‘It was all I could find,’ said Amy impatiently.‘Besides, I don’t see why I should have to darn them at all. Why can’t I just go out and buy new ones? It’s not as if I can’t afford them!’
‘Because the rule is, that if you tear your things, you have to mend them,’ said Bonnie, imitating Matron’s crisp tone.‘I say, Amy, I don’t mind darning these for you, if you do my French prep for me. What do you say?’
Amy looked thoughtful. This was a little arrangement that had worked well for the two girls until last term. Bonnie had done all of Amy’s mending for her, while Amy had returned the favour by doing Bonnie’s French prep. But Felicity had got wise to this scheme after a while, and put a stop to it.
‘Bonnie, it’s out and out cheating for Amy to do your French for you,’ she had told the girl roundly.‘And as for you, Amy, I know you don’t like mending. Nor do I, come to that! But, sadly, we all have to learn to do things that we don’t like at times.’
Amy considered Bonnie’s offer for a moment now, and reluctantly shook her head, saying, ‘We shall only get into a beastly row from Felicity.’
‘Ah, but Felicity isn’t here,’ pointed out Bonnie.
‘No, but she could come back at any time,’ said Amy, who was a little more in awe of Felicity than she cared to admit. The head-girl had a way of speaking to wrong-doers that made them feel very small indeed, and Amy was in no mood for a scolding today.
‘I suppose I shall just have to do it myself,’ she sighed.‘You and Esme can chat to me whilst I work.’
But Esme had just glanced at her watch, and now she jumped to her feet, saying, ‘Sorry, Amy, I must dash. It’s almost time for my tennis practice and Amanda will be livid if I’m late.’
‘It’s a pity that you didn’t come to me for advice before you let yourself in for all this extra coaching,’ said Bonnie.‘I could have got you out of it.’
Esme, who was extremely impressed by Bonnie’s talent for getting out of anything that she didn’t wish to do, asked curiously, ‘How come Amanda never picks on you, Bonnie?’
‘Because she thinks that I try hard,’ answered Bonnie.‘Whenever I see Amanda coming, I run and jump around the court for all I’m worth. But somehow I still never manage to hit a ball. So she’s under the impression that—although I’m completely hopeless—it’s the best I can do. And Amanda never wastes her time on anyone who she thinks is hopeless. Now, someone who has ability, but doesn’t try, is a completely different matter!’
Amused, Esme laughed and said ruefully, ‘If only I had known that earlier! But Amanda has got it into her head that she’s going to make a good player out of me.’
Amanda had stuck to her word and was keeping Esme’s nose to the grindstone as far as tennis was concerned. And, somewhat to her own surprise, the girl’s game had improved dramatically.
As Esme walked down to meet Amanda, she could see Felicity and Susan having a fast and furious game on one of the courts, while on another, June was playing against Vanessa Tyler, a big East Tower girl. Esme couldn’t help whistling softly to herself in admiration as June leapt high in the air to return Vanessa’s serve, sending the ball whizzing past the bigger girl. Gee, thought Esme to herself, I wonder if I’ll ever be half as good as that? Then she suddenly stopped in her tracks, horrified. Surely she wasn’t turning into one of these jolly, sporting types of girl? Why, the thought was just too horrible to contemplate. Whatever would Amy and Bonnie say?
Amanda had spotted Esme and called out sharply, ‘Come along, Esme! Don’t dawdle. You’re playing against Freddie today, and I want to see both of you doing your very best.’
But what Esme, Freddie and the others didn’t realise was that Amanda was going to be watching them very closely indeed. For she had just arranged a very important tournament against a nearby school, and today the games captain was going to be making some decisions that could affect the outcome.
Freddie was a good player, but she had several weaknesses and Esme soon spotted these and learned how to turn them to her advantage. Esme, who hadn’t been looking forward to the practice at all, soon lost herself in the game, and felt a peculiar thrill of pride when—to the astonishment of everyone watching—she narrowly beat her opponent.
‘Jolly well played, Esme!’ yelled Amanda, coming on to the court to clap the girl on the back, which she did so vigorously that Esme almost lost her balance!
Felicity also beat Susan, while June, in a very close-fought match indeed, triumphed over Vanessa. Amanda gathered all the players around her and said in her loud voice, ‘I’m very pleased with all of you. You have all proved today that you are made of good stuff. Now, I want you to listen carefully. In a few weeks time, I will be taking a team of players to St Margaret’s school, to compete against them in a tennis tournament. June and Vanessa, I want you both to represent Malory Towers in the lower-school singles matches. Felicity and Susan, you two will be taking part in the doubles.’
The four girls looked at one another, their eyes shining in wonder and delight. Hurrah! They had been picked for the team! Even June, whose manner was normally very offhand, and who rarely got excited about anything, couldn’t keep the broad grin off her face. My word, she would play up all right! Amanda wouldn’t regret her decision, June would make sure of that. Then the games captain was speaking again.
‘Esme,’ she said.‘You are to be a reserve, so if any of the four girls are unable to play on the day, you may have to take their place.’
‘Me?‘ squeaked Esme, hardly able to believe her ears. ‘Amanda, are you quite sure that you don’t mean Freddie?’
‘I’m quite sure,’ said Amanda, laughing at the girl’s expression of disbelief.‘You’ve worked very hard at your tennis, Esme, and come on in leaps and bounds. And this is your reward. Now, I want you to keep up your practice, and make sure that you get to know how Felicity and Susan play, for if one of them has to drop out you may have to partner the other.’
Esme listened to all this with her head in a whirl, and very mixed feelings. What had she let herself in for? Yes, she had worked hard at her tennis, but only to avoid getting into a row with Amanda. She had never even thought of getting on to the team.
Felicity guessed at her thoughts and, as they made their way back to school, clapped her on the shoulder and said, ‘Don’t look so worried, old girl. You’re only reserve, after all, and the chances are you won’t even have to play. I have no intention of getting ill, or breaking my leg, or anything silly like that. And nor has Susan.’
‘And I shall be there all right, too,’ said June, a determined look on her face.‘Come on, everyone, let’s find the others and tell them the news. I say, where are Pam and Nora?’
The third formers couldn’t find Pam and Nora, but they did spot Julie and Lucy, who had just returned from a ride at Five Oaks and were walking across the courtyard.
Susan hailed them, calling out, ‘Hi, you two! My word, you’ll never guess what has happened!’
‘June, Susan and I have been picked for the tennis team!’ yelled Felicity, rushing up to them.‘And Esme is reserve!’
Then she stopped, for Julie and Lucy didn’t seem to be listening to what she was saying at all. And now that she looked at them properly, the expressions on their faces were unusually grave. Heavens, whatever could have happened?
7
The third form rallies round
The others had noticed that the two girls looked unusually serious too, and glanced at one another apprehensively, as Felicity asked in alarm, ‘I say, what’s up? Don’t tell me there has been more trouble over at Five Oaks?’
‘I’m afraid that there has,’ said Julie, her open, freckled face looking troubled.‘Someone has been hurt.’
‘No!’ gasped Susan.‘Who?’
‘Let’s go and sit under that tree,’ said Julie, as a noisy group of first formers began playing with a ball nearby.‘And we’ll tell you all about it.’
So the third formers sat in the shade of a large app
le tree and Lucy said, ‘Bill was riding Thunder, and showing a group of children how to take one of the practice jumps, when she fell off. We don’t know how badly hurt she is yet, but it looks as if she’s injured her arm.’
‘Bill?‘ repeated June, incredulously.‘But Bill is a superb horsewoman! How could she possibly have had an accident taking one of those titchy little jumps?’
‘That’s just it,’ said Julie, lowering her voice.‘It was no accident!’
‘Whatever do you mean?’ asked Freddie, looking puzzled.
‘Well,’ began Julie, ‘when Bill fell off, everyone ran across to help her, of course. Miss Peters was there—she’s great friends with Bill and Clarissa, you know—and she said it looked as if the reins had snapped. But a little later, once all the fuss had died down, Lucy and I took a look at the reins, and it was quite clear that the reins hadn’t snapped—they had been cut.’
‘That’s right,’ said Lucy.‘It was a clean, straight cut, and there was no sign of wear, or fraying, as there would have been if they had simply snapped. Whoever did it only cut part of the way through, so that Bill wouldn’t notice it immediately.’
‘But why didn’t Miss Peters notice that they had been cut?’ asked Freddie, looking puzzled.
‘She was more concerned with Bill than anything else,’ said Julie. ‘And she only glanced quickly at the reins.’
‘So where is Bill now?’ asked Felicity.
‘At the hospital,’ answered Lucy.‘Mr Banks took her there in his car and Miss Peters went with them.’
‘Mr Banks? What on earth was he doing there?’ asked Susan, astonished.
‘Oh, he wasn’t there, but Eleanor was,’ said Julie.‘She saw at once that we needed someone with a car to take Bill to hospital, so she telephoned him from Five Oaks and he was there in a trice. I must say that he’s quite different from what I expected.’
‘Yes, he seemed awfully nice,’ put in Lucy.‘And he was so concerned about Bill. He said that he would wait at the hospital for her and Miss Peters, and bring them both home again.’
‘Quite different from Eleanor, then,’ said June dryly.‘I say, Julie, who else was over at Five Oaks?’
Julie wrinkled her brow thoughtfully and said, ‘A few youngsters from the village—oh, and Patsy and Rose from the second form. They have just started taking riding lessons. Then, of course, there was Jim, the stable boy.’
‘Well, I can’t imagine that any of them would have cut through Bill’s reins!’ said Felicity.‘We can certainly rule Miss Peters out. Patsy and Rose are fond of the odd joke, but they’re good-hearted kids and wouldn’t do anything so dangerous.’
‘And it can’t have been one of the village children, for they are hardly more than babies,’ said Julie.
‘What about Jim?’ said Lucy, suddenly.‘I know that Bill and Clarissa are fond of him, but…’
Her voice tailed off as the others shook their heads, Felicity saying firmly, ‘Jim has been working at Five Oaks since the girls opened the riding stables. It’s quite unthinkable that he could have done such a thing.’
‘That leaves Julie, Lucy and Eleanor who could have carried out the dark deed, then,’ said June smoothly.
‘I can assure you that Lucy and I are innocent,’ said Julie stiffly, turning an angry red and glaring at June.
‘Ass!’ laughed June, giving her a push.‘Of course I know that you and Lucy are innocent! But I’m not so certain about Eleanor.’
‘Surely she couldn’t be responsible!’ said Susan.‘I know that you don’t like her, June—well, to be honest, none of us cares for her very much—but she always seems to have got along with Bill and Clarissa all right.’
‘Yes, and soon as Bill fell she ran to telephone her uncle for help,’ Lucy pointed out.
‘Besides, it might not be anyone who was there today,’ said Felicity, who had been thinking.‘Someone could have sneaked into the stables overnight and cut Thunder’s reins then.’
‘That’s true,’ said Julie.‘My goodness, I wish we could find out who was behind this beastly campaign! Wouldn’t I like to tell them what I think of them!’
Miss Peters took the third formers for prep that evening, and her expression was unusually grim, thought Felicity, as if she was thinking very unpleasant thoughts. She seemed rather distracted too, and didn’t even notice when June and Freddie whispered and giggled together, a crime that would normally have earned them a very severe punishment!
Felicity, Susan, Julie and Lucy stayed behind when prep was over, and went up to the mistress’s desk.
‘Miss Peters?’ began Julie, rather hesitantly.‘We wondered if there was any news of Bill? Do you know how she is?’
Miss Peters looked into the anxious faces of the four girls, and her own stern expression relaxed a little, as she thought what kind, thoughtful girls they were.
‘I’m afraid that Bill has broken her arm,’ said Miss Peters. ‘Fortunately it was a clean break, but it will be in plaster for a while, and it means that she won’t be able to ride or be of much help in the stables for the next few weeks.’
The girls were very dismayed at this. Poor old Bill! And poor Clarissa. She and Jim were going to find it very hard work running the stables between the two of them, without Bill’s assistance.
A thought occurred to Felicity and she said, ‘Perhaps some of us could help! We could go over to Five Oaks before tea, or when we have a free period, and see if there’s anything we can do.’
‘That’s a very kind idea, Felicity,’ said Miss Peters, smiling.‘And I’m sure that Bill and Clarissa would appreciate it. Just as long as you don’t let it interfere with your school work.’
The eager third formers assured Miss Peters that they wouldn’t, then Julie said, rather seriously, ‘Miss Peters, I think that there’s something I ought to tell you. You see, after you and Bill went to the hospital with Mr Banks, Lucy and I had a look at those reins and—’
‘I know, Julie,’ Miss Peters broke in.‘They had been cut. I spotted it immediately.’
‘Did you?’ said Julie, surprised.‘But you didn’t say anything at the time.’
‘Well, I thought that there was quite enough drama going on,’ said the mistress.‘And the immediate need was to get poor Bill to a hospital. However, I have informed Clarissa of my suspicions, though I’ve advised her to keep it from Bill for a few days. She will only fret over it, and that might hinder her recovery, you know.’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Felicity, a deep frown on her face.‘What with this and the other things that have happened, it really does look as if someone is out to make trouble for Bill and Clarissa. I just wish we knew why!’
‘So you know about the other incidents?’ said Miss Peters, looking sharply at Felicity, who nodded.‘Well, please don’t spread it around the school,’ said the mistress.‘It could be bad for the girls’ business, and they have quite enough problems to deal with at the moment!’
The third formers nodded and Susan asked, ‘Do you have any idea of who the troublemaker could be, Miss Peters?’
Miss Peters shook her head and said with a sigh, ‘I only wish that I did, Susan! But I’ve wracked my brains and simply can’t think of anyone who has a grudge against Bill and Clarissa.’
The third formers went to the common-room, to tell Pam and Nora—who hadn’t heard about Bill’s accident—the latest news. They were both very shocked, of course, and Nora said, ‘I think it’s a very good idea of yours, Felicity, for all of us to see if we can help out at Five Oaks. I certainly don’t mind doing my bit.’
‘You can count me in, as well,’ said Pam.
Esme, who was sitting nearby with Amy and Bonnie, looked up, and wondered if she should volunteer as well. She didn’t know this Bill and Clarissa that the girls were always talking about, and she certainly didn’t relish the idea of getting her carefully manicured hands dirty, but it sure sounded like the two of them could do with all the help that they could get! Would Amy and Bonnie offer their servi
ces, she wondered, glancing at Amy. The girl was poring over a fashion magazine and didn’t seem to have heard a word the others had said. No, helping out at the stables would be too much like hard work for Amy! Bonnie had also taken no part in the conversation, but she had been listening intently, and said now, ‘Surely the most useful thing you can do for Bill and Clarissa is to catch the troublemaker.’
‘Brilliant!’ said June sarcastically.‘Why didn’t we think of that? And just how do you suggest we go about it, Bonnie?’
‘You set a trap,’ replied Bonnie simply.
June opened her mouth to make a scathing retort, then shut it again abruptly. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, it was a jolly good idea! The other third formers obviously thought so too, for they were looking at one another excitedly, and Nora said, ‘Bonnie, you never cease to amaze me!’
Bonnie smiled, while Felicity said thoughtfully, ‘We must plan it really carefully, if it’s to work. Come on, girls, let’s put our thinking caps on.’
There was silence in the common-room for a while, as the girls thought hard, but it seemed that it was all in vain. Even the ingenious June had to admit defeat, something she didn’t like at all.
‘I can’t come up with a single idea,’ she said, frowning.
‘Nor can I,’ sighed Pam.‘Perhaps we should sleep on it, and tomorrow we can get to work on it when our minds are fresh.’
‘Good idea,’ said Felicity.‘A few of us should pop over to Five Oaks after tea as well, to see how Bill is, and offer our help. As long as we are back in time for prep it will be all right.’
‘I shall come with you!’ announced Bonnie rather grandly.
The third formers looked at one another in surprise. Felicity, amused at the way Bonnie sounded as if she was bestowing some great honour on them all, grinned, and even Amy looked up from her magazine, startled.
‘Don’t tell me that you’re going to muck out a stable or groom a horse!’ she said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.