by Lyn Gardner
Chapter Twenty-One
Miss Swan gazed out at the Swan pupils, her sharp eyes passing over the faces of the children. They were all gathered in the theatre for assembly. Everyone loved these assemblies because it was a chance to hear about upcoming auditions, and to find out who had got bookings and in which shows and movies. Last week Alicia announced that all three main roles in the remake of The Railway Children had gone to Swan pupils, and that the latest release by a former pupil, the singer-songwriter Amber Lavelle, who had only left the school three years ago, had gone straight to number one.
Alicia was pleased to see Eel clowning around with her friends. The child was a real character and had settled down well at the school, already fulfilling the promise that Alicia had spotted. She was doing well academically, and she was affectionate too, often curling up on Alicia’s lap in the evenings.
Alicia’s eye fell on Olivia, standing close to the rest of her form and yet somehow completely detached from them. As ever, Olivia looked as if she was weighed down by some terrible burden. Alicia wished she knew how to help her granddaughter, who was clearly unhappy. But every approach that she made, every attempt to get Olivia to open up, was politely rebuffed.
Alicia felt that she was somehow failing Olivia, but she didn’t know what to do to put it right, and if Olivia wouldn’t let her near, she knew she never would know. The child would always remain a stranger to her. Olivia had suddenly taken to disappearing for long periods and when Alicia asked her where she was spending her time, she clammed up so decisively it made Alicia feel like a thief trying to steal a pearl from an oyster.
Her gaze moved on across the auditorium. Tom McCavity and William Todd were making their classmates laugh. One who wasn’t laughing was Georgia Jones, who was looking pinched and almost as unhappy as Olivia. Alicia knew from a tiny comment made by Mrs Jones when she had come to pick Georgia up from the newbies’ concert that money was tight at the moment and she wondered whether she should offer a scholarship. She didn’t want to lose Georgia, who had real talent and who could be a great asset to the Swan, perhaps even one of its stars. She decided she would invite Georgia’s mum in for a chat.
Her gaze fell on Katie Wilkes-Cox, who was eyeing Tom and William disdainfully, and Alicia sighed. That child was spoiled rotten by her dreadful parents and she was often rude to teachers and dismissive of the achievements of other children. Her schoolwork was getting worse too.
Alicia knew she would have to do something about Katie before things got out of hand. When she accepted a child at the Swan, she felt that she was making a commitment to that child and she would do anything to avoid breaking it. But Alicia wondered whether Katie might turn out to be one of her few failures. Katie’s talent wasn’t in question, but her attitude certainly was. If there was one thing Alicia wouldn’t stand at the school, it was prima donnas who thought themselves a cut above everyone else.
Alicia raised a hand and the children fell silent.
“A good morning to you all. Now, I have two very important announcements to make. There is good news and there is some bad news. I’ll give you the bad news first. This is very serious, I’m afraid, very serious. I fear we have a thief in our midst.”
A murmur rippled through the room.
“Money and valuable items have gone missing from the rehearsal room at the top of the school. Miss Hanbury’s gold chain broke while she was giving a voice class in there the day before yesterday. She left it on the window ledge and forgot all about it. When she returned a few hours later, it had gone, and it hasn’t been handed in. She is very upset because it was a gift from her fiancé. Several pupils have also reported money and jewellery disappearing from that particular room. Aeysha, you lost a bracelet, didn’t you, dear?”
Aeysha nodded.
“I would urge you to take care of your possessions and not to bring anything valuable into school.” Alicia paused and gazed at the faces in the room. Several people blushed and everybody, even the most innocent, felt a little bit guilty inside. “If anybody has any information that they would like to share in confidence, or indeed any items that they would like to hand over, then please do feel free to come and see me in my study. Nobody should be afraid. Whoever is responsible for the thefts needs help, not punishment. They will be treated fairly. Whoever you are, we can sort this out, but you must return all the missing items.”
Alicia paused again.
“Now to the good news! Tomorrow we will be holding auditions to select those who will be part of this year’s Swan entry for the Children’s Royal Spectacular at the London Palladium. I’d like as many of you as possible to give it your best shot. Even if you don’t make the grade, the audition experience will be good for you, particularly for those of you who might be put forward for the Sound of Music auditions just before Christmas. Besides, we want the very best people. The Swan does not just have some of the most talented children in the country, it has the best trained, so we want to show the whole world what we can do. It’s a terrific showcase for you and the school. We want to make sure that the Swan wins through the TV heats and is top of the bill!”
A huge cheer erupted in the theatre.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Eel took a deep breath as the music started. Immediately she was totally immersed in the dance. It was as if there was nothing else in the world except her and her body. There was a fire in the place where her heart was, and her limbs felt as if they had become molten, allowing her to do the impossible. She felt both exhilarated and incredibly calm too, as if nothing else in the world mattered except the dance. She felt as if she was flying, not dancing. She soared as the music reached its climax and turned a final sequence of explosive cartwheels, coming to a standstill on stage with a little flourish.
Eel beamed from ear to ear, still feeling as if she was floating two metres above the ground. But had she done enough to persuade Granny Alicia to include her in the Swan team for the Children’s Royal Spectacular? Eel hoped so, but she knew it was an outside chance. Almost everyone at the Swan had more experience and more training than her. She was pretty well a complete beginner as a dancer, and while she had bucketfuls of natural ability, that would count for very little against the impressive technique of many of the other pupils. Sometimes Eel and her friends went to watch the seniors practise and Eel hoped that one day she would be as good as some of them. She thought Abbie Cardew was wonderful, practically perfect in every way.
“Thank you very much, Eel. Results will be posted on the board at the end of the week.” Eel curtsied, said, “Thank you,” and left. Please, please, let me be in it, she thought, giving the audition panel her cheekiest grin.
Alicia smiled and watched her go.
“Of course, we can’t possibly include her,” she murmured to her fellow judges. “She’s only been here a few weeks.”
“Why not?” replied India Taylor. “She may only be seven but she’s got more self-possession than the average seventeen-year-old. She’s much more confident than her sister. I think it might be good for her. And she’s working like a Trojan. Performing before a live audience might be just the thing to spur her on to greater heights. A dangling carrot, as it were.”
“I think she developed a taste for live performance at the newbies’ concert,” said Alicia wryly. “But maybe you’re right. At the very least, she’d charm the judges and the audience into voting for the Swan, and we might need all the help we can get. I’ll put her on the Possible list.” She looked at her sheet. “Who’s next? Ah, Georgia Jones, how nice.”
Georgia walked nervously on to the stage and stood in the spotlight.
“When you’re ready, Georgia,” said Alicia.
Georgia wasn’t sure she would be truly ready ever again. This was the first time she had performed properly since the catastrophe of the newbies’ concert. She felt sick inside in case she made a fool of herself. She had started to doubt her abilities more and more. Maybe Katie was right; maybe she was just a clumsy oaf.
Alicia peered at Georgia. “Are you all right, dear?” she asked, a look of concern on her face.
Georgia nodded, but she didn’t feel it. Mrs Collett at the piano began to play. Georgia opened her mouth but nothing came out.
“Begin again, dear,” said Alicia. Once again, Mrs Collett played the intro and Georgia opened her mouth a second time. Then she burst into tears and rushed off stage, where she was sick into the fire bucket in the wings.
She knew that she had blown it. There would be no Children’s Royal Spectacular for her. She felt defeated, as if all the long years of hard practice had been for nothing. It didn’t matter if her mum couldn’t pay the fees because Miss Swan would probably ask her to leave anyway. Georgia knew she had performed badly in almost every lesson since the newbies’ concert; most of her teachers had expressed disappointment in her. Georgia felt a total failure.
Katie breezed through the wings with Kylie Morris in tow. “Oh, yuk, Georgia Jones, that’s gross!” she cried. “Get a grip, can’t you, you’ll put the rest of us off. My dad always says that if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Losers like you shouldn’t even try to compete with people of genuine talent.”
Back in the auditorium, Alicia asked Abbie to go and check that Georgia was all right, then she turned to the rest of the panel. “I wish I knew what was worrying that child. It’s as if her accident has knocked every shred of confidence out of her. She hasn’t been the same since the newbies’ concert.”
“Shall I put her on the No list?” asked Miss Hanbury.
“If you all don’t mind, I’d like to suggest a private audition in my office. If I can be sure she’s up to it, being included in the team might be just the boost she needs.”
The others nodded.
“Next!” called Alicia.
Katie walked on stage, tossing her hair, and with great aplomb launched into “Truly Scrumptious” from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Her routine included a highly polished tap-dancing interlude. Katie felt invincible. She knew she was making a good impression. A place in the team was hers for sure. She curtsied and walked off, humming “Popular” under her breath.
“A bit too sweet for me,” said Sebastian.
“Yes,” agreed Alicia, “but not a performance you can really fault.”
“She’s good, even if she’s not quite as good as she thinks she is,” said Miss Taylor.
“I agree,” said Miss Hanbury. “I’m not sure we can afford to leave her out. She’s very strong.”
“Not in maths she isn’t,” said Alicia ominously. She looked at her watch. “I think Katie was the last one. I’m going to find Georgia and see if I can persuade her to perform for me, and then we’ll reconvene at teatime to try and finalise the team.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Katie sat on a chair in Miss Swan’s study. She had put on her most serious expression and appeared to be listening intently to every word that Alicia was saying. Alicia was studying some papers in her hand and she looked stern.
“You do realise that this is all very unsatisfactory, don’t you, Katie? You have failed to hand in your last three maths assignments, and your results in class are poor. According to your form tutor, your performance in English and science is not much better. What do you have to say?”
“I’m very sorry, Miss Swan, I really am,” said Katie, opening her eyes wide because her dad said it made her look like an adorable kitten. “I know I’ve been underperforming in lessons, but I’ve been trying so hard to concentrate on my dance. Miss Taylor says that I’m improving very fast. Yesterday she said I was one of the best in school.”
“Did she?” said Alicia, a disbelieving edge to her tone.
“Oh, yes,” said Katie. “Most emphatically.” Alicia raised an eyebrow. Miss India Taylor, a wonderful dance teacher and a woman of very few words, was not given to effusive statements about her pupils’ abilities.
“It’s true, Katie, that your dancing is improving, although whether you are one of the best in the school is open to debate. In any case, it’s not a matter of who is best. Pupils progress and consolidate at very different rates. But I can’t deny that your audition for the Children’s Royal Spectacular was very good indeed and I believe that you would be an asset to the team.” She paused. “But I have to consider every aspect of your performance at the school, and your academic results do not justify your inclusion. You know the Swan policy as well as I do. Poor results in the classroom mean no public performances, professional or otherwise. So until your results show signs of improvement, reluctantly I have to say that—”
“Please, please, Miss Swan,” interrupted Katie, her eyes welling with tears that glistened on her thick dark lashes. “Please don’t leave me out of the team! Being part of a team would be good for me and being included would give me the incentive I need to do better in my school work. My results would improve, I promise. I’d work like a demon.” She looked at Alicia from under her eyelashes. “If you would just give me one last chance, I promise I won’t let you down.”
Alicia looked hard at Katie. Why was it that whenever she spoke to this child, she felt as if she was watching somebody acting? It was as if Katie had lost the ability to distinguish between pretence and real life. Her instinct was to tell the girl that she had already had a chance to pull up her socks and now she must pay the price – exclusion from the Children’s Royal Spectacular cast – but maybe it was just the spur that the child needed.
“All right,” said Alicia decisively. “I’ll take a chance on you, Katie. But you get one chance, and one only. The midterm tests fall just before the final televised heat for the Spectacular. If we get that far. If you don’t pass in every single subject, you’re out of the team.”
“Thank you, Miss Swan, I won’t let you down,” beamed Katie. “I’ll be devoted to you forever.”
“Eternal devotion isn’t required, Katie, but a decent pass in algebra and comprehension is.” Miss Swan looked at her watch. “Now, run along back to class. I’ve already kept Mrs Jones waiting, and I’ve got to make a quick phone call before I talk to her. On your way out, can you tell her I’m sorry for the delay and that I won’t be long.”
Georgia’s mum was sitting in the little anteroom outside Miss Swan’s office. She smiled when she saw Katie.
“How are you, Katie?” she asked.
“Very well, Mrs Jones,” Katie said, smiling sweetly. “Miss Swan has just been congratulating me on my progress.”
“How nice for you.”
“Yes,” said Katie innocently. “In fact, she said I’m so talented she wants to give me a scholarship. But I told her I didn’t need one and that she should save it for someone who really does. Someone poor.” She gave Mrs Jones a ravishing smile. “Someone like Georgia!” she said, as if she had just had the most delightful idea.
Georgia’s mother blushed, looking disconcerted. She was surprised that Georgia had talked at school about their situation. Whenever she had tried to broach the subject of money at home and the possibility that Georgia might have to leave the Swan, her daughter had refused to discuss it.
“Oh, I do apologise, Mrs Jones!” said Katie. “That was very tactless of me. It was just that Georgia confided in me. She told me how difficult things are for you both. I didn’t mean to embarrass you or myself.” She looked stricken.
Mrs Jones leaned forward, thinking what a kind and delightful child Katie was and that she must do her best to encourage the friendship.
“That’s all right, Katie, no offence taken. It was a lovely thought,” she said, bringing the subject firmly to a close.
At that moment her mobile went off. Katie walked towards the door, and Georgia’s mother gave her a little wave goodbye as she answered the phone. “Yes?” she said. She was flustered to discover it was her boss. “I booked the time off. I won’t be long, I’ll be back in the office before three… No, I’ll sort it out. I’ve got to go.” She snapped the phone shut and said angrily, “I’d tell you to
stuff your stupid job if I could afford to keep Georgia at school without it!”
Georgia’s mother suddenly realised that Katie hadn’t left the room and immediately regretted her outburst, but Katie just said very sincerely, “I’m so sorry about your money troubles, Mrs Jones. Georgia is my absolute bestest friend. I couldn’t bear it if she had to leave.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Olivia, could you please stay behind? I want a word with you,” said Sebastian Shaw.
It was the end of another class in which Olivia had sat in the corner, her face hidden by her hair, trying to pretend that she wasn’t there. Sebastian waited until all the other children had gathered their belongings and headed off to the cloakrooms to change for contemporary dance or to get ready for singing. Three of the boys were going for an audition for a brand-new play at the Royal Court. It was by an exciting young female playwright who everyone said would be the next big thing.
“Olivia, Olivia, what am I going to do with you?” he asked sorrowfully. “It’s clear that you are very unhappy here at the Swan but I think that you could enjoy it so much more if you would only make a little effort. You have a lovely voice, Olivia, and such expressive features. Your eyes truly are windows to your soul. If you could only overcome your shyness and use your gifts, you might become a great actress like your mother.”
Olivia wanted to shout, “I don’t want to be a great actress like my mother, I want to be a great tightrope-walker like my dad!” but curiosity got the better of her. Instead she asked fiercely, “You knew my mum?”
Sebastian nodded. “I taught her everything I know, and after that she started to teach me.”
“What was she like when she was my age?” asked Olivia.
Mr Shaw smiled. “She was just like you. She was beautiful and she could be a bit frightening, and there was something a little wild about her and something a little sad, except when she laughed, and then it was as if the sun had come out. But she had one thing that I haven’t yet seen in you, Olivia.”