Read Online Georgie Be Good by Marg McAlister - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marg McAlister
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“Grace.” Georgie smiled pleasantly, conscious of how tightly the girl was strung. “I didn’t recognize you at first. Did you want to see me?”
Grace jerked her head at the sign. “It’s not one o’clock yet. I can wait.”
“That’s fine. To tell you the truth, I could do with getting in away from the noise for a bit,” Georgie said, not altogether untruthfully. “How did you find me?”
“I saw you on TV last night, when they were talking about the rockabilly festival… they showed you with your crystal ball.” She hesitated. “I saw you at our place, too.”
Georgie indicated that the girl go before her, up the steps to the trailer. “Come inside and sit down. You don’t actually look very well, Grace. Is that stomach flu you had hanging on?”
“Kind of.” Grace dropped onto the velvet-upholstered bench, eyeing the crystal ball. “Um, how much do you charge?”
“You’re included as part of your family,” Georgie told her. “No extra charge.”
Grace drew her cardigan more tightly around herself and sat rigidly upright, her fingers clutching the fabric. Georgie busied herself putting on the kettle and lighting the candle, chatting in a soothing voice. “This retro meet has all been a lot of fun, but it’s tiring. I’ll be glad to rest tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m making myself a cup of herbal tea. Would you like one? Or coffee?”
“Tea, thank you.”
“Chamomile and spiced apple, or lemon and ginger?”
“Chamomile, please.” She unbent a little, but still looked awkward. Finally she said: “I like what you’ve done with your hair. Was it hard to do?”
“My friend did it for me.” Georgie fetched cups and talked about retro hair fashions for a moment while the kettle boiled. While she did, she thought about what might have brought Grace to her. Had she overheard something between her parents?
When they were both settled at the table, she smiled encouragingly. “So, what brought you to see me?”
Grace finally summoned up enough courage to meet her gaze. “Mom and Dad, they both said that you… knew things. Not enough to know who stole the information at his work, but you knew a lot of other things about them. About others. So I was thinking, maybe you could help Izzie. My friend.”
“Izzie?” Of all things, Georgie hadn’t been expecting that. “Your friend who came home with you?”
Grace nodded mutely, her eyes beseeching.
“Ah.” Feeling her way, Georgie ventured, “She’s very thin. I was wondering if perhaps she was suffering from anorexia.”
“No. Well, maybe. I mean, she doesn’t eat much now, but I think it’s because something happened. She won’t tell me, and I think it’s bad.”
“And you want to help her.”
“She’s my best friend. We’ve always told each other everything before.” Worry made Grace’s face look pinched. “I’m sorry, I know you should be helping my Dad, not me, but with all this going on nobody seems to care about Izzie, except me.”
The poor girl, thought Georgie. She can’t talk to her family, and now she’s worried about her best friend.
With Grace watching every movement warily, she drew her crystal ball a little closer and laid her hands on it. The instant warmth and hum surprised her; it was as though it had been waiting for this girl.
Inwardly, she tensed. Had she made a mistake? Was it Grace she was supposed to help—or Izzie, perhaps, through Grace?
Mist formed immediately within the crystal, and Grace’s indrawn breath told her that she saw it too.
“Think about Izzie,” Georgie said softly, not taking her eyes from the ball. “Think about what concerns you, and what changes you’ve seen. Talk about her.”
Grace began hesitantly, with a few stops and starts, but gradually the words began to flow. Both girls, it appeared, had loved their dancing. They had lined up for national dance contests, and gone to auditions. Not
“Grace.” Georgie smiled pleasantly, conscious of how tightly the girl was strung. “I didn’t recognize you at first. Did you want to see me?”
Grace jerked her head at the sign. “It’s not one o’clock yet. I can wait.”
“That’s fine. To tell you the truth, I could do with getting in away from the noise for a bit,” Georgie said, not altogether untruthfully. “How did you find me?”
“I saw you on TV last night, when they were talking about the rockabilly festival… they showed you with your crystal ball.” She hesitated. “I saw you at our place, too.”
Georgie indicated that the girl go before her, up the steps to the trailer. “Come inside and sit down. You don’t actually look very well, Grace. Is that stomach flu you had hanging on?”
“Kind of.” Grace dropped onto the velvet-upholstered bench, eyeing the crystal ball. “Um, how much do you charge?”
“You’re included as part of your family,” Georgie told her. “No extra charge.”
Grace drew her cardigan more tightly around herself and sat rigidly upright, her fingers clutching the fabric. Georgie busied herself putting on the kettle and lighting the candle, chatting in a soothing voice. “This retro meet has all been a lot of fun, but it’s tiring. I’ll be glad to rest tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m making myself a cup of herbal tea. Would you like one? Or coffee?”
“Tea, thank you.”
“Chamomile and spiced apple, or lemon and ginger?”
“Chamomile, please.” She unbent a little, but still looked awkward. Finally she said: “I like what you’ve done with your hair. Was it hard to do?”
“My friend did it for me.” Georgie fetched cups and talked about retro hair fashions for a moment while the kettle boiled. While she did, she thought about what might have brought Grace to her. Had she overheard something between her parents?
When they were both settled at the table, she smiled encouragingly. “So, what brought you to see me?”
Grace finally summoned up enough courage to meet her gaze. “Mom and Dad, they both said that you… knew things. Not enough to know who stole the information at his work, but you knew a lot of other things about them. About others. So I was thinking, maybe you could help Izzie. My friend.”
“Izzie?” Of all things, Georgie hadn’t been expecting that. “Your friend who came home with you?”
Grace nodded mutely, her eyes beseeching.
“Ah.” Feeling her way, Georgie ventured, “She’s very thin. I was wondering if perhaps she was suffering from anorexia.”
“No. Well, maybe. I mean, she doesn’t eat much now, but I think it’s because something happened. She won’t tell me, and I think it’s bad.”
“And you want to help her.”
“She’s my best friend. We’ve always told each other everything before.” Worry made Grace’s face look pinched. “I’m sorry, I know you should be helping my Dad, not me, but with all this going on nobody seems to care about Izzie, except me.”
The poor girl, thought Georgie. She can’t talk to her family, and now she’s worried about her best friend.
With Grace watching every movement warily, she drew her crystal ball a little closer and laid her hands on it. The instant warmth and hum surprised her; it was as though it had been waiting for this girl.
Inwardly, she tensed. Had she made a mistake? Was it Grace she was supposed to help—or Izzie, perhaps, through Grace?
Mist formed immediately within the crystal, and Grace’s indrawn breath told her that she saw it too.
“Think about Izzie,” Georgie said softly, not taking her eyes from the ball. “Think about what concerns you, and what changes you’ve seen. Talk about her.”
Grace began hesitantly, with a few stops and starts, but gradually the words began to flow. Both girls, it appeared, had loved their dancing. They had lined up for national dance contests, and gone to auditions. Not
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