‘This afternoon the child they think will act in the new play is coming to try on some of your old clothes. Your mother did not mention you, but knowing how you enjoy meeting theatre folk I thought you might help me choose frocks for her.’

Katie seemed in one second to change from a rather bored child into a radiant one. The day which, like most days, had stretched drearily ahead for her, suddenly became special.

‘Oh!’ she said. ‘Thank you, Miss Grey. Wouldn’t it be perfect if we could become friends?’

Chapter Five

ABOUT THE PLAY

The moment they reached Lou’s room Sarah wanted to go out again to Lou’s theatre to tell her the great news, but Margaret would not go with her.

‘I’ve got to read this whole play before tomorrow, Sir John Teaser said so.’

Sarah did not want to leave Margaret alone but, after giving her strict instructions about locking the door and not opening it to anyone, she at last left, and Margaret stretched out on the floor to read the play. On the first page was written ‘The Little Queen – a play in four acts’. The play opened with the child Anastasia and her father and mother returning from her grandfather’s funeral. Reading what Anastasia said, Margaret decided she liked her, for she had her own views about everything and did not like being dictated to. Then Anastasia asked who were all the hundreds of people who had attended her grandfather’s funeral, and her father explained.

Her grandfather was born Crown Prince of a small country in Eastern Europe called Parthenia. But he never came to the throne for there was a revolution during which the then king was killed and he escaped to England, which was his mother’s country. There his son, Anastasia’s father, was born and brought up.

Then Anastasia’s mother took up the story. ‘It’s been very lucky for you,’ she told Anastasia, ‘that Parthenia had that revolution for if not, Papa would be King and I would be Queen and you would be a princess and expected to behave like one, no tomboy ways such as you have at home and at school. You could never run about free, as you do now.’

Then her father broke in: ‘You would be waited on hand and foot and everyone would curtsey or bow when they spoke to you.’

To this Anastasia said: ‘What nonsense! I would not allow it.’ Margaret thought that a splendid answer for she would not allow it either.

Margaret went back to the play.

Then Anastasia’s father explained about the hundreds of people who had come to the funeral. They were Parthenians living in exile in England but all longing to get back to Parthenia. ‘Which I suppose they never will,’ Anastasia said. Her father hesitated before he answered that. ‘Never is a long time; they say things are changing in Parthenia, so perhaps some day they can go home.’ Anastasia’s mother got to her feet when he said that and gasped: ‘Pray God it never happens.’ Then she fainted and that was the end of Act I.