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“Did you really send absolutely everyone at school packing?” Lily hiccuped a sob, and Sam felt the rest of the fight drain out of the small bony shoulders under her palms.
“Never believe rumors, Ms. Easterly. I told everyone that, in the coming days, I will be interviewing the teachers to ascertain their suitability for a place at Dragons. I think you will find that I meant it. You and the rest of the scholarship girls will have a chance to discuss your situation before any decision is made regarding the existing arrangements.”
Brightening up a bit, Lily extracted herself from Sam’s hold, and with hastily murmured thanks and embarrassed goodbyes, made her way out of the sunlit office.
“It’s not fair, you know.”
Clearly, Sam thought, she was simply not capable of biting her tongue in the presence of this woman.
“Fairness is a nonexistent concept. I assume you don’t think it’s fair that I interview the scholarship students, while everybody else will be allowed to arrive back in two months without having their presence here questioned because their parents have the money to pay for it?”
“Yeah… That.” When things were put quite that plainly to her, Sam had no idea how to respond.
“Eloquence itself, I see. Scholarships are always a very touchy subject at any private school. I imagine, given the circumstances, they will be a similarly sensitive issue here at Dragons. You know the Academy’s charter does not provide for any kind of student funding from outside of the school? And the current scholarship arrangement is exploring a loophole where funding is taken directly from the endowment, hence not considered technically an outside source. It’s not exactly within the scope of the charter.”
“It should be though. Love one another, help one another—aren’t these oh-so-Christian beliefs?” Sam shot back and again wondered why she was quite intent to put her foot in her mouth time and again today.
“Be that as it may.”
Magdalene moved closer to the massive window overlooking the quad, and for once Sam found herself at a loss for words.
“It occurred to me that, for someone so eager to introduce herself on another occasion, Sam, you are remarkably taciturn on this particular subject, now that my knowing your name is infinitely more important. There is no Sam on the list of faculty at Three Dragons.”
And that, as they say, answered that. She simply hadn’t had the occasion to introduce herself in all the cacophony of interruptions, and Orla didn’t bother in her huffy exit. But now, when faced with such a clear-cut and cruel reminder of their previous meeting, Sam felt like a speck of dirt on Magdalene’s expensive four-inch heels.
“There is, or at least there was before you fired everyone, a Samantha Threadneedle on that faculty list.”
If Magdalene was angered by the baiting, she did not show it. She just smiled that enigmatic smile of hers, that said everything without saying anything at all.
“Samantha… Lovely name.” It was becoming clear to Sam that reading this woman was going to be a challenge, her poker face being masterful, and the lack of understanding of what was going on underneath the veneer of indifference made Sam’s patience snap.
“Is this your version of Miranda Priestly, where you call me by my full name now, in a show of how special I am or how different you are in contrast to the rest of us here, Headmistress? First of all, I’m not sure you could pull off a Miranda Priestly, and second, allow me to inform you that, despite what you might think, and despite whichever version of my name you might prefer, it is my name, after all, and I prefer Sam.”
Whatever Sam had expected the reaction to her pronouncement to be, outright laughter, that low seductive, infectious one, wasn’t quite it. Yet it was all she got.
“Touché, Sam it is then.” The strange eyes crinkled endearingly at the corners, as if saving the smile for a later moment, and Sam felt enchanted all over again. God, she truly was a completely useless lesbian, one that could not seem to find middle ground or engage in appropriate behavior, oscillating from angry to enamored in a matter of seconds.
“Also, you mentioned being fired. Indeed, but if I were you, Ms. Threadneedle, I wouldn’t be as concerned about your position.”
“Why? Because you slept with me?” Sam’s hand flew up to her mouth, but it was too late. The words were out, hanging between them in the air like lead for one second, before dropping to the floor and destroying whatever shaky common ground they’d been trying to build.
“My, my, you just can’t seem to help yourself, can you?” Sam hung her head to avoid the gaze that seemed to see straight into the depths of her thoughts.
“And to answer your question, no, not for… that reason.” Magdalene almost stumbled over whatever word she wanted to use for their one-night stand, but Sam thought that not much flustered the formidable woman who soldiered on.
“The answer to your questions is because there are no circumstances under which I would not rehire the New England Teacher of the Year and recipient of the Governor’s Honors this past school year. Which is commendable for someone of your relatively tender age. Brava, Miss Threadneedle. Though why so camera-shy? None of the awards or articles were accompanied by your picture.”
Sam wanted to say that she was too busy with more important things, like teaching and overseeing two hundred students, to go parading to the Governor’s Mansion for a silly photo op, but Magdalene’s eyes were looking at her with so much understanding, that all her words seemed superfluous.
“I may be a newcomer, Ms. Threadneedle, but I never come into a new situation unprepared. With your former headmistress unequipped, and her deputy obviously unable to insert herself into this situation, I trust you will find it within yourself to help me with the transition?”
Sam could only gulp and nod. As her head dropped to her chest again, she thought she heard a low, murmured, “And you and I both know I could pull off a Miranda Priestly just fine.”
Yes, they both knew it, and therein lay most of Sam’s troubles.
5
Of Guests, Expected & Unwanted
