Lowewood Academy

I took a final glance in the mirror. Old-rose silk dress from Balenciaga? Check. Matching silk high heels from Christian Louboutin? Check. Cream wrap and cream bag from Accessorize (never let it be said that I always wear designer stuff!). Check. Subtle make-up? Check. Gently styled hair. Check.

I was ready. I took a last look in the mirror, then set off down the stairs. It was time for Lord Fawcett’s soiree.

As I joined the others milling in the Great Hall, waiting for the buses that would whisk us to Fawcett Hall, I couldn’t help feeling a bit sad. I didn’t have a date – naturally, Jebediah wasn’t someone I could bring to the Soirée – it was for pupils and staff of Lowewood only. Quite a few other people had asked me – Joe Garvey Flanders and Mortimer Chadwick of Dashwood, Marcus Trevellyan and Daniel Schulz of Wilkes, Edward Cole-Green of Byron and David Maybin-Leith of Sandwich. I’d wavered over David – he was the right background socially, I knew his family and he’d have been a good escort. But he didn’t just want to be an escort. None of them did. So I’d put my foot down and decided to go and my own and Jebediah had been….pleased.

“Joe will escort you, like he did at Christmas, if you want?” he’d told me over dinner the other night.

“I’d rather just go on my own,” I’d replied.

That was after he’d spanked me thoroughly over his knee for sleeping with Felix. But there hadn’t been any real anger in the punishment – just a reminder of who I actually belonged to. He hadn’t been really cross about it. Remembering being put over his knee, the first time in years it had happened to me, made me blush.

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I don’t think I want a wedding.

I can say for sure, I definitely don’t want paparazzi dogging my every move, taking photos of every nanosecond of the day. Wedding photos are dull enough, without having candid snapshots of the bride picking her nose or the groom readjusting his family jewels plastered all over the papers.

Luckily, not being any kind of heroine but merely some forgotten daughter of an inbred dynasty, it’s unlikely that any wedding of mine would be of interest to Howdy! or Alright! or any other such publication. I’d be lucky to make Glory in the Fight, actually, never mind having huge attention from both a reporter and a photographer – and I say this as a good thing, not a bad one.

So, in that respect, the wedding of Jessica and Richard really wouldn’t have suited me at all.

And that’s not the only respect.

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The day of the wedding was cold, clear and bright, with blue skies and pale winter sunshine. It looked like Jessica Fawcett and Richard Farthingdale were going to have a good day of it!

The chosen few gathered in the Great Hall. Mr Shaftebotham, Dr Higgins and Dr Necrophia looked severely smart in morning dress. Reverend Jenkins, who was giving the sermon, had already departed for the chapel in the grounds of Fawcett Hall. The Lowewood pupils going were Alex ap Iorwerth and I – representing the school, Phillipa Beaumont and Edmund Corwin – who had been invited by relatives, Lydia Seymour and Nathanial Parker – representing Glory in the Fight and Lily Peverill and Polly Perrot who had been Jessica’s fags.  We all looked smart in our school uniforms, including our formal hats. Polly Perrot was unable to keep still, such was her excitement! The only slight oddity was that Lydia had a large notebook and Nathanial was slung with more cameras than David Bailey.

“Right.” said Mr Shaftebotham, swiftly taking charge. “I will take Juliet, Phillipa and Alex in my motor. Dr Necrophia will take Nathanial, Lydia, and Edmund. Dr Higgins will take Polly and Lily. Nathanial, can I remind you to be discrete with your photograph-taking and remind you that the inside of the chapel is a sacred place and does not appreciate the paparazzi hanging from the chandeliers. Remember, all of you, that you are representing Lowewood Academy!”

“Sure thing Sir!” said Nathanial, slipping a cord over his head with a ‘PRESS’ pass attached to it. He handed one to Lydia.

And then we were off. But my secret thrill was that Jebediah Black was also on the guest list – and would be on our side of the church……

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