Lady in Waiting

by Lady Victoria Hervey

  Camp Monte Leone was nothing if not diverse.

  A young counsellor stood waiting for us to disembark. She was pretty—in her early twenties with golden tanned skin, a wide smile that flashed straight, white teeth and glossy blonde hair pulled into a sleek ponytail. She wore a pair of tan shorts and a blue T-shirt with the Camp’s logo stitched onto the chest.

  “Good afternoon, everyone!” she said in a cheery voice once we had all got off the bus and stood in a row in front of it. “I’m Hannah, one of the counsellors here at Camp Monte Leone, and I wish to give you all a super warm welcome.”

  These counsellors got cheerier every year, I was sure of it.

  Hannah waved her clipboard in the air. “I’m going to get you all taken to your accommodation for your stay with us and get you all settled in. So, first of all, can I have the Seniors, please?”

  The camp was split into four different levels—Juniors, for the eight to nine year olds, Pioneers for the ten to eleven year olds, Champions for the twelve to thirteen year olds, and Seniors, for the fourteen to seventeen year olds. My last year would also be the first that Augustus and I would be in the same group.

  Camp Monte Leone was co-educational, so while boys and girls shared accommodation, it was on different floors, and a lot of the activities were together also.

  Augustus and I stepped forward, along with three others—two boys and a girl. Hannah introduced us to Derek, this gorgeous young guy with dark hair and muscles on his muscles. Derek ticked our names off his list and instructed us to follow him to the Seniors Chalet. We waved goodbye to Louisa, who barely even noticed we had gone as she was too busy chattering like an excited little bird to a girl she had met on the bus.

  The younger groups all housed together in a large chalet, but the Seniors got their own. It made for a lot of late-night parties, room hopping and general mischief, at which I excelled. There were shared rooms of small groups, and on the first floor there were large communal areas. The lounge had huge couches and armchairs I loved to sprawl out on after an energetic day.

  Downstairs there were also a TV room, games room with pool table, a ping-pong table along with a selection of board games also kept us occupied—and out of trouble—in the evenings.

  Most people hung out in the main lodge chalet, but it was nice to chill in your own chalet sometimes, especially at night, and with the people you were rooming with. Camp had a similar feel to boarding at school, and bonds were formed with the people you spent loads of time with.

  The girls’ floor was first, so I got dropped off at my room—number seventy-six—before Augustus. I gave him a smile and a wave as I skipped inside the room I would share with three other girls.

  My room was empty and two of the beds had items on them, so I guessed I was the third resident to arrive. Choosing the free top bunk beside the window, I dumped my suitcase on the floor and moved to the window to peer out.

  The main chalet in all its tall and traditional Swiss beauty took up most of the view. The camp teemed with life and activity, and people were everywhere—carrying sports equipment, running around a football pitch, and I even spotted some horseback riders heading for the trail into the forest. If I was at a different side of the chalet, I would be able to see the almost Olympic-sized pool and the enormous Lake Moubra where sailing boats floated on its crystalline waters.

  Camp Monte Leone was as close to idyllic perfection as any place could be, and I would miss spending my summers here. Many of the campers returned to become counsellors…maybe I could do that, and return during the summer holidays while I was at university.

  God…university.

  It felt like years off, a distant dream that I would never really reach because it was so far away. But it was actually little over a year from happening.

  The door to the bedroom swung open and two laughing girls stepped inside. They paused when they saw me, but soon recovered themselves.

  “Hello, I’m Paulina, and this is Zuzu,” a short brunette girl said. She had a French accent and these huge, beautiful, feline brown eyes. “Have you just arrived?”

  I nodded. “I’m Freddie, lovely to meet you.”

  “You, too,” Zuzu said. Zuzu was only a fraction taller than Paulina, and far less exotic looking. Her nondescript black hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and her cheeks were flushed from exertion. “We’ve just been playing tennis. I’m so out of shape!”

  The best thing about being so active at Mapleton Manor was that I never really found myself getting out of shape.

  “Do you like tennis, Freddie?” Paulina asked. She crossed the room to a bed and dropped her sweatshirt onto it.

  “Yes, I do. Horseback riding is more my thing, though,” I said. I moved to the vacant bottom bunk below my own bed and sat down, folding my legs beneath me. “When did you two arrive? Last week?”

  Zuzu shook her head. “Just a few days. Have you been here before?”

  I gave her a wry smile. “It’s my fourth summer.”

  Zuzu’s and Paulina’s eyes widened. “Wow! This is our first year. Zuzu and I go to school together in Paris, and we begged our parents to send us here,” Paulina said. She turned to give Zuzu a wink. “Freddie here can show us the ropes.”

  A laugh bubbled in my throat. ”How old are you two anyway?”

  “Fourteen,” they chorused.

  Fourteen seemed young to be showing them the hidden secrets of Camp Monte Leone…but then again I had been fourteen when I had sneaked my first drink here.

  It was this weird Swiss Absinthe that I’d had two sips of then had thrown up in the bushes.

  I hadn’t touched any other alcohol for the rest of the summer.

  “I suppose I could show you a few things. But really, it’s pretty cool here anyway. The counsellors here are all in their early twenties so they’re a lot of fun. The discos twice a week run for the Seniors, and they aren’t, like, totally strict while we’re there.”

  Zuzu grinned. “Sounds brilliant! We went to the disco a few nights ago, but there was hardly anyone there.”

  “It will get busier. How long are you two here for?” I asked.

  “For the whole summer,” Zuzu said.

  “Me, too,” I said. “By the end of July things will really get going because that’s when the camp is at its busiest.”

  “What’s the best thing to do here? What do you look forward to doing every year?” Paulina asked. She had an inquisitive nature, but I found it charming. Better that she was friendly and inquisitive than aloof and hostile.

  “The camping, for sure. We build fires, toast marshmallows and tell ghost stories. It’s super fun. And the boys go, too. You go in groups and there’s always a big camping trip at the end of camp.”

  “The boys?” Paulina asked, her big eyes widening even more. “Zuzu, the boys go, as well!”

  Zuzu rolled her eyes, but cracked a smile at her friend. “Yes, so I heard, Paulina.” Zuzu walked across the room to a cupboard and pulled out a wash bag. “I’m going to go grab a shower before dinner.”

  Once Zuzu had left the room, Paulina sprawled out on her stomach on her bed and flicked through a French teen magazine. I took the opportunity to unpack my things, hang up my clothes and arrange my cosmetics.

  Dorm life was usually on the cramped side, with each girl arguing over every available surface, drawer or hanging space. I noticed that Zuzu and Paulina had already claimed most of the shelves under the mirror. If they wanted this to be a peaceful communal space, they would have to realise there were more people than just the two of them now.

  It took no time at all to get myself settled. Zuzu returned from her shower, and she and Paulina set about giving me their life history.

  Which was actually quite extraordinary.

  They both originated from Zaire, in Africa. Their families had fled because of the war, leaving all their possessions behind. They’d escaped to Belgium, where they had family, before moving on to France.

  They were very sweet
girls, so lively and full of good spirits, but so very young too. I left them to their girlish antics as they struggled to decide what to wear to the disco, and headed across the camp to the main chalet where the dining room was.

  The dining room was gorgeous, with huge, panoramic views of the camp and the picturesque landscape beyond. I joined the end of the already lengthening line, and felt my stomach rumble at the sight of all the delicious food.

  When it was my turn, I was served by a smiling gentleman in a white chef’s coat with the camp’s emblem on the chest, checked trousers and a white cap. I went mad helping myself to the home baking. The pastries, breads and cakes were second only to Aimee’s. I carried my tray to one of the empty round tables. There were no seating arrangements in the dining hall and we were free to sit where we liked. Most people usually sat with their groups anyway.

  Augustus came in a short while later, laughing with a group of boys. He gave me a short, distracted wave and I had to smile—he was far too cool to be seen with his older sister now, it seemed.

  Louisa didn’t even see me.

  The dining room began to fill up, and I spotted Paulina and Zuzu arrive with a handful of chattering girls.

  “Hey, is this seat taken?” A tray landed on the table with a loud clatter, making me jump a mile out of my skin. A girl of about my age with dark blonde hair, a lean build and an American accent dropped down into the chair beside me. Clearly not waiting for an actual reply, she started tucking into her lush green salad.

  “Uh, no, not it’s not,” I said, lifting my eyebrows at her brashness.

  “Thank God. Otherwise I’d totally be stuck over there with the prepubescent crowd.” She rolled her eyes. “So who are you?”

  “I’m Freddie. Who are you?” Done with my meal, I dropped my napkin onto my plate and sat back in my chair. This girl, however candid and frank she may be, was a curiosity.

  “Amber. I’m from Wisconsin.”

  “I’m from all over. Born in England, but my family now live in Monaco.”

  “Sweet, I bet it’s great for shopping there.”

  My lips twitched with a smile. “Yes, it is quite. How are you enjoying the camp?”

  Amber shrugged and made a not very impressed face. “It’s okay, I guess. I sort of thought there would be more going on than there is.”

  I laughed, short and loud. “What else could you possibly want? Haven’t you found any sort of activities that you enjoy?”

  “I just figured there would be more of an underground scene than there is.” Amber slid her eyes over me, her gaze cool and assessing—she seemed to see right through me to my bones. “You look like a girl that knows what the score is. You can hook me up, right?”

  I could indeed hook her up. The truth of it was, it was spectacularly easy to get away with things here. The counsellors who were in charge of us wanted to find their own fun as much as we did. Which made for easy stealthy parties.

  “I can,” I said. “Are you planning on going to the disco tonight?”

  Amber nodded. “I’ll be there, for all its Whitney Houston glory.”

  “Good,” I said with a grin. “When there’s ten minutes to go before the end, meet me outside and I’ll walk back to the Senior chalet with you. We’ll find something.”

  Amber’s eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “Why ten minutes before the end?”

  “If you leave too early it’s suspicious. If you leave right at the end, you have more of a risk of getting caught sneaking in places you shouldn’t.”

  “And just where is it we shouldn’t be sneaking in?”

  I smiled. “You’ll have to wait and see.” Picking up my tray, I stood and flashed Amber a wink. “See you tonight.”

  Paulina and Zuzu were typical fourteen-year-old girls as they got ready for that night’s disco. They chattered and giggled and plastered on far too much makeup and insisted on wearing platform shoes they could barely walk in. I watched them with amusement, smiling at their innocent naïvety.

  “Are you coming, Freddie?” Zuzu asked as she and Paulina picked up their tiny handbags, ready to leave the room.

  “I’ll be there shortly,” I said as I applied a coat of mascara. “Save me a dance!”

  Paulina giggled. “Will do.”

  The pair left the room, but I could still hear their shrieking laughter as it bounced off the walls of the corridor. Other girls my age might have been annoyed at their immaturity, but I found them charming.

  I finished getting ready but I hung around in the room for another half an hour. It was practically social suicide to be seen at a disco during its first hour. When it was time, I headed outside to the main lodge.

  Music thumped as I approached, Peter Andre telling the world about this Mysterious Girl he wanted to get close to. As I entered, the room was full of people, a mixture of girls and boys and older teenagers. The discos were only for the Seniors, and ran until ten o’clock, eleven on a Saturday night.

  I wandered over to the refreshment stand and got myself lemonade, which was almost knocked out of my hand as a body collided with mine.

  “Freddie, Freddie, Freddie!”

  Immediately recognising the voice to be that of Gabrielle, my Australian friend, I flung my arms around her shoulders. Gabrielle was gorgeous—almost as tall as me, with shapely legs and fantastic body shape, long, glossy brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes.

  “Oh my gosh! How are you?” I asked, unable to keep the enormous smile off my face. Gabrielle and I had been coming to Camp Monte Leone together for years, but she had been unsure whether or not she’d be able to attend this year. I was ecstatic to see my friend. She was just as mad and excitable as I was, and always made the summers memorable.

  “Hi, Gabrielle,” Paulina said as she and Zuzu approached us. “Freddie, have you met Gabrielle before?”

  Gabrielle and I exchanged a glance. “Just once or twice,” I said in a teasing voice.

  Paulina’s eyes lit up. “Oh good, so you’re already friends! Gabrielle is our new roommate. She only just got here and Zuzu and I met her when we had to run back to our room.” Paulina leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I forgot my lip gloss! Sacrè bleu!”

  I whirled back around to face Gabrielle. “Wait a minute—you’re the new roommate?”

  Her eyes widened. “I guess I am!”

  We both let out an excited squeal and threw our arms around each other. We probably looked as silly and immature as Zuzu and Paulina had earlier, but in that moment I couldn’t have cared less. Gabrielle and I had waited years to be roommates, and in our final year it had finally happened!

  Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince boomed across the speaker system and I snatched Gabrielle’s hand to pull her onto the dance floor for a celebratory boogie. We shook our hips and tossed our hair like the best of them, laughing and giggling as though no time had passed at all since we had last seen each other.

  After an hour or so, Amber found us. Gabrielle and I had sat down at one of the tables to grab a drink since we had danced ourselves silly. I stood up when I saw Amber approaching, and gave her a quick hug and peck on the cheek.

  “I’ve looked for you all night, I thought maybe you weren’t coming,” I said.

  Amber smiled. “And miss this awesome party? Not a chance in hell, sweetie. Who is this?” she asked, glancing at Gabrielle.

  “I’m Gabrielle, nice to meet you,” Gabrielle said as she also stood.

  “Likewise,” Amber said. “Are you one of these girls who knows what’s what?”

  Gabrielle arched a solitary eyebrow. “I’m one of the girls who started the what’s what.”

  For a second Amber did nothing—barely even reacted to Gabrielle’s bold claim. But then a slow smile spread across her mouth and she gave her a nod of recognition. “Glad to hear I met the right girls, then.”

  After that, Gabrielle and Amber chatted like they were lifelong friends, swapping stories. Amber ate the ones up about camp, loving all the tales of mischief we go
t up to. Even though I had only met her that evening, I knew I was going to like Amber, and hopefully would stay in touch with her for a long time afterwards. She was bold and confident and I couldn’t help but admire those qualities.

  The three of us danced the night away—part of the night, anyway—with more people joining our little group. Some Gabrielle and I already knew, others we didn’t, like two gorgeous American boys.

  By nine-thirty, the numbers at the disco slowly started to dwindle. Not enough to be noticeable and slowly enough that there wasn’t a mass departure.

  At nine-forty-five Amber, Gabrielle and I bade our counsellors goodnight and ambled outside like we had all the time in the world. When we were clear of the main chalet, we glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then darted off towards the forest that almost surrounded the camp. There were some trails that were used for hiking or horse treks, but there was an overgrown one that not many knew existed.

  But Gabrielle and I did.

  A few hundred yards into the forest was a disused cabin. No one knew how long it had been there, but we concluded that the camp had used it for a time as there was dusty sporting equipment—old enough that my father probably hadn’t even used it—littered around the place.

  The cabin’s history mattered little to us—we only cared that it was the perfect place for us to hang out away from the camp and enjoy a drink or two. I pushed open the creaky door to the cabin and stepped inside. There were maybe twenty other people already inside, a couple of whom raised their hands in a wave or flashed us smiles.

  Someone had set up a portable CD player and the worst trance music known to mankind belted through the speakers. There was a thick cloud of cigarette smoke in the air. A bottle of vodka was being offered around, and both Amber and Gabrielle swallowed a large gulp when they got their hands on it. I did the same then quickly passed it on, my eyes watering from the taste.