A Great and Terrible Beauty

Page 21

When we get to the huge landing and the stairs leading down, I pause. "What about Mrs. Nightwing?" I say, glancing up the enormous stairs that extend to a fourth floor I can't see in the dark.
"Don't worry about her. Once she's had her glass of sherry, she's down for the night." Felicity starts down.
"Wait!" I whisper as loudly as I can without waking anyone. Felicity stops, turns to me, that pale face taunting. Hips swaying, she inches back up to the stair just below me.
"If you want to spend your time here embroidering God Bless Our Home samplers and learning how to play lawn tennis in a corset and skirt, go back to bed. But if you want to have a bit of real fun, well" And with that she trips lightly down the stairs and around the corner to the next set of stairs, where I can no longer see her.
Pippa meets us in the great hall. The huge fireplaces have all gone dark, with a few embers still crackling and spitting but no real warmth or light left. She's been hiding behind a large fern. Now she pops out, eyes wide and agitated.
"What took you so long?"
"It's only been a few minutes," Felicity says.
"I don't like waiting down here. All those eyes on the columns. It's as if they're watching me."
In the dark, the marble sprites and nymphs take on a ghoulish quality. The room feels alive, taking note of our every move, counting every breath.
"Don't be such a ninny. Let's be brave girls, shall we? Where are the others?" As if on cue, two girls descend the stairs and join us. I'm introduced to Elizabeth, a tiny ratlike creature who offers an opinion only after everyone else has, and the pinch-faced Cecily, whose narrow upper lip curls when she takes in the sight of me. Martha, the tripper in the chapel, isn't among them, and I realize she's not part of the club; she only wishes she were. That's why she was willing to trip Annto curry favor with them.
"Ready?" Cecily sneers. What have I gotten myself into? Why don't I simply say, All right, girls, it's been lovely. Thanks ever so for the midnight gambol about the old palatial grounds. Wouldn't have wanted to miss the way the parlor flares to life at night with a wonderful, nightmarish glow, but I'll just be getting back to bed now . Instead, I follow them outside onto the back lawn, where the full moon bleeds yellow behind a thin, high bank of clouds. The bloody fog is still there and it's frightfully cold. I'm dressed in only my nightgown. They're clever girls with their blue velvet capes on.
"Follow me." Felicity starts up the hill toward the chapel, the fog swallowing her whole in just a few steps. I fall in behind her and the others fall in behind me so that turning back is no longer an option. Suddenly I'm second-guessing my decision to follow the Mystery Sisters out onto the vast, foggy night all the way to the chapel doors.
"We have a tradition here at Spence," Felicity says. "A little initiation ceremony for new girls who might prove worthy of our inner circle."
"Can you really have an inner circle with only four people?" I ask, sounding braver than I feel. "Seems more like an inner square, doesn't it?"
"You're lucky to be here," Cecily snaps.
Yes, I feel incredibly lucky to be standing out here in the freezing cold in only my nightgown. Some people might call it remarkably stupid, but I'm feeling quite optimistic.
"So, what is this secret initiation?"
Elizabeth looks to Felicity for permission to talk. "You only need to take something from the chapel."
"As in steal something?" I ask, not liking where this is going one bit but feeling too far in to get out now.
"It's not stealing. After all, it will never leave Spence. It's just a way to prove that you are trustworthy," Felicity says.
I have a few seconds to think and even though the most reasonable answer is to say I'm not interested and go back to bed, I say instead, "What do you want me to take?"
The clouds thin into wisps. Buttery moonlight spreads out and down. Felicity's mouth opens, her tongue rubbing against her top teeth, feeling them. "The communion wine."
"Communion wine?" I repeat.
Pippa makes a coughing noise in her throat before dissolving into giggles and I can see this is an impromptu request, an extra bit of daring on Felicity's part.
Cecily looks aghast. "But Fee, that's sacrilege!"
"Yes, I'm not sure that's a good idea," I begin. "Really? I think it's an excellent idea," Felicity snaps. The admiral's daughter doesn't like it when her crew disobeys. "What about you, Elizabeth? What do you think?"