Will was laughing in delight, using his phone to snap a photo of the big moment. Kit glanced at him, and he gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Her heart beat even faster.
“Okay, whoa, now I’m stopping,” she said, gently pulling back on the reins. “Let’s not go crazy.”
TK obediently stopped.
Will moved forward to grip the bridle, smiling the biggest smile Kit had ever seen on his face. She refused to blow things at this point, and, controlling her urge to leap down and run away, she steadied her nerves and slipped her feet from the stirrups. Carefully, she swung her right leg up and over TK’s rump until it paralleled her left leg, then let her weight pull her down until she landed on the ground safe and sound. “I did it!” she told Will, as if he hadn’t been right there the whole time.
Will showed her the photo. “And nobody can say you didn’t.”
It was getting close to bonfire time, but Anya had other things on her mind — like making another Guy. She had searched everywhere she could think of for the Rose Cottage Guy, but he had simply vanished. It wasn’t her fault! Elaine, though, would never believe that, so her only hope was to build another one. In about twenty minutes. It was a totally ridiculous idea, but she could come up with no acceptable alternative.
Carrying a bundle of straw and her bag of art supplies, she dashed down the main building hallway and barreled into Josh. “Pardon me!” she cried without stopping.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Building an emergency Guy!”
“Sorry you have to start again!” he called after her.
Anya stopped dead. She turned around. “How do you know?”
“Oh, uh, I, er, umm . . .” Josh stammered, looking caught out. “You must have messed up the last one pretty large.”
Anya’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you say that?”
“No reason, I just . . .” Josh shrugged. “You know.”
Anya’s eyes narrowed even more. “How’s your romance with Violet?”
“Great!” Josh said. “Yeah, she’s great. Kind of chews weird but . . . um . . .”
Then he ran.
“Josh!” Obviously he was up to something, but Anya couldn’t worry about it now. She grasped her armload of straw more firmly and resumed her own quest.
Elaine made one last tour of the refreshment tent. The bonfire was being prepared outside in the field, and the Guy judging would take place in the dining hall. The main party was going to happen in here, her domain.
Everything appeared ready as she strode between the long tables, double-checking every item. The white tent was enormous, completely enclosed from the weather, and brightly lit by an array of bulbs and fairy lights. She had placed the long refreshment table to one side, where it practically groaned under the weight of filled punch bowls and platters heaped with everything from caramel apples to biscuits to fruit tarts. Colorful balloons and Chinese lanterns added another layer of gaiety to the place. All in all, Elaine was pleased. Of course, there was room for improvement. There always was. But given her measly budget and totally incompetent “helpers,” she felt she had done the best job possible.
The first student revelers arrived. She instantly took charge. “Right this way,” she greeted them. “First-Formers over there — no, don’t touch the food!” Why did people always go straight for the food? It was so impolite! “There will be a bell when it’s time to eat. Thank you. Can you find Anya?” Elaine said to one of her helpers. “I need to approve our Guy.”
The helper nodded and left.
Kit hurried into the tent with Will. She spied the plate of s’mores on the refreshment table. “You have got to try these,” she said with a giggle, still high from her successful ride. Will hadn’t stopped smiling since, either.
Josh sauntered up to Will. “Dude, can you talk to me for a minute?”
“Not now,” Will said, but Josh hissed and gestured for him to follow. “Sorry, Kit,” Will said as he left.
The second he was gone, the tablecloth overhang parted to reveal Anya. She was hiding under the refreshment table! “Psst! Is the coast clear?” she whispered to Kit.
Kit crouched down. “Did you drop something?”
“I’ve totally botched this,” Anya fretted. “I don’t know what to do. Our Guy is missing! I looked everywhere. I tried to make one, but it’s a total disaster.” She saw the s’more in Kit’s hand. “Give me one of those s’more thingies. I want to taste one before I die.”
Kit handed it to her. “What do you mean, missing?”
“Vanished! Elaine is going to kill me.”
“Not gonna lie, that is a possibility,” Kit said. “But who would have taken it? It doesn’t make any sense.”
One of Elaine’s helpers tapped on a gong. The sound, deep and booming, filled the tent. “Lady Covington is ready to choose a winner!” Elaine announced. “Everyone, to the dining hall for the judging!” She headed out, grumbling to the gong girl, “Anya better have made a good Guy. Otherwise, she’s going to pay for it.”
When most of the students had left the tent, Kit helped Anya out from under the table. “I didn’t know the end was going to look like this,” Anya moaned through a mouthful of s’more.
“How’s your last meal?” Kit asked.
In the face of doom, Anya managed a huge smile. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted!”
The two of them attacked the s’more plates, grabbing as many as they could hold. It was only logical to assume that Anya would need lots of sugar and gooey goodness to withstand Elaine’s wrath.
Kit certainly didn’t intend to end up walking beside Elaine as the students made their way to the dining hall for the Guy judging. She wasn’t even sure how it had happened. And when Lady Covington appeared, stabbing both girls with a stare that could have stopped a zombie, Kit realized that she was being given a golden opportunity for revenge. Oh, this is going to be great! she thought merrily. Elaine doesn’t know I rode TK yet!
“Miss Whiltshire,” greeted the headmistress. “Miss Bridges.”
Kit watched Elaine’s pale face get even paler. “Lady Covington . . . exciting evening, isn’t it?”
Kit could feel Elaine desperately trying to turn the conversation away from what she still thought was a failed job. She suppressed a grin, thinking, Elaine probably wants to faint right about now!
“I would like a progress report,” said Lady Covington, “not about the exciting evening but about the work that you two are doing together.”
Bingo! Kit thought. Here it comes! She kept her expression neutral while Elaine fidgeted. “Well, I . . . I tried —”
“And wow, did she succeed!” Kit cut in. “I got on TK!” So there, Miss Perfection. I just saved your sorry bee-hind!
As Kit expected, Elaine’s eyes widened at this news. “You did?”
If Lady Covington noticed Elaine’s shock, she didn’t show it. “Really?” she said, pleased. “Well, of course you’ll continue working together as it seems to be going so well.”
Kit felt like reality had just warped. Wait, what? Her success was supposed to fulfill the requirements of the job and put a stop to this work-with-Elaine nonsense!
Elaine definitely thought the same. “Lady Covington, I really don’t —”
But Lady Covington was already walking into the dining hall.
Sparks flew from Elaine’s eyes as she scowled at Kit before following the headmistress.
Kit just stamped her foot. Not fair, not fair, not fair!
Kit slipped into the dining hall as Lady Covington was stepping up to the podium. “Good evening, students.”
Everyone quieted down. Kit went to stand by Anya and Josh. She could see Elaine across the way, standing next to Nav. She really didn’t want to see Elaine ever again, but there was no chance of that.
“I’m sure you’re all anxious to get to the judging,” said Lady Covington, “so without further ado, let us begin. Reveal the candidates!”
A set of
long double doors normally separated the dining hall from the student lounge. These doors now opened to reveal a row of chairs. Each chair bore a sign with a house name on it. However, only two chairs actually contained Guys: Rose Cottage and Juniper Cottage.
The Juniper Cottage Guy wore a Bingham Academy uniform along with a gray wig, glasses, and a painted prissy female face. The Rose Cottage Guy was nothing short of an embarrassment. Kit had seen scarecrows that looked better. Poor Anya. She’d actually resorted to pinning her pink, frilly fascinator onto its bulbous, misshapen head. Its felt-tipped facial features seemed frozen in finger-in-the-light-socket shock.
A collective gasp erupted from the crowd.
After making a series of unladylike noises of surprise and confusion, Lady Covington demanded, “Would somebody please explain the meaning of this? There should be a dozen.”
Elaine had a stricken look on her face, as though she were imagining seeing the word REJECTED stamped across her future college application forms. “I’m dead,” she moaned to the ceiling.
Anya winced, leaning in to whisper to Kit, “I’m dead!”
“Where are the rest of them?” the headmistress asked.
Having no one else to complain to, Elaine turned to Nav and fretted, “She’s going to blame me.”
Lady Covington said, “We’re missing Violet Cottage, Alder House, Clover —”
“Excuse me, ma’am,” Josh said hesitantly. “I need to say something. . . .”
Before Josh could spill the beans, Nav piped up, “Lady Covington! If I may, we’ve narrowed down the entries through a prescreening and voting process.”
Elaine didn’t buy it. “I call foul play!” Then she hissed, “Nav, what —?”
Nav said, “She can’t blame you if there’s nothing to blame you for.”
“Excuse me, Navarro,” said Lady Covington, “might that be a Bingham uniform on your house’s Guy?”
“It certainly is, my lady.”
“Goodness me. If I didn’t know better, I would say that Guy bears a striking resemblance to Headmistress Branson.” To everyone’s amazement, Lady Covington giggled. She giggled!
Nav saw the opening and went for it. “What a coincidence that our Guy should depict our biggest rival!” He said the last part right in Elaine’s face as if daring her to reveal the layers and layers of obvious “prankage” that must have occurred.
Lady Covington resumed her analysis of the two Guys. “Well, the Rose Cottage entrant is a bit of a dog’s breakfast. I’m rather surprised it made it through your prescreening process.”
Nav chose to say nothing at this point, while Anya looked like she wanted to cry.
“Juniper Cottage is awarded ten points!”
The boys from Juniper Cottage let out a collective roar, most of them probably just glad to have emerged from the judging alive.
Done with her duty, Lady Covington shooed them all away. “Off to your bonfire! Enjoy yourselves, though not too much, and remember the curfew does remain at twenty-two hundred hours. Sharp!”
The majority of the students had no idea what had just taken place, but it was over now, so they filed out the door in a rather low mood, suspicious as to where their Guys had all gone. The Juniper boys, however, whooped and yelled as they hoisted up their Guy and ran out at full speed to chuck the poor dummy into the flames.
The Juniper Guy burned in glory as Kit and the others stood around the bonfire roasting marshmallows on sticks.
Josh insisted on taking an unthinkable shortcut: “You just stick it in the fire and then blow it out.”
Kit wouldn’t hear of it. “No, that’s cheating! Respect the marshmallow. You’ve got to roast it low and slow, my friend, low and slow.”
Josh shrugged and set his on fire anyway. He miscalculated when to blow it out, though, and ended up with an empty stick and a glop of charred goo on his shoe.
Over in the refreshment tent, Elaine sat alone, crushed by the Rose Cottage defeat. She should never have listened to Sally Warrington. She should have maintained control over the Guy project. Even more, she should have been the one to help that useless cowgirl finally get on her stupid donkey. Couldn’t anyone see how hard she was working? Why weren’t things turning out like they were supposed to?
“The evening’s quite a success,” Anya said, sitting down next to Elaine. She placed a plate full of s’mores in front of her, like a peace offering. It wasn’t that Anya liked Elaine or anything, but she felt bad for having messed up the Rose Cottage Guy. Under the circumstances, though, she doubted anyone could have done better.
“All the planning . . . all the hard work . . . I just don’t understand how this could happen. But I will find out.” Elaine threw Anya a don’t mess with me look. “Spill, Patel.”
Anya knew what she wanted to hear, but there really wasn’t much to tell. “When we went to get our Guy, he was gone,” she said simply. “So . . . well . . .” She grabbed up a s’more. “Eat this! You’ll feel better, I promise. It’s almost magical!”
Elaine glowered at the treat, the treat she had provided only because the cowgirl had demanded it. And of all the tasty goodies Elaine had arranged for bonfire night, these stupid s’mores were a colossal hit, and everybody was thanking Bridges for them. It wasn’t right. Locating marshmallows at the last minute had been a real pain, but Elaine had managed it. Was anybody thanking her? Noooooo. And she had planned the Rose Cottage Guy to a T, yet they had lost! And, and . . .
Anya was still holding the s’more out with a hopeful smile. Elaine could smell the chocolate now, mixed with a whiff of roasted marshmallow sweetness. It did smell intriguing. Maybe she should try one, seeing as Anya hadn’t really done anything wrong. She heaved a loud sigh, then accepted the sticky treat and took a bite.
She ate the entire s’more in two bites. Then she ate another one.
There was one thing Kit had learned to expect in England: rain. It had rained almost every day this month, though not always for long. Just enough to turn the ground to mush and force everybody to put on their mackintoshes. So she wasn’t surprised to feel it start to rain down on the bonfire gathering. Thankfully, enough marshmallows had been roasted to make a mountain of s’mores, so everyone drifted off in different directions, seeking various shelters with their hands filled with them. The festive bonfire remained out in the field to burn alone in the rain, a symbol of survival in a turbulent world.
Kit and Will ended up in the doorway of the refreshment tent. They could hear the soft pitter-patter of the rain and could see the bonfire not far off. It was so big it would keep burning for hours unless the rain got heavy. Right now, it was just pretty to watch, a triangle inferno framed in the decorated doorway, bright sparks flittering about it like fireflies.
“I love bonfire night,” Kit said randomly.
“Me too,” agreed Will.
“Thank you for finally helping me ride.”
“It’s fine.” Will held up his s’more like it was a glass. “Cheers.” He bumped it against Kit’s in a toast and laughed. Kit took a huge bite and munched as Will said, “We should do this again sometime.”
“Yeff, iff woulf fee . . .” Kit laughed, spitting crumbs. She chewed until she could coherently say, “I’ve got my mouth full, sorry.”
Will laughed at her. “You have made a bit of a mess. You’ve got some chocolate here.” He indicated where by pointing to a corner of his mouth.
Kit wiped at the area on her face.
“And here,” Will added, pointing to the other side of his mouth.
Kit wiped there.
“And sort of, like, all over here,” Will said, indicating his entire forehead.
Kit swatted his arm. “Stop it!” She laughed.
“Honestly, though, you have got a bit there.”
Will reached out and wiped the side of her mouth with his thumb. Kit’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked up into his eyes. It was all getting so romantic . . .
She didn’t notice Elaine farther i
nside the tent, staring at them, fuming.
Late that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Kit slipped her mackintosh on over her pajamas, pulled on her Wellingtons, and sneaked out of Rose Cottage.
The rain had stopped, but the ground squelched under her feet as she made her way down the path to the stables. Ever so quietly she opened the door just wide enough to squeeze through. She peeked into TK’s stall. “Hey, buddy. You awake?”
TK grunted a greeting.
Kit opened the stall and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She pulled an apple from her pocket and offered it to the gelding. “Here, I brought you a midnight snack.” She held it so that TK could bite half of it, which he did, first tickling her hand with his chin whiskers and then gently plucking at the apple with his lips until he figured out where it was.
Crunch!
Half the apple disappeared. Patting TK’s head, Kit listened to happy chewing. She had been drawn to this big, complicated animal from the moment they’d first met, back at the beginning of the school year when she had arrived fresh from America and he’d tried to gallop over her. She grinned, remembering how Will had frantically chased after him and how Nav had gallantly pulled her out of harm’s way. All that had happened before she’d known Will or Nav, before she’d known anybody at Covington.
Now here she was with so many new friends (and not-friends) and a bright path to a future she couldn’t have imagined a few months ago. “Wow, how things change, huh?” she said to TK. She offered him the rest of the apple. This time she put her ear against his neck. It was like listening to a giant chomp on a boulder in an echo chamber. “Nah, you’re not scary at all, TK. Nothing here is scary. Just different, like I told Dad in the first place. Good different.”
That made her think of Will and how she had actually been a little scared of him at first. “He’s not scary, either,” she said, feeling giddy. “If it wasn’t for him, I might not have been able to ride you.” She gave TK a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Kit Meets Covington Page 15
