A Great and Terrible Beauty

"Ann, I think Miss Moore wants you," she says. Ann obeys, huffing in her ungainly way toward our teacher. "Gemma, please don't be cross." Felicity peeks her head out, searching. "Do you see him?"

There's nothing out there but three wagons and a few horses. "No," I answer in a surly tone.

"Thank the gods." She links her arm through mine, oblivious to my bad temper. "That would have been awkward. Can you imagine?" She's trying to win me over with her charm. It is working. I smile in spite of myself and she shares one of those rare, ripe grins that seem to make the world a fun, inviting place.

"Listen, I've got a capital idea. Why don't we form our own order?"

I stop cold. "And do what?"

"Live."

Relieved, I start walking again. "We're already living."

"No. We're playing their predetermined little game. But what if we had a place where we played by no one's rules but our own?"

"And where, pray tell, would we do that?" Felicity looks around. "Why not meet here at the caves?"

"You're joking," I say. "You are joking, aren't you?"

She shakes her head. "Just think of it: We'd make our own plans, wield our own influence, have a bit of fun while we can. We would own Spence."

"We'd be expelled, that's what."

"We're not going to get caught. We're far cleverer than that."

Up ahead, Cecily is prattling on to Elizabeth, who seems very distressed that her boots are getting muddy. I throw Felicity a look.

"They're not so bad once you get to know them."

"I'm sure the piranha fish is nice to its family, too, but I don't want to get too close to it."

Ann looks back at me, slack-jawed. She's just discovered that Miss Moore didn't want her after all. No one does. That's the trouble. But perhaps there is a way to change that. "All right," I say. "I'm game, with one provision."

"Name it."

"You have to invite Ann."

Felicity can't decide whether to laugh or spit venom at me. "You can't be serious." When I don't answer, she says, "I won't do it."

"As I recall, you owe me a debt."

She gives me a smirk meant to dismiss the whole idea. "The other girls won't allow it. You know that, don't you?"

"That shall be your dilemma," I can't help adding with a smile. "Don't look so grim. They're harmless. Really."

Felicity narrows her eyes and marches off to catch Pippa, Elizabeth, and Cecily. In a moment, they're arguing, with Elizabeth and Cecily shaking their heads and Felicity huffing her displeasure. For her part, Pippa just seems glad to have Felicity's attention. In a moment, Felicity is back by my side, fuming.

"Well?"

"I told youthey won't allow her in. She's not of their class."

"Sorry to hear your little club is doomed before it starts," I say, feeling a bit smug. "Did I say it was off? I know I can sway Pippa. Cecily's gotten too arrogant these days. I brought her along from nothing. If she and Elizabeth think they can make a go of it at this school without my influence, they are sadly mistaken."

I've underestimated Felicity's need for control. She'd rather be seen with Ann and me than admit defeat to her acolytes. She's an admiral's daughter, after all.

"When should we meet?"

"Tonight at midnight," Felicity says.

I'm fairly certain this will all lead to shame, misfortune, and at the very least, having to listen to Pippa go on to the point of queasiness about the romantic ideal of love, but at least they'll have to stop tormenting Ann for a bit.

At the bend in the road, Ithal is there. Felicity stops suddenly, like a horse spooked. She holds tight to my arm, refusing to look in his direction.

"Dear God," she gasps.

"He wouldn't dare to speak to you in the open, would he?" I whisper, while trying to ignore Felicity's fingernails dug deep into my arm.

Ithal stops to pluck a flower from the ground. Singing, he hops up onto the wall and presents it to Felicity as if I'm not standing between the two of them at all. The others stop and turn to see what the fuss is about. They gasp and titter, both shocked and delighted by the scene. Felicity keeps her head low and stares at the ground.

Miss Moore seems amused. "I believe you have an admirer, Felicity."

The girls look from Ithal to Felicity and back again, watching and waiting.