Once the autumn term finished the twins returned to the Argentine for the Christmas holidays. Florien disappeared behind his fringe to sulk and Aunt Cicely was left once again to miss Leonora’s earnest face and quiet company. She didn’t miss Alicia at all and neither did Panazel, Masha and Ravena; only Florien tossed and turned in his hot bed as his dreams burned holes in his pillow.
Grace was now seven years old and was beloved by everyone in the community. She played cards with old Colonel Blythe, now so ancient he had ceased to count the years and although nearly deaf he often heard that strange melody which had once penetrated his psyche and never left him. He now had a heart as soft as marshmallow and wasn’t ashamed to show it. Grace danced for Charlo in a white tutu Great Aunt Edna had made for her out of silk and netting and reduced large audiences to tears as her fingers glided fluidly over the keys of the piano. But nothing entertained people more than the ‘trick’ she performed with objects. ‘Show your sisters what you can do,’ said Audrey proudly.
‘She’s terribly clever,’ Aunt Edna gushed, buttering a scone. Edna was now so fat there was only enough room for her alone on the sofa, so Audrey sat in one of the arm chairs and the twins on the club fender.
‘You’re not still talking to fairies,’ said Alicia meanly.
‘Of course I am,’ the child replied and shook her head at her sister. ‘They’re constantly talking to me. If you listened hard enough you’d hear them too.’
Alicia rolled her eyes. ‘So what’s this new trick?’ she asked with a heavy sigh.
‘She’ll take an object from someone she doesn’t know and tell you all about that person,’ said Edna, getting very overexcited at the thought of her great niece’s strange gift.
‘Do show us, Grace,’ Leonora exclaimed kindly. ‘What can we give her?’ she asked her mother. ‘There’s no point giving her anything that belongs to us.’
‘I have something that was given to me,’ said Alicia, removing the pendant that hung about her neck.
‘My dear, how pretty!’ Aunt Edna exclaimed. ‘But don’t say a word, not a word. Grace will now tell us all about the person who gave it to you, won’t you, Grace?’
Grace took the necklace in her little hands and closed her eyes. She concentrated on emptying her mind of all thoughts. She had a gift for blocking the world out so she didn’t even hear Alicia’s cynical commentary. Slowly images began to appear before her like pictures on a large screen. ‘I see a lovely green field with pretty caravans and some horses,’ she began. Leonora gasped and knew immediately whom the necklace belonged to. Alicia’s cheeks stung crimson but it was too late to stop her now. ‘The caravans are painted. They’re gypsy caravans I think, like the ones in Granny’s book of fairy tales. I’m hearing the name, Florien. What a funny name that is. He’s got dark hair and brown eyes and is looking very sad. I feel his unhappiness. Poor Florien, he’s not happy at all. I now see a barn with hay in it. It’s lovely and warm and bathed in a golden light. It must be sunset. It’s very pretty where he lives, there are hills, not like here.’
‘All right, I think that is enough!’ said Alicia. But Grace ignored her and continued in her delightfully innocent way.
‘Florien’s in love with Alicia and he’s missing her. His heart is on fire. He can’t eat or sleep or do anything at all. He just sits and looks miserable.’ Then she laughed and opened her eyes. She looked directly at Leonora who had turned as pale as a ghost.
‘Don’t look sad, Leo, you’re going to be very happy.’ Leonora frowned and blushed with embarrassment. No one spoke but they all looked from Alicia to Leonora. Alicia tried to swallow but her throat was dry. Grace’s gift had shaken her so that now she trembled with fear and amazement. She grabbed the necklace and began to wind it around her fingers. ‘Well, so what if Florien is in love with me,’ she retaliated. ‘I only took the pendant as a present. I don’t love him back.’
‘My dear child, of course he’s in love with you. You’re a very beautiful young woman,’ said Aunt Edna with a smile. ‘I take it she got it right?’
‘She’s never been wrong,’ said Audrey, pulling Grace into her arms and kissing her face. ‘You are very clever, my love.’
‘If you can read the future, who am I going to marry?’ Alicia challenged, regaining her confidence. But Grace shook her head, leapt off her mother’s knee and skipped out into the sunshine.