The Butterfly Tiara

  For my darling girls Eliza and Lottie

  Contents

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  1

  ‘Where are we travelling to today, Marietta?’ Ava asked her aunt, hardly able to contain her excitement as she bounded inside Marietta’s magic dress shop.

  ‘Somewhere very exciting, Ava,’ Marietta replied, smiling. ‘Now . . . what do you think of my outfit?’

  Marietta was wearing a pair of red, light-as-a-feather, silk flared trousers that had a fluffy trim around each ankle. Above this she wore a red halter-neck top that was totally covered in silver spangles. Her long wavy hair was piled up in a bun on top of her head and on her feet she wore a pair of sparkly silver pumps.

  ‘You look amazing, Marietta! Are you dressed as a dancer?’

  ‘Something like that,’ Marietta replied, grinning.

  Ava could hardly believe how much her life had changed since she’d come to stay with her father for the summer holidays two weeks earlier, while her mum went away sailing. She certainly didn’t feel like the same nine-year-old girl who had arrived at her dad’s house with no knowledge of Marietta’s magic dress shop or of the extraordinary truth about Dad’s family.

  ‘This will be the chance you’ve always wanted to get to know your dad better,’ her mum had said, for Ava had spent very little time with her father since her parents had split up when she was just a baby.

  ‘I hope so,’ Ava had replied uncertainly, because much as she wanted to be closer to her dad, he had always seemed a bit distant and difficult to chat to whenever they’d got together in the past.

  It was only now that Ava had learned the secret her dad had been keeping from her for all this time – a secret that even Mum didn’t know. Ava’s father came from a long line of people who were able to travel via magic portals to other times and places, both real and imaginary. The portals existed in the form of magic mirrors – of which Marietta had many in her shop – and people with this special gift could travel through them if they were wearing the right magic clothes. The exciting thing was that Ava could do it too.

  The whole thing had been almost impossible to believe at first – until Ava had experienced the magic for herself. So far she had travelled through two magic portals – the first had led her to the fairy-tale land of Cinderella and the second had taken her backwards in time to Victorian London. Now she was to make her third journey with Marietta, who was going to be looking after her while her dad spent the weekend working.

  Marietta’s wide-bottomed trousers flapped breezily about her ankles as she led the way through the ordinary front section of the shop into the secret warren of rooms at the back.

  The first room was one Ava was very familiar with by now, but that didn’t stop her feeling a tingle of pleasure as she looked around at the walls, which were all painted with colourful scenes from different fairy tales. The room contained dozens of beautiful gowns fit for a princess to wear and had a whole wall of shelves that displayed fairy-tale accessories – everything from crowns and tiaras to Cinderella-style glass slippers. In the centre of the room was a gold spiral staircase that led both upwards and downwards. Ava had already been to the room at the top of the staircase – which housed Marietta’s fairy-tale wedding collection – but she had yet to visit the basement below.

  ‘Since we’ve got the whole weekend together I thought it would be fun to go back in time by sixty years and visit a travelling circus,’ Marietta said. ‘That’s why I’m wearing this – it’s from my circus-costume collection.’

  ‘Oh . . .’ Ava frowned uncertainly, thinking of what her mother had told her about traditional circuses of the past, with their animal acts such as dancing bears, tigers jumping through burning hoops and elephants parading around the ring trunk-to-tail.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Marietta asked in surprise. ‘Don’t you like that idea?’

  ‘It’s just . . .’ Ava began, flushing a little. ‘It’s just . . . my mum told me that the animals in those circuses were really badly treated. She said they were forced to learn tricks that they didn’t really want to do, and that they must have been really unhappy.’

  Marietta nodded. ‘That’s why the circus I’m taking you to visit is a strictly non-animal one. There are acrobats, trapeze artists, clowns, contortionists, fire-eaters, knife-throwers, sword-swallowers – but definitely no animals.’

  Ava felt relieved as Marietta led her down the gold spiral staircase. And at the bottom she forgot everything else as she stood open-mouthed in awe. The large basement room was entirely round – just like a circus ring – and brightly lit by a large spotlight in the ceiling. A red-and-gold-painted border represented the barrier around the ring and, above this, a huge mural curved its way round the room. The mural showed rows and rows of faces getting smaller and smaller as they rose upward, creating the impression of an audience on tiered seating.

  In the middle of the room a long, flexible clothes rack displayed dozens of colourful circus costumes. There were red-and-black ringmaster’s jackets, clown costumes of every bright colour and bold pattern imaginable, and a multitude of sequinned leotards and glittering bodysuits. There were regal-looking capes, brightly coloured sequinned shirts, flashy showbiz-style dresses decorated in spangles and sparkles, richly embroidered gold tunics, velvet waistcoats and baggy silk trousers. Most beautiful of all, however, were the exotic corset-and-feathers bird costumes and the butterfly costumes with their large wings of richly painted silk that stretched from wrist to ankle.

  ‘Wow!’ Ava gasped.

  Marietta laughed. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’ As she spoke she beckoned for Ava to follow her through a small arched opening in the wall, which led to a room that resembled a performers’ changing area. It contained a typical backstage dressing table with a mirror surrounded by light bulbs, two or three full-length mirrors propped up against the walls, and several large, brightly painted wooden storage trunks.

  The huge trunk nearest to Ava was labelled CLOWN ACCESSORIES and Ava lifted the lid expecting to find an exciting jumble of different things. Instead everything was arranged neatly and methodically in separate compartments. There were shiny red noses, plastic flower brooches that squirted out water, curly clown wigs in multiple colours, huge neck ruffles, spotty bow ties, several silly hats and a pair of oversized and ridiculous clown shoes.

  ‘Oh, it must be great fun to dress up as a clown!’ Ava exclaimed in delight, holding a red nose to her face and grinning at herself in the mirror that was fixed to the inside lid of the trunk.

  ‘You’re welcome to borrow anything that’s here,’ Marietta said. ‘There’s some clown make-up somewhere and I can paint your face for you if you like. But you might want to have a proper look at all the other costumes first. All the children’s clothes are out there on the rack.’

  Dad was coming down the spiral staircase with Ava’s overnight bag as they stepped back outside. ‘I thought I heard voices down here. Ava, what do you think of Marietta’s circus collection then?’

  ‘It’s wonderful!’ Ava exclaimed.

  ‘I thought you’d like it.’ He paused. ‘Ava, I want you to have a good time this weekend, but I don’t want you wandering off on your own when you get to the other side of the portal. Understood?’ As Ava nodded obediently, he turned to his sister. ‘I’m trusting you to keep a close eye on her, Marietta.’

  ‘Of course, Otto,’ Marietta reassured him, used to her older brother’s protectiveness when it came to matters of time-travelling.

  ‘Good . . . well . . .’ He leaned towards Ava as if he mi
ght be going to kiss her goodbye, but ended up looking self-conscious and patting her awkwardly on the arm instead. ‘Have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  ‘Bye, Dad,’ Ava said, wanting to let him know that it would be fine if he gave her a kiss – that with her mother kisses and hugs were just a normal part of everyday life. But too soon the moment had passed.

  ‘Come on, Ava,’ Marietta said, giving her shoulders a squeeze as they watched him leave. ‘It’s time we got you changed into some magic clothes!’

  2

  When Marietta showed her the children’s clothes, Ava couldn’t decide what she most wanted to wear. Then she saw one costume that made her feel quite tingly with excitement.

  ‘Please can I try this on?’ she asked Marietta, pointing to a particularly amazing multicoloured butterfly outfit.

  ‘Of course,’ Marietta replied, smiling. ‘I’ll help you.’

  The costume consisted of a long-sleeved, purple-sequinned leotard, a pair of boldly patterned red-and-orange wings, sparkly gold tights, purple ballet pumps and the most beautiful tiara Ava had ever seen.

  ‘Wow!’ Ava gasped as she held the tiara reverently in both hands. ‘It looks like it belongs to a princess.’

  The tiara’s shiny gold band was decorated at the front with a magnificent butterfly made from a stunning mosaic of red, purple and orange glittering jewels which Marietta told her would become real rubies, amethysts and rare orange diamonds on the other side of the magic mirror.

  ‘The Butterfly Tiara is very special,’ Marietta told her. ‘It reacts by glowing more brightly when a person with the travelling gift puts it on.’ She sighed wistfully as she added, ‘It was one of my mother’s favourite pieces.’

  Ava’s grandparents had disappeared twelve years earlier, leaving a letter to say that they had gone to live in a particular fantasy land they had discovered. They hadn’t been heard from since, but Ava knew that both her aunt and her father hoped to see them again one day.

  Ava quickly changed into the leotard and tights and let Marietta help her with the wings, which hooked on over the shoulders and were made from the same transparent satin netting Ava had seen before on ballet tutus.

  ‘Now the tiara,’ Marietta said, holding it up.

  Ava felt a thrill run through her, for this was the part of the costume that excited her the most. After Marietta had fixed it on to her head, Ava reached up delicately to touch it. As she looked at herself in the long mirror attached to one end of the clothes rack she couldn’t help thinking how stunning she looked. And Marietta was right – the tiara on her head did seem to be shining even more brightly.

  ‘I feel like the Queen of the Butterflies,’ she told Marietta, smiling.

  ‘You look absolutely gorgeous!’ Marietta declared. ‘This trapeze costume might have been made for you.’

  ‘Trapeze costume?’ Ava queried in surprise. She reached back to touch her wings, wondering how such an outfit could possibly be worn safely in a flying trapeze act.

  ‘Oh, the wings are only for show when you first enter the ring,’ Marietta explained quickly. ‘It’s the same as those fancy capes trapeze artists wear. They take them off before they do their act. My costume comes with a cape, and both it and these trousers would be left on the ground I should think.’ She laughed at the horrified look on Ava’s face. ‘Don’t worry, I’d still be quite decent. Look.’ She undid a clip on the side of the trousers and revealed that her own sparkly top was in fact a leotard, and that under the wrap-around trousers she wore silver-coloured tights. ‘Now . . .’ She went over to the rack and picked up a long, red, silver-lined cape that matched the rest of her outfit perfectly.

  ‘So which mirror is the magic one?’ Ava asked as she watched Marietta fasten the cape.

  ‘Let’s see if you can guess,’ Marietta said, leading her back into the changing room.

  Ava rushed straight over to the mirror surrounded by light bulbs. Convinced it must be the magic one, she stared into it, concentrating as hard as she could on her reflection, waiting for the magic reaction to start up. But to her surprise nothing happened.

  ‘Remember that the magic mirror isn’t always the most obvious one,’ Marietta reminded her.

  Ava thought about the two mirrors she had travelled through previously. One had seemed a very obvious choice among the others in the room. The other however had taken her a while to find because it hadn’t even been in plain view to start off with . . .

  Ava slowly went over to the trunk of clown accessories and opened the lid again. The rectangular mirror inside looked rusty at the edges as if it had been there a very long time. A tingle of anticipation ran through her as she inspected it. ‘This is the one, isn’t it?’

  Marietta smiled. ‘I was twelve when I discovered this particular portal. I’d been invited to a fancy-dress party and I thought I’d go as a clown. I was using this mirror to put on my clown make-up when I suddenly felt the magic starting up. That’s how I found myself visiting a nineteen-thirties travelling circus – and meeting Tony!’

  ‘Tony?’

  ‘Yes. On the other side of the mirror I met a boy my own age – the nephew of the circus owner. It’s the early nineteen fifties there now and he’s grown up too – and he’s got his own trapeze act. I’ve been back to see him quite a few times over the years. Recently he’s been teaching me some tricks on the trapeze and he says I might even perform in the show with him after I’ve had a bit more practice.’

  ‘Really?’ Ava was impressed.

  ‘Yes, but I haven’t told your dad. You know how overprotective he gets. Now . . . if you’re ready, let’s set off. Shall I go first?’

  Ava nodded, watching as her aunt knelt down in front of the trunk so that it was easier to look into the mirror.

  It wasn’t long before something started to happen. First came the gentle glow that signalled the start of the magic reaction, at which point Marietta’s red hair began to glow too. Very quickly, the whole room became flooded with light – a dazzling, blindingly bright light that forced Ava to shut her eyes.

  Only when the brightness had subsided did Ava look again – by which time Marietta was gone.

  Now it was Ava’s turn. She too knelt down and gazed at her reflection in the mirror as her aunt had done until, after a few seconds, the mirror started to respond. The longer Ava stayed there, the more the magic reaction took hold. Ava’s head felt swimmy and her pulse was racing as she closed her eyes against the glare. And this time when she opened her eyes again, her heart skipped a beat as she saw that the magic had worked for her too.

  3

  Ava found herself inside some sort of small caravan, seated at a bulky, rather ugly old-fashioned dressing table with a matching swivel-style mirror that had photos and coloured postcards stuck around its edge. Ava’s reflection in the mirror made her gasp, for the butterfly on her tiara looked even more stunning on this side of the portal now that the jewels were real.

  She looked around her and saw that the walls were decorated with yellow-and-blue floral wallpaper, and that blue polka-dot curtains hung at the windows. The narrow bed, which clearly doubled as a sofa, was covered with a bubblegum-pink fluffy throw and scattered with round zebra-striped cushions. In the other half of the caravan she saw a very small fifties-style dining booth with blue leather seats and a shiny formica-topped table.

  Ava quickly located the door and stepped outside. The caravan was a small yellow one with a domed roof, on the side of which – in large fancy lettering – were the words: PRINCESS STELLA, CONTORTIONIST AND ESCAPOLOGIST EXTRAORDINAIRE.

  It was parked in a large field along with several other caravans, lorries, trailers and tents. At the other end of the field, taking up a massive space, was a gigantic round red-and-yellow tent with a high peaked roof.

  ‘The circus big top!’ Ava exclaimed in delight.

  Marietta was standing a short distance away, exchanging enthusiastic hugs with a girl of Ava’s age who was dressed in an exotic Indian maha
raja-style costume.

  ‘Ava, this is Lexi,’ Marietta said as Ava joined them. ‘Her family owns the circus.’

  ‘Hi,’ Lexi said, smiling at her. ‘I love your tiara!’

  ‘Thanks,’ Ava said shyly. ‘I love your turban!’

  Lexi laughed and put up her hand to touch her gold silk turban, which was decorated at the front with a large peacock feather. The rest of her outfit was also very grand – a red-and-gold embroidered tunic, a pair of gold baggy silk trousers with elastic around the ankles and a pair of gold curl-toe slippers.

  ‘So why are you dressed like that, Lexi?’ Marietta asked now.

  Lexi pulled a face. ‘Uncle Max has decided I’m going to be his new elephant rider – at least for the publicity photographs. He says I’ll look really sweet sitting astride his new baby elephant.’

  ‘But I thought—’

  ‘That we were a strictly non-animal circus,’ Lexi finished for her. ‘I know, but everything’s changed since Dad’s been in hospital. Uncle Max is in charge now, and he’s decided we ought to have animal acts like all the other circuses.’

  ‘Wait a minute . . . your father’s in hospital?’

  ‘He went in three weeks ago to have his appendix out and something went wrong while they were operating. He’s been in intensive care ever since.’

  ‘Oh, Lexi, I’m so sorry!’ Marietta exclaimed. ‘Is your mum with him?’

  Lexi nodded. ‘Uncle Max had to move the circus on without him, so Mum’s staying in a guest house close to the hospital so she can visit Dad every day. She says we’ve to keep thinking positive despite what the doctors say.’ Lexi’s voice quavered slightly as she added, ‘They keep telling us to prepare ourselves for the worst, but Mum doesn’t want to. Mum says he’s going to be fine.’

  ‘Oh . . . well . . . of course . . .’ Marietta looked distressed.