Elves and Escapades (Scholars and Sorcery Book 2) by Eleanor Beresford Read Free Book Online

safe. What would it have happened to the school if you were robbed, or something worse? And what would it do to Fernleigh’s reputation if someone saw you?”
    Kitty holds out her hands appealingly to her Head Girl. “I’m so terribly sorry, Cecily. It could all have been cleared up if I had only kept my head last night! And Charley was such a sport not to turn us in, too.” She turns a glowing smile on me.
    “What do you mean?”
    “I should have told Charley to telephone Daddy today, and she would have found that it’s all perfectly tip top.” She dimples. “It was naughty of me, I know, not to get Daddy to ask Miss Carroll properly for permission —but then, a midnight escapade seemed such fun!”
    “You’re saying your father gave permission for this?”
    Kitty opens her jade green eyes very wide. “Of course! I would hardly leave the school without it. You can telephone him yourself, Cecily, and see. He’ll vouch for us.” Her face is a sweet and sunny as if morning is dawning on it, and I find I have an absolutely rock solid conviction that she is lying through her pearly white teeth.
    “That puts quite a different complexion on the matter,” Emily says, slowly. “We’ll confirm this with your father, you know. And you’ve still broken bounds and behaved dishonourably, and you will need to take your medicine.”
    “Of course!” Kitty and Diana chorus.
    I pay close attention, not Diana and Kitty, but to my fellow prefects as the sentence is laid out. Cecily and Gladys still look grim, but there is a gentleness, a sympathy and even a few hints of amusement on the faces of the other girls. I don’t like it. It doesn’t seem called for by the situation. By the end, I sense that some of the girls think I was dreadfully harsh in summoning the meeting, and that I should have sorted things out quietly first. Diana and Kitty have broken our strictest rule, Kitty’s father having invited them to the party or not.  
    I turn back to Diana. There is a look of smug satisfaction on her face. She’s scored, forcing me to bring her before a prefects meeting and escaping with a tap on the back of her hand.
    I sigh. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it, after all? For everything to be over without a fuss.
    After the other girls from the other Houses and forms disperse to their morning classes, I linger, ending up in a huddle with Cecily and Gladys.
    “Do you think she’s telling the truth?” Gladys asks. We both naturally turn to the Sensitive one among us for guidance.
    “Kitty? No. No, I don’t.” Cecily shakes her head. “She’s a plausible little thing, all right, but she would tell you that she was a chimney sweep if it suited her purposes. I’ll tell you this, though. Diana was terrified out of her wits and she was desperately worried when Kitty said they’d been invited by her father. I’m sure that was made up on the spot by Kitty and Diana wasn’t expecting it. It would be awfully queer if Diana was invited and knew nothing about it.”
    “Why didn’t you say so?”
    Cecily shrugs. “It wouldn’t have done much good. I’m pretty sure that when we check, her story will pan out. There’s a girl in the Fifth with the Gift of Communication who can send suggestions cross-country in the blink of an eye, and she’s awfully chummy with Kitty. Besides, they were both exerting so much glamour that I could feel the world dissolving into sugar syrup around them. It was all I could do not to give in to it. I had to rush to get them out with some kind of punishment, or the other prefects would have been patting their little heads and giving them bouquets.” She gives us a wry look. “It’s nice to know I can depend on you two at least. Charley for being impervious to charms, and you, Gladys, for just being plain contrary and getting mad when anyone tries to win your heart.” Cecily’s laugh turns into a sigh. “Oh, well. Now to go to Miss Carroll and spare her the shocking details but let her