Page 66 of Tears of Ink

I pause on the landing below, uncaring it’s right by the Wicked Witch of the West’s wing/ apartment/whatever. “Kiss my arse, Elijah.”

He leans over the banister, grinning widely. “I fully intend to, Miss Hitchin.”

What! The gall of the man.

I stomp downstairs and out of the building by the nearest door I can find.

This house is crazy.

One of the pathways cutting through the formal gardens leads away from the house and I crunch down the gravel. What is he like? I can’t work out if he’s just full of it, or if that’s just some front he’s putting on.

I hate being challenged. I like things safe, at an arm’s length, with me in control. But when Elijah is near, he blurs it all with his fast questions and those fricking blue eyes until I’m spinning.

“Hey,” a voice calls, and I turn to find Tabitha jogging after me. “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere your brother isn’t.” I don’t stop walking but I do slow my pace, so she can catch up with me.

“Where’s the nearest pub? I could do with a bloody strong drink. Do you want to come with me?”

Her face lights up for a moment before dropping in an instant. “I’m not allowed to go out really without my mum knowing where.”

“Aren’t you eighteen?” I question her with a pointed glance.

“Yes, but Mum’s always worried. She doesn’t want us to get into trouble.”

“What trouble could you get into with me?”

Tabitha sniggers a little. “Who knows?”

I look at my tattoos. “These aren’t a statement of a corrupt youth.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean anything by that.”

“It’s fine, I’m all too aware of what your mother and grandmother probably think of me.”

“Well, if I was you I’d take that as a compliment, because they only like the most boring people I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet.”

“I feel much better.” I grin and point to the boundary wall. “Come on. This isn’t a prison, let’s get out of here for an hour. We’ve got another exhausting day in front of us tomorrow.”

“And the day after, and the day after that.”

C H A P T E R N I N E T E E N

“I think everyone had fun though, right?” I sip my wine, it slides down so nicely. Chilled and crisp, it’s the perfect antidote to a long day; a stopper on my emotional overload about Al, and a good way to forget Elijah bloody Fairclough.

“Yeah, they really did. Have you thought about being a teacher when you’ve graduated?”

I pull a face. “I don’t think I’m going to graduate.”

Tabitha sips at her own wine. She’d looked dubious when I’d ordered it. I’m guessing that although she’s at the legal age, she hasn’t had much opportunity for partaking in alcohol. But with every sip, she’s warming up to my rebellious tendencies. “Why aren’t you going to graduate?”

With a highly unattractive grimace, I take another sip of wine, and then another. “Your big brother Peter let it slip my lecturer was—is—married.”

“So? What does that matter?”

I have to remind myself I’m not talking to Abi, who’s largely desensitised to my extreme behaviour. “Because I had a fling with him, though, admittedly short.” I gulp down another mouthful of wine, keeping my attention focused on her shocked face. “But it’s not about that.” I don’t know how many times I’m supposed to keeping saying this. It’s getting repetitive even to me.

“What is it about then? Apart from you having sex with your teacher.” Her face widens in awe. “That’s so cool. Not that I’d ever want to have sex with any of the teachers at St Mary’s, they are all female, and all nuns for a start.”