‘Crystalline white,’ said the Duck, pulling a snow-coloured scarf from around her neck and waving it urgently at Lily, before reaching for a pot of paint. ‘You will need several coats to cover the blue. It will take time, but if you think magical thoughts – perhaps even hum a little song to yourself – you should be done before your next class.’ She drifted away, leaving Lily to the mercy of her classmates’ teasing.
Lily wasn’t sure if thinking about Ronan counted as ‘magical’ but she managed to finish repainting Titania’s unicorn just as the bell went.
As they left the art room, Lily grabbed Charlotte and said, ‘There’s something I have to do. Can you cover for me in Mime? I’ll only be ten minutes.’
‘Okay,’ said Charlotte. ‘I’ll ask Ms Lynch about Marcel Marceau. That should keep her going for a bit.’
‘Thanks, Char,’ said Lily. ‘I owe you one.’
She pulled her notebook from her bag, wrote Ronan a hasty note begging him to meet her at 6.45 at the front entrance, and headed for Pendragon.
She left the note with Dawkins, who remembered her and promised to see that Mr Carver got the note.
Ms Lynch was in full flight when Lily got to Mime and she was relieved when the teacher just waved her to her chair.
‘You okay?’ whispered Max as soon as Lily sat down.
‘Yeah, I just had to deliver a message to Pendragon.’
‘I thought you said Carver had finished painting you?’
‘He has,’ whispered Lily, ‘but I had something I needed to ask him.’
Max grimaced. ‘You want to be careful getting involved with Ronan Carver, Lily. Darcy says he’s not what everyone thinks.’
‘And Darcy would know, I suppose?’ Lily felt the anger flame in her cheeks.
‘Yeah, he would actually,’ said Max. ‘Darcy knows this guy who practically grew up with Ronan Carver. They were in the same gang and Darcy says –’
But what Darcy said was lost as the teacher suddenly broke off her monologue on the French mime tradition and said sharply, ‘Do you have something you wish to share with us, Max?’
‘No, Ms Lynch.’
‘Or you, Lily?’
‘No, Ms Lynch.’
‘Then perhaps your discussion can wait until after class.’
Both Max and Lily lapsed into silence.
The bell went and Lily was practically running down the hall when Max caught her by the arm.
‘What is it, Max?’ asked Lily impatiently. ‘I’m in a hurry.’
‘Going out with your girlfriends, are you?’ said Max, and Lily could hear the resentment in his voice. ‘I thought I was your friend.’
‘You are, Max –’ began Lily.
But Max interrupted. ‘Then maybe you should listen to me! Darcy says that Ronan Carver’s dangerous, that he’s involved in all sorts of dodgy stuff.’
‘Is that so?’ said Lily, her eyes sparkling dangerously. ‘And why should I trust what Darcy Johnson says?’ she asked, wondering if this was the moment to tell Max about seeing Darcy and Mae-Ling together in the locker room.
‘Because Darcy doesn’t lie. I know him and I really think you should listen to what he says!’
‘Well, I know Ronan and I’d trust him over Darcy any day. In fact –’
‘Max!’ Mrs Wilson’s voice penetrated the hubbub in the corridor. He and Lily looked round to find the school secretary hurrying towards them. ‘There you are. You’re wanted in Mr Drake’s office. Immediately!’
‘Sure, Mrs Wilson,’ said Max, but, as he turned away, he whispered, ‘You need to stay away from Ronan Carver. I’ll explain later.’ He disappeared down the hall.
Upstairs, Lily’s roommates were getting ready for the Comtesse’s reception.
‘Where’ve you been?’ asked Charlotte. ‘It’s getting late.’
‘Talking to Max,’ replied Lily.
‘I suppose he wants to come, too,’ said Gemma, studying her eyebrows in the mirror.
‘Actually, I didn’t think to ask him,’ said Lily, frowning. ‘Do you think I should?’ she asked Charlotte.
‘No.’ Charlotte shook her head. ‘I know Max is your friend but he can’t stand me or Gemma, so it probably wouldn’t make for the best night out.’
‘He’s not too pleased with me right now, either,’ said Lily.
‘Oh?’
‘I made the fatal error of doubting Darcy.’
Charlotte began applying a second coat of nail varnish. ‘I don’t imagine that went down too well.’
Lily picked up her sponge bag and towel. ‘It didn’t, but then Max thinks Darcy’s a saint.’
Charlotte snorted. ‘If he’s anything like his older brother, Piers, then Darcy Johnson is no saint. I’d have thought someone as sharp as Max would have figured that out by now.’
‘Love makes you blind,’ remarked Phoebe knowingly.
‘True,’ replied Lily, thinking of Ronan. ‘I’d better shower,’ she added, glancing at the clock.
‘I’ll come with you. The light in the bathroom’s better for doing make-up,’ said Charlotte.
‘How do you know Darcy’s brother?’ Lily asked Charlotte curiously as they headed for the bathroom.
‘He was at Chancellor with Edward.’
‘Chancellor!’ echoed Lily. ‘That’s where Ronan went.’
‘Did he? I didn’t know that. Edward never talked much about school. He didn’t often bring friends home, but Piers came a few times and that’s when I met him,’ said Charlotte, making a face.
‘Not your type, then?’
‘Piers Johnson is one of those guys who sets off my warning bells – all charm and good looks on the surface, but underneath –’ She paused. ‘Maybe it was just me . . . I mean, Piers was a school prefect and really popular, just like Darcy, only . . .’
‘Only?’
‘I didn’t like the way he treated Edward. He and my brother were meant to be good friends, but I always felt like Piers used Edward.’
‘Did you tell him?’
Charlotte frowned. ‘It was about the only time Edward and I ever fought.’
‘Do you still see Piers?’ asked Lily curiously.
‘No, Edward left school and I don’t think they’ve seen each other since.’ Charlotte glanced at her watch. ‘You’d better shower quickly. We don’t want to be late.’
Lily thought of Ronan. ‘No, we don’t,’ she said.
The others were just putting the finishing touches to their hair when Lily got back to the bedroom.
‘Wow,’ she said, eyeing their outfits. ‘You guys look amazing.’
It was true: Charlotte was wearing a magnificent mint-green gown that made the most of her pale skin and copper-coloured hair; Phoebe was a dream in a dress of the softest lilac chiffon and Gemma looked more striking than Lily could have believed possible in an elegant black satin dress with silver trim.
‘Here’s your dress,’ said Phoebe, lifting it off the bed and holding it out. Lily threw off her bathrobe and stepped into the golden gown. Phoebe zipped it up, Lily ran her hands over the silk, took a deep breath, and turned to her roommates.
‘Okay,’ she whispered. ‘What do you think?’
‘Gorgeous,’ declared Gemma.
‘Divine,’ said Charlotte.
‘Stunning,’ replied Phoebe.
Lily stepped towards the wardrobe and stared at herself in the mirror. The Vidal gown was even more beautiful than she remembered. It caressed her body, the gold silk warm and shimmering, the full skirt rustling and whispering as she turned this way and that. She shook out her freshly washed hair and felt it tumble down her back, the curls soft against her bare skin.
If only Ronan liked it . . .
‘Selfie!’ cried Phoebe suddenly. She grabbed her phone, pulled Gemma close and waved the other two over. They huddled close and smiled for the camera. Lily was just reaching for her own phone when the door opened and Rachel burst into the room.
‘Have you heard?’ she demanded.<
br />
‘Heard what?’ asked Charlotte.
‘Darcy Johnson’s been busted – the Drake caught him using cocaine!’
CHAPTER 38
‘No way!’
‘You’re kidding!’
‘Oh my god!’
‘What?!’
The girls’ cries of disbelief filled the air before Lily said abruptly, ‘Does Max know?’
Rachel nodded. ‘The Drake’s questioning him.’
‘Will Darcy be expelled?’ asked Phoebe anxiously.
‘Apparently it depends on whether he’s been dealing or just using,’ said Rachel. ‘If he’s supplying the stuff to other students then the police are automatically called in and Darcy’ll be arrested, but if it’s just him making bad choices then the word is that the Drake will handle it in-house.’
‘So is he dealing?’ demanded Gemma.
‘Apparently he told the Drake it was his first time taking it.’
‘I doubt it,’ scoffed Charlotte.
‘It could be true,’ said Rachel. ‘Either way, the Drake and the Dane are grilling all Darcy’s friends.’
‘The Dane!’ exclaimed Phoebe. ‘I would so hate to be interrogated by her!’
‘Me too,’ agreed Gemma. ‘I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad I’m not friends with Darcy Johnson.’
‘So Darcy’s not so wonderful after all,’ said Lily thoughtfully. ‘Max will be devastated.’
‘Or worse,’ said Charlotte abruptly.
Lily stared at her. ‘You don’t think . . .’
Charlotte frowned. ‘I don’t know, but I think we should go and find him.’
‘But what about the reception?’ cried Gemma.
And Ronan! thought Lily. She glanced at her watch. ‘Okay, it’s almost 6.45. Can you two take our bags and coats and stuff and go downstairs and wait for Henri? Tell him we’re coming and –’ she hesitated. ‘And if Ronan Carver should turn up, can you ask him to wait? I mean, don’t let him leave until I get there. I –’
‘Don’t worry, Lily, we’ll tie him down if we have to,’ smiled Phoebe.
As she and Charlotte hurried down the corridor, Lily said, ‘Do you really think Darcy might have given Max cocaine?’
Charlotte looked worried. ‘It’s possible. You said yourself that Max was totally smitten with Darcy and that makes him vulnerable.’ Her eyes met Lily’s. ‘Especially as Max has done cocaine before.’
Lily paled. ‘Are you sure? How do you know?’
‘Because Max was preparing to come out of rehab when Edward went in. It’s where I first met him.’
‘Edward did drugs?’ whispered Lily, shocked.
‘Last year,’ nodded Charlotte. ‘He and some other boys sneaked out of school one night and went clubbing. One of the boys got them into this famous nightclub in Shoreditch – he knew the owner or something. Trouble was, he also knew a guy who supplied cocaine.’
Lily felt a sudden tightening in her stomach. ‘Wh–which nightclub?’ she faltered.
‘I’m not sure, Edward would never talk about it. All I know is that this guy got Edward to try cocaine and he got hooked. A couple of months later, Edward got caught using at school. Mummy and Daddy were called and they tried to make Edward tell them who’d supplied the drugs, but he wouldn’t give them a name. They took him straight out of school and got him into rehab the next day.’
‘Did they ever find out how he’d got the stuff at school?’ asked Lily uneasily.
Charlotte nodded. ‘Yes, the boy who’d got them into the club was getting it from his contact there and selling it at school. Apparently they searched everyone’s rooms and found traces of cocaine in his footlocker.’
‘What happened to him?’ asked Lily, gripping her hands together in silent prayer. Please don’t let it be Ronan. Please don’t let it be Ronan.
‘The school figured he’d introduced Edward and the other boys to his friend at the club deliberately, but they couldn’t prove it. No one would talk and the headmaster didn’t want to call the police, so they just kicked him out.’
‘And then?’
Charlotte shrugged. ‘No idea. Why? Do you think there’s a connection?’ She looked thoughtful. ‘Darcy’s brother, Piers, was one of the group that went to the club that night, but it couldn’t have been him selling the drugs because he was still at Chancellor when Edward went back there. Mind you, he and Piers were never such good friends again. Do you think maybe Piers is involved – that he told Darcy where to get the drugs?’
Lily looked worried. ‘Maybe. I – I don’t know. Max did say that Darcy had been down to Shoreditch, and Max has borrowed quite a lot of money from me, but I can’t believe –’
‘We have to find him,’ said Charlotte. ‘I’m not fond of Max, but if Darcy’s selling him drugs then we have to help him.’
‘Let’s try the dining hall,’ suggested Lily. ‘Or maybe –’
She broke off as Max came running into the entrance hall.
‘Max!’ cried Lily, lifting her skirts and running over to him.
‘Nice dress,’ said Max.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked anxiously. ‘We heard about Darcy.’
Max’s face darkened. ‘I’m fine and Darcy’s fine, too. He made a mistake, that’s all.’
Charlotte touched his arm. ‘Max, did Darcy –’
‘Darcy’s done nothing wrong!’ cried Max, shaking off Charlotte’s hand. ‘He’s told the Drake and the Dane everything he knows.’ He scowled at Lily. ‘The person you should be worried about is Ronan Carver!’
‘What? What are you talking about? Ronan’s got nothing to do with this!’
‘Oh, yeah? Tell that to the police when they arrive.’
Lily blenched. ‘Th–the police?’
‘Ronan’s been selling drugs right here in the Academy.’
‘It’s not true!’ cried Lily.
‘It is,’ asserted Max. ‘Darcy told the Drake it was Ronan who offered him the coke. I told you he was no good.’
But Lily wasn’t listening. ‘I have to go to Pendragon and find Ronan. He –’
‘He’s not there,’ said Max bluntly. ‘I went over to tell him to his face what a lowlife I think he is for selling Darcy drugs, but he’d gone. The porter said he was collecting a painting for some exhibition he’s setting up in Shoreditch. Not that he’ll be there for it. This time tomorrow, Ronan Carver will probably be in prison.’
Lily felt the blood drain from her face. She stared at Max in horror, her brain whirling with panic. She had to find Ronan and warn him . . .
‘I have to go!’ Lily caught Charlotte’s hand. ‘Can you take Phoebe and Gemma to Grandmama’s reception? I’ll be there as soon as I can.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Charlotte looking hard at her. ‘What if he’s guilty?’
‘He’s not!’ retorted Lily, ignoring Max’s scoffing sound. ‘I have to find him before the police do. Please, Charlotte.’
‘But what will I tell the Comtesse?’ asked Charlotte.
‘Tell her I’ve gone to rescue Ronan Carver!’ declared Lily, and turned and ran.
CHAPTER 39
Lily lifted her skirts and raced up the tower stairs.
Max followed.
She’d tried to stop him, to tell him that if he got caught in the tower he’d probably be expelled, but Max wouldn’t listen. He’d insisted that he was her friend and that he wasn’t going to let her face Ronan Carver alone.
There’d been no time to argue.
She had to find Ronan. That was the most important thing. He was innocent – she was sure of it – and he must not be locked up! The thought of Ronan in a police cell, trapped inside four walls and cut off from his art, was a blasphemy. He would die in there.
Lily felt the fear expand until it filled every part of her.
As she ran up, she prayed they’d meet Ronan coming down. She was sure he’d gone to collect the painting he’d done in the tower. Once she found him, she’d take him straight to the Drake; Rona
n would explain that he had nothing to do with Darcy’s drug taking and, when everything was sorted, she’d ask him to escort her to Grandmama’s reception.
But there was no sign of Ronan on the stairs and when Lily reached the top step, the door was closed and the key still in the lock.
She grasped the door handle and pushed open the door.
The room was empty.
‘Carver’s been painting you up here?’ panted Max, coming into the room behind her and crossing to the easel. ‘You trusted him? You should have told me . . .’
But Lily wasn’t listening. ‘He’s not here,’ she groaned. Ronan’s painting was exactly where he’d left it. Maybe he was behind her, maybe he’d arrive at any minute – or maybe he’d wanted some other painting for his exhibition . . .
His exhibition.
‘I have to go to Shoreditch,’ she said suddenly.
‘Shoreditch?’ exclaimed Max. ‘Bad idea, Lily.’
‘Ronan will be at the Axis Gallery, setting up his exhibition.’
‘Good to know,’ drawled a voice behind them. ‘The police can pick him up from there.’
‘Darcy!’ Max swung round. ‘What are you doing up here?’
‘I followed you. I was in Saunders’ office and I saw you going into the South Tower.’ He laughed unpleasantly. ‘Funny, I never suspected your precious Lily de Tourney of breaking rules. I’m disappointed in you, Max. How could you keep such a delicious secret from me?’
‘I didn’t,’ replied Max. ‘You know I would never –’
‘Max didn’t know,’ said Lily abruptly.
‘Well, he knows now,’ said Darcy, crossing the room and putting his hand on Max’s shoulder, ‘so we’ll just go down and tell the Drake how you’ve been spending time in the South Tower with Ronan Carver.’ He glanced around the room. ‘The perfect place for doing a line, I’d say.’
‘I don’t do drugs and neither does Ronan!’ declared Lily.
‘There’s no point lying now, Lily,’ said Darcy. ‘The Drake knows Carver’s a drug dealer.’
‘You’re the liar, Darcy,’ shouted Lily. ‘Look how you’ve lied to Max!’
‘Darcy wouldn’t lie to me,’ interjected Max.
‘He’s lied to you plenty,’ said Lily.
The Rapunzel Dilemma Page 27