The Autumn Palace (21 page)

‘You're left-handed, which I already know because I've seen you with a pen in your hand,' Ondine said. A little internal voice reminded her to keep this as straight-down-the-line as possible. ‘In your case, the right hand is the life you were born with, and the left
hand is the life you have made for yourself. Now if we look at the . . . this is really interesting.'

The lines on the right hand were curved and swirly, the lines on the left were angular and straight. On both palms the lifeline cut deep and true, but on the left hand the fate line stopped short, then started again, slightly to one side of the first line.

‘Ms Kyryl, you were born a creative, dramatic and emotional person, but you've carved a whole new life for yourself. It's like your parents wanted you to follow one path, but you've made a determined effort to become something else. Emotions aren't a weakness, but for you they might have been.'

‘This is all very general,' the teacher said, chewing the inside of her cheek. ‘I fail to see how any of this applies directly to –'

‘Ambition burns at the core of your being and you pine for a lost love,' Shambles interrupted.

Zoing!

‘How dare you!' Ms Kyryl withdrew her hands. ‘Ondine, if this is some kind of sick joke, you can stop it now.'

Cold, clammy dread snaked through Ondine's heart. ‘I apologise, Ms Kyryl. Shambles can be too blunt at times, but he calls it as he sees it. You are very, very good at your job, but the lines on your hands say you yearn for something more creative. I've noticed, lately, when we sing the national anthem, you have a beautiful voice. Did you want a musical career instead of a teaching post? Perhaps you had a patron who might have supported you if not for some twist of fate?' Ondine felt like she was grasping for ideas, but it all seemed to fit. And if she hinted at the patronage angle, her teachers' relationship with the Duchess might come to light.

‘I've had enough!' Ms Kyryl glared at Ondine. ‘I called you in here to give you one last chance to stay. This is not the way to do it.'

Panic exploded into full-blown fear. A strange numb feeling spread over Ondine. ‘I am very sorry, Ms Kyryl. I didn't mean to be so blunt. I promise you I will never say a word of this to anyone.'

‘That point is moot. As of this moment, Ondine, you are no longer a student at the palechia. I will
recommend to the Duke that you return to your parents in Venzelemma.'

Something swirly happened in her head. Ondine thought she might pass out.

Ms Kyryl folded her arms across her lean chest. ‘Why are you still here? Go!'

Feeling utterly wretched, Ondine dragged her feet from the converted barn and made straight for the privacy of her room.

‘Great Jupiter's moons, I'm finished!'

 

85
Yia sou
is a friendly ‘hello' in Greek. Say it to just about anyone and you'll go places, either in Athens, Greece, or in Melbourne, Australia
.

P
anic and fear made it impossible for Ondine to think straight as she slumped on her bed. Ms Kyryl's words kept swirling in her head and all she could focus on was her imminent expulsion from the palechia.

‘Aw, I'm so sorry, me love,' Hamish said.

Hot tears spilt down Ondine's cheeks. ‘This is hopeless.'

She was so enveloped in her grief, she barely paid attention to the man transforming beside her. He helped himself to her beige bedspread to keep warm. His strong arms embraced her and rocked her gently.

‘It's all right, lass. I'll explain it tae the Duke and ye'll be able tae stay.'

How she'd yearned to see Hamish again, but she
felt so angry and shocked, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She'd been doing a pretty good job of bluffing Ms Kyryl until Shambles had blurted out the ‘lost love' angle.

‘I should never have cheated. I should have studied harder from the start and then she wouldn't have been suspicious and none of this would have happened. You shouldn't have done it, Hamish. You knew she had it in for me. You should never have made me cheat.'

‘Studied harder? Nobody studies more than ye. Sometimes I think ye loave school work more than me because ye spend so much time on it. Even so, she would have sent ye home, we had tae do something.'

Coils of dread tightened the muscles in Ondine's shoulders. Going home meant facing her parents, who were still furious that she'd disobeyed them in the first place and run off with Hamish.

‘Then why didn't we come up with something else?' she wailed. ‘If we're so smart, how come there wasn't some other way apart from cheating? Now look what's happened – she's expelled me!'

‘Nawt yet she hasnae. We'll work something out.'

‘Saturn's rings, are you even listening? You were there, you saw how annoyed she was with the whole psychic thing! I should have admitted I cheated at the beginning and begged her forgiveness. Now all I've done is made her angrier.'

‘It's nawt that bad. We'll work it out. Old Col will help.'

No amount of soothing words from Hamish made the slightest dent in Ondine's mood. ‘I should never have looked at that answer sheet in the first place and now look where it's got me. I never wanted to cheat, it always felt wrong, but I let you talk me into it because I trusted you.' Drawing in a staggered breath, she continued her rant: ‘It's this stupid palace! It's done something to your head and now you love spying and sneaking around so much you think cheating is normal.'

‘So it's all me fault, is it?'

Ondine shouted, ‘Yes, it is!' As soon as the words were out she both wished she'd never said them and felt glad she'd blurted them out. Shaking her head at how hopeless everything had become, her breath came in painful gasps.

A stricken look of betrayal crossed Hamish's face, followed by utter despair. Palpable silence cloaked the room. They'd never had a problem with silences before, but now it felt horrible. The longer the silence lasted, the harder it became to break it. Try as she might, Ondine was afraid to say anything more because in her present state of anger and confusion she might make things even worse.

Hamish removed his arm from her shoulder. Ondine felt the chill.

‘I was only trying tae help,' he said. Then he shut his eyes and his body shrivelled away into his ferret shape.

A fierce ache ripped Ondine's heart open. ‘No, Hamish, please don't go.' Not when they were still fighting, not when they hadn't sorted it out.

It was too late. He'd already reverted. ‘I think I havtae.' His little ferret body waddled out of the room.

Alone, Ondine gave in to her misery and let the tears fall. She threw herself on her bed, face down in the pillow. After a few minutes of cathartic bawling, she turned the soaked pillow over to continue the marrow-deep sobs.

‘What is such noise?' Draguta came in and saw Ondine on her bed. Ondine felt a bony hand rubbing her back. ‘There, there, what is upset you so?'

‘Nothing,' Ondine lied.

‘Nothing? Then stop crying when is nothing.'

Ondine couldn't stop. She'd lost her place in the palechia school, and even worse, she'd just lost Hamish.

‘So, is something?' Draguta was too smart for her own good.

It all came out in a rush. ‘Hamish and I had a fight, and he walked out and now I think Ms Kyryl's going to kick me out of school because I've been cheating. I really tried hard but it wasn't enough and now it's too late because I messed it all up.'

‘You have the PMT,' Draguta said. ‘Need chocolate.'

With a loud sniff, Ondine wiped her eyes. Hormones would explain part of it. All the same, she'd been dealt a massive blow, which entitled her to a big cry.

Draguta opened a drawer and snapped off some squares of chocolate, then handed it to Ondine. ‘Here, eat. Best medicine.'

‘Thanks.' Ondine took a bite. The cocoa-and-sugar hit triggered something in her brain and she started feeling better. Draguta held her arms wide for a hug, and Ondine accepted. It was like hugging a lamp post.

The laundry mistress had been so kind, Ondine owed her some honesty. ‘Draguta, I have to tell you something. You know how you're coming up to long-service leave?'

‘Yes?' Draguta looked apprehensive as she sat down on her bed.

‘Well, I found out – please don't ask me how – that the Duchess is being a total miser and she'll find a way to sack you before she has to pay you your leave.'

Draguta reached for her teddy bear and hugged it to her chest. ‘Ptah! She did that last time. Thinks I stupid! Appreciate warning, but I prepared this time.'

‘I'm so relieved.' Ondine wiped her eyes and took the last bite of chocolate. She kept her voice low. ‘I thought the Infanta was bonkers, but the Duchess is something else.'

‘It all be fine. I get back to work now,' Draguta said, fetching another cardigan to wear over her existing
warm clothes. ‘Infanta will be wanting you soon.'

‘I know.' Ondine felt the chill in the air and reached for another jumper. ‘I just need to get myself together before I can face her.'

Draguta left and Ondine felt misery seep into her skin. It was probably the cold as well, because the staff dormitory had no heating. She'd been sitting still for so long her muscles had started to stiffen. The little teddy on Draguta's bed offered a morsel of comfort. Ondine picked up the teddy and gave it a hug. Something jabbed her in the chest. It was like hugging Draguta again, all sharp angles and bones.

Since when did furry teddy bears have corners?

Ondine looked but she couldn't see anything amiss. She hugged the toy again and felt another jab. She gave the teddy's belly a squish for good measure and felt something hard beneath the stuffing.

Curiosity got the better of her. She turned the teddy upside down and began to look for signs of something not right. It felt a bit rude as she probed for holes. That's the problem when you're in the grip of curiosity. Even when it's rude, you still can't hold back.

Running her fingers along the seams, she found a tiny hole. She stuck her finger through and poked about – roughly where one of his kidneys would be, if stuffed toys had kidneys.

This stuffed toy had solid objects inside. Ondine tried to pull them out with her finger, but the hole was too small and the objects were too big.

If I can just . . . rip!
She tore a gaping hole in the side.
Ba-dump, ba-dump
, her heart began racing at the thought of what lay inside.
Badump-badump-badump
, her heart charged faster at the thought of Draguta walking back in and finding her violating the teddy.

Mercury's wings!
Trinkets, keys, earrings, brooches and even a decorative spoon tumbled out of the toy and on to the bed. Quick as a flash, she stuffed them all back into the bear and tugged on the loose threads to close up the hole.

Staring at the toy, she couldn't help a worrying thought:
Oh, Draguta, what have you done?

S
hambles felt lower than a cockroach. A cockroach who'd walked into a deep pit, picked up a shovel and started digging the pit even deeper. Ms Kyryl was sending Ondine home for cheating and it was his fault. How had his well-meaning attempts to help his sweetheart backfired so badly? When they'd met in the summer she didn't have classes or exams. He hadn't realised school and studying were so important to her, but clearly they were and he'd stuffed things right up.

He needed somewhere to think, but his stomach rumbled so loudly he had to find food first. Taking care not to get under anyone's feet, he scarpered down the hall and followed the cooking smells. Judging from the pungent caramelised onion, meat and rosemary aromas, roast lamb was on the menu. His mouth
watered in anticipation. He should try and take some slices to Ondine, as a peace offering. The poor hen had eaten little more than soup and bread for the past few weeks, perhaps something solid might fix her up?