Free Dreams at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

seemed to echo round the whole building. I could even hear her clicking along the top corridor, and then there was the click of her door shutting.
    I swallowed and started counting in what I thought were seconds. When I’d got to a hundred and twenty I made my way upstairs and crept along the corridor, looking at all the doors. The one on the end had a plaque on it that said DOMESTIC BURSAR . As I stood outside I felt as though my heartbeat was the loudest thing happening in the whole building. I knocked gently, but there was no reply. She couldn’t have heard me, so I knocked a bit more loudly and this time she said, “Yes, come in!” in a bit of a snappy voice.
    I opened the door, anxious already that I’d got off to a bad start, and swallowed as my eyes took in the size of the office. Miss Gerard was sitting in a smart office chair on wheels at a huge desk, working on her computer, and I noticed how straight her back was. I also noticed her silky shirt, her smart jacket, her hair in a perfect bob, and the crisp expression on her face – there was no other word for it. In that second I wished I could turn and run away, because it seemed more obvious than ever that someone with an important job like domestic bursar would take no notice at all of a student who’d only been at Silver Spires for a term and a bit.
    â€œCan I help you?” she said, and her eyes said, I’m very busy and I’m waiting for you, so could you make it snappy?
    It was too late to run away now. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but…” I said, and then something flashed into my mind. Maybe I should ask for an appointment to talk to her, so then she’d be expecting me and there’d be time for me to explain about everything. Yes, that’s what I’d do.
    Just say it, Emily…
    â€œI was wondering if I could make an appointment to see you…”
    She did something with her lips that made her look as though she was pouting but I realized this must be her expression for thinking hard, because she stayed silent for a few seconds as she slowly moved her glasses till they were balancing on the tip of her nose. Then she spoke in a rush, with all the crispness from her face coming out in her voice. “I think it might be better if you just tell me what it’s about.”
    â€œEr…” It was now or never. “Well, you see, I wanted to talk to you about…” My brain was whirring away, trying to remember what I’d decided to say first. “Er, you see, I’m interested in growing vegetables, because we do that at home and I’m used to it. And I was wondering about growing vegetables at Silver Spires. I mean…vegetables that we could actually eat…” Oh dear, this was coming out completely wrong. I’d better get to the point. “I know Tony asked if I could have a bit of land, but…”
    She took off her glasses altogether then, and leaned back in her chair. “Yes, that’s right, and I told Tony to go ahead and allocate you a small plot.”
    â€œOnly…I was wondering if I could have a bit more, please, because—”
    She tapped her glasses on her lip. “As I understand it, you want to start a gardening club. Is that right?”
    â€œYes…a big one…”
    She was sounding very brisk. “Well I might be able to extend it a little. I’d have to have a word with Tony.” She reached for a notepad and pen. “And perhaps I ought to speak to your housemistress. Which house are you in?”
    â€œForest Ash, but—”
    â€œName?
    â€œEmily Dowd, but—”
    â€œYear?”
    â€œSeven.”
    â€œMrs. Pridham’s the housemistress, isn’t she?”
    â€œYes, only—
    She was scribbling on her notepad. “I’ll ask her to let you know when I’ve had a word with Tony. I’m not making any promises, and it’ll take a few days because