She leaned forward and a very small motion with her lips, as though she was being forced to kiss her Great Aunt Eustacia at Christmas. I tried not to giggle. Daisy and romance do not get on.
‘O happy dagger!’ screamed Daisy, leaping upright and waving her fist in the air. ‘This is thy sheath, there rust and let me die!’
She plunged her hand into her stomach and doubled over, gasping. Then she slowly crumpled to the ground, making small whimpering noises, twitched twice and then lay still.
I waited. Bridget turned a page in her notebook and sighed to herself. At last, Daisy rolled over and opened her eyes.
‘I’m all right really,’ she said to Miss Crompton.
‘I had guessed,’ said Miss Crompton. ‘Well, well. That was wonderfully tasteless. You clearly have no formal training and a very active imagination, but I commend your enthusiasm.’
‘Thank you,’ said Daisy, curtseying. ‘Who will I be playing?’
Miss Crompton sighed. ‘Since you are joining the Rue out of necessity, and at the request of your aunt, I shall make the most of the situation. You will be playing two small roles: Paris’s Page, and also Rosaline. The second is a wordless part, of course, but both have great potential for drama.’
‘Hmm,’ said Daisy. ‘I accept. What about Hazel? I can’t possibly act without her, after all.’
‘Miss Wong, are you sure you would like a part?’ asked Miss Crompton. Without stopping her scribbling, Bridget turned to stare at me, lips pursed. I wanted to sink down into my seat, but then I saw Daisy up on stage. Her arms were folded and she was trying to look commandingly at me, but she only succeeded in looking rather pleading.
Daisy had travelled halfway across the world for me, I thought. To me, stepping onto a stage felt almost as enormous. I decided that I could do it, and I would do it, for her.
So I swallowed down the rushing terror in my throat, and said, ‘Yes. Please.’
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First published 2018
Text copyright © Robin Stevens, 2018
Cover copyright © Nina Tara, 2018
The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted
Illustrations and type by www.ninataradesign.com
ISBN: 978-0-241-35615-9
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The Case of the Missing Treasure Page 6
