GRACE'S SECRETS Grace's shoulders slumped I'm sorry Mum I forgot it again It's upstairs in my room and I didn't mean to be late not really It's just that I well I was in Bell and Snowman's Christmas Shoppe that's just opened Mum you should see in there There are huge antique rocking horses and proper marching nutcracker soldiers a real sleigh and so many decorations They're all so different to the ones we have back home and then before I knew it the steam train pulled in and I realised just how long I'd been in there Charlotte softened Even she was getting caught up in the excitement of experiencing their first cold snowy Christmas and winter You certainly aren't like your friends at your old school Their mobile phones were just about glued to their hands You don't seem to be interest ed in yours at all Grace's mouth went dry at the mention of her old school Scenes of her last days there flashed before her eyes and her cheeks burned They're not my friends anymore remember Tears pricked her eyes and she wiped at 6
CHAPTER ONE them in frustration I'm glad I won't have to see them again after what they did Not even when we fly back home to Australia for holidays next year Not ever Her mother pulled her into a hug Ah my gorgeous Gracie girl she said as she pushed a stray curl behind Grace's ear What happened in Australia was awful but that's all behind you now Here give me Coco and you get going It's nearly three o'clock and the four day weekend is about to begin You've got five minutes to get dressed and be back down here to greet our first lot of guests in the throne room Coco made little whimpering noises as Grace tried to hand him over He's certainly fallen in love with you in the eight weeks we've had him Grace Oh go on take him to your room and leave him there for the welcome party Just make sure there's nothing on the floor for him to chew Upstairs Grace stepped into her suite closed the door behind her and sighed The most unexpected part of this new place was her rooms at the end of the hall in one of 7
GRACE'S SECRETS the castle's turrets and no matter how many times she opened her door her suite never failed to make her smile or feel like she'd stepped into one of her favourite books Four large curved windows overlooked the fountains coachhouses maze and gardens Cushions of different shapes and sizes were scattered along the window seat that ran the length of the windows Wide double doors that could be locked from both sides joined her suite to her mother's and when they were open they shared an enormous apartment that felt like a house her mother's rooms were even bigger than her own and contained a kitchen and an extra dining room and study Collapsing on the double bed Grace giggled I always feel like I'm sleeping inside a giant fluffy marshmallow in here she thought Love my new bed heaps and heaps Some items of clothing had been carefully laid out on the other side of the bed Oh thank you Mum She ran her hands gently along the fabric of a sea foam green silk dress It felt like fairy floss without the stickiness all soft and Auffy I just love all this olden day stuff so much she 8
CHAPTER ONE thought I swear I was born in the wrong century Time for me to get dressed and for you to play with your toy moose Coco pups She threw the toy across the room and watched Coco race after it Then she peeled off her top and jacket and dropped them on the floor Next went her Aussie Ugg boots and leggings On went her stockings her panta loons and two full stiff petticoats Finally she slipped the floor length green dress over the lot zipped it up and adjusted the sleeves so they sat just off her shoulders She pulled on her ivory coloured satin slippers with the tiny heel and smoothed the layers of her full skirt All those covered buttons running down my back all fake and you'd never know Grace thought as she eyed herself in the full length mirror whipped her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck and smiled Well she thought now I'm a perfectly dressed 1860s Victorian ready to greet the guests As Grace left her suite the door of the Bonnie Muir Suite opened down the hall She scowled Oh great Dr 9
