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

know that two of our girls are doing kitchen duty—and bang goes our last chance for the Banner this term.”
    “I’m terribly sorry.” I squeeze her hand. “I wish I hadn’t woken.”
    “Bless you, my sweet, it’s not your fault. I’m glad you caught them; I’m hoping it will pull them up and give them a shock before they do anything irreparably bad. Run along to English and let Miss Evans know I’ll be late, there’s a pet.”
    “At least it’s all over,” I say with some relief, as Gladys and I make our way to class. I try to dismiss all the unpleasantness from my mind. After all, Diana will surely be more careful now she’ been caught.
    I don’t like the thought, however, that Diana is probably even more thoroughly my enemy now than she was before. Something about that makes me wary.  

three
    C HRISTMAS AND C ONFESSIONS

    THE END OF term goes out in pounding rain and hockey. We have a set of home games against a local High School with an excellent games reputation. My brood of chicks in the lower school distinguish themselves with four goals in the Third Eleven and I feel as proud as if my own child has won an Olympic medal. They have worked themselves half to death for me, turning out to every extra practice regardless of weather and treating my coaching like gospel, and I love them for it. I’ll stand out in the icy rain shouting advice and encouragement for this lot any time, so long as they keep turning out in the mud.  
    Miss Carroll really was doing something wonderful for me when she made me Games Captain, not just heaping me with unwanted responsibilities. Watching my girls play, I feel like I am really achieving something for the school and for myself.
    The gallant efforts of the Third Eleven are not enough to save the match for Fernleigh. The Second and First retire in disgrace with two goals each, one of which I’ve scored. The first-formers chosen for the hallowed duty of bringing us lemon halves at half time beam at me with admiration completely out of proportion to what I’ve actually done. It gives me a warm glow in my heart that becomes warmer when I look to the side of the field and see Rosalind there, smiling with the same pride. I feel like I should scold her for being out in the rain, but it’s so nice to see her there for me. Of course, Esther and Cecily slap my back hard. It’s just not quite the same.
    Diana is not, sufficient to say, one of my supporters. I know she finds the kitchen duties imposed on her humiliating and is in a state of loathing against all prefects and their kind. Kitty, for her part, takes her duties on meekly and smilingly, winning the hearts of prefects and servants as she goes, with the result that she does very little actual work but spends a lot of time being fed up with cakes and chocolate biscuits. Little demon.
    Then—Christmas. Four blissful weeks of home and Ember and no classes. For the first fortnight, too, I will have Rosalind.  
    My family greet her cheerfully, like an old friend. It’s not the first time I’ve had a friend home, after all. I’ve sometimes brought Cecily, who obviously can’t go home in the hols, home with me, and Esther when her parents were ill. Rosalind is accepted in the same friendly spirit.  
    It’s sheer joy to take her around the place and show her the beasts, knowing that none of her delight is feigned. Best of all is introducing her to my darling Meggs. My scrap of a cait sith kitten has grown huge over the years, standing taller than my knee, his face a mask of what appears to be sheer evil, although I know it is harmless mischief. Truly. He’s my snuggly boy, and the kids and dragonlings shouldn’t provoke him so much.
    Alarming as Meggs looks, Rosalind shows no fear when he shimmers into visibility next to her, dropping to her knees to introduce herself to him. Meggs inspects her thoroughly, then kisses her nose with his rough dark tongue, a sign of high favour.
    “Evil beast,” mutters Walter.