Ms. Holden glared at me. “Aurora, I’d like to see you in my office.” She nodded perfunctorily at the bespectacled Mr. Roberts, who looked utterly terrified of her, as she walked out of the room.
I gathered my books and bag and got up from my desk. A few girls sniggered behind me, but I was used to it. Ever since my parents died, everyone spoke to me in hushed voices, as if I might crack any minute, or they talked and whispered about me behind my back. I had learned to ignore it and move on. But after what happened today, I knew exactly what they were laughing about. I hung my head and hurried out of the classroom.
Headmistress Holden’s office was much smaller than I had expected. I closed the door behind me and turned to stare at the long and angular face of my uncle, Christopher Darlington. He wore his usual gray pinstripe suit and dabbed his sweaty forehead with a crumpled handkerchief, which he dug out of his pocket.
What was he doing here? Cornelia’s face flashed before my eyes. I really hoped I wasn’t in trouble for something I had not done—again. I wouldn’t put it past her to frame me for one of her mistakes. She had done it to me before.
My uncle looked at me with dark, brooding eyes hidden behind horn-rimmed glasses as he pushed his sandy hair out of his eyes. “Good afternoon, Aurora.”
I nodded.
Christopher didn’t hate me like my aunt and cousin. Most of the time he treated me like I wasn’t even there. He wasn’t nasty to me, but he never stood up for me either. We barely said two words to each other, and I only saw him at dinnertime. He worked at a bank, I was told, and was usually out of the house before I woke up.
Ms. Holden cleared her throat before she began. “Aurora, my dear.” Her voice was so different from her usual rude, clipped tone that I was momentarily taken aback. She always had a sour look on her face, as though she had eaten a whole bowl of lemons. I had never even seen a flicker of a smile on her face, and now she was grinning away like her life depended on it. “Your uncle has requested for you to take a leave of absence from school.”
“Right now?” I blurted out. No one had said anything about this.
Her eyes narrowed, and she gave me a stern look, her lips a thin line. “Let me finish. Your grades have been steadily slipping and you have barely passed most of your classes this year.”
“But . . .” I interrupted.
Ms. Holden held up her hand. “Nevertheless, I have decided to grant you leave this time, since your uncle has explained the circumstances.”
I frowned. “Which are?”
Ms. Holden clasped her hands in front of her. “I am sure your uncle will explain it to you.”
I shot my uncle a questioning look, but he remained silent. I wasn’t too disappointed; after all, missing so many days of school would be great. And that meant I would be away from all the pointing and whispering, which had been happening constantly since the whole school heard about my incident with Alex Carrington.
Christopher stood up and shook Ms. Holden’s hand. “Thank you. You have been most helpful. I will have her back in a few days.” He walked across the room and opened the door. “Come on, Aurora, we have a busy day ahead.”
I remained silent, gathered my things, and followed my uncle out of the headmistress’s gloomy office. I had no idea what was going on, but I was sure I’d find out soon enough.
Redstone Manor
As soon as we got home, I packed my meager belongings in an old duffel bag that Aunt Arianna had brought down for me from the attic. It was splitting at the seams and the handle was torn, but somehow I managed to lug it down the stairs and out onto the street.
My uncle had explained that we were all going on a trip. He and the family had been invited to his boss’s country house for a few days, and Uncle Christopher insisted that we leave immediately.
This was why I was pulled out of school? What was so important that it couldn’t wait until the holidays?
The last time they went away, Aunt Arianna left me with Mrs. Haversham, who lived across the street. She had two uncontrollable little children, and in way of payment for my room and food, I had to babysit the little devils. It wasn’t that I didn’t like children, but seven-year-old twin boys were a bit more than I could handle.
A big, black Range Rover was parked outside the house. Uncle Christopher was sitting in the front passenger seat, and a chauffeur in a hat got out and opened the door for me to get in. I handed the chauffeur my luggage and got into the roomy back seat, where Aunt Arianna and Cornelia were waiting.
We drove at a leisurely pace due to the traffic while leaving the city. But within half an hour I could see Windsor Castle rising up in the distance above the treetops, and soon we were in the countryside. Uncle Christopher had mentioned it was going to be a long journey, so I closed my eyes and decided to nap.
When I woke up with a crick in my neck, it had become chilly, and there was a nip in the air. I gazed out at the trees whizzing past and shivered a little as I pulled my favorite coffee-colored leather jacket closer around me. The spring evening was gloomy as dusk settled over the hills in the distance turning the sky to a dark burnished orange. Bright green meadows and lush woods whizzed past as we drove, but I had no idea which part of the country we were
