Chapter 9
"Be back by dawn Morgana" Constance reminded her black cat as she leapt up on to the sill of the open bedroom window "we leave for Celeste's first thing in the morning"
Morgana gave a quick flick of her tail to indicate she had heard before leaping nimbly out of the window into the summer night. It was the last evening of term and Constance was hastily folding her black clothing into a small suitcase. She had intended to pack earlier but Mistress Broomhead had insisted on a final tutorial. The exam results had come out earlier that day and Constance to no-one's surprised had topped the class in every subject. Mistress Broomhead had held the final tutorial in her study, a room she had never been invited to before. It was a slightly dark room, enclosed on all sides by bookshelves stacked with dark leather volumes, and dominated by a large clock on the centre wall above the desk. Mistress Broomhead had somehow already managed to acquire all of Constance exam papers and insisted on looking at every dropped mark or weak sentence in minute detail. Constance sat on a straight backed wooden chair in front of the desk, something which had surprised her as it was rare that she was permitted to sit at all in Mistress Broomhead's presence. Even more surprisingly, Mistress Broomhead had offered her a cup of tea. In fact, she had offered it in such a stern manner that Constance had not felt able to refuse and had sipped it nervously gaining a sharp glare from her tutor each time she scraped the cup against the saucer.
Constance was placing her hairbrush on top of the neatly packed pile of clothes when she was suddenly stuck by a sharp pain in her stomach. She reached a hand out to her chair to steady herself as a strange burning sensation began to rise in her throat. A second wave of pain, more intense than the first swept across her stomach and she hunched over clutching her middle. Constance felt lightheaded and she swooned in pain, her legs giving way beneath her. There was a sickening thud as the side of Constance's head struck the corner of her desk and everything went suddenly black.
"Constance. Constance?"
A concerned voice was calling her name and Constance could see a dim blur of dark curls and blue eyes as Miss Fairwind leaned over her before the darkness overtook her once more.
The next time she came to, she was lying on her bed and there were more voices in the room.
"It certainly is sudden" Constance vaguely recognised the voice of the college nurse "but not that uncommon. Students are sometimes taken this way after exams; exhaustion and stress then they pick up some sort of virus or influenza while their defences are low"
"Flu in June?" came the incredulous voice of Roberta
"Influenza can strike at any time of year" the nurse replied, clearly a little irritated "Well, whatever it is she needs bed rest. It is a bad dose but she should be right as rain in a few weeks, don't worry"
"A few weeks?" came the voice of Celeste this time "but she is coming home with me tomorrow!"
"Oh no, I'm afraid not" the nurse replied "she can't travel in this state -especially with the blow to her head. She will have to stop here at the college for the time being. Are you sure you are happy to sit with her Miss Fairwind? She really shouldn't be left unattended"
"Of course I'll stay with her" came Miss Fairwind's reply
"Very well, make sure she is kept warm. I will be back to check on her in a couple of hours but if anything changes in the meantime you can send her cat to fetch me. A good job the cat had the sense to fetch you in the first place or heaven knows how long she might have laid there"
Constance heard the nurse's rapid footsteps as she left the room.
"What's happened to her?" came Celeste's worried voice "she was fine at dinner"
"It's obvious what has happened isn't it!" came Roberta's angry reply "Mistress Broomhead was never happy about Con staying with us was she…"
Of course, Constance thought letting their words zone out as she tried to focus through the black fog swirling in her mind. The tea…
"…mustn't throw those kind of accusations about without proof." Miss Fairwind was saying.
With a disappointment that settled like a sinking stone, Constance realised that her dreams of a golden summer with friends was going to remain just that – a dream. She felt tears pricking the back of her throat and unable to bear the thought any longer, Constance allowed herself to slip back into unconsciousness.
September 1983
Constance was sat on the stone steps which led down from the refectory side door to the small adjacent courtyard. Her chin was resting on her knees which she was hugging to her chest. She had been sat there for a couple of hours, watching the black shapes of her fellow students returning from their summer holidays. A steady flow of witches had been soaring across the sky above her on their brooms to land in the quadrangle at the far side of the college.
"There you are Con! We've been looking all over for you!"
There was a clatter behind her as the side door swung open to reveal Celeste and Roberta both looking slightly windswept but well-rested. Celeste's nose was covered in a liberal sprinkling of freckles from the summer sun while Roberta sported an even, golden tan.
She rose to greet them, fighting back the tears which threatened to prick her eyes when she realised how much she had missed them.
"How are you feeling? Are you finally better?" Celeste was looking at her friend in concern, alarmed at the way her dark dress hung from her tall frame "you look so thin… are you sure you are quite well?"
"I'm fine" Constance soothed, reaching out to put her hand over that of her concerned friend.
"What's that?" Roberta asked sharply.
Constance looked down to see her left sleeve has been pushed back slightly, revealing four small bluish bruises in a line on her inside arm. Constance slid her sleeve back down to her wrist.
"Nothing" she said wearily "It's fine. I'm fine"
She looked up suddenly and her two friends followed her gaze through the side door. Mistress Broomhead was stood at the opposite end of the refectory staring over at them. She raised her hand and beckoned Constance with one curled finger, before vanishing.
"I have to go" Constance said
"But it is only an hour into the term, what could she possibly have to say to you?" Roberta asked
"Are you quite sure you are alright?" Celeste asked once again
"Look I won't be long and you need to unpack anyway" Constance replied evasively. "I'll see you at dinner shortly, alright?"
Before either friend could answer, Constance vanished from where she was stood. Celeste and Roberta stared at the space where she had been just moments before.
"When did she learn to do that?!" Roberta exclaimed
"What has happened to her over the summer?" Celeste seemed near to tears "We should never have left her."