BooksBarbecue
Back The Lollipop Shoes
Chapters (96)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Book
  3. The Lollipop Shoes
  4. Dedication
  5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  6. PART ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. PART TWO
  13. 1
  14. 2
  15. 3
  16. 4
  17. 5
  18. 6
  19. 7
  20. 8
  21. PART THREE
  22. 1
  23. 2
  24. 3
  25. 4
  26. 5
  27. 6
  28. PART FOUR
  29. 1
  30. 2
  31. 3
  32. 4
  33. 5
  34. 6
  35. 7
  36. 8
  37. 9
  38. PART FIVE
  39. 1
  40. 2
  41. 3
  42. 4
  43. 5
  44. 6
  45. 7
  46. 8
  47. 9
  48. 10
  49. 11
  50. 12
  51. PART SIX
  52. 1
  53. 2
  54. 3
  55. 4
  56. 5
  57. 6
  58. 7
  59. 8
  60. 9
  61. 10
  62. 11
  63. 12
  64. PART SEVEN
  65. 1
  66. 2
  67. 3
  68. 4
  69. 5
  70. 6
  71. 7
  72. 8
  73. 9
  74. PART EIGHT
  75. 1
  76. 2
  77. 3
  78. 4
  79. 5
  80. 6
  81. 7
  82. 8
  83. 9
  84. 10
  85. 11
  86. 12
  87. 13
  88. 14
  89. 15
  90. 16
  91. 17
  92. 18
  93. 19
  94. Epilogue
  95. About the Author
  96. Also by Joanne Harris

‘I’m fine, thank you.’ Her voice was cool.

‘Would you like a piece of chocolate cake?’ That was Anouk, looking concerned; always wanting to give things away. Madame gave her a hungry look.

‘Thank you, my dear. I’d love one,’ she said.

Anouk cut a generous slice. ‘Robert – was that your son?’ she said.

Madame pecked out a silent yes.

‘How old was he when he died?’

‘Thirteen,’ said Madame. ‘A little older than you, perhaps. They never found out what was wrong with him. Such a healthy boy – I never let him eat sweets, even – then, suddenly, dead. You wouldn’t think it was possible, would you?’

Anouk shook her head, wide-eyed.

‘Today’s his anniversary,’ she went on. ‘Eighth of December, 1979. Long before you were born. In those days you could still get a plot in the big cemetery – if you were prepared to pay enough. I’ve lived here for ever. My family has money. I could have let him play with the dolls’ house if I’d wanted to. Have you ever had a dolls’ house?’

Once more, Anouk shook her head.

‘I have it still, somewhere in the attic. I even have the dolls it came with, and the little furniture. All hand-made in original materials. Venetian mirrors on the walls. Crafted before the Revolution. I wonder if any child ever got to play with the damn thing.’

She was looking slightly flushed now, as if her use of a forbidden word had infused her bloodless face with something approaching animation.

‘Perhaps you might like to play with it.’

Anouk’s eyes lit up at once. ‘Wow!’

‘You’re very welcome, little girl.’ She frowned. ‘You know, I don’t think I actually know your names. I’m Isabelle – and my little dog is Salammbô. You can stroke her if you like. She doesn’t bite.’

Anouk bent to touch the little dog, which frisked and licked enthusiastically at her hands. ‘She’s so sweet. I love dogs.’

‘I can’t believe I’ve been coming here for years and I never even asked your names.’

Anouk grinned. ‘I’m Anouk,’ she said. ‘And this is my good friend Zozie.’ And she went on fussing the little dog, and such was her absorption that she never even noticed that she’d given Madame the wrong name, or that the sign of Lady Blood Moon was shining out from the Advent house, shining with a radiance that filled the room.

12

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Sunday, 9th December