“The deliberations are private, I’m afraid,” Gordian said. “Suffice it to say that ten out of fifteen Senior Tutors cast their votes for you.”
“Oh,” Emily said. Ten out of fifteen? She knew enough about the post to realize that it would be hard to decline the nomination, particularly when she’d been elected by such a considerable margin. It had just never crossed her mind that she would be nominated. She’d certainly never expressed interest in the role. “I ...”
She looked down at her hands, trying to think of a proper response. She didn’t want the post, not when she had so little free time. Her studies—and her private research projects—came first. And she doubted she’d be the most capable candidate. Being Head Girl required skills she knew she didn’t possess. Aloha had made it look easy, but Aloha had been sociable as well as smart.
And yet, with so many tutors having voted for her, she couldn’t decline the nomination.
Twenty-five possible candidates, she thought. She didn’t think any of her peers were disqualified, certainly if she wasn’t disqualified. And I received ten out of fifteen votes.
“I’m sure you will bring credit to the school.” Gordian picked a scroll off his desk and held it out to her. “I look forward to working with you.”
Emily took the scroll automatically. She felt as though she was still in shock. Head Girl wasn’t a meaningless position, not in Whitehall. She’d be expected to do everything from supervising detentions to policing the corridors after dark and mentoring the younger students. She wasn’t sure she had time to do everything, even with assistance from the other older students. God knew she had to work hard to pass the next set of exams.
She kept her face as impassive as possible as she unfurled the scroll. If she declined the nomination ... she sighed, inwardly. It wasn’t possible, not without offending everyone who’d voted for her. Lady Barb had once told her, years ago, that anyone who declined such an honor was unlikely to receive another one, even if they had good reasons to refuse it. And it was an honor. There was only one Head Pupil per year. She’d be in good company.
Assuming I don’t mess it up, she thought, wryly. She’d read horror stories about Head Boys and Girls who’d accidentally created all sorts of problems. They’ll forgot I ever held the post if I make a real mess of it.
“I look forward to working with you too,” she lied, finally. She was fairly sure that Gordian wasn’t looking forward to working with her. He’d done his level best to ignore her since she’d returned from Beneficence. “When do I have to accept the nomination?”
Gordian lifted a single eyebrow. “You were elected to the post. It is generally assumed that the person elected will serve.”
And no one bothered to ask me if I wanted the post, Emily thought, sourly. Who had nominated her? And why? She knew she couldn’t ask. I wouldn’t have put my hat in the ring if I’d been asked.
“I see,” she said.
She considered—briefly—declining the nomination anyway. There were good reasons to want to decline it. They couldn’t force her to serve, could they? But it would cost her later on, she was sure. The Senior Tutors wouldn’t be too pleased with her ... she wondered, grimly, if Gordian had deliberately created the whole situation. Either she accepted the post and ran the risk of messing up or she declined, offending the other tutors. Or maybe she was just being paranoid. Gordian didn’t like her. That didn’t mean he was out to get her.
He knows I can control the wards, she reminded herself. That can’t sit well with him.
“You’ll be familiar with most of the Head Girl’s duties,” Gordian said. He nodded to the scroll in her hand. “However, there are two issues that I need to discuss with you.”
Emily nodded, slowly. “Yes, sir.”
“First, we will be continuing the mentorship program from last year,” Gordian said. “You will be responsible for assigning the Fifth Year students to mentor First Year students, then supervising their progress over the first three months. I expect you to ensure that the newcomers get the sort of mentoring they need.”
Without making life too easy for them, Emily thought. It was a fine balancing act and she suspected she’d fallen off, last year. She’d wound up helping her mentees more than she thought she should. But then, the entire school had nearly collapsed in on itself. The new students had endured a baptism of fire. It won’t be easy to supervise the older students without being far too intrusive.
She pushed the thought aside and forced herself to think. Aloha had just assigned people at random, as far as she knew. She’d have to check the records to be sure. That wouldn’t take too long. There were roughly two hundred new pupils every year. She could simply parcel them out to the Fifth Years, then watch progress from a distance. Aloha hadn’t watched her that closely, had she? She’d have to check that too.
“I’ll do my best,” she said. The mentoring program was important. She knew she would have avoided a number of missteps if she’d had a mentor, back when she’d first entered Whitehall. “Did Aloha leave behind any records?”
“They’ll be made available to you.” Gordian held up a hand. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that they’re confidential. You are not to discuss them with anyone outside the staff without permission from myself.”
Emily nodded. “Yes, sir.”
She looked down at the stone floor, thinking hard. She’d have to read through the records carefully, then decide how to proceed. It wasn’t going to be easy. Perhaps Aloha had put more thought into the whole process than Emily assumed. Pairing up the wrong students and mentors would be disastrous. It was something to discuss with Lady Barb, then perhaps Aloha herself. But the former Head Girl would be busy with her mastery ...
And she’d expect me to stand on my own two feet, Emily reminded herself. She won’t come back long enough to hold my hand.
“The second matter is considerably more important,” Gordian added.
Emily straightened up and looked at him.
“You are aware, of course, that the Head Pupil is supposed to undertake a special project?”
“Yes,” Emily said. “The mentoring program ...”
Gordian smiled. “The mentoring program was Aloha’s idea,” he said. “You will need something different.”
Emily’s confusion must have shown on her face, for Gordian started to explain.
“The Head Pupil is required to design and implement a special project of their own,” Gordian said. “The project can—and will—be maintained after the Head Pupil has left, provided it proves itself beneficial. I believe the mentoring program was beneficial, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”