Pleasant Vices by Judy Astley Page A

thought, early thirties perhaps. Where do teachers leave their sense of humour? In a staffroom locker every morning? Is it confiscated by the head teacher and kept in a cupboard till the end of term?
    â€˜She’s just a typical little girl with a highly developed sense of curiosity,’ Jenny said, getting in quickly with her defence of Polly.
    Mrs Spencer regarded her coolly. ‘There are plenty of things for little girls to feel curious about at ten, Mrs Collins. Pornography isn’t usually one of them.’
    You’ve been dying to say that, Jenny thought, you’ve been rehearsing that all afternoon.
    â€˜She says she found it in your house.’ The teacher leaned forward slightly and stared at Jenny intently and with scarcely-hidden curiosity. ‘Should you have left it lying around do you think?’
    Oh no, thought Jenny, she thinks we’re regular readers. She’s sitting there wondering if Alan is trying to perk up a flagging sex life. Jenny had already realized the magazine must be Ben’s (mustn’t it?). Who but a teenage boy would want to gaze at these glossily sanitized gynaecological studies? Who but a teenage boy and blasted Polly.
    Jenny felt as defenceless as when she herself had been caught smoking at her own school. ‘I’ll have a word with her,’ she promised, giving in feebly and mindful of the exams. ‘It won’t happen again.’
    Behind Jenny there was a brisk rustle and a slight breeze, and Fiona Pemberton, looking queenly in something floral and silky swept into the classroom. Jenny wished that she and the magazine could hide under the desk. ‘Glad to see Daisy is feeling better. We missed her yesterday. You do know you’re supposed to send a note of course, but as it’s you . . . Trouble with Polly?’ Fiona suddenly said, her face switching from all-purpose professional smile to furrowed concern as she caught sight of the magazine. She picked it up, thumbing through it with no hint of the genteel repulsion of Mrs Spencer. Her frown deepened, as her well-practised brain sorted out what was happening. ‘Can’t have this you know, Mrs Collins. Corrupting the other girls. I’d be sorry to see Polly turning into a Bad Influence.’
    â€˜Just a bit of childish fun, I expect, Mrs Pemberton,’ Jenny said firmly, standing up both to leave and to feel on more equal terms with the headmistress. She’d never liked being loomed over. ‘I must get back. I’ve got a pupil at 4.30.’ Fiona was still flicking through the magazine and Jenny smiled at her as she walked towards the door. ‘Do keep it if you like,’ she couldn’t resist saying, and then could have kicked herself. She could hardly add, after that, ‘I suppose a job’s out of the question?’

Chapter Four
    Daisy was wrong if she imagined, on her return from school, that the destruction of her Walkman would result in any leniency in her punishment for fare-dodging. A girl at school was having a party a few Saturdays ahead, and Daisy was quietly desperate to go to it. Everyone else was going. She put on a desolate, wronged expression and wandered sighing round the kitchen, toasting a crumpet on the Aga and waiting for Jenny to feel sorry for her. The Walkman suddenly became her most prized possession, now lost for ever together with her new Senseless Things tape, her absolute unchallengeable favourite. She put on an expression that she hoped looked like deep mourning.
    But, with an end-of-the-day headache from a hopeless Grade 1 pupil shrilling and stumbling over his scales, and no fruitful response to her advert, Jenny was adamant. ‘No of course you can’t go out to parties. You haven’t even missed out on one single weekend yet. You skived school and you stole; you can’t expect us to overlook it completely.’ Jenny then smiled with some sympathy. ‘Look, it won’t be for ever. But it will be