Martha, who had been watching from her seat behind Emma, couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. “Emma, for heaven’s sake, what’s it say?”
Stealing herself against disappointment, Emma looked at the piece of paper in her hands. It took her a moment to realize that she had received an A in every class. Her grade point average was more than enough to retain her scholarship. Emma nearly fainted in relief. Martha, who was still watching anxiously, couldn’t tell from Emma’s expression whether the news was good or bad.
“Well?” she prodded Emma.
“I got all A’s!” Emma exclaimed with a smile.
“I knew it!” Martha said happily. “I told you that you had nothing to worry about.”
“I guess you were right.” Then Emma saw that Martha had gotten her report card too. “How’d you do?”
Martha smiled. “Well, I didn’t do as well as you, but I did okay. I got an A in everything except math. Mr. Godfrey gave me a B.”
Just then, they both remembered Sebastian. As one, they turned and looked over to where Sebastian was sitting on the opposite side of the room. He had gotten his report card before either of the two of them, but Emma had been too concerned about her own grades to notice. Looking at him now, it was hard to tell whether he was pleased with his report card or not. Martha waved to get his attention and once she had it, mouthed the question, “How’d you do?’
Sebastian shrugged and mouthed back, “Okay.”
“That’s probably all we’ll get from him,” Martha said with a lift of her right eyebrow.
“He doesn’t look worried, so he must have done well enough to please his parents,” Emma said.
Martha frowned, and with a disgusted tone said, “Yeah, I guess we’ll have to put up with him again next year.” Then she giggled. “Just kidding.”
Emma laughed too, then grew serious again as she remembered Doug. “I wonder how Doug did.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure he did just fine.”
Emma knew that Martha was right. Doug was smart, and he’d studied just as hard for his exams as she had. Still, she wasn’t going to stop worrying until she knew for sure.
As soon as all of the report cards had been passed out, Mrs. Perkins dismissed them. “Enjoy your summer,” she said as they left.
Doug was waiting for them when they got out into the hall. Apparently, Mr. Godfrey’s end-of-year speech wasn’t as long as Mrs. Perkins’s. The smile on his face said it all.
“I got all A’s!” he said, waving his report card with his good arm.
“Emma did too!” Martha exclaimed.
“Looks like the gang will all be here next year,” Sebastian said.
“Looks like it,” Doug agreed, giving Sebastian a friendly slap on the back.
Boys are so silly, Emma thought as she smiled happily.
Emma, Martha, Sebastian, and Doug stood outside on the front steps of the castle, waiting for the bus that would convey all but Doug to the airport. Doug would be spending the summer at the academy with his father. The others, of course, were all going home to their families. It was the moment Emma had been dreading. It was time to say goodbye until school began again in the fall. Even though Martha had promised to call and write often, Emma knew that she was going to miss her terribly. She had become as close to Emma as a sister. Likewise, Sebastian had become like a brother, an annoying brother at times, but a brother nonetheless. Her feelings for Doug were more complicated but just as strong, and she knew that she was going to miss him as much as Martha.
All too soon, the bus arrived. Emma, Martha, and Sebastian would remain together until they parted ways at the airport, but they would all have to say goodbye to Doug now.
Sebastian cleared his throat and gave Doug a playful jab. “Well, I gotta go. See ya in September.”
“See ya, buddy,” Doug answered.
“Bye, Doug,” Martha said. “Be careful this summer, and don’t get into any trouble—not without us anyway,” she added with a laugh.
“I promise,” Doug said as he gave her the Boy Scout salute.
Then it was Emma’s turn. Suddenly she felt awkward and didn’t know what to say. Impulsively, she flung her arms around him and gave him a quick hug. Before she let go, she thought she felt him squeeze her back. Not trusting herself to speak, she turned quickly and got on the bus. Once she was seated, she looked out the window and saw that Doug was watching her. He smiled and waved, and she waved back. Martha took the seat next to her, and Sebastian took the seat in front of them. Just before the bus pulled away, Emma saw Lord Dinswood come and stand next to Doug. Emma continued to watch until they rounded the curve, and the school was no longer in sight. Sitting back in her seat, she found herself looking forward to September.
Once the bus had gone, Lord Dinswood put an arm around Doug and said, “Don’t worry, son. Your friends will be back before you know it. Besides, you’re going to be pretty busy this summer helping your dad and me make plans for a new gymnasium.”
“With a swimming pool and weight room?” Doug asked, smiling.
“You bet!” Lord Dinswood replied with a grin of his own. He couldn’t remember a time when he had done so much smiling. His life had changed many times throughout his eighty years, and it was about to change again for the better. The previous evening, he’d had a long talk with Dean Harwood, and they had both agreed that they would work together to improve the facilities at the school. A gymnasium was to be the first priority, and then other amenities would be added after that. Thanks to four brave youngsters, the future of Dinswood Academy looked bright indeed.
I would like to thank my father and mother, Jack and Laura Schleyhahn, for their love and support; and my mother-in-law, Martha, whose kindness and selflessness were the inspiration for the Martha in my book.
I would like to extend special thanks to my son, Matthew, for being my test reader; my sister, Lisa Eberding, for being my biggest fan and supporter; and my sister-in-law, Sue Hauck, for allowing me to make use of her proofreading and computer skills.
Most of all I would like to thank God for His wonderful grace and His many blessings.
Ellen Alexander was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. She attended the University of Illinois and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology. After graduation, she and her husband Jim moved to Dixon, Missouri, where they raised their three sons. Ellen taught high school chemistry in Dixon for twenty-six years. Now retired, Ellen spends her time writing and enjoying her grandchildren.
The Secret of Dinswood Page 37