Olivia's Enchanted Summer by Lyn Gardner Page A

If anything happened to the girl, she would be partly to blame.
    â€œCome back down!” she shouted. “Don’t be such an idiot!”
    Olivia’s shout made Jack and Pablo look round. As soon as they realised what was happening, they raced towards the tower. Pablo overtook Olivia and was up after Evie like a monkey. But she had a good head start and shehad almost reached the top.
    â€œCome down!” yelled Jack desperately. “What on earth does she think she’s playing at?” he said to Olivia, whose heart had begun to thump so hard it seemed to be trying to burst right out of her chest. Olivia shook her head hopelessly.
    Evie had reached the top of the ladder and was now standing where the wire began, stretched taut across to the other tower. Olivia waited for Evie to take in the dizzying drop to the ground, and come back down. But instead she did something that made Olivia feel as if somebody had removed all the bones in her legs. She stuck her tongue out at Olivia, and then she stepped out on to the wire.
    Jack put his head in his hands, and Pablo shouted, “Noooooooooo!” Evie completely ignored them. She took another step, as if testing the wire, and then sashayed along it as if she hadn’t a care in the world. When she got to the other end she turned back, flipped on to her hands and walked along the wire upside down. Down below, the children all clapped and cheered. Then Evie stopped mid-wire, and balanced on both her hands. The children belowwhooped with delight.
    Olivia couldn’t believe her eyes. Jack’s expression was part fury and part astonishment. Then Evie was back up on her feet, pirouetting along the wire. She reached the tower, rubbed her hands together in a gesture that suggested a job well done, and took a bow. Then she started to climb down.
    When she reached the bottom, she was mobbed by everybody. Olivia hung back and watched. She had never seen anything like the display. She felt a mixture of admiration and fury. If Evie had fallen, it would have been the end of her and the Swan Circus.
    Olivia followed Jack as he pushed his way through the crowd. Even his back radiated anger. He stopped in front of the girl, who stared at him with a look of both satisfaction and defiance on her face.
    â€œHow dare you!” Jack yelled, his voice shaking with a mixture of shock and anger. “You could have been killed! How could you be so reckless? The high-wire isn’t something you can just muck about on when you feel like it. Right, tell me where you live. I’m going to take you home, because someone needs to have a wordwith your parents about your—”
    â€œYou’re the great Marvello, aren’t you,” interrupted Evie, in a tone that made it clear that it was a statement, not a question.
    Jack was so taken aback by her calm coolness that he nodded. “And you are…?”
    â€œEvenga Purcarete, but everyone calls me Evie. This is my sister Tati.”
    â€œPurcarete? You’re not Nicu Purcarete’s daughter, are you?” Jack gave a little whistle of amazement and then his face broke into a big grin. “What an extraordinary coincidence! I was only telling Liv about your dad this morning, wasn’t I, Liv?” He turned to Olivia, who nodded, so livid at Evie’s stunt that she couldn’t speak.
    â€œYes, the Magnificent Purcarete. He was the best,” said Evie, and her dark eyes shone with pride and unshed tears.
    â€œAh,” said Jack softly. “So he’s no longer with us. I’m so sorry, Evie. He was a special talent.”
    And reckless like his daughter , thought Olivia.
    There was an awkward pause, and then Jack asked: “So where’s your mum? How is she? I’d love to see her again.”
    â€œI’m afraid you can’t,” said Tati in a quiet, quavering voice. “She died a few weeks ago. Leukaemia.” A tear dripped down her cheek. Murmurs of