Lizzie Zipmouth (5 page)

Great-Gran smiled triumphantly. All the dolls in her bedroom seemed to be smiling too.

Mum called out to me from the other room. I zipped my mouth shut again.

“Don't worry,” said Great-Gran. “I won't tell the others.”

She put her finger to her lips. I put my finger to my lips.

“You're a caution, you are,” said Great-Gran. “I'm pleased you like my dolls. You can come and visit me again. I have some more dolls stored in trunks. I
might
let you play with those dolls if you're a very, very good girl.”

Chapter Five

I was sometimes a very, very
bad
girl at Mum and Sam's place. I'd been a good girl with my first stepdad. They weren't going to catch me out again. Sam couldn't fool me. He'd turn out to be mean and scary like my first stepdad. Maybe he'd even be
worse
. So, if Sam did the cooking I wouldn't eat any of it, even if it was one of my favourites, like pizza. If Sam chose a video I turned my chair round and wouldn't watch it, even when it was
Little Women
or
Black Beauty
or
The Secret Garden
. If Sam bought us ice-creams when we were out I wouldn't eat mine – not even when it was one of those big whippy ice-creams with strawberry sauce and a chocolate flake. My mouth watered but I didn't even have one lick. The ice-cream melted and dripped down inside my sleeve.

“Honestly, Lizzie, why do you have to be so silly?” said Mum, sighing as she threw my ice-cream into the gutter.

Sam sighed too. I was
sure
he was going to shout at me this time. But he didn't.

He asked me if I'd like to go over and see Great-Gran again.

“Oh, Dad! Do we have to?” said Rory. “I thought we only saw Great-Gran on Sundays.”

“We can't play properly at Great-Gran's. There's nothing to do,” said Jake.

“This is a special invitation for Lizzie,” said Sam. “Shall I drive you over there after tea?”

I didn't know what to do. I wanted to go and see Great-Gran and her dolls very, very much. But I didn't want Sam to take me. I looked at Mum.

“I can't drive Sam's car, Lizzie,” she said.

I still looked at her.

“I can't come too. I have to stay here to keep an eye on Rory and Jake,” said Mum.

I looked at Mum. I looked at Sam.

“Coming, Lizzie?” said Sam.

I didn't say anything. I just gave a little nod.

Sam had to strap me into the seatbelt in the back of the car.

“Comfy?” he said.

I gave another teeny jerk of the head.

Sam played music as we drove, silly old children's songs about pink toothbrushes and mice with clogs and circus elephants. Sam sang them all.

“Feel free to join in,” he said.

I didn't sing. But my dangling feet did a little secret dance as Sam sang a song about a tiny house in a place with a very, very long funny name.

Sam took me into Great-Gran's flat but he didn't stay. He said he'd come back for me in an hour.

“She'll probably be bored in ten minutes,” said Great-Gran.

I wasn't the slightest bit bored. I had the most wonderful time ever. Great-Gran let me go on another tour round her flat. I looked at the dolls on shelves, the dolls on chairs, the dolls on the window sills, the dolls in their night-clothes ready for bed. Then I looked hopefully at Great-Gran. She looked back at me.

“What?” she said. Her eyes were gleaming as brightly as the dolls.

I swallowed. My voice sounded rusty when I used it.

“Could I see the dolls in the trunk?” I whispered.

“Speak up!” said Great-Gran. “And remember to say please!”

“Please could I see the dolls in the trunk.
Please
,” I said, so loudly that I nearly set the dolls on the shelves blinking.

“Certainly,” said Great-Gran. “That's a very good girl! Come along then. You can help me get them out.”

She kept the trunks in the back of her built-in wardrobe. There were two, one on top of the other. I had to stand on tiptoe to reach the top one.

“Easy does it,” said Great-Gran.

I went so e-a-s-y I felt I was in slow motion. The trunk was heavy. There seemed to be several dolls inside. When Great-Gran lifted the lid I saw them lying in a row, eyes shut. They looked as if they were fast asleep.

“You can wake them up,” said Great-Gran.

I gently lifted a beautiful big doll with long blonde hair out of the trunk.

She had a white nightie but no slippers on her pale china feet. Her tiny toenails were painted pink. One of her hands was missing but I didn't mind a bit.

“She's beautiful!” I whispered, cradling her carefully.

“That's Alice. I expect she's a little chilly in that thin nightgown. Perhaps you'd like to find some clothes for her?” said Great-Gran.

The second trunk was crammed with neatly folded outfits – party frocks, winter coats trimmed with fur, sailor suits, checked pinafores, lace-edged underwear, black knitted stockings and little boots with tiny pearl buttons.

My hand hovered hopefully above the clothes.

“Go on, have a little sort through. But don't get them rumpled,” said Great-Gran.

I sifted through the clothes with trembling fingers and found a pale blue smocked dress with a white lace collar and a darker blue satin sash.

“Can she wear this one?”

“I think that's actually Alice's favourite outfit,” said Great-Gran.

I dressed Alice, moving her arms and legs very gently indeed. The blue sleeves were a little long for her, so her missing hand didn't show. She looked perfect.

Then I woke Sophie and Charlotte and little Edward and weeny Clementine and got them all dressed up.

“There! Don't they look smart? All ready for a party,” said Great-Gran, and she opened another box. There was a little blue-and-white doll's tea set inside.

I thought we'd pretend the party fare but Great-Gran made real pink rosehip tea and opened a packet of tiny round iced biscuits that just fitted the plate.