"Well! And are you planning to decimate my group any further?"

Nell had waited until the girls - all bar the Robin, who was in bed, and Eustacia, who was sulking back at the pension - were far enough ahead to be out of earshot. She was positively glowing. If I hadn't been paying careful attention, I might have attributed it to her satisfaction at making arrangements with Herr Siebur for the planned exhibitions, but this spark had been present since before then. I wondered if anyone else had noticed, and whether I, too, was marked by secret joy.

I laughed. "Poor Eustacia. But such a difficult child! She will have to learn to joke like a normal schoolgirl, sooner or later - and it would do best for her if she might make it the former." I exhaled as I recalled our ill-fated exchange over kaffee und kuchen, feeling far more annoyance than pity for the girl who had, so far, been the only blight on our trip.

Nell nodded. "I think she may still be smarting over that little set-to she had with Jo, about the Catholic service on Sunday. I suppose one of us will have to miss that too. Eustacia isn't the only one who wouldn't go, of course - it would be far easier if she was! But I don't want to leave her to argue with the others."

Watching the rest of our little crowd strolling ahead of us down towards the valley, I knew exactly what she meant. The absence of the prickly Eustacia had made this whole affair far more relaxing. The younger girls were in thrall to their elders, and the elder girls sobered by the responsibility this adoration bestowed upon them. Anne Seymour seemed to be pointing out various constellations in the darkening sky. The younger girls' body language indicated that they were hanging on her every word.

Nell's gaze followed mine, and she turned to me with an apologetic grimace. "I think we ought to draw closer to them now - it's growing very dark, very quickly, and... the last thing either of us want is for Joey to unwittingly mention to Madge, for example, that the mistresses spent most of their time whispering amongst themselves."

"Pity," I murmured, as we quickened our pace accordingly. "I think that would make for a very pleasant half-term." I was gratified to see her duck her head with a small smile, cheeks flushed. "Still, I imagine it will be straight to bed once we get back, won't it?"

Taking a former control of her expressions as we reached our charges, Nell shot me her usual grin. "Oh, I think we might stretch to allowing them a little supper first, perhaps."

Jo threw a suspicious glance over her shoulder at us. "What's that about perhaps a little supper?" She demanded, with scant regard for good grammar. "I say, you pair, have you seen the stars? So many of them! I don't think I've ever noticed the sky so - so full up of them before, somehow."

"It is a lovely night, isn't it?" I agreed amiably. "All right, since you insist, I suppose you might have some supper when we get back to the pension, as long as you stay on your best behaviour 'til then." As I spoke, I noticed little Ruth's eyes widen, and groaned dramatically. "Not you too, Ruth? Is my humour really so off-beam today?"

Nell grinned reassurance at the girl, assuming an air of mischievous sympathy. "Miss Stewart's jokes do seem to be falling a little flat today, I quite agree. I daresay I shall have to send her off to bed without any supper if she doesn't sweeten."

"Oh, will you? Two can play at that game, Miss Wilson," I retorted, eyes twinkling at the young faces so startled by this spectacle of their mistresses' good-natured bickering.

It was late when the walking-party got in, and Eustacia had betaken herself to bed. Hot milky coffee and buttered rolls were waiting for them, and when they had eaten their fill the girls were sent off to bed.

"Bedtime, and more than bedtime!" said Miss Wilson, laughing. "Joey, I know, is not having the climb tomorrow; but the rest of you are, and you need all the rest you can get."

They went, with many protests, but Miss Wilson was to be obeyed, so they ran up the stairs laughing and calling, for there were no other guests to be considered, and the Robin was likely to sleep through any noise they might make.

"Happy now?" Nell teased.

I raised an eyebrow. "You would have sent them up now in any case - it's nearly twenty-two! Shifting the blame onto me..."

"Well, there's fine thanks," she said, adopting her severest tones, before softening into laughter and gesturing at the empty plates and cups in front of us. "Do you want some more?"

I darted a furtive look about the empty room and paused, deliberately waiting to draw her attention - but as soon as her eyes met mine, I rushed on before I could lose my nerve. "I'd rather go to bed." I could hear the blood pounding in my ears, and my voice seemed unnaturally loud, though I knew it wasn't. Certainly I knew it wouldn't carry as far as the kitchen next door, where I could hear Frau Blitzen washing the dishes.

Nell swallowed, and looked away. "Yes, of course - I had forgotten how tired you were earlier - and what a long day it's been since then! Poor thing, you must be exhausted now."

"Nell," I waited for her to look at me again. "I'm not tired. Or at least," my conscience not permitting such an outright lie, "I don't want to sleep." I looked at her steadily. She raised an eyebrow, and I gave a slight nod.

She watched me, for what felt like several minutes, though I knew it could not really have been. I listened to the clinking of china and soft humming of Frau Blitzen in the next room, and panicked silently. I've got it all wrong, I've made a terrible misunderstanding and there is no possible way out of this. There was no explanation to cover it. I wondered if she would at least keep it to herself until I could leave at the end of term. I wondered what I would do if I couldn't get a reference.

At length, Nell nodded, and rose to her feet, inclining her head towards the stairs.

"Do you know what you're saying?" Nell demanded in a low voice, as soon as she had closed the door behind us.

I stopped, barely a step ahead of her, giddy with tentative relief, punch-drunk on terrified abandon. This didn't particularly seem to be a line of questioning which would lead its way towards a resignation with no reference, but even if it did, I was too far in to stop now. "You're not asking me whether I'm still drunk on those damned cherries? Yes - I mean no," ending in some confusion as I caught the look on her face, "no, I'm not still pretending to be unaccountable for my actions, and yes, I know exactly what I'm saying - and what's more, I mean it."

I watched her face, trying to follow the rapid series of decisions I could tell she was weighing up. Her breathing was shallow and, for all I couldn't guess her present thought process, I was reassured my basic judgment had not been wrong after all. Thank God. I stopped worrying about my reference.

"And you know - the implications? You know what would happen - what it would cost us both of anyone found out?" Nell gave me a searching look, and I understood.

"Yes, I know. I'm not," I cleared my throat awkwardly, "I'm not entirely a novice."

Nell raised an eyebrow and I knew I was blushing, but the tension on her face had eased. Almost shyly, she stepped closer to me. The room seemed to be spinning. I could hear her breath, and realised I had been holding my own. Then she slipped strong arms around my waist and kissed me.