Free The Whole Truth by Kit Pearson Page A

are afraid of her, but all the boarders know how kind she really is. At tea she told us stories about her boarding school in England. She had to go when she was only five, because her mother was ill. Isn’t that sad? She loved the school, though, and she became games captain
and
head girl.”
    Polly thought of a way to change the subject. “Guess what, Maud. I’m a vegetarian now!”
    “What?” Maud frowned. “That’s not good for you, Doodle. You’re skinny enough as it is. You need meat.”
    “I won’t eat it!” said Polly proudly.
    “What does Noni think?”
    “She hasn’t said anything—maybe she hasn’t noticed yet.”
    Maud shrugged. “Well, she’ll probably stop you when she does. Poll, next week I get my house pin! I’m so glad I’m in Sussex. Sylvia is too, and she says it’s the best house. Agnes Cooper is my house captain, and she’s swell.”
    Polly finally got Maud’s attention by telling her how afraid she was to start school on Monday.
    “But haven’t you gone yet?” Maud asked. Polly explained how Noni had let her stay home another week.
    Maud frowned. “That’s not right—you’re going to be really far behind! You
knew
I didn’t want you to stay home, Poll. You should have remembered that, not listened to Noni.”
    “Noni says
she’s
in charge of me now, not you,” said Polly haughtily. “Anyway, you’re not here.”
    Maud looked guilty. Then she began telling Polly how she was going to try out for the house play.
    Listening to Maud talk about St. Winifred’s was like learning about a foreign country she didn’t want to visit. Polly was almost relieved when Gregor arrived on Saturday morning.
    Gregor had to work hard on the weekends he came home from Vancouver—he cut wood and shot grouse and did whatever other jobs his mother had waiting for him. After he’d finished his work he announced that he was going to teach Maud and Polly how to row.
    Maybe this was just another task on Aunt Jean’s list, but Polly was glad to have an excuse not to listen to Maud’s monologue. And she was beginning to enjoy Gregor. He was easy to be with, and she liked how he called her “Pollywog.”
    Maud was good at rowing, but Polly kept splashing the heavy oars. Gregor had brought along fishing rods. He showed them how to bait their hooks with cut-up herring. Maud was explaining St. Winifred’s house point system to Gregor. “If you get five order marks—that’s for doing something against the rules—you get a conduct mark. Then you have to—oh! I got a bite!”
    Order marks were forgotten as Maud eagerly reeled in her first cod. Then she got three more. “You’re a born fisherwoman!” Gregor told her.
    Then Polly caught a fish. It was exciting to feel its sharp tug and to shorten the line until Gregor scooped it into the net. But when Gregor banged its head on the side of the boat, its bright eye turned dull.
    I promise I won’t eat you,
vowed Polly.
    “It’s so hot!” said Gregor, wiping his brow after they landed the rowboat. “What do you say to a swim? The sea can be quite warm in September. Do you have bathing costumes?”
    Maud nodded.
    “Meet me here in ten minutes,” said Gregor as they helped him pull the boat to the shore.
    Polly pulled her towel around herself and shivered, despite the hot afternoon sun. The sea looked so cold and wavy and deep—what lurked under it?
    “Come on, Pollywog!”
    “I don’t know how to swim,” said Polly.
    “Then I’ll teach you!” Gregor held out his hand and Polly had no choice but to drop her towel and wade in beside him. Maud held her other hand. The water was icy but bearable, and she got used to it as they waded deeper.
    Maud dropped Polly’s hand and lunged into the water, kicking vigorously as she swam away.
    “Lie out flat on the water,” Gregor told Polly. “I’ll hold my hand under your tummy.”
    “I don’t want to,” said Polly.
    “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Pollywog. I’ll hold you up and I