‘It’s just as well I did,’ she retorted. ‘For I found out that you egged Bonnie on to try and spoil my friendship with Amy. So don’t dare act all high and mighty with me, Felicity Rivers!’
Then Veronica, too, stormed out of the room and June, who had been watching the dramatic scene avidly, laughed. ‘Well done, Felicity!’ she called out. ‘That’s two people you’ve managed to drive out of the room this evening.’
‘Oh, shut up, June!’ snapped Felicity, who was in no mood for June’s malicious sense of humour tonight.
June said no more, but grinned as she lounged back in her chair, waiting for the entertainment to continue. Freddie looked hard at her friend, saw how she was thoroughly enjoying all the drama, and suddenly realised – with a little shock – that June thrived on trouble. And if life was going along too peacefully and smoothly, she would stir things up herself. For the first time a doubt crept into Freddie’s mind. Had June been acting kindly and thinking of Mrs Dale’s happiness when she suggested that she, Freddie, pose as Amy? Or had she used Freddie as a cat’s-paw to play an outrageous prank that she had known would end in trouble? But there was no time to think about that now, for Bonnie had turned on Felicity again, her voice trembling as she cried, ‘I hope you’re satisfied, Felicity Rivers! You don’t want to be my friend, and now – thanks to you – Amy doesn’t either. I’ve got nobody! Nobody at all!’
Then she burst into noisy sobs and fled from the room, causing June to crow, ‘A hat-trick! Nice work, Felicity!’
Seeing that the normally even-tempered Felicity looked ready to explode, Pam gave June a little shove and muttered, ‘For heaven’s sake, be quiet, June! Things are quite tense enough in here tonight as it is, without you stirring things up.’
‘I shan’t say another word, Pam,’ said June, her eyes dancing mischievously. ‘It looks as if our dear head-girl has quite enough on her plate at the moment, without me adding to her woes.’
Yes, and didn’t June just relish the fact, thought Freddie, watching her through lowered eyelashes. If only she could make the laughing, carefree girl feel the weight of her conscience, just as she, Freddie, felt hers lying heavy on her shoulders. But did June even have a conscience? Freddie didn’t know, but she intended to find out. And if it turned out that June did have one, Freddie was going to stir it into life!
Felicity felt very down in the dumps the following afternoon, as she and Susan got changed ready for lacrosse practice.
‘I must be the only head-girl at Malory Towers ever to have been sent to Coventry by her own form,’ she complained.
‘What nonsense!’ said Susan, laughing at her friend’s gloomy expression. ‘You haven’t been sent to Coventry!’
‘Well, Amy is barely speaking to me, while Bonnie and Veronica won’t have anything to do with me at all,’ Felicity sighed. ‘And although I don’t care for any of them very much, I can’t altogether blame them. I really don’t feel as if I’ve handled this very well.’
‘Don’t feel as if you’ve handled what very well?’ asked Pam, coming into the changing-room in time to hear this.
Felicity told her, and finished by saying miserably, ‘I don’t think that I’ve been a great success as head-girl. Susan, you would have been a much better choice. Or you, Pam. You were absolutely fine last year.’
‘Yes, but I was lucky,’ said Pam, wrinkling her brow thoughtfully. ‘Everything went really smoothly last year, and I didn’t have people like Veronica, or Bonnie, or Amy to deal with. So you see, Felicity, I wasn’t really tested.’
‘Well, I’ve been tested all right,’ groaned Felicity. ‘And I’ve been found wanting.’
‘There’s still time to put things right,’ said Pam bracingly. ‘The term isn’t over yet.’
‘What Pam says is quite true,’ said Susan. ‘Everything will be sorted out in the end, Felicity, you’ll see. Now come on, let’s go and blow some of those cobwebs away on the lacrosse field. You know, Felicity, Amanda was telling me that you stand a jolly good chance of getting into the second team this year.’
‘Did she really?’ said Felicity, cheering up at once. ‘Susan, you must practise hard too and let’s see if we can both get on the team. Wouldn’t that be simply marvellous?’
June had also been looking forward to lacrosse practice, but Freddie had other ideas.
‘I told you, Mrs Dale has invited me to tea and she said that I might bring a friend,’ said Freddie. ‘And the friend I’m bringing is you.’
‘But Amanda’s expecting me to turn up for lacrosse,’ grumbled June, who didn’t want to have tea with Mrs Dale at all. She had purposely distanced herself from the old lady and the situation she had created. But Freddie, seeing June through new eyes, was now aware of this and was determined that June wasn’t going to keep her distance any longer.
‘Amanda will understand,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s Saturday, and the practice is optional, so you don’t have to go. Besides, there’s another one tomorrow afternoon if you’re really that keen.’
June continued to protest, but for once Freddie was determined to have her way, and eventually the two set off together to Mrs Dale’s. And, by the time they left, June’s conscience was very much alive.
The girl started to feel a little guilty when Mrs Dale welcomed her warmly, as ‘Amy’s’ friend, before sitting the two girls down to a simply sumptuous tea.
‘Heavens, you must have been baking all morning!’ exclaimed Freddie, her eyes staring at the table laden with homemade scones, cakes and apple pie.
‘Well, it’s nice having someone to cook for,’ beamed the old lady. ‘Now, tuck in, both of you.’
But, delicious as the food was, June found that her appetite had deserted her, and the food seemed to stick in her throat. This tea must have cost quite a lot of money, and it was obvious that Mrs Dale wasn’t very well off. With a sinking heart, June remembered telling Freddie blithely what a sweet old lady Mrs Dale was. But June hadn’t realised at the time how sweet and how kind she was. And what had seemed like a prank now began to feel like a very cruel deception. June also felt unnerved by the obvious, and very genuine, affection between Freddie and Mrs Dale, something that she hadn’t bargained for. But worse was to come. As the girls were thinking about setting off back to Malory Towers, Mrs Dale suddenly exclaimed, ‘Why, Amy, it’s your birthday a week tomorrow, isn’t it?’
Was it? thought Freddie, startled. Then she remembered hearing Amy mention something to Veronica about having a birthday coming up soon, and she nodded.
‘Well, you must come over and I’ll give you your present,’ said Mrs Dale happily, as the two girls exchanged horrified glances.
‘There’s no need to give me a present, Gran,’ said Freddie in a strangled tone. ‘Please don’t spend your money on me.’
‘Well, what’s the world coming to if I can’t give my only granddaughter a present on her birthday!’ tutted Mrs Dale. ‘I’ve never heard the like!’
So the end of it was that Freddie had to promise to visit Mrs Dale on Amy’s birthday, but she was deeply unhappy about it. And so was June. She was oddly silent on the walk back to Malory Towers, but inwardly she felt sick. She had meant to keep Freddie occupied, and had foreseen that the girl would begin to feel guilty about deceiving the old lady. But she – who prided herself so much on her careful planning – hadn’t foreseen that the two would become so fond of one another, and she could have kicked herself. Not for the world would she willingly have hurt Mrs Dale – or Freddie either, for that matter. And the dreadful thing was, June couldn’t see any way out of it without causing both of them a lot of pain. Nor could she fool herself into thinking that it was Freddie’s problem and not hers. She was responsible for this whole, terrible mess, and somehow she had to think of a way to make everything right.
A shock for Amy
June felt very sorry for Freddie now that she understood some of what she had been going through, and knew how sickening it was to have something preying on your mind. It
was really horrible, for even when you were laughing and joking with friends, it was always there, at the back of your mind, casting a dark shadow. But although she was kinder to Freddie, June’s worries made her very short-tempered indeed with everyone else.
She went to Amanda’s Sunday lacrosse practice, hoping for a respite from her cares, but unfortunately it only made things worse. The girl marking her, Fay, from South Tower, was an agile and most determined little player, and hardly allowed June near the ball at all. Frustrated, June lost her temper and tackled poor Fay most aggressively, knocking her to the ground and bringing Amanda’s wrath down on her head.
‘June!’ cried Amanda, storming on to the field. ‘Off! No, don’t argue with me! Go and get changed at once.’
Angrily, June stomped off to the changing-room, but by the time she had got back into her uniform, her anger had deserted her and she felt deeply ashamed of herself. Amanda glared at her when she appeared among the spectators, but she was mollified when, at the end of the practice, June went up to Fay and apologised. She also said sorry to Amanda, and the big girl accepted her apology, saying, ‘Very well, but you must learn to control your temper, June, for I can’t possibly include you in a team until you do!’
But the next morning June was in hot water again, after cheeking Miss Peters in the Geography class.
‘How dare you speak to me like that!’ snapped the mistress, her rosy cheeks turning even redder, as they always did when she was angry. ‘And stand up when I address you.’
Red-faced, June got sullenly to her feet and mumbled, ‘I’m sorry, Miss Peters.’
‘I beg your pardon, June?’ said Miss Peters coldly, and June was forced to repeat her apology more clearly. Really, all she seemed to do lately was apologise to people!
‘Come and see me after class,’ said the mistress. ‘When I shall have decided on a suitable punishment for you.’
And knowing Miss Peters, she wouldn’t get off lightly, thought June, sitting down again.
As head of the form, Felicity took the girl to task for her behaviour, and June bore it as patiently as she could. Heavens, it wouldn’t do if she fell out with Felicity as well! She really must try and concentrate on the problem that was causing her irritation, and not let her temper get the better of her.
Alas for such good intentions! June got in a rage again that very evening – this time with Amy.
Amy had been holding forth to a rapt Veronica in the common-room about her forthcoming birthday, and the others were getting heartily sick of her.
‘As it’s on a Sunday, Mummy and Daddy have got the Head’s permission to come and take me out,’ said Amy. ‘We’re going to that very grand hotel overlooking the beach for lunch, and they’re sure to bring me a super present.’
Veronica exclaimed in admiration, and Amy went on, ‘My aunt always sends me the most enormous cake, as well, so we can all share that at teatime. Did I ever tell you about the Christmas party they threw for my friends at home last year? My word, it was magnificent! We had –’
But at this point June, who had been trying to concentrate on the extra work Miss Peters had set her as punishment, threw down her book and leaped to her feet. ‘Yes, Amy, you did tell Veronica about the marvellous party Mummy and Daddy threw for you!’ she cried. ‘And about the very expensive present they bought you, and about every birthday you’ve ever had since you were five years old! And I, for one, am sick and tired of hearing about it. You’re nothing but a spoilt brat, Amy!’
Amy shrank back as though she had been slapped, while the others looked on in shocked silence. Amy had been annoying, but there was no need for June to be quite so vicious!
Felicity called her sharply to order and, had Amy not retaliated, the matter might have rested there.
But Amy, recovering from her shock, found her voice and, looking down her long nose at June, she said, ‘I suppose you’re just jealous, June, because your parents aren’t as wealthy as mine, and can’t afford to throw splendid parties for you, or give you expensive presents.’
At once June fired up again and, without thinking, retorted, ‘I’d rather have my parents than yours any day, Amy! Do you think I would want a father who is ashamed of my mother’s family? Or a mother who is too weak to stand up to him? No, thank you!’
As soon as the words were out June regretted them and wished that she could take them back. But it was too late. Felicity and Susan were staring at her in horror. Freddie had turned pale, her hands tightly gripping the arms of her chair. And Amy was looking completely bewildered, as were the rest of the girls.
Contrite now, June said hastily, ‘I’m sorry, Amy. Please forget that I said that. Honestly, I get into such a rage sometimes that I don’t know what I’m saying half of the time!’
‘I can’t forget it,’ said Amy, a queer look on her face. ‘And I think that you knew exactly what you were saying, June. What did you mean?’
It was unlike June to be lost for words, but she was now and she looked at Felicity for help. And Felicity decided that it was no use trying to hide the truth from Amy any longer. She was absolutely furious with June for blurting it out like that, but she would deal with her later! As concisely as possible, she told Amy how she, Susan and June had met her grandmother, and how they had promised not to tell Amy that she was living near the school because she didn’t want to go against Mr Ryder-Cochrane’s wishes.
Amy listened intently, an incredulous expression on her face, and when Felicity had finished, she laughed and shook her head. ‘You’re mistaken, Felicity,’ she said. ‘My grandmother moved to Australia shortly before my parents married. And as for my father disapproving of her – why, that’s nonsense! He promised me that we would go and visit her one day. In fact, we’ve been on the verge of going several times, but Mummy has always been taken ill, so it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t know who this woman is, but she certainly isn’t my grandmother!’
The third formers didn’t know what to think now, and exchanged puzzled looks. Then Pam, who had been looking very thoughtful, said, ‘Amy, do you have a photograph of your grandmother?’
‘Yes,’ said Amy. ‘It’s one that she sent to Mummy from Australia.’
‘Go and fetch it then,’ said Pam. ‘And hurry up!’
Amy rushed from the room, and was back a few moments later, clutching a photograph, which she handed to Felicity.
‘It’s Mrs Dale!’ said Felicity. ‘Amy, I tell you this is definitely the woman that Susan, June and I met. Isn’t that so, Susan?’
Susan, who was peering over Felicity’s shoulder at the photograph, nodded solemnly, and Nora said, ‘The plot thickens. I say, Amy, I don’t suppose your grandmother has a twin sister?’
‘Of course she hasn’t!’ said Amy, her thoughts in a whirl. ‘It doesn’t make any sense. If Grandmother has returned from Australia, why hasn’t she been in touch with me, or with Mummy? I don’t understand what’s going on!’
‘I think I do,’ said June, who had been looking very pensive. ‘But I don’t think you will like what I have to say, Amy.’
‘Well, that doesn’t usually bother you!’ said Amy harshly. ‘Just spit it out, June.’
‘Very well,’ said June, looking rather grave. ‘You see, Amy, it isn’t your father who is ashamed of Mrs Dale – it’s your mother!’
As Amy remained speechless, her mouth wide open, June went on, ‘Mrs Dale isn’t at all wealthy or grand. I think that your mother was afraid to let your father meet her, because she didn’t want him to know that she came from a plain, ordinary family. So she pretended that her mother lived in Australia, and then fooled you and your father into thinking she was ill every time a trip to visit Mrs Dale was planned.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ said poor Amy, her face ashen. ‘How could Mummy do that? And how could she lie to Daddy and to me for all this time?’
Everyone felt very sorry for Amy, and Felicity put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, saying kindly, ‘All of this must have come as a dreadful
shock to you, Amy. I think that you ought to sort things out with your parents when they come for your birthday.’
But Amy hardly seemed to hear what Felicity said, for there was one thought uppermost in her mind and she said firmly, ‘I want to meet my grandmother.’
‘Well, you can’t go and meet her now!’ said Susan, sounding alarmed. ‘It’s dark and it’s almost bedtime.’
‘Tomorrow, then,’ said Amy determinedly. ‘Felicity, you can come with me and show me where she lives.’
Suddenly, Freddie, who had remained silent and lost in thought throughout, stood up and said firmly, ‘I’ll come with you, Amy.’
Every head turned towards her in astonishment, and Felicity said, ‘You, Freddie? But you don’t know Mrs Dale!’
‘I do,’ said Freddie, looking extremely white and nervous. ‘Amy, I know you’ve had a great shock tonight, but I’m afraid you haven’t heard everything. You see, Mrs Dale thinks that I am you.’
‘This gets stranger and stranger by the second!’ said Julie, scratching her head. ‘Freddie, how can Mrs Dale possibly think that you are Amy?’
Stammering, her voice cracking, Freddie explained.
‘Well!’ exclaimed Pam, as Freddie reached the end of her tale and hung her head. ‘This is certainly a night for revelations! Does anyone else have anything extraordinary they would like to own up to?’
No one did, of course, and Freddie went over to Amy, taking both of the girl’s hands in hers and saying earnestly, ‘Please let me come with you tomorrow, Amy, so that I might explain things to Mrs Dale and apologise. I didn’t mean to hurt her, truly I didn’t. I just felt dreadfully sorry for her, and thought that I could cheer her up by visiting and pretending to be you. I should have thought it through more carefully. If I had I wouldn’t have been so stupid, and would have said no to the whole crazy idea!’
Amy, whose mind was reeling, said nothing, but the others believed Freddie at once. She had acted rashly, foolishly and thoughtlessly, but her heart had been in the right place. It was different with June, though, who was now sitting alone in the corner, keeping unusually quiet and looking rather ashamed of herself. And well she might, thought Felicity, who felt quite disgusted with the girl. The whole idea had been June’s, and Felicity knew that she hadn’t acted from motives of kindness. No, June’s twisted sense of mischief had been at work, and she had certainly meant to cause trouble for Freddie. Felicity wondered why, as she and Freddie were supposed to be friends. But then June had always had a rather odd sense of humour!