by Julia Nobel
“There you are!” Emmy’s mom was running toward her as fast as her stilettos would go.
“Mom!”
Her mom flung her arms around her, clutching her so tight it almost knocked the wind out of her. “Darling, are you all right? I’ve been so worried.”
“I’m fine, Mom, really. It was just a stupid dare.”
Her mom crouched down and looked her square in the eye. “Emmy, I talked to Madam Boyd yesterday.”
Emmy’s heart sank. If her mom knew what had happened in the tower, she could kiss Wellsworth goodbye. “What did she say?”
Her mom smiled. “She told me you were an exemplary student who had risen beyond all her expectations. She said you’d faced many challenges, and that you’d met them head-on. She’s very proud of you.”
“She said that?” A warm rush flooded Emmy’s cheeks.
“She did. Listening to her talk about how well you’re doing made me miss you even more.” She tucked a strand of Emmy’s hair behind her ear. “I’m proud of you, too, Em. Looks like I’ll be sending you to a more challenging school at home next year.”
The warm rush vanished. “Home? But Mom, Wellsworth is my home.”
“Darling, don’t be ridiculous. I’m glad you’ve done so well while I was away but filming this TV show is over now. I can’t profess to be a parenting expert if my twelve-year-old daughter lives on a different continent.”
Of course, this was about her mother’s career. Emmy should have known. That’s what it’s always about.
“And…” her mom hesitated, “I’d miss you too much. This year without you just… It hasn’t been the same.”
Emmy looked down at her toes. It was nice to hear her mom say that. There had definitely been times when she’d wished her mom was close by. Maybe going back to Connecticut wouldn’t be so bad.
She looked around the parking lot and saw the main building rising above her. Its towers and spires had been so intimidating on her first day. It had made her think of an old cathedral that nobody went to anymore. Now it made her think of Saint Audrey’s Feast Day, and getting lost in an endless library, and Master Barlowe bringing Shakespeare to life. Mostly it made her think of Jack and Lola, of having lunch in the Hall and laughing about who knows what.
She looked at her mom and bit her lip. “Even though you won’t be filming, you’ll still be away a lot. And you’ll be busy writing and doing research and giving speeches. When I’m at Wellsworth, there’s always someone looking out for me.”
Her mom shifted her weight. “But what would I tell people?”
“You’ll tell them the truth! That I love it here. And,” she grinned, “as a child psychologist and as my mother, you know what’s best for me. It would be unhealthy to rip me away from such a rich learning environment.”
Her mom smirked. “Do I really sound like that?”
“Sometimes.” Emmy laughed, and then bit her lip. “Please, Mom, seriously. You can’t take me away.”
“I don’t know…” Her mom tipped her head. “Madam Boyd did sound lovely on the phone.”
“She’s the best! Her daughter is one of my best friends!”
“Oh, there are families here?”
“Sure!” She didn’t mention that the Boyds were the only family on campus. That was another one of those things her mother didn’t need to know.
“Well, I should at least look around the school and meet some of the teachers before I decide. Maybe Madam Boyd and her daughter could show us around.”
“I’m sure they’d love to.” If anyone could convince her mom to let her stay, it would be the Boyds.
“Oh yes, there was one thing Madam Boyd mentioned that surprised me.” Her mom narrowed her eyes. “She said what an exceptional asset you were on the soccer team.”
Oh. Right. Emmy scratched her ear. “Yeah, uh, about that…”
“I guess it didn’t hamper your studies too much, but we’re still going to talk about it later.”
Emmy breathed a sigh of relief. Her mom didn’t sound too mad. She led her mom toward Audrey House, looking at the sprawling grounds, breathing in the salty air, and smiling. A vacation in Connecticut would be nice. But in two months, she’d be ready to come back to school. Back home.
Acknowledgments
I am so grateful to the entire team at Sourcebooks. To Annie Berger, thank you for being my champion and for caring so deeply about my story. I also thank Sarah Kasman, Cassie Gutman, and Becca Sage for all your editorial work. To Jordan Kost and Hannah Peck, thank you for creating a cover so stunning that when I first saw it, I literally screamed in my agent’s ear.
To Brenda Drake and Heather Cashman, thank you for your tireless work on Pitch Wars, which literally changed my life. Speaking of Pitch Wars, I can’t go any further without thanking Julie C. Dao. Julie, thank you for choosing me out of nowhere to be your mentee. Your support and advice forever changed the way I write.
I have the most amazing tribe of writers who help and push me every day. Thank you to all my beta readers and critique partners, including Tara Creel, Suzi Guina, Alli Jayce, Kit Rosewater, Lacee Little, and Laura Lashley. Your feedback, and your friendship, is woven into the fabric of this novel.
To my agent, Melissa Edwards, thank you for working so tirelessly on my book. Your editorial suggestions transformed the manuscript into a novel, and I am so grateful for how much you put into my writing and my career every day.
To Joel and Tracy, and to Karl and Steph, thank you for making me laugh every time we’re in the same room. To Benjamin and Matthew, thank you for never being afraid to show the world your true selves. To my dear Katherine, thank you for being my first real reader, and for giving me feedback that was far more advanced than I could have imagined. To Judy, thank you for reading my first draft, and for being honest while still finding ways to avoid telling me that it sucked. As always, thank you for being not just my cousin, but for being my sister, too.
To my parents, thank you for your never-ending support and encouragement. Dad, thank you for all the time you’ve spent looking after Audrey so I could write, teach, and feel like a normal person. Mom, I’m so glad you were able to read an early draft of this novel, even though you were already so sick. Thank you for making sure that I know how proud you would be of me right now, even though you can’t tell me.
To my darling Audrey, you are my heart. Always.
Finally, to Jason, thank you for being my plot magician. Thank you for being my rock. Thank you for being my love.
About the Author
Julia Nobel is a teacher on an island off the south coast of Canada. By the time she was ten, she had a beloved notebook filled with plot ideas for novels and TV shows. Even though she hadn’t read them in years, she cried when she had to get rid of her Baby-Sitters Club books because they wouldn’t fit in the family’s moving truck, and she promptly bought them all again in her new city. Now, she carries another plot-filled notebook, although it’s also filled with shopping lists and reminders to feed the cat. She is a writing coach and offers workshops for children, youth, and adults. The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane is her debut novel.
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