Emily with her hand extended and her fingers down. A lady handshake. Emily got off the chair to take it. “Hello, Emily. Thank you so much for joining us. I’m Charlotte.”
“Hi,” she said.
Charlotte settled into a chair. Emily returned to hers. They seemed a long way apart. A rug lay between them like a map of some undiscovered world. “In a moment, I’ll show you to your room,” Charlotte said. “But first, I’m sure you must have questions.”
She did. Like,
What was with that Lee guy
, and
Why me
, and
These examinations, what are they, exactly
. But she didn’t ask them. The thing was, if these questions had bad answers, it was going to be really disappointing.
“We have six of you this week,” said Charlotte, deciding to answer questions Emily hadn’t asked. “Six applicants, that is. You each have your own room, of course. Yours overlooks the East Wood; I think you’ll enjoy it. There’s a central dining room, where you’ll be served meals, and you’ll find a recreation room at the end of the hall, and a reading room beside that. Between examinations, please do feel free to explore the grounds. It’s a wonderful space. It was once a convent.”
“I heard.”
“If you leave the New Wing, you may bump into some of our current students going about their lessons. They are under instruction not to speak to you, so please don’t interpret this as rudeness.” She smiled.
“Okay,” she said.
“I must ask that you observe two rules for the duration of the examinations. You are not to leave the grounds, nor use the phones. These rules are quite important. Do you find them acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Good!” She patted her lap, like she wanted a cat to sit there. “Well, then. For the rest of the day, you may simply settle in. Meet your fellow applicants, enjoy the facilities. The examinations will begin in the morning.”
“I do have a question,” Emily said. “What’s the catch?”
Charlotte’s eyebrows rose. She had good eyebrows. Like whips. “I beg your pardon?”
“Well . . .” She gestured at the room. “This is kind of unbelievably good. I mean, I appreciate it, but if you’re going to ask me to shave my head or take my clothes off or something, I’d like to know.”
Charlotte suppressed a smile. “We’re not a cult, I promise. We’re a school. We bring the best and the brightest here to help them reach their potential.”
“Right,” Emily said.
“You seem unconvinced.”
“It doesn’t look like a school.”
“Actually, it looks very much like a school. You may think otherwise because your experience has been limited to government-run child farms.” She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “To me, those do not look very much like schools.” Emily wasn’t sure how to respond. Charlotte rose to her feet. “Well! Let me show you your room.”
She picked up her bag. “I still think there’s a catch.”
Charlotte pursed her lips. “If there must be a catch, we do only admit those who pass the examinations. Which are difficult.”
“I’ll pass.”
Charlotte smiled. “Well, then,” she said. “There’s no catch.”
• • •
She followed Charlotte through wood-paneled corridors and halls with far-off ceilings. She had never seen so many arches. Charlotte tapped a door with her fingernail. “My office.” A copper nameplate was engraved C. BRONTË . “Come to me with any questions or concerns, day or night.” There were more corridors. Through tall, slitted windows, she glimpsed kids in dark blue uniforms with hats and blazers. Maybe it did look like a school.
Charlotte stopped outside a heavy wooden door. “Your room.”
There was a small bed. A high, arched window. One old desk with a high-backed chair. The walls were stone, patches worn smooth by the palms of restless nuns.
“A few of the others are about,” said Charlotte. “But I’ll let you find them in your own time.” She smiled, one hand draped on
“Hi,” she said.
Charlotte settled into a chair. Emily returned to hers. They seemed a long way apart. A rug lay between them like a map of some undiscovered world. “In a moment, I’ll show you to your room,” Charlotte said. “But first, I’m sure you must have questions.”
She did. Like,
What was with that Lee guy
, and
Why me
, and
These examinations, what are they, exactly
. But she didn’t ask them. The thing was, if these questions had bad answers, it was going to be really disappointing.
“We have six of you this week,” said Charlotte, deciding to answer questions Emily hadn’t asked. “Six applicants, that is. You each have your own room, of course. Yours overlooks the East Wood; I think you’ll enjoy it. There’s a central dining room, where you’ll be served meals, and you’ll find a recreation room at the end of the hall, and a reading room beside that. Between examinations, please do feel free to explore the grounds. It’s a wonderful space. It was once a convent.”
“I heard.”
“If you leave the New Wing, you may bump into some of our current students going about their lessons. They are under instruction not to speak to you, so please don’t interpret this as rudeness.” She smiled.
“Okay,” she said.
“I must ask that you observe two rules for the duration of the examinations. You are not to leave the grounds, nor use the phones. These rules are quite important. Do you find them acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Good!” She patted her lap, like she wanted a cat to sit there. “Well, then. For the rest of the day, you may simply settle in. Meet your fellow applicants, enjoy the facilities. The examinations will begin in the morning.”
“I do have a question,” Emily said. “What’s the catch?”
Charlotte’s eyebrows rose. She had good eyebrows. Like whips. “I beg your pardon?”
“Well . . .” She gestured at the room. “This is kind of unbelievably good. I mean, I appreciate it, but if you’re going to ask me to shave my head or take my clothes off or something, I’d like to know.”
Charlotte suppressed a smile. “We’re not a cult, I promise. We’re a school. We bring the best and the brightest here to help them reach their potential.”
“Right,” Emily said.
“You seem unconvinced.”
“It doesn’t look like a school.”
“Actually, it looks very much like a school. You may think otherwise because your experience has been limited to government-run child farms.” She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “To me, those do not look very much like schools.” Emily wasn’t sure how to respond. Charlotte rose to her feet. “Well! Let me show you your room.”
She picked up her bag. “I still think there’s a catch.”
Charlotte pursed her lips. “If there must be a catch, we do only admit those who pass the examinations. Which are difficult.”
“I’ll pass.”
Charlotte smiled. “Well, then,” she said. “There’s no catch.”
• • •
She followed Charlotte through wood-paneled corridors and halls with far-off ceilings. She had never seen so many arches. Charlotte tapped a door with her fingernail. “My office.” A copper nameplate was engraved C. BRONTË . “Come to me with any questions or concerns, day or night.” There were more corridors. Through tall, slitted windows, she glimpsed kids in dark blue uniforms with hats and blazers. Maybe it did look like a school.
Charlotte stopped outside a heavy wooden door. “Your room.”
There was a small bed. A high, arched window. One old desk with a high-backed chair. The walls were stone, patches worn smooth by the palms of restless nuns.
“A few of the others are about,” said Charlotte. “But I’ll let you find them in your own time.” She smiled, one hand draped on
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