Free Shiverton Hall, the Creeper by Emerald Fennell

conspiratorially.
    ‘I thought they were working on the school paper. What are they doing here?’ Arthur asked as they approached.
    ‘Hey, guys,’ Penny said as they reached the boys. ‘Good afternoon?’
    ‘What have you been doing in Grimstone?’ George asked.
    ‘Oooh,’ Penny replied excitedly. ‘We’ve been –’
    ‘Shhhhh!’ Xanthe said. ‘Remember what Chuk said?’
    ‘Oh right, yeah,’ Penny said. ‘Sorry, boys. Top-secret Whisper business, I’m afraid.’
    ‘What? Not fair!’ George whinged. ‘What kind of top-secret business?’
    ‘The secret kind,’ Xanthe replied.
    They chatted on the bus on the way back to Grimstone. The Forges had insisted on sitting near Arthur again, and he kept turning round to check that they weren’t doing anything suspicious; every time he was met with the same maniacal grinning.
    George was insanely jealous of Arthur’s WAA. ‘How come you get to just sit around eating and hearing awesome stories and I get repeatedly kicked in the trousers by a bunch of demon-children?’
    George and the others absolutely loved Mrs Todd’s typewriter story. ‘It’s not in any of Grandpa’s books, you know. He’s going to be so pleased when he hears it,’ George said, rubbing his hands with anticipation. He was always trying – and failing – to impress his crotchety old grandfather.
    When they got off the bus, Chuk was waiting in Shiverton’s grand hall. Penny and Xanthe scurried over to him.
    ‘Oh, I see why they’re suddenly so interested in the school paper!’ Arthur laughed, as he clocked Chuk flirting shamelessly with the girls.
    ‘He’s not even that good-looking!’ George said huffily. ‘I mean, yeah, OK, if you like that generic kind of tall, dark and handsome millionaire look then I suppose technically he’s all right.’
    ‘What do you think they’re talking about?’ Arthur asked.
    ‘Let’s walk past subtly and see if we can hear anything,’ George answered.
    The boys casually sauntered across the hall, pretending to take in its architectural features. George squinted up at the enormous chandelier and Arthur peered at the weaponry on the walls as they got closer to Chuk and the girls.
    ‘Did you do it?’ Chuk whispered.
    ‘We couldn’t,’ Penny replied quietly. ‘But I think next week we’ll –’
    She stopped and looked at the boys.
    ‘I know what you’re doing, George,’ Penny sighed, as George pretended to inspect a candlestick on a nearby table.
    ‘What?’ George said innocently. ‘I was just checking the . . . er . . . silver heritage of this . . . erm . . .’
    ‘It’s a candlestick, George,’ Xanthe finished.
    ‘Yes, exactly, candlestick,’ George said.
    ‘Right. Shall we go up to the Whisper office?’ Chuk said.
    ‘Yes,’ Xanthe said, with a smug smile directed at Arthur. ‘I think we need a bit of privacy.’
    Penny, Xanthe and Chuk disappeared up the gigantic staircase, whispering as they went.
    ‘What on earth are they up to?’ Arthur asked as he and George watched them go.
    ‘I don’t know,’ George said, ‘but I hope it has something to do with my most recent cartoon. It’s called “School Lasagne: Part II”.’

Chapter Seven
    Cornwall was looking even more dishevelled than usual. Today he was wearing an outfit that would not have looked out of place in a budget Seventies music video and was swigging from a bottle of cola, the contents of which were suspiciously clear.
    ‘Bet you a quid that isn’t water,’ George whispered to Arthur as they settled into their seats. They were not in the art block; instead, Cornwall had decided to take the class on an ‘Artistic Journey Around Shiverton Hall’. The class had already looked at the bloodthirsty murals on the dining-hall walls, the depressing mermaid statue in the middle of the fountain, and a stained-glass window entitled Hell , which depicted Shiverton Hall in spring.
    The final leg of their tour was the Shiverton library and the Gainsborough