More Trouble at Trebizon

by Anne Digby

  'This way,' Margot said to the big man. 'We'll show you.'

  They turned up the little corridor off the main hall, all in a troupe, and jostled into the pretty room, next door to Rebecca's, that Mara shared with Margot and Elf. The man deposited the suitcases by the bed.

  'I'll introduce you to Mara's friends,' said Anestis. 'Then we can go.' He repeated the words in Greek. Then: 'Girls, this is Mr Papaconstantopoulos, Papa for short.'

  They all shook hands in turn.

  'Papa used to be a wrestler,' said Anestis. Rebecca had been right about that, then. 'But you will find that he is a very kind, gentle person. He is retained by my father. He is a long-standing and faithful friend of the Leonodis family. He has helped my father many times,' he added, as though that explained everything perfectly.

  The big Greek beamed and nodded.

  Rebecca and Tish and Sue exchanged baffled glances. Elf coughed.

  They all came out of the room in a bunch and there was noise and scampering in the corridor as some girls scattered. 'Nosey Parkers!' said Margot scornfully. The friends then hung back as Anestis went along to the door of the kitchen and knocked.

  'Mara!' he bent his face close to the door. 'I'm taking Papa down to his hotel now and will see that everything is comfortable for him. We shall have a meal and this evening I shall catch my train.'

  Silence.

  Anestis shrugged philosophically and turned away from the door.

  'She's taking it hard,' he said to the girls. 'But father has made up his mind and that is that. Try and get her used to the idea.'

  The dark, good-looking Greek boy went off with his hulking companion. The friends were mystified but Tish was the first to recover. She raced after Anestis and caught him at the front door, while Papaconstantopoulos ambled on ahead, making for the parked car.

  'Get used to what idea?'

  'Having Papa around. He is going to be living at the Trebizon Bay Hotel. Father thinks it is necessary.'

  'Living there? What – all term? D'you mean he's – sort of – going to be – Mara's bodyguard?'

  'Correct!'

  As Anestis left, Tish hurried back to the others.

  'Did you hear that?' she exclaimed.

  'Of course we heard!' said Rebecca.

  The idea took some getting used to. Mara was the VIP – the Very Important Person! She'd come back to school complete with her own personal bodyguard and a bullet-proof car!

  Why?

  Poor Mara, thought Rebecca.

  The five friends surged towards the kitchen to find her.

  TWO

  MEETING THE BOYS

  'It might be fun,' said Tish. 'I mean, we could get him to take us places in that great gangster car –'

  'Fun?' said Mara, outraged. 'Having a watchdog! Having someone spying on you! Don't say that, Tish, even in joke.'

  'We're only trying to cheer you up,' said Sue, feebly.

  'Have some fudge,' begged Elf. 'Look, this is still the first batch.'

  Mara's expression softened. She was hungry after her journey. 'Thanks, Elf. Mmmmm.' The fudge was delicious! 'How many pieces can I have?' She cocked an ear. 'Was that the car? Have they gone?'

  Rebecca was nearest. She opened the kitchen door and squinted out, right down the hall, to the front door. She saw a flash of black go past.

  'Gone!' she confirmed.

  'Good!' Mara sighed, relaxed and sank her teeth into the next piece of fudge. 'Anything to drink? Oh, it's good to be back, I guess. I have had the most terrible holidays! And this is the last straw, this Papa nonsense!'

  'Can't you more or less ignore him?' suggested Elf. 'Pretend he's not there when you go down town and he follows you around –'

  'If only I could!' said Mara. 'But you see –'

  She stopped.

  'See what?' asked Rebecca, curious to know what Mara had been about to say.

  'Oh, nothing.'

  'Tea or coffee?' asked Sue.

  'Er – coffee please,' said Mara. She looked thoughtful for a moment and then her annoyance bubbled up again. 'The whole thing is mad! This crazy idea my father has got. That I go down town and somebody kidnaps me or something!'

  'What's got into him then?' asked Tish. 'He's never worried about your being here before. I mean, Trebizon's such a safe, peaceful sort of place –'

  'Exactly! Exactly!' Mara nodded her head in violent agreement. 'You think I haven't told him that! A hundred times! But, he has got this stupid bee buzzing in his bonnet and . . .' She shrugged her shoulders, helplessly. 'Oh, let's talk about something else.'

  'Let's!' said Margot and Elf in unison, more than anxious to see their room-mate simmer down and become her usual sunny self. 'Er –'

  'Have you seen Elf's second batch of fudge?' asked Margot, saying the first thing that came into her head. 'Show her Elf!'

  'Fantastic!' exclaimed Mara, as Elf brought it over. 'Only – I can't manage any more just yet.'

  'None of us can,' said Sue, placing a cup of coffee on the table in front of her. 'We'll save it till we get back. Cycling always makes you starving hungry.'

  'Get back, from where?' asked Mara. 'What cycling?'

  'Fenners!' exclaimed Margot.

  'Fenners?'

  'We're going there after tea.' Tish informed her. She raised her famous grin and twirled around, her short dark curls bouncing. 'We fixed it up with the boys on the train. Don't look so worried. What's the matter, aren't your lights working?'

  'Am I invited?' asked Mara in a still little voice.

  'Are you invited?' exclaimed Tish. 'Mara – what a daft question! You know how much they all like you –'

  'Especially Curly Watson!' giggled Sue. 'Oh, Mara. We're all invited. The boys have got something going on this term and they need our help.'

  Mara frowned over her coffee cup, as though the act of drinking it required intense concentration. She drained it down and banged it on to the table, then jumped up and flung her arms wide. She looked quite suddenly elated.

  'I've decided. I'm coming!'

  'You bet you're coming!' said Tish. 'Come on, let's get cleared up in here before Mrs Barry finds all the mess. Elf, what are we going to do about that fudgy saucepan? It's all stuck up round the side.'

  'I'll clean it,' said Margot. 'Come on, where's the pot scourer –?'

  'Mara,' said Sue, 'you and Rebecca had better get unpacked!'

  Everybody was happy because Mara was happy again.

  It was only afterwards, as she finished her unpacking, that it occurred to Rebecca that Mara's hesitation had been slightly odd. What did she mean about deciding? What was there to decide about?

  The first tea bell went in all the boarding houses and the exodus began. In no time at all, Court House was empty and silent. So was Norris, over the back. Further away, girls poured from Sterndale, Tavistock and Chambers. The dark grounds became alive with them all as they processed along well-lit footpaths towards the main school buildings, which were set round a quadrangle.

  The former manor house itself contained class rooms, the main library and school offices. It was known as old school and the quadrangle gardens lay at the back of it. The gardens were enclosed on one side by a modern white block that enclosed the dining hall, on the ground floor, the assembly hall above and the art room, science laboratories and home economics rooms above that. Juniper House, the long red brick building where more than a hundred juniors lived, formed another side of the quadrangle. Staff living quarters, once a block for horses, carriages and grooms, with clock tower high above, completed the square.

  The quadrangle gardens, protectively enclosed and suffused with shadowy light from the buildings on all sides, echoed with voices and laughter as girls streamed along the terrace and into the dining hall for tea.

  'Made it!' laughed Rebecca as she and Tish scuttled in through the doors, just as the second bell went. They'd been loitering along the lakeside path, deep in conversation about the holidays, and had nearly made themselves late. 'Loo
k, Sue and Mara are waving.'

  They threaded their way through the crowded dining hall and got to the table where Sue had saved them two places. They were just about to sit down when a member of staff bore down on Tish, towing a small girl along behind her.

  'One moment, Ishbel.'

  'What's Tish done now?' wondered Rebecca. They'd only just got back to school! The teacher looked new – a dumpy woman with red hair.

  'Yes, Mrs Hubbard?' replied Tish.

  Of course! Mother Hubbard and daughter, realized Rebecca.

  'Lucy can't seem to find a place,' said the new geography mistress.

  'There's an empty place over there,' said Tish, pointing to one of the Second Year tables. 'Between Eleanor Keating and Susannah Skelhorn. They're very nice, both of them.' She looked at Lucy and grinned. 'I mean, they won't bite or anything.'

  'If you're a new junior you'll find they're good fun to know,' Mara joined in. She was relaxed and friendly and seemed to have put all thought of Papa out of her mind. 'Eleanor's in the Under-14 hockey team and Susannah – she's editor of the Juniper Journal. We used to call it the J. J. As a matter of fact, we started it –'

  Mrs Hubbard cut her off in mid-sentence.

  'Juniors? Lucy isn't going into the juniors. She's very advanced for her age. Ishbel knows all about it.' She gave Tish a confiding smile. 'Suffice to say that Miss Welbeck herself agrees that Lucy is a very special case. She's going to live in Court House and take her lessons with form III Alpha. I'm sure it'll be a great success!'

  Miss Welbeck was the principal of Trebizon School.

  'Oh,' said Mara. The others already knew this not-very-exciting piece of news. But Mara had been much too het up earlier to notice or care that there was someone new in Court House. Now she stared at the diminutive figure with the plaits and the too-big uniform in some astonishment. 'That's our form,' she added, lamely.

  'Good, good!' said Mrs Hubbard briskly. She stared pointedly at the two empty seats. Tish and Rebecca were still hovering by them, wondering whether they should sit down or not. 'Lucy can start to – to –'

  'Integrate,' said Lucy firmly. She pulled one of the chairs out.

  'Grate, you mean,' muttered Sue. She'd had one conversation with the new girl over at the boarding house, and found that enough.

  'What did you say? The girl in glasses?' asked Mrs Hubbard sharply.

  'She said the chair seems to grate!' somebody chipped in quickly.

  'Er – squeaks a bit, too,' added Tish. 'When you pull it out –' Everybody started snorting and trying not to giggle. A red flush crept slowly up Mrs Hubbard's neck. But Tish looked the picture of innocence. 'Toss you for the other chair, Rebecca.'

  'No, no, it's fine!' Rebecca gasped, fighting off a strong desire to laugh. She turned away quickly. She could see an empty place next to Josselyn Vining over on another table. She wanted to talk to Joss, anyway, about county tennis coaching! 'See you afterwards.'

  The only person not to be amused was Mara. What was this miniature doing in Court House? You were supposed to be at least thirteen! Even worse, her mother appeared to have joined the school staff. A teacher's daughter living in Court House with them! Mara's heart sank a little.

  As if she hadn't got enough problems!

  The six friends cycled off through the school grounds as fast as they could go, their lights bobbing along the dark drive.

  'What d'you want to go down town in the dark for?' the duty prefect had asked them, outside the dining hall. 'All the shops will be shut.'

  'We're only going to Fenners to have a coffee!'

  'Meeting some of the Garth boys there, I expect.'

  Fortunately at that moment Pippa Fellowes-Walker had sauntered up to see what was going on. She was Rebecca's favourite prefect.

  'And why not? Oh, let 'em go, Edwina. This is about the only week night in the whole term when nobody's got any prep.'

  'All right then. Check your lights. Wear your capes, it's cold. Behave yourselves and be back by half-past seven.'

  'Thanks!'

  They hurried off and Lucy Hubbard had stood on the terrace, watching them go, her eyes wide with interest.

  Soon the friends were cycling out of the main gates and along the top road which was unlit. Across the fields was the dark mass of Trebizon Bay. Turning her head to look out to sea, Rebecca could see the lights of a big tanker. The town lay just ahead of them, glowing orange in the night sky. She glanced at Mara. cycling alongside her, black hair streaming out, eyes watering a little, cape billowing.

  She was pedalling fast, for Mara.

  'I feel so free!' said the Greek girl, suddenly. 'Like a bird flying out of a cage!'

  A few large snowflakes began to fall and they all laughed.

  'We just escaped in time!'

  'They'd never have let us go if they'd known it was going to snow!'

  It was sheer delight to park their bikes and walk in out of the cold, into the warm, noisy coffee shop, five minutes later. Snowflakes were still clinging to their capes. Three boys rose up from a table and came over to meet them. Rebecca spotted Mike Brown at once. They'd known him quite a long time, through Sue's brothers, David and Edward. The one with straight dark hair was presumably Chris Earl-Smith because obviously the short fair-haired one, with curly hair, was Curly Watson.

  He made a bee-line for Mara.

  'Mara!'

  'Curly!'

  He took her hand in his and she let him and it seemed very natural somehow. Rebecca thought they looked sweet together.

  At the same time, Rebecca glanced uneasily around the coffee place. She half-expected to see the bulky figure of Papa sitting silently in a corner somewhere, keeping watch over Mara.

  But of course, he was nowhere to be seen.

  'He's only just getting settled into his hotel this evening!' Rebecca reminded herself. 'I bet that's why Mara feels so happy and carefree! He'll probably start his duties in earnest tomorrow. I wonder what being a bodyguard entails?'

  'No need to look,' said Tish, out of the corner of her mouth. She'd read Rebecca's mind. 'He's not here.'

  'Stop plotting, you two,' said Mike, taking each of them by an arm and steering them towards the table. 'We'll pull some extra chairs over so we can all squash round. Rebecca, you haven't met Chris yet –'

  'Hallo,' said Chris.

  'And this is Curly –'

  Curly and Mara were already sitting down and deep in conversation. He gave Rebecca a quick grin and then carried on.

  'I guessed,' said Rebecca, smiling.

  They all crammed round the table together and were soon chatting and laughing and drinking coffee. The boys had a never-ending stream of funny stories to tell – and Tish had a few of her own.

  'Whatever it is we're meeting them about, it's obviously nothing urgent,' thought Rebecca. She didn't mind! The coffee was thick and creamy and she felt warm again. They'd get round to it in their own good time. Meanwhile, she hadn't laughed so much for ages.

  Back at Court House, the telephone was ringing.

  Lucy Hubbard was sitting in the common room reading a book, all alone. Because there was no prep to do, almost nobody had come back to the boarding house after tea. A lot of them had gone to the sports centre and (thought Lucy) that girl called Tish and her friends had even cycled down to the town to meet some boys . . .

  Lucy didn't mind. She'd been half hoping that if she sat here the telephone would ring . . .

  She rushed to answer it. 'Hallo!'

  'Hallo?' It was a stranger's voice at the other end of the line and Lucy felt a dull ache of disappointment. 'Is Mara Leonodis there? This is her brother.'

  'No. She's gone to a coffee bar.'

  'What?' He sounded angry. 'Are you sure?'

  A sudden glow of self-righteousness swept through Lucy.

  'Of course I'm sure,' she said in her piping little voice: 'I thought she wasn't meant to!' She paused and then her wish to air her knowledge got the better of her. 'Excuse me asking, but isn
't Linda Grigoris her cousin?'

  THREE

  A GREEK DRAMA

  'When are you going to shut up, Mike Brown?' said Sue, at last.

  'Eh?'

  'I mean shut up impersonating Doctor Simpson and –' Sue was smiling.

  'Tell us what you're up to,' finished Tish.

  'Oh, that. Yes, very important. Come on, Curly.'

  Curly Watson removed his arm from round Mara's shoulders and produced a stack of printed tickets from his pockets. He started dealing them round the table to the girls, like playing cards. 'We want you to take a dozen each,' he explained. 'To sell at school.'

  Mara seized one as it fell in front of her.

  'A disco!' she exclaimed. 'In the school Army Cadet Hut!'

  'The Electric Shock Band?' asked Margot, raising her eyebrows. 'Who are they?'

  'Us!' announced Chris. 'And a few others, of course,' he added, modestly.

  Sue knew that Chris was a very good trumpet player and that Curly was supposed to be quite good on drums. But –

  'Not you, surely, Mike. You're tone deaf.'

  'I'll be on the door, I expect. Chucker out.'

  They laughed excitedly and talked about the disco. Then Rebecca noticed the date.

  'Oh, Saturday week. I don't think I can come.'

  She would be going to her first county tennis session at Exonford that Saturday afternoon. And there was going to be tea and a video of last year's Wimbledon championships afterwards. Joss Vining had been telling her about it.

  'Oh, what a shame!'

  'Poor Rebecca!' exclaimed Mara. 'Is it your tennis day?'

  'I don't mind,' said Rebecca, truthfully. 'But don't worry, I'll help sell some tickets – I should think a lot of girls will want to go.'

  'It's for Third and Fourth Years mainly,' Chris pointed out. 'Our Fifths are working hard for their mocks at the moment. They wouldn't want to come, anyway.'

  'Same with ours,' said Elf.

  So Robbie won't be there, thought Rebecca, thinking of Tish's brother.