Free The Autumn Palace by Ebony McKenna

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    With a shudder, Old Col said, ‘I will inform theDuke. Now, best you get to school. I will be taking a stroll near the arch of crepe myrtle trees on the western lawn around three this afternoon. Meet me there.’
    â€˜OK. I’ll see you then.’ Ondine gave her great aunt a kiss on the cheek and gave Shambles a peck on the top of his head. They walked off in different directions – Old Col and Shambles towards the conservatory for breakfast, Ondine to her new classes. More nagging worries followed Ondine all the way to the school barn. Worries that went along the lines of,
I know Shambles needs to be a ferret most of the time, but when nobody else is around, he really ought to be my Hamish
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    The barn looked like it had been converted in a hurry. It had a portrait of the Duke on the wall, dusty windows, creaky floorboards and tables and chairs. Enough for a teacher and a dozen students aged between eleven and fifteen. One large, portable white board stood at the head of the room.
    A woman who looked about the same age as Ondine’s eldest sister Marguerite came up to her. ‘Good morning, you must be Ondine. The seneschal has toldme all about you. I’m Ms Kyryl. You can take a seat next to Hetty if you like. Let’s begin.’
    Ms Kyryl had dark hair pinned tightly at the back of her head. She wore conservative pleated blue trousers, flat black shoes and a buttoned-up white shirt under a v-neck jersey, which matched her trousers. On her hips she wore an intricately braided leather belt, with tassels at the ends and tiny brass bells that tinkled musically as she walked.
    Ondine sat down next to the smiling Hetty. Hetty had ramrod-straight black hair, tied in pigtails either side of her head, which made her look about ten, although she was clearly Ondine’s age. Hetty had the tiniest little button nose. When she smiled, her cheeks turned into round cushions and her scimitar 43 eyes almost closed.
    â€˜I shouldn’t be glad about the storm, but I am,’ Hetty said. ‘The thing is, I’ve always wanted a pony and now I’ve got one. Just looking after it, of course, until they rebuild the stables. But I’ve finally got a pony!’
    â€˜A horse is a lot of extra work,’ Ondine said. ‘Where do you keep it?’
    â€˜In our lounge. We’ve moved all our furniture out and laid down straw and it’s so wonderful.’
    Ondine’s jaw nearly hit the table.
    â€˜Ha ha, got you! We’re keeping it in our barn for the meantime. Sorry to tease you! I’m so glad to finally have a friend my age.’ Hetty then fired off a series of questions: ‘Have you moved here with your parents? What jobs do they have? Are you staying permanently or is it a seasonal contract?’
    â€˜I’m here with my great aunt . . .’ Ondine started. She nearly added that she’d also come with Hamish, but she wasn’t sure what to call him. She thought ‘my boyfriend who turns into a ferret at the most inconvenient times’ was a bit of a mouthful. And hard to explain. She didn’t know how to answer the rest of the questions because she didn’t want to reveal Old Col’s job description, nor how long they would be staying. Hopefully not for ages because she wanted to go home with Hamish and resume her normal life. Hetty looked so pleading, Ondine didn’t want to dash her hopes by saying they wouldn’t be here for long.
    â€˜Good morning, class,’ Ms Kyryl said.
    â€˜Good morning, teacher,’ the students said as one.
    â€˜I was born here and the whole time there have only been two other children who were my age.’ Hetty rolled her eyes as she added, ‘And they were both boys, who came and went.’
    â€˜I’ve always gone to school here. Well, not here in the barn, back in the proper school house. My parents run the chicken farms. They supply the palechia and most of Bellreeve with poultry.