by Anne Digby
Tish, who could look rather boyish with her short dark curly hair, looked very feminine tonight in her best red party dress. In fact, thought Rebecca, she looked beautiful.
When the escorts had arrived in their bow ties and they'd all gone to the dance, Court House suddenly seemed very silent and empty.
Rebecca's cheerfulness deserted her.
She had some books out on the homework table because she'd been planning to do some extra maths. Miss Hort had been terrifying her lately. But she couldn't settle to it. The windows were open on to the courtyard and in the far distance beyond the Hilary she could hear the strains of music coming from the big dining hall. She'd seen the hall earlier and hardly recognized it, alive with flickering Hallowe'en lanterns and streamers and huge silver witches that the seniors had made in the art room.
On impulse she went over to her bed and pulled her new party clothes out from their hiding place under the mattress. She laid them out on the bed and smoothed out the creases and just sat there, staring at them.
She didn't hear the footsteps in the hall.
There was a loud, urgent knock on the door.
'Who is it?' asked Rebecca, startled, bundling up the clothes. 'Come in.'
Somebody kicked the door open.
He stood there, out of breath because he'd been running. His unruly black curls had been plastered down with hair-cream and he wore a proper suit, with a waistcoat. He was holding a bunch of white carnations in his hand. He was tall and he was good-looking, just as Rebecca always pictured him.
'Come on, Rebeck. Get that track suit off and find a dress or something. I'm taking you to the dance.'
It was Robbie Anderson.
SIX
A CAR DISAPPEARS
'Are those some party clothes you're holding now?' he asked.
She'd leapt up, the outfit bundled up, trying to hide it behind her back. The long silk tie that went with the shirt was trailing down to the floor.
'Yes,' admitted Rebecca.
'Fine. Put 'em on, then. I'll go in the TV room and wait for you. Spurs are playing Arsenal. Here –' He thrust the bunch of carnations at her. 'Stick these in some water! 'And then he was gone.
Rebecca rushed around at great speed, not quite sure why, except that Robbie made it seem the most natural thing in the world that she should hurry to change, and go to the dance with him, and that it wasn't up to her to argue! In any case, she didn't especially feel like arguing.
She filled a vase with water and arranged the flowers quickly. Then she hurtled through the kitchen into the laundry room, dragged out the ironing board and pressed her clothes at top speed. In the bathroom she just washed her hands and face – she'd had a hot shower before leaving the sports centre in Exonford – and then put on the long skirt and the pale green shirt and silk tie and the matching waistcoat. She brushed her long fair hair until it gleamed. Then she walked into the common room. Robbie at once leapt to his feet and switched off the T V set.
'Will I do?' she said.
He stared at her.
'You look . . . You look good.'
They walked out of Court House and into the mild evening air. The trees were autumn colours now, but it was almost too dark to see them. As they took the shrub-lined path past the Barringtons' private forecourt, at the side of Court House, Robbie suddenly stopped.
'Hey – look!'
Just a few yards away, on the other side of the shrubs, the light from the Barringtons' front porch shone behind a parked car. It was a long, low graceful silhouette, just a flash of silver here and there where the light caught it.
'It's old Slade's car!' whispered Robbie, dragging Rebecca towards it. He ran his hands along the bonnet in silent worship. 'Don't you just love it?' he exclaimed.
'It – it's very nice,' said Rebecca politely. It had been parked there since the previous night. A lot of the girls had been admiring it. Margaret Exton had even sat inside it.
'But what's it doing here?' asked Robbie, suddenly puzzled. 'He's gone to Oxford for the weekend, some schoolmasters' conference.'
'Mr Barrington's gone to that as well – they've gone together. They went off in Barry's car last night.' Rebecca had seen them go. 'I know Mrs Barrington says that theirs is good on petrol.'
'Not half as much fun to drive though, I bet,' said Robbie, bending over and examining the instrument panel. 'Look at this – he's just dumped it here for the weekend and left the ignition keys in as well . . . and he's my housemaster and he has the nerve to tell me I'm careless with my possessions!' Robbie laughed and touched the keys. 'Come on, Rebecca. I'd love to switch the engine on so you can listen – it's fantastically quiet . . . it purrs . . . it's the best new sports car that's been designed in Britain for about fifty years . . .'
'Better not!' said Rebecca nervously, walking away. 'Come on.'
Robbie tore himself from the car and ran and caught up with her. 'It's made down here in the west country, you know.'
He took her arm because the path was full of potholes and they made for the brightly lit track that led to the main school buildings. As they drew nearer, the sound of music grew more distinct.
'Robbie,' blurted out Rebecca. 'Where's Virginia Slade?'
'At the dance.'
'I thought – Tish said . . .'
'That was weeks ago. She's forgotten all about it. She's there with someone else. I saw them going over there together, just as our school bus turned into the car park.'
'David Driscoll?' asked Rebecca. Poor Robbie!
'Yes.' Robbie tried to sound casual. 'It's my own fault, I should have reminded her. She's got a memory like a sieve. That's one reason she's having to work twice as hard as anybody else for her exams. I haven't seen her for about a month. She hasn't even been coming over home on Sundays.'
Rebecca thought: So it's David she's been seeing all this time – not Robbie! He doesn't seem to realize. Or does he?
They cut round the side of Juniper House and entered the school quadrangle. Music throbbed loudly from the dining hall, underlaid by a babble of voices.
The music and laughter coming from inside, the flickering, grinning Hallowe'en pumpkin lanterns at the windows, drew Rebecca on. She suddenly felt a great excitement. She was longing to go in! She quickened her pace as they crossed the big terrace towards the main doors, which were wide open. But Robbie suddenly pulled her back and stopped dead. His nerve almost failed him.
'I don't know whether I ought to go in or not,' he said.
Rebecca held her breath, waiting in suspense. Her first real dance! Was she going, or wasn't she?
'I wonder how well she knows Driscoll?' Robbie muttered then, under his breath. 'That's something I'd certainly like to know!'
The moment of indecision had passed.
With Rebecca tagging along behind, he marched resolutely into the dance.
Wild horses weren't going to keep him away.
Edward and Tish were sitting this one out, waiting for supper. There were tables all round the dance floor, each laid with cutlery for ten or a dozen people, candles guttering inside hollowed-out turnips. It was the last dance before food was served. Earlier, Tish had found this corner table, well away from the band, where the whole crowd of them could be together and could hear themselves speak if they didn't want to dance. She was enjoying surveying the scene.
'Poor Elf, her partner's treading on her toes. The boy Margot's with doesn't look too bad. Oh, I wish Rebecca had come!'
'Robbie, too!' said Edward. He and Robbie were in the same boarding house, Syon, at Garth College. 'D'you think he'll go off Virginia Slade now?'
'Not a chance!' said Tish.
'Think of the poor sap trudging back to school, with those flowers! I told him he was a fool to miss a party like this! I told him Rebecca had nobody to go with.'
'Not that nobody's asked her!' Tish said loyally. 'You'd be amazed if you knew who did! But she turned him down.'
'Well, spare me the gory details. I just told him that
Rebecca was sitting over at Court twiddling her thumbs and why didn't he go and drag her out and forget all about V. Slade.'
'You didn't! Fancy wishing that on Rebecca!' said Tish scornfully. 'And as if he's going to forget about V. Slade. This'll make him crazier about her than ever.'
And then she froze.
'They're here,' she gasped. 'They've just arrived. Look at that outfit Rebeck's wearing – where did she get it? Oh, Edward, you fool.'
The music stopped and the dancers came off the floor. Sue and Mara and Co. saw Rebecca and Robbie and besieged them, with cries of surprise, and dragged them over to the candlelit table in the corner.
'You're just in time for the food!'
'Rebecca, you've come after all – you look stunning!'
'You dark horse!'
'Hallo, Robbie!'
The next hour was great fun. The twelve of them sat squashed round the table, eating a delicious four course supper by candlelight, cracking jokes, fooling around; the band played a medley of the latest hit tunes the whole time that the meal was in progress. Virginia was far away – her party was sitting right at the opposite end of the hall. Rebecca caught a glimpse of her once through the semidarkness, when somebody moved their head. Robbie didn't seem specially conscious of her.
But Tish seemed rather subdued.
'Sorry, Tish,' said Rebecca, when Robbie went off to see if there were any more blackcurrant flan. 'I can see you think this isn't a good idea.'
'It's a rotten idea. He's just making use of you. And he's going to make himself miserable.'
'But I'm enjoying myself! I'm glad I've come!' Rebecca was disconcerted. 'He's just making the best of things, isn't he? He seems in quite a good mood.'
'It won't last,' Tish said darkly.
And it didn't.
After supper the dancing resumed and a great deal of intermingling went on. There was one awkward moment for Rebecca, when she walked straight into David Driscoll. In all the drama of being swept off to the dance by Robbie, she hadn't given it a thought that her tennis coach had offered to take her and she'd refused. After all, he was taking someone else now!
'Hallo, Rebecca. I thought you didn't like dances,' he said pointedly.
To Rebecca's surprise, there was quite an edge to his voice.
'I – I don't usually,' she said, in some confusion.
He became his usual, calm, courteous self again.
'Well, now you're here,' he smiled, 'I hope you're having a good time. Keep working on those things I showed you this afternoon, won't you? I expect to see a big improvement in a fortnight's time.'
'Oh, yes!' said Rebecca, relieved that he'd changed the subject. 'I will, I promise.'
It was an embarrassing moment but it was the least of Rebecca's problems that evening. The greatest of Rebecca's problems was Robbie.
He'd meant so well. Having invited her to the dance, he fully intended to keep his temper under control. He was going to keep an eye on Virginia Slade and David Driscoll but at the same time see to it that Rebecca had a jolly good time. That's what he intended.
But it didn't work out that way.
As the evening grew late and the music more romantic, Virginia and David seemed inseparable. They danced together, time after time, and she gazed into his eyes with nothing short of adoration. She could hardly fail to be aware of Robbie's presence. For he kept dancing with Rebecca, right past her, eyes smouldering. But she never once looked at him or spoke to him. It was obvious that she either did not remember, or did not care, that she had once promised to let him take her to the dance.
Robbie's conversations with Rebecca sank to the level of grunts and monosyllables. He was in a black mood and it was getting blacker all the time.
Tish could see exactly what was going on.
'Listen you two!' she said brightly, when they returned to the table after a waltz. 'We're all going down to the beach for a while, before the Garth bus goes back. We don't like this draggy music. Why don't you two come!'
'Too cold on the beach,' said Robbie. He was watching the dance floor. Virginia and David were still standing there, even though the music had stopped, waiting for the band to strike up again. She was brushing David's collar for him, with her hand. The band struck up again.
'Come on, Rebecca. Let's dance,' said Robbie.
So the others went down to the beach without them.
By now, Rebecca was longing for the evening to come to an end. What a drag!
At long last there came an announcement over the loudspeakers:
'The Garth College school bus leaves in five minutes. Will all boys who wish to travel on this bus please go round to the main school forecourt now. All good things come to an end, boys! I repeat, the Garth College bus is now leaving . . .'
The hall had been thinning out for some time and now it thinned out still further as boys left to catch the bus and girls went with them to see them off. 'Come on, Robbie,' said Rebecca in relief. He was slumped at their table and seemed to be staring into space. 'You've got to get the bus now . . .'
'I'm not getting the bus,' he grunted. 'I don't want to go yet. It's only three miles. I'll walk back to school – later.'
She realized that he was staring not into space but towards the glass doors that led out on to the terrace. David Driscoll was just taking Virginia through them. She had suggested they go out into the quadrangle gardens for some fresh air. Suddenly, Robbie stood up and pulled Rebecca to her feet.
'Come on. It's stuffy in here. Let's go outside where they're going.'
Rebecca had had enough.
'You can! I'm not! If you think Virginia needs a chaperone, then you go out there and chaperone her yourself!'
That was exactly what Robbie did think.
'I'm sorry, Rebeck,' he said, helplessly. 'But I'm worried about her. She's making a complete fool of herself, throwing herself at Driscoll.'
'I think you ought to go and catch the bus,' Rebecca said, more gently.
'No.' Robbie shook his head. He was in a miserable state. 'I'm going to stick around. But it's late – you're tired. Come on, I'm going to walk you back to Court House now.'
They walked back in silence. At the front door he patted her on the shoulder in an abstracted kind of way. 'Thanks, Rebecca.' She watched him walk away along the shrubbery path, heading back in the direction of the school. The haircream had long since ceased to have any effect and his dark curly hair was standing on end as usual. Her last impression was that he was in a wild state.
When Rebecca got to the room she switched on her bedside lamp, took one of the white carnations out of the vase and smelt it and then lay down on the bed with it. She felt very, very tired. It had been a long and exhausting day.
When Sue and Tish came in they found that she had fallen fast asleep on top of the bed still wearing her party clothes, and clutching the carnation. They gently covered her up with some blankets and put her lamp out.
'I bet she's had a rotten time,' said Sue.
'I bet it's been a real drag,' said Tish.
Soon they were all fast asleep.
Nobody in Court House that night heard Mr Slade's new car being driven away from outside the Barringtons' front door. But, in the morning, it had disappeared.
SEVEN
TENNIS RIVALS
Rebecca did hear something during the night. It wasn't the sound of a car being driven away. It was an odd little noise.
It was after she'd woken up in the darkness, feeling uncomfortable and wondering why her pyjamas felt hot and why the sheets felt rough. Then she realized that she'd fallen asleep fully dressed and wasn't between the sheets, anyway. She groped in the darkness for her bedside lamp and switched it on and then blearily looked at her watch. It was exactly three o'clock in the morning!
Still half asleep, she undressed and got into her pyjamas and flung her party outfit to the floor. She'd fold it up in the morning. Right now she was just aching to get back to sleep!
It was then that she hea
rd the noise, coming from somewhere outside in the courtyard. Squeak – whirrr – squeak . . . squeak – whirrr – squeak . . . squeak – whirrr – squeak . . . It was an eerie little sound. What was it – a bird – a bat? Rebecca shivered and switched off her lamp. Squeak – whirrr – squeak . . . there was the noise again. A trailing creeper rattled against the window. It was strange to think that while they all slept, out there in the darkness the night had a life of its own. For a moment she felt scared. Then she listened to the sound of Tish and Sue's regular breathing coming from the other beds and felt comforted.
She soon went back to sleep again.
'Wake up, Rebeck! Here's a cup of tea!'
It was morning and that was Tish's voice. She and Sue were both up and dressed, in denim jeans and checked shirts, bringing her a cup of tea in bed. They both looked very cheerful.
'Swallow it down and get dressed!' said Sue.
'We'll give you some "Threes" after breakfast, over on the staff tennis court!'
'Will you?' Rebecca sat up and rubbed her eyes, feeling pleased. 'Will you really?'
David Driscoll had told all the members of the squad to play 'Threes' as often as possible, in between training sessions, because it was such good practice. Tish and Sue obliged as often as they could – except that on Sunday mornings they usually liked to laze around.
After an hour's hard tennis practice, Rebecca felt really good again. Tish and Sue wanted her to forget all about the dance and she did. What marvellous friends they were! It was also going to be a beautiful day, surprising for the beginning of November.
'You're getting fantastically good,' said Sue, as they walked back to Court House afterwards. 'The way you get some of those balls back – you're like a gymnast!'
'Bet you'll win your games next Saturday,' said Tish.
'I hope so,' sighed Rebecca. 'It's all going to help decide who goes in the D squad after Christmas! We'll only play if the weather's fine.'
As part of the winter training programme David Driscoll had now arranged a series of friendly matches for the juniors during November, at times when they didn't go to Exonford. The following Saturday the four girls in the squad were to play against Caxton High School, who kept some tennis nets up during the winter. They would then have to report their scores at the next training session.
