The day had started damp and overcast, and for a while during afternoon lessons Mary was quite hopeful that the hockey practice would be called off, which would have given her the chance to write out her lines and do her Latin prep. No such luck! By mid-afternoon the sun was out, the sky was blue and the hockey was definitely on. After tea she joined the others on the playing field but played badly and would not have been surprised if Miss Eggleton had chucked her off the team. As it was, the teacher kept her behind when the others had been sent back to the changing rooms.
‘Mary, is something the matter? You played like an absolute chump this evening.’
‘Sorry, Miss. It’s just that I have these lines to write, and Miss Q set us a load of Latin verbs to decline ready for tomorrow…..’
But Miss Eggleton was totally unsympathetic. ‘Well, you shouldn’t misbehave in class, then you wouldn’t find yourself having to write lines. You’d better go and get changed and get on with it, hadn’t you? Don’t think just because your dorm is half empty that you can have an extension to lights out. Ten o’clock and no later! And make sure you get it all done. You’ll just have to skip supper.’
Mary trudged miserably off towards the changing rooms, but on the way she met Linda Barrett and her chums, among them the tall blonde, Angela Ryan. They barred her way.
‘Let me through, please, I have a lot to do tonight.’
‘You’re telling me!’ said Linda. ‘You’re going to write my lines.’
‘I told you, my writing is nothing like yours. Yours is spidery and weak. I couldn’t possibly copy it so that Miss Lambert would believe you’d done it!’
At this point Angela Ryan stepped forward. She dwarfed the other girls.
‘Linda says it was your fault, Hamilton. Just write the lines.’
‘Why should I?’
‘Because you want to keep your place in the hockey team, don’t you?’
‘Yes, of course. What’s that got to do with anything?’
‘Well, you might trip and fall down the stairs.’
‘Are you threatening me, Angela?’ Mary asked, but she’d already decided it would be best to write the lines.
‘No, just pointing out that you need to be careful. It’s an old building. Now, are you going to write the lines or not?’
Mary scowled. ‘I suppose I’ll have to. Will you leave me alone then?’
‘Maybe we will.’ The other girls who hung around with Angela and Linda started to giggle. Mary glared angrily at them and made her way to the changing rooms. She had just changed back into her school uniform when a first-former burst in, out of breath and red-faced.
‘Mary, Miss Eggleton wants to see you in the Abbey!’
‘Are you sure, Sylvia?’
‘Yes!’
‘She sent you herself?’
‘Yes!’ Sylvia said, and turned tail, her pigtails flying. But as she flew through the door, Mary fancied she heard the small girl say ‘I think so….’
Frowning, Mary picked up her holdall and walked slowly across the lawn towards the ruin. As she approached the enormous building a crow flew overhead, breaking the silence with a noisy “Caw!” and startling her. She turned to look back at the school, which was now shrouded in evening mist. It was dusk, and the gentle rays of the fading sun through the gathering mist gave the Abbey a spooky appearance. Mary shivered. There was no sign of Miss Eggleton. Suddenly, she remembered that it was at this precise spot that she had seen Victoria Eggleton and her man talking the night before last! Then she heard voices and ducked out of sight. It was Miss Tibbs and James, the Janitor.
‘You’re sure the girl said she’d seen someone here, James?’
‘Quite sure, Miss Tibbs.’
‘Weren’t they paying attention when I said the Abbey was out of bounds? It’s not safe when there is an armed man on the loose. The sooner the police catch him the better.’
‘I’ve asked the police to station a constable here. He will be arriving first thing in the morning.’
‘That’s good, James. Now, where shall we start? I really cannot believe that one of my girls would defy my instructions!’
‘Girls will be girls, Miss Tibbs. You do know that some of them sneak over here for the purpose of smoking, I suppose?’
The horrified look that took over Miss Tibbs’ face was almost more than Mary could bear, and she had to clap her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. It was common knowledge that a set of girls in the Upper Sixth smoked in their dorm. It did not surprise her in the least that James had information to the effect that some of them used the Abbey ruins for the same purpose!
‘I really do not wish to discuss that at this precise time, James. You search the first floor, I will search the ground floor. We will rendezvous back here in a quarter of an hour.’
‘Very good, Miss Tibbs.’
Mary waited a few moments, until they had both disappeared inside the Abbey. Why they spoke of it as a ruin she did not know, for it seemed to be in very good condition, apart form a few roof tiles missing and a broken window here and there. As soon as the coast was clear, she sprinted back across the lawn and into the back door, knowing that Linda and Angela and their cronies were probably watching from their dorm window, but not caring much. She had not been caught, now she could get on with writing her lines and doing her Latin prep. Gosh, she was going to be up late tonight! No time for reading, and no sign either of her roommates.
At half-past nine Miss Eggleton pushed open the door to find Mary slumped over the table, two sets of lines written and two pages of Latin verbs neatly written out. Gently, she helped Mary into bed and turned out the light, whispering, ‘good girl, Mary.’ As the door closed, Mary opened her eyes briefly, wondering how she came to be in bed, fully dressed, and then drifted off into a deep sleep.
It was precisely three o’clock in the morning when she woke up with a start. Something was tapping on the window!
