‘Did he, now?’
‘Yes, sir.’ Charlie wished Dr Bloor would shine the torch away from his eyes.
‘Well, it’s detention for you, Charlie Bone. You’ll stay in school an extra night. Now, get back to your dormitory.’
Dr Bloor hauled Charlie out of the room and gave him a push down the passage. Charlie had almost reached his dormitory when the matron loomed round a corner and grabbed his shoulder.
‘Ouch!’ cried Charlie. ‘If you were going to give me detention, don’t bother. I’ve already got it.’
Charlie could hear Lucretia Yewbeam grinding her teeth. ‘Be quiet, until you’re spoken to. Where have you been?’
‘Stuck in Manfred’s study,’ said Charlie with a sigh. ‘He asked me to give him my lines.’
‘Lines? On the first day of term. You’re hopeless. I can’t believe we’re related.’
‘Nor me,’ said Charlie in an undertone.
Next morning, on their way down to breakfast, Charlie told Fidelio everything that had happened the night before. His friend listened attentively until Charlie began to talk about the photographs.
‘So you’ve been listening again,’ Fidelio said wryly.
‘I couldn’t help myself,’ Charlie admitted. ‘They were a nasty pair, Fido. But how can I tell Billy?’
‘Let’s just hope you’re wrong, and those people weren’t the de Greys.’
The two boys walked into the dining-hall and took their places at the music table.
‘Interesting about the horses,’ Fidelio said as he buttered a piece of dry toast.
Billy Raven looked up from his cornflakes. ‘Did you say horses?’
‘Tell you later, Billy,’ said Charlie. ‘By the way, I’ve got detention this weekend, so I’ll be keeping you company.’
‘My new parents are coming to fetch me on Saturday,’ said Billy.
‘So soon?’
‘I shall have my own home!’ Billy bounced up in his seat. ‘Yippee!’
Charlie grinned. He didn’t want to dash Billy’s hopes, but he was sure that real adoptions didn’t happen this way. How did the Bloors get away with it? They kept children hidden from their relatives, they moved orphans around without them having any say in it, they even made fathers disappear.
‘Charlie!’ Fidelio nudged him. ‘If you don’t want your breakfast, I’ll eat it.’
Charlie spooned cornflakes into his mouth as quickly as he could. ‘I s’pose you don’t feel like getting detention with me?’ he asked.
Fidelio looked embarrassed. ‘Sorry. Can’t. I’ve promised to play in my brother’s band on Saturday morning.’
‘At least I might get a look at Billy Raven’s parents. That should be interesting’ said Charlie.
During the first break, Charlie saw Emma and Olivia running round the field.
‘Hey, you two!’ cried Charlie, as he panted beside the girls. ‘Are you, er . . . occupied on Saturday?’
‘Bookshop!’ said Emma. ‘It’s Aunt Julia’s busy day.’
‘Have you got detention again, Charlie?’ asked Olivia, slowing her pace.
‘Yep. So, are you busy?’
Olivia stopped running and Emma drew up beside her.
‘Well?’ said Charlie, taking a deep breath.
‘Actually,’ said Olivia solemnly, ‘Saturday is probably going to be the most important day in my whole life.’
‘Definitely,’ agreed Emma.
‘I’m auditioning for a movie. It’s a really big movie. There are at least three huge stars in it, and I’m going to be Tom Winston’s daughter, or at least I think I will be.’
‘Tom Winston?’ Charlie asked.
‘Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Tom Winston,’ said Olivia, frowning. ‘He’s a HUGE star!’
‘Oh. OK. Well, good luck. Hey, you might be famous, Livvie!’
‘Bound to be,’ said loyal Emma.
‘Might be,’ said Olivia with a confident smile.
‘So, will you talk to us when you’re famous?’ asked Charlie.
‘What do you think?’ Olivia’s smile grew wider.
The hunting horn rang out and Charlie never got to answer Olivia, because the two girls tore away and reached the garden door long before him. Charlie decided they must have been in training over the holidays.
‘Guess what?’ Charlie said, leaping into the blue cloakroom. ‘Olivia Vertigo’s going to be a movie star.’
Fidelio was sitting on a bench, changing his shoes. ‘How come?’ he said, dropping one of his trainers.
Several other children stared at Charlie and Gwyneth Howells, the harpist, said, ‘Olivia Vertigo thinks she’s so brilliant.’
‘But she is,’ said Rosie Stubbs generously. ‘I mean, I bet she will be famous.’
Gwyneth gave her best friend a withering look, and Rosie said, ‘Oh come on, Gwyn, you must admit she’s a fantastic actress.’
‘She’s going to an audition on Saturday,’ Charlie told them. ‘It’s for a part in a gigantic movie. She’ll be Tom Winston’s daughter.’
‘If she gets the part,’ sniffed Gwyneth.
‘She will,’ said Fidelio. ‘No question.’
Soon the whole school was buzzing with talk of Olivia Vertigo’s imminent fame. And Olivia began to wish that she’d kept her audition a secret.
Somehow, Charlie managed to keep out of trouble for the rest of the week, and when Friday arrived he found that he wasn’t dreading his extra night in school as much as he expected.
He went down to the main hall to wish Olivia good luck before she left, but she didn’t thank him.
‘I wish you hadn’t told so many people,’ she grumbled. ‘It’s bad luck.’ And she strode away without a backward glance.
‘She’s nervous,’ Emma explained. ‘Sorry about your detention, Charlie. We’ll meet on Sunday, shall we?’
‘Pets’ Café at two o’clock,’
