends rose to follow her, but Lizzie shook her head. ‘It’s all right. I’d rather be on my own for a while.

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