Lady in Waiting

by Lady Victoria Hervey

  She squealed and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “I can’t wait. Do you think there will be any good-looking boys for me?”

  “I think we should tell Fenella off if there aren’t,” Athena said.

  Annie laughed. “What about you, Freddie? Are any boys on your radar?”

  For a brief second, Peter’s face flashed in my mind. God, why am I still thinking about him? I forced a smile and shook my head.

  “You know, you never did tell us what happened with that boy from the end of term dance last year,” Athena said, giving me a keen look.

  My cheeks flushed. “I did, I told you that I couldn’t see him when we went back out to the dance. These things happen, I guess.”

  “Hmm,” Athena said, clearly not believing a word I’d said.

  “Uh, guys…” Annie said slowly. “What’s that?”

  I followed her pointed finger and saw two cars speeding up the drive towards the school. With flashing lights on the roof.

  There was a split second when it didn’t properly sink in what I was looking at. Then someone swore very loudly and we all jumped to our feet and scrambled back down into my room.

  We had just closed the window when the handle of my door turned. “Quick! Hide!” I whispered as loud as I dared. I dived into my bed and pulled the covers up to my chin to disguise the fact I had just been outside and was clearly not in my pyjamas.

  Annie hid on the floor between my bed and the wall, and Athena stood behind the door, squeezing herself into the small space.

  Housemistress poked her head into the room. “Frederica, are you all right?”

  “Yes, I am. Why?” I asked, trying to make my voice seem groggy as though she had woken me up.

  “I don’t want to alarm you, but there is an intruder in the House. The police are here now, so don’t worry. They will take care of everything.”

  “An intruder?” I exclaimed. “Whatever makes you think that?”

  “We heard them on the roof. They loosened some shingles and one broke, alerting me to their presence. I heard them creeping around up there so I called the police right away. But do not worry yourself, Frederica. I have every faith the police will catch the criminals.”

  Housemistress gave me a smile and closed my door again.

  I rolled over to peer down at Annie who lay curled up on my bedroom floor. “Well, I found the intruder first.”

  “Bugger,” Annie swore.

  It was a few weeks later that the three of us sneaked out to get the train to London and join Fenella for the party at King’s Cross. We knew nothing about it except it was an all-night sort of thing and hundreds of people were going.

  Annie bounced around in excitement in her seat on the train, much to Athena’s annoyance—she was so cool she could chill the sun. Fenella met us at the station again, and took us to another friend’s flat to get ready. Like always, we were wearing our party clothes, and so only needed to put the finishing touches to our makeup.

  Before we left, Fenella passed us each a rolled-up sleeping bag.

  “What are these for, Fenella?” Annie asked her as she accepted her sleeping bag.

  “Yeah, what sort of party are we going to that we need sleeping bags?” Athena asked with a bemused look on her face.

  Fenella laughed. “You’ll see. Trust me.”

  Our trust in Fenella slowly dwindled the closer we got to the party. No one gave us strange looks, though strange we did indeed look, four girls dressed up in party dresses and carrying a sleeping bag each, but then again, it was London after all.

  Fenella led us down a narrow side street to a large abandoned warehouse that looked as though it had seen better days. It was dark—I could barely even see the end of my nose. Athena’s hand was in mine as we huddled together and I tried not to wonder if my friend had lost her mind.

  She pulled open a heavy metal door and ushered us quickly inside.

  “This is how every horror film starts, you know,” Annie whispered from behind us. “Just wait—some chainsaw-wielding maniac will jump out and hack us all to pieces.”

  “Shut up, Annie!” Athena hissed through her teeth.

  “But it’s true!”

  “I will hack you to pieces if you don’t give it a rest!”

  We followed Fenella down a corridor and across a metal walkway. Our footsteps echoed around the empty building, eerie and haunting. The deeper into the building we ventured, the louder I could hear a thump of music.

  Fenella threw open another door, and this time, the rush of music almost knocked me to my knees. In the sunken pit below was a writhing mass of bodies, crammed together like fish in a net as they danced to the music.

  She found a place to stash our sleeping bags, then gestured to follow her down the wrought-iron twisting staircase to the party below.

  Everywhere I looked it was crowded. Some hot or sweaty person or other pushed against me as we navigated the scores of bodies. Annie, Athena and I exchanged looks, but no one said anything for fear of upsetting Fenella.

  We stayed glued to each other, none of us even daring to try and find a toilet as God only knew how disgusting it would have been. So we danced and tried to have a good time, but I knew the other two, like me, were counting down the hours until we could leave.

  Drugs were being passed around and we declined them every time. Loads of people were completely off their face and it just made me want to leave all the more.

  We didn’t even have a drop of alcohol.

  When we were able to convince Fenella to call it a night, she led the way into another room where there was just a sea of bodies laid out on the floor, with tons and tons of sleeping bags all crammed together.

  It was the worst night’s—or few hours’—sleep I had ever had.

  I think we were all relieved when we could leave for the train station the next morning. It was the first time we’d journeyed back to Mapleton Manor without a horrific hangover, so the change was quite refreshing. Even if I did feel like I had been coated in filth.

  “I can’t wait for a shower,” Athena grumbled as the train doors closed and we left the station.

  “And me.”

  “And me,” Annie agreed. “I might have two.”

  “And me.”

  “And me.” I picked at the corner of my nail, flicking a piece of nail polish away.

  “Are you okay, Freddie?” Athena asked. “You’re quieter than normal this morning.”

  The truth of it was, the King’s Cross party had been somewhat of an eye opener. Was sneaking out of Mapleton Manor to go to a party like that even worth it? I’d had an awful time. I was pretty sure someone had lifted the twenty pound note out of my pocket and it was the grottiest and grossest place I had ever been.

  “I was just thinking that maybe I should pull back on the partying for a bit,” I said quietly. “That place was disgusting.”

  “Tell me about it,” Athena agreed. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to just chill out for a while. Fenella will understand. She can’t expect you to go running down there every time she asks you to. Besides, isn’t she thinking about going to St Finbars too? You’ll be together for another four years before you know it.”

  Athena’s words, while well meant, gave me an uncomfortable squirm in my stomach. Another four years…

  I shook my head to clear my thoughts and forced a smile. “You’re right. And she will understand, I’m sure.”

  “I just can’t wait for Christmas,” Annie said as she stretched out on her seat. “Two whole weeks in Aviemore.”

  Athena nodded. “It was so nice of Harriet to invite us, though it’s a shame Jemima and Alicia have to miss it. I wonder what her family is like. Have either of you met any of them?”

  Annie and I shook our heads. “Her brother was supposed to be at the dance last year, but I don’t think he turned up,” Annie said.

  “Typical boy,” I said with a teasing smile. “I just can’t wait to get out on the mountain. I’ve missed skiing.”
/>   “Hmm. I’ve missed sitting by log-burner fires and sipping hot chocolate,” Athena said.

  Annie and I groaned and rolled our eyes at her. Athena made a very unladylike gesture and slid down in her seats, closing her eyes for a nap. Annie soon did the same, and it was just me left alone with my thoughts.

  Aviemore would be the perfect escape for me to try and clear my head. To try to figure out just what I wanted to do with my life. I was eighteen now—I wasn’t a little kid anymore. But it was clear that no matter what I decided, someone would be unhappy.

  Did I want that someone to be me?

  It was a chilly morning. The moon was still out and the last dark remnants of the night hadn’t dispersed yet. I hopped from foot to foot as I hugged my arms around myself. Athena was around the side of the building, sneaking a sly cigarette. Annie and Cassandra huddled close together to ward off the cold air and Harriet was a bundle of uncontained excitement.

  “I can’t wait until you all see the chalet,” Harriet said with a wide smile. “It’s huge! And so pretty. We’re going to have a fantastic holiday, I can just feel it.”

  “I love Aviemore,” Athena said as she rounded the building. “The night skiing there is amazing.”

  “Tell me about, I can’t wait,” I agreed. I had always loved skiing—we had enjoyed many a family holiday to ski resorts and Mummy had always fretted dreadfully because Augustus and I would disappear all day.

  Mummy had sent all my equipment over the week before so I didn’t have to bother with renting anything.

  “How long until your parents get here, Harriet?” Annie asked as her teeth chattered.

  Harriet checked her watch. “Any minute now, I think.”

  “That’s what you said an hour ago,” Cassandra grumbled.

  Harriet, in all her excited glory, had pestered us relentlessly until we’d finally crawled out of bed. It was an early start to the day anyway, but Harriet had insisted we get up even earlier just in case her parents were here pronto.

  They weren’t.

  And now we were on the verge of revolt.

  “Oh, look!” Harriet cried. “They’re coming!”

  We all turned to see a vehicle creep up the drive.

  Thank God! “Guys, I’m going to run to the loo quickly before we get going.”

  Athena nodded in acknowledgement and started to pick up her gear.

  I hurried inside to the bathroom. The drive to Aviemore could take around ten hours…not including breaks. In the past when I’d visited, we had driven overnight so it hadn’t felt as long, or we’d flown straight in from Monaco. Today would be a special kind of torture.

  My backpack was stock full of snacks, drinks and a couple of books. The reading for my English Literature class this year was incredible, and I was looking forward to reading most of them. I was in the middle of Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks and I was completely in love with it. Also tucked away in my bag was The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.

  When I returned outside, the girls were busy loading their gear into a comfortable looking people carrier. I touched Harriet’s shoulder so she knew I had returned as I grabbed my backpack up off the ground.

  “Good, you’re here,” she said with a smile. She gestured to the two people who were busy filling up the rear of the car. It was starting to look as though we had packed for a six-month excursion. “This is my father, Glen, and my mother, Julia.”

  “Hello,” Glen said.

  “Lovely to meet you,” Julia said.

  “You too. Can I help?” I asked them.

  Julia shook her head. “We’ve got it, don’t worry. You had best go find a seat, I think the others have already started squabbling.”

  Why didn’t that surprise me?

  “Where’s Pan?” Harriet asked.

  “Trying to get the radio to work,” Glen said. “All we got was static on the drive over here.”

  Harriet grabbed my hand and tugged me to the front of the people carrier. “You have to meet my brother. All the girls love him, though I can’t for the life of me understand why.”

  I laughed. “All sisters feel that way, I imagine. I’ll probably be the same about Augustus.”

  Harriet opened the passenger door at the front seat to reveal a boy crouched over and tinkering with a mass of exposed wires under the dashboard. “What on earth are you doing?” she asked curiously.

  “Ensuring I don’t have to listen to girlish chatter for the next ten hours,” he said. “The radio is broken and I’m trying to fix it.”

  A shiver crept up my spine. There was something familiar about that voice. I couldn’t quite place it, but a billion butterflies took flight in my stomach when I heard it.

  “Ha ha,” Harriet groaned. “I wanted to introduce you to my friend.”

  “I met them all.”

  “Not this one. She was in the loo when you got here.”

  “Good. Thinking ahead and being considerate of others—I like her already.”

  Harriet swatted his shoulder. “Will you just get up, please?”

  The boy huffed and sat back upright. He looked at Harriet with an exasperated look on his face. The boy slid his green eyes over to mine and I watched them, in a disjointed sort of way, widen in recognition. “Freddie.”

  Harriet glanced between Peter and I. “Do you two know each other?”

  “No,” I said quickly. My heart pounded in my chest at his sudden appearance in my life. Blood roared behind my ears and I wanted to be far, far away from the situation. “We met very briefly at the dance last term.”

  “You never said you had met my brother,” Harriet said.

  “I didn’t know he was,” I said, unable to help but give Peter an accusing glance.

  “And I didn’t know she was your friend.”

  “Did you know that Jemima was?” The question was out of my mouth before I’d even known I was going to ask it. Stupid mouth.

  “What?” Peter asked with a frown.

  I shook my head and plastered on a fake smile. “I’m going to find a seat,” I told Harriet.

  She nodded and followed me as I turned and fled like the hounds of hell were snapping at my ankles.

  I jumped inside the people carrier, ducking my head at the last minute so I didn’t whack my head off the roof. I’d topped out at five feet eleven and I thought I was finally done with growing. Most of the seats were taken. My friends occupied the first two rows of seats and in the third there was a lone grey backpack—the only backpack that I had never seen before—on the double seat.

  Ten hours sitting next to Peter…hearing him potentially talk about Jemima… No thanks.

  Harriet was about to take her seat next to Athena. I grabbed her arm and tried to wipe the terrified look off my face. “Would you mind if I stole your seat? The only other one is in the back and I might get car sick.”

  Harriet frowned. “Seriously? But you travel everywhere.”

  I nodded. “True, but I usually have tablets that help but I forgot them.”

  “We’re still here, you can run up and grab them.”

  “Er, I meant that I have run out of them. Please, Harriet?”

  She glanced past me and I could sense another argument was coming. I felt awful—she obviously didn’t want to be stuck sitting next to her brother all day. But however much she didn’t want that, I wanted it considerably less for myself.

  “You don’t want to be in a car that reeks of vomit, do you, Harriet?” Athena asked from her seat.

  Harriet cringed. “Uh, no. Definitely not. Fine, Freddie, you can have my seat.”

  Athena scooted over from her window seat and patted it. “Sit here, Freddie.”

  I heaved a sigh of relief and scrambled over her to the seat. I hugged my backpack to my chest and felt like I had just dodged a bullet. My gaze was pulled to the front seat, where Peter was twisted around to look at me. A confused, almost hurt look radiated in his eyes. I knew he understood what had just
happened—that I had just thrown a fit to get out of sitting beside him.

  But what did he expect?

  Stupid boy.

  A few minutes later, the car was fully loaded, Harriet and Peter had taken their seats and someone slammed the doors closed.

  “What’s going on?” Athena whispered once we’d started going.

  “Nothing, why?” I asked, twisting my fingers.

  “You’re on edge. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No,” I whispered. I leaned my head against the cool glass of the window and closed my eyes. My body was taut with adrenaline and tension. How on earth was I going to get through two weeks of living in the same house as Peter?

  It wasn’t fair…I felt cheated and blindsided.

  Most of all, I was so, so glad that Jemima had gone on a holiday abroad with her family.

  I hadn’t intended on falling asleep, I had just wanted to put an end to the questions. But the soft murmur of my friends’ voices as they chatted in the dark car must have lulled me to sleep.

  The next thing I knew, a hand gently shook my shoulder, coaxing me awake. I prised open my eyelids, and had a near heart attack when I saw Peter’s face was mere inches from mine.

  I swore and reared backwards, smacking my head on the window. “Ouch,” I mumbled.

  “Are you all right?” Peter asked, his eyebrows pulled together in concern.

  “Fine, fine,” I said in a hurry. Glancing around, I saw that the car was empty save the two of us. A quick look out of the window confirmed we were at a service station. It was full light now, and a soft sprinkle of rain fell from the grey skies. “Where is everyone?”

  “Inside,” Peter said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “I only woke you in case you wanted to get something to eat, or use the loo or something.”

  “Right, yes, of course.” I stood up and damn near body-checked him out of my way. “Thank you.” I practically vaulted out of the car and hurried up the steps into the service station.

  “Wait, hang on a second,” Peter called. He jogged to catch up with me, rushing ahead to hold the door open. Peter motioned for me to go in. “I don’t want to push you, but I can’t help but think I’ve done something wrong. Is everything okay?”