Page 2 of The Headmaster’s Rule

“We want to discuss the agenda for this year,” Helen begins. “To ensure we are all on the same page.”

I nod stiffly.

“Academic achievement remains our top priority.”

A relieved exhale slips from me. Academics I can manage. They’re measurable.

“We need to maintain our position as one of the country’s top independent institutions,” Helen continues, tapping her pen to a pad of paper in front of her. “It’s essential that nothing interferes with that.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I assure her.

“Good.” There’s a brief pause, during which she glances at Charles and Patsy, then back at me. “As we head into the fall semester, we also need to address the elephant in the room. This year’s fundraiser.”

My gut tightens.

Charles leans forward, smoothing a finger across his white mustache. “I’m sure you’re aware that all eyes are on us after last year’s fiasco.”

My jaw tenses. “I am,” I grit out.

“The last thing we need is another staff embezzlement scandal,” he continues. “I think we can all agree police cars outside a school aren’t a good look.”

I grimace, rubbing at my jaw in agitation. I’ve agonized about last year’s fall fundraiser for months, trying to figure out how I could have let a member of the faculty steal the funds from right under my nose.

I have one rule: protect the school at all costs.

And I let them down.

“It never would have happened on Walter’s watch,” Charles adds.

I clench my molars. He’s right. Nothing slipped through the cracks when my father was headmaster.

“This year’s focus will be on repairing parent trust and donor confidence,” Patsy says. “Restoring this school’s otherwise unblemished reputation.”

“Which means approaching this year’s fundraiser with great caution,” Helen adds.

“Absolutely,” I agree. “I’ll oversee everything.”

“Good. We’ll expect weekly updates.” She leans forward, her gaze sharpening. “Don’t let us down, Mr. Wright.”

I nod, rising from the table. After another round of cursory handshakes, I slip from the conference room, pulse thumping as I return to my office. My laptop is still open on fundraiser options, and I settle in at my desk again, determined to find a solution.

Determined not to make another mistake.

CHAPTER 2

Eleanor

There are very few times in life when you get the chance to start over, truly start over, and this is one of them.

I barely contain my smile as, carrying a box of books, I enter my new classroom for the first time. Even the three trips back and forth from my car to gather my teaching supplies, fall decorations, beanbags for the reading corner, and a potted cactus for my desk, don’t dull my mood. Nothing can ruin today.

Light spills through the large, multi-pane windows, warming the air, stale and stuffy after being closed for a long, hot summer. I glimpse the sand dunes beyond the school grounds, the shimmer of morning sun on the ocean, and my heart swells with delight. This couldn’t be any more perfect.

When I first received the call to say I’d got the job at Wetherly Cove Preparatory School, a prestigious K-12 private school in East Hampton, it felt like a dream. I said as much to the assistant head, Mr. Fells, on the phone, and he laughed and assured me it wasn’t. I spent the entire summer counting the days until this moment, happily packing up my overpriced Crown Heights apartment and moving my belongings into a tiny carriage house I’m renting from a retiree in Wetherly Cove, two and a half hours out of New York City, and five minutes from the school. It’s exactly what I need. A chance to start fresh and reinvent myself after a rocky few years and a brush with burnout.

Now, I buzz with nervous energy, humming quietly as I set up my new classroom. It’s early, so the students won’t be here for a while, and I take the chance to fill the old wooden bookshelves with the titles I’ve brought, everything from Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl through to Dog Man and the Treehouse books. In my experience, third graders span a wide variety of tastes and abilities. It’s important everyone finds something they want to read, and no one feels left out.

With the shelves in rainbow order, I arrange the beanbags in a comfy cluster under the windows. The reading nook was always my favorite place as a kid, and I want my students to feel cozy and safe here too. Then I tape up my motivational posters—my favorite is Mistakes mean you’re learning!—and add my favorite fall decor: paper leaf garlands across the windows, mini pumpkins on the windowsill, and a sign on the bulletin board that reads “Falling into a Great Year.” I know it’s not technically fall yet, but back to school and fall just go together. Besides, why wait when the pumpkins and leaves make the room so cheerful?