Page 182 of The Sisters of Sea View
Unfortunately, the girls’ acting was as unpolished as the script. They ought to have asked Emily to write something for them.
When both girls stood in the boat, they exaggerated swaying to and fro.
Georgie said in a high, affected voice, “Oh dear! The storm has worsened.”
Effie raised her hands. “And I have lost the oars.”
“Oh no!” Georgie exclaimed. “How shall we reach safe haven now?”
“I can swim. Canyou?” the captain asked.
“Not one stroke,” Georgie replied. “We’re doomed.”
Suddenly a parrot flew across the water, alighted on the boat, and squawked. This was Parry, carried by Mr. Gwilt, who had been recruited to help in the play. The bird was out of his cage, but permanently attached to his perch.
“Please, Mr. Parrot,” Georgie said. “If you can talk, fly to shore and summon help.”
“He canna talk,” Effie said. “He only squawks.”
“Not so, me hearties!” Mr. Gwilt parroted. “I talk. And I shall fly to dry land and bring help.”
Mr. Gwilt carried off his bird with a few extra squawks for good measure.
Several more stilted lines of nonsense followed, then the captainclasped the lady’s hand and said, “When this is all over, ye must marry me.”
“But, sir, we are too different. From different lands with different ... accents. It would never do.”
“Ye mustn’t say that. You’ll break my heart. Only true love matters....”
Sarah began to grow uncomfortable. Were the girls trying to teach her a lesson, having devised this play to get their point across?
“If the parrot doesna return soon, I must try to swim to shore.”
Georgie crossed her hands over her chest and sighed dramatically. “If you don’t return, sir, I shall never forget you!”
Drawn by Georgiana’s hands, Sarah found herself looking more carefully at the costume necklace she wore, sparkling blue in the lamplight. Wait. Could it be? She glanced over at Mr. Henshall and saw his eyes narrowing on it as well.
Sarah stood and called, “Intermission!”
Georgiana frowned. “What? Sarah, no, there is no intermission.”
“There is now. That necklace. Where did you get it?”
Georgiana shrugged. “Upstairs in the nursery with all of the other cast-off toys and things. They’re only paste. There were earrings too, but they pinched.”
Mr. Henshall walked closer to study the blue gems set in gold.
“That’s not paste, lass. That’s the real thing.”
Effie looked from the necklace to her stepfather. “I dinnae understand. How do ye know?”
“Those belonged to your mother. She ... left them when we stayed here a few years ago.”
Effie’s eyes widened and her mouth parted, yet no words emerged.
He touched her shoulder. “I believe she would have wanted ye to have them.”
“Ye never mentioned them to me before.”
