Free The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson Page A

she saw the boy’s arm held up to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd, she couldn’t catch even a glimpse of his face. It was completely hidden by the gigantic feathery plumes on the helmet that he wore.
    The film ended with a close-up of the king looking stern and resolute but rather tired, while the voice of the commentator said: “To the brave ruler who defied Hitler’s bullying, we, the people of Great Britain, send our greetings. Well done, Bergania!”
    Then came the film they had come to see.
    I’ll Always Be Yours was not a good film. In fact, it was a perfectly awful film.
    Gloria Grantley played a poor girl who went to work in a department store where she caught the eye of a handsome millionaire. She fell in love with the millionaire and he promised to marry her but it turned out he was married already, so Gloria jumped off a bridge and everyone thought she had drowned and the millionaire felt terribly guilty. But it turned out that she hadn’t, and she became a nun and looked after little children in a convent and taught them to sing. It ended with her on her deathbed looking up to heaven and saying the millionaire’s name (which was Lionel) in a throbbing voice before she closed her eyes forever.
    Tally was glad it was over; she couldn’t wait to get into the fresh air, but although people were streaming out of the cinema, Julia hadn’t moved. She was sitting with her shoulders hunched and her hands over her face.
    â€œWhat is it, Julia? What’s the matter? It ended all right—she’s perfectly happy with God. It’s what she wanted.”
    Julia shook her head. She was crying—not at all in the way that Gloria Grantley had cried, with glycerine tears rolling down her perfectly made-up cheeks, but hopelessly, her face scrunched up, her shoulders heaving. She had no handkerchief and Tally didn’t have one to give her; the children in Magda’s house did not come easily by handkerchiefs.
    â€œCome on,” Tally urged her friend. “Let’s go outside.”
    She took Julia’s arm and led her across the square and down some stone steps to the towpath along the river. There was a bench looking over the water and they sat down on it side by side.
    â€œIf you feel like telling me what’s the matter, I wouldn’t tell anyone. It isn’t because she didn’t get Lionel, is it? It’s something else.”
    Julia went on sniffing and gulping. Then she lifted her head and said, “I miss her so much!”
    Tally stared at her. “Who? Who do you miss so much?” And then: “What is it about Gloria Grantley that you—”
    â€œShe’s my mother.” Julia’s voice was flat and exhausted. She sat bent up like an old woman.
    â€œYour mother? ” It seemed incredible, but now that Tally looked out for it she could see a likeness . . . something about the set of Julia’s mouth and her eyes.
    â€œNo one knows except Daley and Matteo, so you mustn’t tell.”
    â€œI won’t say anything. But if she’s your mother . . . you mean you miss her during term time? I miss my father but—”
    â€œNo. I miss her all the time; I don’t see her even on the holidays. Well, hardly ever—just in secret places for a very short time. I’m too old, you see. I’m nearly thirteen, and it wouldn’t do for her to have a daughter my age. She’s supposed to be twenty-five, so I have to be kept out of the way, but I just want to be able to be with her. I love her so much.”
    Tally knew what she should have done next—sat quietly beside Julia and let her talk—but she couldn’t. She got to her feet and collected the largest stones she could find and hurled them one by one into the river. Except that in her mind it wasn’t stones she was throwing, it was Gloria Grantley she was sending into the swirling, icy water. Gloria with her pout and her bosom