MARGARET. Well… beautiful. For want of a better way of putting it. He’s quite dazzling, isn’t he?

A beat.

DAISY. Well… he’s the King.

MARGARET. And you love him.

A beat.

DAISY. Yes.

He’s the King.

MARGARET. How old are you, Daisy?

(As DAISY doesn’t answer.) Do you know how old you are?

DAISY. I’m seventeen.

MARGARET. How old are you, Phemy?

PHEMY. Fifteen, we reckon.

MARGARET. Is Phemy pretty, Daisy?

DAISY (shrugs). She’s alright.

MARGARET. Will she be prettier when she’s seventeen?

DAISY. Mebbe. If she gets some proper clothes and puts her hair about her.

MARGARET. When will she be prettiest? What’s the prettiest year Phemy’s ever likely to have?

DAISY. Aw God, girl like her?

(To PHEMY.) You’re skinny and you’ve got that kind of soft look to you, eh? Like uncooked bannock. I reckon seventeen will be your year. See you make the most of it, eh?

MARGARET. And you, Daisy? When will your year be?

A beat. DAISY glares at her.

DAISY. The worms will be eating your eyes before you ever see it, old woman.

MARGARET moves to the mirror.

MARGARET. I want to show you something… Phemy, help me.

PHEMY helps her shift the mirror into the centre of the room.

This is a new mirror. It was a present from the King.

DAISY. He gives me jewels.

MARGARET. Yes, I know.

DAISY crosses to her. MARGARET takes the cover from the mirror. She stands in front of it.

See?

DAISY looks from the reflection to MARGARET.

DAISY (laughs). Well, that’s what you look like, sure enough.

MARGARET. Now look…

She gently pulls DAISY in front of the mirror. DAISY sees her own reflection. She goes very still, her eyes wide.

After a moment PHEMY and ANNABELLA move in behind her. ANNABELLA makes a startled sound. PHEMY gapes for a moment, then she starts to giggle.

DAISY. Oh.

PHEMY. That’s me!

MARGARET. It is.

PHEMY. I’ve got blue eyes!

MARGARET. Dark blue, like a summer dusk. What colour did you think they were?

PHEMY. Plain grey!

PHEMY doubles over laughing. ANNABELLA is still studying her reflection.

ANNABELLA. Oh, I’m as old as that.

MARGARET. I’m old too, look.

ANNABELLA. Oh, you’re still a plump fruit, I’m the last apple in the barrel! Oh… what a wonder, what a wonder you’ve showed me… the girl is gone. The girl is gone for good. I’m my own mother.

She was a monster.

I can terrify you all!

ANNABELLA is laughing too.

DAISY still hasn’t reacted.

MARGARET. Daisy.

DAISY (quiet). That’s not right, that’s not a proper mirror.

MARGARET. Look at Phemy in the mirror. Look at Annabella. You can see that it is.

DAISY just stares.

You are very pretty, Daisy.

Did you think you were more beautiful than that? As beautiful as the Queen of Heaven?