Page 52 of The Headmistress

The former headmistress had Lily cornered in the hallway, both their faces serious and Lily’s telegraphing so much misery that Sam knew her time to dodge the former Headmistress was up.

At her approach, Orla sprang away from their student, giving Lily just enough time and space to scramble sideways and away, throwing Sam a grateful look over her shoulder.

“Professor Fenway, is there trouble?”

Orla’s entire face contorted.

“I’m not some street thug looking to shake down people in the hallways of our venerated Academy! Who do you think you are to speak to me this way?”

So that was how it was going to be. Orla was beyond upset and lashing out. Still, better Sam than Lily bearing the brunt of what would certainly be an unpleasant conversation. Sam’s breath was coming out fast and her hands were shaking, but she squared her shoulders and stepped into the breach.

“Not only do I stand by having this conversation with you, but I also should have had it some time ago. Clearly, your campaign against Headmistress Nox has escalated beyond reasonable limits, since you’re now resorting to cornering students who are benefitting from her tenure at Dragons in the hallways…”

“Benefitting? That’s rich!”

Sam wanted to hit her head against the nearest stone wall. How was it that one of the most intelligent women in her acquaintance was also one of the most stubborn and unreasonable?

“Orla, the war is over. For better or worse—and for now, it is certainly for better—Magdalene Nox is headmistress of Dragons. The school not only has a chance to survive, it has a chance to flourish—”

“Flourish? That’s preposterous. With all the strangers on campus, constantly distracting the girls, accosting them, this hallowed ground will stop being the safe haven it has been for them for years. Children like Lily and Amanda and Suzie and, in fact, pretty much every girl at this school, are no longer safe here! Can’t you see it?”

The urge to now bang Orla’s head against the wall, rather than her own, was growing stronger by the second.

“Why wouldn’t Lily and Amanda and the girls be safe? What could possibly jeopardize them? Lily and Suzie have lived on the island their whole lives. Their parents are part of the community. What is the danger to the girls? And why Lily and Amanda and Suzie of all people—”

Orla’s look of complete disgust, as if Sam was a total moron, stopped her in her tracks.

“After your earlier revelation, surely you of all people should understand this. Because they are different and we need to do all we can to keep them away from—”

“Excuse me?” Something in Sam’s face must have made Orla rethink her words because she suddenly rushed to explain herself.

“What I mean to say—”

But Sam had had enough. Enough of this day, enough of Orla, enough of people saying and doing things with seemingly good intentions, only to mess everything up more. Weren’t there plenty of proverbial roads to hell paved around this place already? Surely all the good intentions were superfluous at this point, especially when they were as misplaced as the one Orla was proffering now.

“I think you should apologize here and now, and then go find the girls and apologize to them too, for even considering them not good enough to make an impact on this world. To hold their own. To make their own way. These children are a blessing, a gift. Amanda is a brilliant mathematician, Lily is one of the most talented people I know. The sky is their limit. And you want to hide them away? They deserve every chance they can get. They deserve to be celebrated, not hidden.”

Orla took several steps away from Sam, stopping by the window overlooking the patio where some of the girls could be heard playing raucously. Her shoulders sagged and she ran her fingers through her long hair. Sam wondered when her friend had gotten so much greyer, when her eyes and mouth had acquired the deep-set wrinkles. This situation was clearly taking its toll on the former headmistress as well.

“I’m sorry. I think I’m not taking this well.”

“The changes, you mean? Because no, you really aren’t. The school needs unity now. Isn’t it enough that we’re on extremely shaky ground with the more conservative parents’ groups, with the trustees, and with god knows who else, if the attacks on the headmistress are any indication? Do we need to also be fractured from the inside?”

Sam stepped closer, and they stood side by side, watching the children chase each other, oblivious to the storm rocking the adults in their world.

“I don’t know what’s happening anymore. All I’ve ever wanted was to keep the girls safe. Safe and happy and educated in an inclusive environment that would broaden their horizons and give them the very best. How are they to have the very best when that woman has cut most of the innovative and progressive programs? When she has invited strangers, tourists,criminalson the grounds?”

Sam wanted to roll her eyes at Orla’s words.

“Yes,that womanhas cut programs and leased the astronomy tower, but how else is she supposed to keep the school alive? I know you disagree with her…”

Taking Sam by surprise, Orla whirled on her.

“I know the reason whyyoudon’t disagree with her. After your little performance in the office just now, some puzzle pieces have finally fallen into place for me. I may have not been paying attention for months, I was rather preoccupied to notice your ridiculous infatuation.” Orla’s laughter echoed, taunting and broken in the long, empty corridor. “Believe me, I have much to say about the lack of ethics involved in that gross display of unprofessionalism on your and Nox’s part. But if you want to lecture me further, please go ahead. Though you should consider your words very carefully when you have forgotten all loyalty, all decency, for a piece of ass!”

“Orla!” Sam staggered back as if slapped. She may as well have been, because the words certainly felt like a palm across the face.

“I mean every word, Samantha Anne Threadneedle. You are not one to lecture me on this issue. In fact, on any of these issues. Maybe I’m not entirely correct on my reasons to want to keep the girls safe, but I’ll be damned if I will take advice from someone who is so whipped, so tightly wrapped up by the wiles of that woman, that she can’t even see straight. Or, well, turns out straight wasn’t ever your thing, to begin with.” Now Orla’s eyes flashed with malice, and Sam recoiled even further. Something about the sheer drivenness that was written all over Orla’s face resembled madness, and Sam felt both deep insult and humiliation, but also pity.

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