Introduction and Chapters 1 and 2

Introduction

Claire Winters felt quite pretty as she rode the train. She was taking it from the familiar Connecticut station to Beekman, New York. Once she arrived she would ride from the station to Beekman Boarding School and walk right in the door as if she had done it a thousand times. She moved her lips, reciting something she wanted to be sure not to forget: “Girls’ side is on the right from the front.” Even as she said it, she couldn’t help imagining herself walking into the boys’ side of the school and a butterfly tried to escape the prison of her stomach where it had nested for some time now. She shook her head and with it the dreadful thought. She instead imagined herself in a cosey dormitory room, writing to Cybil, her friend from Connecticut. But Cybil couldn’t be relied on to write back every week, seeing as she was busy with her own school and piano and her job at the seamstress and, quite often, forgetting things which she was asked to do. Claire’s heart sunk a little. She knew that her future was sure to be lonesome. How long would it take her to find another kindred spirit in New York? She couldn’t know yet. Claire then decided to look at the Beekman Pamphlet once more. But, as she pulled it from the inside pocket of her jacket, a sign rolled past her window and caught her eye. “Welcome to Duchess County” it read. Claire glanced down at the creased pamphlet in her hands. Beekman was in Duchess County! She straightened her new clothes and hat which had been her going-away-present and grinned. Soon the adventure of boarding school would begin! Claire flipped to the back of the pamphlet for the umpteenth time to see the sketch of the school’s main building. It was made up of two oblong structures which had curved corners like loaves of bread, connected by a center corridor. The whole building was made of stone (though Claire couldn’t be sure of the color for it was only a sketch) and had cathedral style windows which arched. Claire thought it looked very much like a castle and had dreamt a night ago that she had arrived to find that her bedroom was in a tower and that there were turrets along the corridor and even a dungeon for detention. She smiled at the memory of the dream and tried to think more sensibly before arriving and making a childish fool of herself.
“Excuse me,” Said a voice from across the isle. Claire started at the sound.
“Is that a Beekman Boarding School pamphlet you’re looking at?’
Claire turned to see a girl about her own age (which was, at that time, fifteen) with a bright smile and laughing eyes. She had curled auburn hair and a pretty face. Her clothes were of the latest style.
“Why yes,” Claire said, speaking less awkwardly than she had expected she would. “Are you headed there as well?’
“Yes I am. My name is Malvina Dakota, and you?” The pretty girl stuck out her hand.
But poor Claire could hardly regain her composure enough to shake it. Malvina Dakota?
Claire thought. What a horrid name! For it was true, it was like a poorly written poem, almost rhyming but not quite.
“Very pleased to meet you,” Claire lied. “My name is Claire Winters.”
But Claire knew from that moment that she had found her first reason to dislike Beekman Boarding School.

Chapter 1

The Argument

“What a quaint name.” Malvina said with a smirk. Claire couldn’t tell if she was making fun or a genuine compliment.
“Thank you,” Claire said. “Claire was my godmother’s name.”
Malvina nodded as if interested.
“My mother chose my name because she thought it was so pretty, it would almost suit the pretty face she knew I’d have!” Malvina said. “And she was right!”
At this Malvina laughed at her joke, but Claire wondered if she were really joking at all.
“Is this your first year at Beekman?” Claire asked, obviously wanting to change the subject. “Yes, I am very excited.” Malvina said, still showing her straight white teeth in a grin.
“Mine too,” Claire said meekly. “I hope we like it.” She then blushed, feeling as if she had revealed a personal secret or a worry from the depths of her heart.
“Oh, don’t be nervous dear, my mother went to Beekman and she’s told me everything there is to know. She adored it and I know I will.”
Claire felt suddenly small and babyish. Malvina really seemed to know where she was at. Miss Dakota sat up straight in her red train seat with a tall feathery hat, tight, flattering dress and high heels. She had an amethyst ring and an expensive looking broach. Her dress looked as if it were out of a magazine. And everything matched perfectly, showing that she only wore that jewelry, shoes and hat with that particular dress. But Claire was happy with the dress her mother and father had given her that morning as a going-away-present. It wasn’t tight and uncomfortable, but she looked her age. Her hat was plain but sweet and her gloves had been made especially for her hands, which was something to be proud of, Claire thought. But before Malvina could make anymore small talk, the whistle blew and the train lurched to stop at Beekman Station.
Claire seemed to be carried off the train by a current of people and swept through the station in a whirlwind. Everything moved so quickly, so efficiently that she hardly had time to look around her before she was outside the station and being lifted into a buggy. Malvina hopped in beside her, as they were headed to the same place, and began to powder her nose.
“That place is so busy! So hectic and yet so organized.” Said Claire, referring to the train station.
“Like clockwork!” Malvina said, not looking up from her powder mirror. “You’d think it had been functioning for the whole two million or so years this planet has been spinning!” Claire frowned.
“Two million?” She said, not meaning to argue. “It’s only 1886.”
Malvina snapped her powder shut and dropped it into her handbag.
“Ever heard of Charles Darwin?” Malvina asked, once again looking quite superior.
Claire nodded.
“The scientist?” She asked.
Malvina nodded.
“Of course the scientist. My father read his book: ‘On the origin of species’, and after Daddy finished he said that Mr. Darwin was right and that this world suddenly appeared after a big explosion thing in the sky…and it all happened millions of years ago. You can’t possibly believe that all this…” (Malvina motioned out the window with a gloved hand.) “Happened in a mere 1886 years!” She laughed once again, still unfathomably, making Claire wonder if she was laughing at her or just laughing.
“I don’t believe in that sort of thing.” Claire said boldly. Malvina seemed to take it as a bold thing to say, but inside, Claire’s stomach was churning at the sound of her own stated disagreement.
“You don’t? Well, someday when you go to a university, you’ll read all about it and understand what I’m talking about. Then maybe you’ll come to your senses.” She glanced out the window to avoid Claire’s gaze.
“Come to my senses? I know what I believe. You don’t even care if what you believe is true or not, as long as it’s fashionable! My father went to seminary and my mother was a reverend’s daughter. We take the bible very seriously, as the truth. The word says that our Heavenly Father created this world and there’s nothing that could convince me otherwise!”
With this last blow, Claire let out a great sigh, wiped the perspiration from her brow and turned all the way around to watch the trees pass by her own window, leaving Malvina Dakota staring. Her mouth was dropped open and her pride stamped out. Claire wouldn’t dare turn around, for her nose was pink and her eyes watery and she would kill herself if Malvina saw her crying.
“You old-fashioned, close-minded, senseless, barn-born hillbilly!” Malvina screamed. But apparently, thinking up this lengthy insult had used up all her brain-power, and without anything else to say, Malvina put her back to Claire’s and sulked.

The rest of the trip was quite awkward, full of spite and regret (the spite being Malvina’s and the regret being Claire’s.) But somehow, Claire felt herself in the right, for she had stood up for what she believed in. But on the other hand, would she ever survive a semester at Beekman with a girl whom she offended before ever even arriving? Then, a horrible idea entered Claire’s mind, one that Malvina had worried about already: what if the two of them were roommates? Claire’s one butterfly had apparently multiplied, for her whole stomach fluttered, her cheeks flushed and she wished to see her mother. Malvina couldn’t wait to write her parents and tell them all about what had happened. She hoped Claire would be expelled somehow. “Beekman Boarding School!” The driver yelled over his shoulder. Both girls jumped out of their brown studies. “Thank you.” Said Claire, handing the man his fee. Malvina jumped out of the buggy and ordered him to carry her things in before she would ever open her coin purse. Claire could’ve thrown a temper tantrum at this, but held her horses and kept cool. The friendly driver carried Claire’s things to the door also. “The building on the RIGHT.” Claire pointed out. But in a flash the driver was gone, well paid and tired. Claire picked up a parcel to go inside, but the grand door opened up before she could touch the handle.
“Welcome, ladies, to Beekman Boarding School-girls’ branch.” Said a cheery, middle aged woman.
“Thank you! My name is Malvina Dakota.” Said Malvina.
The woman smiled gaily and nodded to Malvina. “Pleased to meet you Miss Dakota, I am Yvette Inches, and I am in charge of the girls’ wing of this lovely school. I’ll introduce you to the headmistress; Mrs. Opal Victory; momentarily and perhaps we’ll run into Mr. Gregory Crow-he’s in charge of the boys’ wing.” She said all this in one breath.
“Nice to meet you Mrs. Inches, what a quaint name.” Said Malvina in the exact tone she had used when she “complimented” Claire’s name.
“Yes nice to meet you.” Claire said shyly.
“But never mind me,” Mrs. Inches said briskly. “What’s your name ma’am?” She asked looking at Claire again.
“Claire Winters.” She said politely.
Mrs. Inches’ eyebrows rose.
“Ah!” She said. “So you’re the girl everyone’s been waiting for. Tell Governor Winters I said hello, or you’d just call him ‘Daddy’ I suppose.”
Malvina nearly swooned then and there on the step. Claire was the daughter of the governor of Connecticut? How could she have been so stupid?
Claire smiled inwardly and stepped inside with her things, arm-in-arm with Mrs. Inches, listening to every detail of the school and its ways. Malvina lagged behind feeling very much like an “old-fashioned, close-minded, senseless, barn-born hillbilly.”

Chapter 2

Beekman Boarding School

The girls’ wing of Beekman Boarding School was much larger than Claire had estimated. Inside, the halls wound about curved angles like strokes of a paintbrush. There were bookshelves locked behind glass, full of thick volumes on science, philosophy and history. There were windows every ten feet or so with no glass at all, only elegant iron bars.
“These halls are awful narrow.” Malvina said pessimistically.
Mrs. Inches ignored her.
“In just a moment we’ll arrive at the classrooms…the sleeping quarters will be saved for last.” And just as she spoke, the narrow hallway which Claire had found so castle-like, opened up into a wider, more modern looking hallway which ran perpendicularly to the last hall. This one had no windows. On one wall of the hall were framed paintings and silvery photographs of important looking people, and on the other side were doors. Mrs. Inches opened the first one.
“I do believe both of you will be in this class.” Mrs. Inches said. “This is Mr. Maboni’s algebra class.”
Claire couldn’t help but look a bit disgusted. She despised algebra and nearly failed her tests. Malvina stepped inside and looked around. Claire followed. The walls were white and the chairs were navy blue. The chalkboard was clean and desks shiny.
“Mr. Maboni is very organized.” Mrs. Inches explained. “He has the students arranged by their birthdates. For example, if you were born in January, you will sit nearest the teacher, and those born on the twelfth month go all the way to the back row.”
“When was your birthday?” Malvina asked desperately.
“November.” Claire offered. Malvina sighed in relief.
“Good,” She said. “Mine was February.”
Mrs. Inches didn’t seem to catch onto the fact that Malvina didn’t like Claire, but kept on chatting like a machine.
“Come on out ladies, this next classroom is Miss Loraine Peg’s.” So the girls went from room to room, trying to understand their future teachers’ personalities through their classrooms. The most common consensus was that the teacher had very little personality at all. One would have a wreath on the door, the other a map on the wall, but mostly the rooms all looked alike. That is, until they came to the classroom kept by Mr. Clifford Rueben.
“Mr. Rueben is your History teacher.” Mrs. Inches said as she opened the door.
On the walls were many sketches of many different people. Just glancing, Claire read a few of their titles: Socrates, Da Vinci, Shakespeare and John the Baptist. But her attention was then whisked away when Malvina said: “Look-it!”
And Claire looked to see an entire dead tree, bony and grey, leaning against the back wall. On it were dozens of tiny envelopes tied with ribbons to the branches.
“Mr. Rueben has his pupils write down all of their accomplishments and put it on that tree.” Mrs. Inches said.
“Whatever for?” Claire asked, almost raising her voice.
“You’re going to have to ask Mr. Rueben about that.” She answered.
Then Claire’s eyes fell on the chairs. Each was painted a different color, teal, maroon, grey, magenta or orange-any color under the sun! And on the desks were carefully printed names: Allen Jacobs, Trudy Richards, Lucille Light, Freddie Coins.
“How in the world did he get that in there?” Malvina asked.
But Claire was already too distracted with something else to respond.
“Oh! My heart nearly stopped!” She said when she turned around, for there on the next wall was an array of African masks.
“How hideous!” Malvina added. “Those give me the heebie-jeebies.”
But also on that wall were drawings of strange huts, colorful feathers, and prints of huge mushrooms in colorful ink, dried jungle flowers pasted to paper and things written in ancient languages.
“What kind of a teacher…” Malvina began, but Mrs. Inches interrupted her.
“This room gives me the heebie-jeebies too…let’s go ladies.”
They practically peeled Claire away from the fascinating room. She secretly hoped that she could sneak in later and get a better look, but she worried about meeting Mr. Rueben himself, he could prove to be quite a kook, Claire thought.
“He’s a real good man,” Mrs. Inches said in the hallway as if reading Claire’s mind. “But he is also very strange…and mysterious. Anyway, let’s not gossip ladies, it is time to see the rest of Beekman!”
So they picked up the pace and followed Mrs. Inches down a spiral staircase. It was made out of the same iron that the windows were barred with.
“We’re underground!” Said Claire excitedly.
Here comes the dungeon. She thought to herself.
“I am sure glad we left our things in the entry hall.” Malvina said.
Claire thought this was the most positive thing she had heard Malvina say since their argument.
“Yes ladies,” Mrs. Inches said. “We are now underground! This building is ancient. It used to be an abbey and the myth is that there are many hidden passages throughout it; some even say there is treasure in them. But what do you think this room used to be?”
“The meat cellar?” Asked Malvina dully.
“No,” Mrs. Inches said on the last step. “This was their dungeon. This building used to be the only building for miles and miles and the monks rarely ever left, so if their were ever burglars or any kind of criminal among them, they had to have some place to keep them until they could be dealt with in the village, so they’d lock them up in here just like a brig of a ship.”
There in the dark, Claire’s face beamed so, that it seemed she would light up the whole room. A real dungeon! How adventurous!
Mrs. Inches lit a torch and then another and another along the wall.
“This,” She said with a smile. “Is the sewing room.”
And the girls could see fifteen or so tables with singer sewing machines on them, their necks bowing like graceful swans. There were cosey rugs under each table and shelves on the walls with neatly organized threads, laces, needles and thimbles of every kind. There was also a row of narrow windows at the top of the wall for more light and little candle sticks at the end of each table. Claire, who had never liked nor disliked sewing before, now felt that she could sew dress for every girl at Beekman if they’d only give her a chance!
“How divine!” Claire uttered under her breath.
They blew out the torches and went up stairs again. They walked outside to a building in the back which couldn’t be seen from the front, or in the pamphlet. It was the cafeteria and Claire tried to imagine eating every meal there for the next year. It was nice enough, but it wouldn’t be enjoyable at all if Claire didn’t find a “kindred spirit” quickly. But her hopes were lifted when she saw the menu posted on the wall. She didn’t get to finish reading it before Malvina was ready to see the next room, but she did see “Rosemary Potato Soup” for Tuesday and this was one of her favorites. Then they went to courtyard which was a walled area near the cafeteria for playing.
“The toys and exercise equipment is all put away right now,” Mrs. Inches said. “But I will tell you that there are jump ropes and balls and bicycles galore!”
Finally, they went back into the main building to see the dormitory. This time, instead of going underground they went to a second story. This story was an oval shaped area with a hole in the middle of the floor looking into the entry hall. There was a polished pine rail around it. The walls were all paneled wood too and in them there were thirty doors from which many giggles and chitchat rippled. Claire glanced over the rail and looked at her luggage. There were new bags and boxes along with hers and Malvina’s.
“Yes,” Mrs. Inches said. “Three other girls have arrived since you have and are currently on the tour.”
Then she reached up without warning to a big brass bell which neither girl had noticed before and rang it vigorously. In a moment, all thirty doors had opened and closed and about fifty girls stood around the rail with blue dresses and white aprons in almost perfect order.
“Thank you for making haste ladies,” Mrs. Inches said soberly. “I wanted to introduce you to two new students.”
All of the girls looked at Claire and Malvina as if surveying their worth. Some of them smiled, others looked too proud.
“This is Malvina Dakota and this is Claire Winters.” Mrs. Inches said after a moment.
A girl with black curls, who looked like she was sixteen or so, raised her hand.
“Yes Judith?” Mrs. Inches asked.
“Is Claire related to Governor Winters?” She asked curiously.
A few girls snickered as if this were a ridiculous question.
“Yes she is Judith! Very good. You’ve been studying for your government test haven’t you?”
Judith nodded and blushed but Claire was positively crimson!
“This is the daughter of the governor of Connecticut ladies.” Mrs. Inches announced.
There were “oohs” and “ahs” until Mrs. Inches spoke again:
“Anyway, Claire you’ll be boarding in room 22 with Trudy Richards. Trudy-please come introduce yourself.”
A girl stepped forward and walked shyly toward the nervous Claire, still pink in the cheeks. Trudy had rusty red-brown hair in thick waves running over her shoulders, a few dark freckles over her nose and cheeks and big dark eyes. Claire thought her quite pretty indeed. “Hello Claire,” Trudy said. “Pleased to meet you.”
“And Malvina,” Mrs. Inches said. “You’ll be boarding in room 14 with Mabel Harris.”
And a plump girl of thirteen stepped forward. “Hullo Malvina! Howdy-do?”