Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr by Holly Bell (best english novels for beginners .txt) 📕

‘So, maybe the Flamgoynes went down to get The Grimoire,’ suggested Amanda, ‘saw it was gone and so looked around for what else there was and broke into the cupboard.’

‘Or, they knew about the cupboard and its contents,’ said Trelawney. ‘And if so, how?’

‘Good,’ replied Hogarth. ‘So, tell us again, Amanda, what your friend on the Moor saw, and Thomas, what Pasco saw in the hands of the Flamgoynes on their return after the attack.’

Together, Trelawney and Amanda assembled a speculative list of what was looted from Growan House: The Grimoire, possibly more spellbooks too, maybe a box or two, a chalice, a candlestick, a bell and maybe a mirror.

Thomas asked Lucy, ‘You didn’t see anything taken out while you were inside the house?’

‘No, none of us. Though while we were turned to look up the stairs, someone could have sneaked out with something, I suppose, without being seen. To be honest,’ said Elodie, ‘I was too intent on not being seen myself.’

‘At least we have some idea of what, if not by whom, where to and what for.’

However, those words of Elodie’s: ‘intent on not being seen myself’ had sparked off a vague connection in Amanda’s head. Something about ‘not being seen.’ Yes, Polly had said it about the mermaid in the painting, and yes, it was when Gran Flossie was playing hide-and-seek with Polly and Wella. She said something about pixies or pyskies and how they couldn’t be seen if they didn’t want to be ....

‘We just may have a secret weapon,’ said Amanda quietly. ‘Elodie, I have a theory. I’d like to test it. But it won’t be very nice.’

‘As long as it doesn’t involve inhaling fumes and I don’t much like needles,’ she answered lightly. ‘I trust you, Amanda.’ There was a brief moment of internal colloquy. ‘We all trust you.’

‘Thank you.’ Amanda took a stool and sat near Lucy’s chair. ‘Elodie, I need you to be scared.’

‘I’m not playing this game,’ said Zoe decidedly.

‘Is it just Elodie you want?’ asked Peter.

‘Please,’ Amanda replied.

‘All right. Zoe’s gone, but the rest of us will just be on stand-by. I expect you’d rather we didn’t reassure Elodie.’

‘If you don't mind. Ready?’

Elodie nodded confidently.

‘Ok.’

‘Please close your eyes. You’re back in Growan House, in bed. It’s night. There’s a storm. You’ve woken up. The ceiling is going brown. It’s getting hot. There’s the sound of commotion, people running down the hall outside. You have to be careful, so careful. You get Shilpa, Mimi and Roger onto the stairs. There are balls of light flaring up outside the windows. Danger surrounds all of you. There’s fighting in the hall below. Fighting like nothing you’ve ever seen before. You feel the heat from the fire above, smoke, shouts, bangs, flashes. You get the children onto the stairs. It looks clear. You start to run down, then, suddenly, you see the Arlodh!’

It happened. Right before their eyes. There was a moment of stunned silence, as Trelawney and Hogarth looked on.

Amanda broke the spell. ‘It’s ok, Elodie, it’s over. That’s all.’

‘Oh!’ she breathed.

Amanda turned around, smiling. ‘Did you see it, Inspector, Uncle Mike?’

‘Indeed,’ Hogarth replied.

Trelawney nodded; a trifle dazed.

Elodie looked around from one to the other.

‘What? What did I do?’

‘You faded, Elodie,’ Amanda told her. ‘When you’re scared, you fade. You wanted to be invisible. And you can be. You, Elodie, you’re the one who has it: you’ve had a magical power all along, don’t you see? You never needed anything the Dowrkampyers could give you. They had a real witch in their midst, running their errands, all the time, right under their noses and they never knew.’

‘Me? Really?’ she looked at Hogarth.

‘Really,’ he answered, smiling, ‘That was quite ... astounding, my dear.’

‘I’m a witch, a real witch witch? I can make myself invisible? Don’t you see what that means? I can really be your man on the inside. Well, people actually.’

Mike added a rider. ‘You don’t go completely transparent, though.’

‘But if I could develop it?’ responded Elodie. ‘If I could do it at will? Imagine.’

‘I’d never be able to find you when it was time to do the washing up,’ jested Hogarth.

‘Or take the rubbish out!’ she returned.

‘Well done, Amanda. We should have got that, eh, Thomas?’

‘What made you think of that, Miss Cadabra?’ Trelawney asked.

‘It was just more of what Granny and Grandpa and Uncle Mike said: feel your way. I’ve known what it’s like to be so afraid you just wish you could disappear. Neither you, Inspector nor Uncle Mike has ever been that scared. And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.’

‘Nor would I,’ Elodie agreed earnestly. ‘And of course, I couldn’t have seen it myself. It’s not like Growan House was full of mirrors.’

‘So, a new project for us, my love,’ Hogarth said. ‘Now who do you go to for invisibility training?’

‘I wonder who you inherited that from,’ Trelawney pondered.

‘Hm,’ said Hogarth looking at his bride. ‘Who are you, Lucy Penlowr Hogarth?’

‘Another puzzle!’ exclaimed Amanda excitedly.

‘Enough for today,’ pronounced Mike. ‘Drop in, in the morning before you go.’

Chapter 51

One More for the Road

‘So, you’re off after this cuppa,’ remarked Hogarth, giving the fire a poke. It was early and the previous night’s chill had yet to be entirely banished from the sitting-room.

‘Yes,’ replied Amanda. ‘But I’ll be back soon. I got a call from the solicitor. He says there’ll be something else he’ll want me to read or sign. Oh. There was one more thing I wanted to mention. It’s probably nothing, and I may well have imagined it ....’

‘But?’ he prompted.

‘Well, when I was up on the Moor at Dozmary Pool, and Kyt was