But mention of her grandmother’s name was too much – Allie grabbed Zoe’s arm and pulled her with her.
‘Come on, Zoe,’ she said, lowering a freezing glare at Katie. ‘We’re done here.’
When they reached the ground floor, the younger girl spoke, mostly to herself. ‘Puberty is a notoriously difficult and emotional time. I studied up on it, so I’m ready.’
‘That’s great, Zoe,’ Allie said absently. Her mind was on Katie’s words. What had she meant when she said no one was afraid of Lucinda? Was that some sort of message?
Katie’s parents were powerful members of the board. That was all Allie really knew about them.
Zoe, having finished her puberty point, was ready to get on with her day. ‘Anyway, I have to go and study now.’
Her smooth, unworried face showed no signs of concern about the altercation on the stairs.
‘Hey,’ Allie said hesitantly. ‘Thanks for standing up for me.’
Zoe swung her book bag over her shoulder. ‘That’s all right. Katie Gilmore is a bitch.’
When she’d gone, Allie turned towards Isabelle’s door. After a brief hesitation, she knocked on it firmly. When there was no response, she jiggled the door handle – it was locked tight.
‘Isabelle?’ she asked the door tentatively. ‘Are you in there?’
Silence.
‘Balls,’ Allie muttered.
For a few long minutes she waited outside, scuffing the toe of her black Oxford shoe on the polished wood floor. But Isabelle didn’t return.
Allie wasn’t sure what to do. Zelazny had been quite firm that Isabelle would expect her to be here. And the last thing she needed was more trouble.
Biting her lip, she looked around for a place to wait. Across the hall, a heavy ornamental table held a large vase filled with pale pink roses. If she sat on the floor next to it she was out of the way but could still see the headmistress’s door.
Once she was settled, she pulled her history book out of her bag and began looking over her homework. A stream of students and staff ebbed and flowed in the hallway in front of her, but there was no sign of Isabelle.
More than half an hour passed before she heard the faint creak of Isabelle’s office door. When she looked up, someone stood in front of it. Her back was to Allie, but it looked like the headmistress was having trouble with the lock.
At last.
‘Isabelle!’ Leaving her books on the floor, Allie ran across the hall. At the sound of her voice, the woman turned. But it wasn’t Isabelle at all.
It was Eloise. And in her hand she held a small silver key.
Eloise’s eyes widened as Allie skidded to a stop a few feet away, and for a moment the two just stared at each other in surprise.
What was Eloise doing in Isabelle’s office? Was she in there all along? Did she just ignore me when I knocked? And why was she messing with the door just now?
Allie knew she needed to say something but her mind wouldn’t seem to function.
‘I… uh…’ she stuttered, ‘just… I was… looking for Isabelle.’
The librarian’s eyes darted from Allie to the hallway beyond her as if she was concerned about being seen.
Up close, Allie noticed her cheeks were flushed and breathless. Her dark hair had begun escaping from the clips that held it, as if she’d been exercising or running.
Confusion and a dawning sense of suspicion made Allie’s stomach tighten. She wrapped her arms around her torso.
Composing herself, Eloise lifted her chin in an imperious imitation of Isabelle’s natural hauteur. ‘She’s away. Can I help you with something?’
Yeah, Allie thought darkly, you could tell me what the hell you were just doing in Isabelle’s office when she’s not here.
But she didn’t say that.
‘No… no, I just need to talk to her,’ she said instead, trying to sound casual. ‘Do you, like, know when she’ll be back?’
‘She went to London for a meeting after her last class.’ Eloise glanced at her watch. ‘She won’t be back until late tonight.’ She studied Allie narrowly. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing I can help you with?’
‘No thanks.’ Allie took a quick step back, banging her head on the tilted underside of the staircase above them. ‘Ouch.’ Never taking her eyes off Eloise, she rubbed her head with one hand. ‘I uh… guess I’ll just come back. You know. Tomorrow.’
Forcing herself to move with deliberate steadiness, she crossed the hall and gathered her books as if nothing was wrong.
The whole time she was conscious of Eloise watching her every move.
ELEVEN
T
hat night Allie made her way down the basement corridor towards Training Room One with slow, heavy steps. She felt weighed down, as if something tugged at her, holding her back.
All she wanted was to tell someone everything, but when she tried explaining it in her head it sounded crazy.