The very instant Birding 101 was dismissed, after the girls began to wander off for social hour, Miss Avocet came right up to me. Earlier that morning she had noticed my sting for the absence of my loop and had summoned me to her office during social hour. She hadn't given me enough time to even collect myself before she came striding right up.
"My office, Miss Stonington," she cooed.
Miss Avocet's office was concealed behind double doors beneath the main staircase. The room was a mixture of characteristics from various time periods. The big oak desk was a spitting image of the desk in the classroom. There was a computer propped on it. A towering bookcase stretched up the wall behind the desk, its shelves a rainbow of different bindings. Two Tudor-style chairs sat in front of the desk and I sat in one. True to Mary's word, on the corner of Miss Avocet's desk was a land line telephone.
When I was settled in, Miss Avocet leaned forward in her office chair.
"Tell me, Miss Stonington," she said, "what do think of this place?"
I scanned the office carefully, observing every detail and trying to interpret the different time periods conveyed in the structure of the office and all of its items. "I don't recall ever being in a home so grand."
Miss Avocet's eyes ran over my face a few times. "This house used to belong to the Duke of Suffolk during the reign of Henry the Eighth. Not much has changed since the council purchased it privately from Her Majesty- just a couple of small additions."
She had answered every question I had about the house and it's origin, but I wasn't too interested in talking about the house. I was missing Miss Peregrine and the children.
"I bet it's not as comfortable as your home in Wales, is it?" she asked me slowly.
Not able to help myself at all, I hung my head. Miss Peregrine had wanted me to be strong, and I thought I had been holding up well, but being so far away from the loop was killing me inside. Not to mention that I wouldn't be able to get there in time if wights attacked the house.
Miss Avocet's expression softened and the corners of her mouth shot upward in a very slight smile. "It's Alma, isn't it? You can't help but be concerned for her welfare."
My mentor's ymbryne senses must have been picking up on my sinking vibes. If she was anything like Miss Peregrine she'd do anything to cheer up a low ward. Some day there would be down children who'd need me to be their shoulder to cry on, but right now, I needed to be reminded that my separation from the loop was only temporary.
"I place no blame on you, Miss Stonington," said Miss Avocet.
She then spun in her chair, and ran a finger over the bindings of a row of books. She pondered for a minute, then plucked a hefty black book from the row. She flopped it down on her desk and began to scramble through the pages. When the desired page was found, she spun the book around so I could view it.
Why, there were two photographs.
The photograph on the right was of a young, black-haired woman sitting cross-legged in a chair. The picture was taken while the woman was mid-laughter. What caught me was that she had an avocet perched on two of her fingers. Instantly I knew who it was.
"That's Miss Peregrine."
Miss Avocet nodded.
I then moved to the next picture. It was of a middle-aged woman with light hair. She had a calm expression on her face, a gallant peregrine falcon perched on her arm.
"And that's you," I pointed out.
She then closed the book and laid her palms on its cover. "You see, Miss Stonington, I, too, have a soft spot for your ymbryne. I understand that being in my position and partaking in favoritism is rather brash, but Alma LeFay Peregrine has always been- and will always be- my most cherished student. Never so much has a sister ymbryne remind me so much of myself." She slowly got to her feet and slid the book back into its place. "If It's Caul Bentham you're concerned about, belive me, you have every right to be."
Caul's name sent chills up my spine and I shivered. The very man who had shot my ymbryne down without even a second thought about it. I had never despised someone as much as I despised Caul Bentham. If Miss Avocet knew about Caul and his evil ways, I would sit and listen to what she had to say.
"In case you weren't aware, Caul Bentham was sent here alongside Alma to reside whilst she carried on her education. He is a case most unusual. When Caul was born it became evident that he possessed one of the two main traits of an ymbryne- like his sister, he could assume the form of a peregrine falcon. When Alma was born and future ymbrynism was a fact of her life, the council saw to it that Caul be observed. They thought that a possible male strain of ymbrynes could be discovered from studying Caul."
I found Miss Peregrine and Caul's past to be interesting, so I relaxed in my seat. The information Miss Avocet was providing me with could be vital to me one day. Figuring Miss Avocet was finding my silence odd, I cleared my throat. "I haven't liked Caul Bentham since the day I met him."
"He's rotten. Always was and will always be. The council conducted thorough observations on Caul, with hopes of changing the ymbryne species. When it became clear that the idea of males being born ymbrynes was impossible, naturally, Caul became very jealous of Alma. He found joy in tormenting poor Alma in any way he could. One day while Alma was on the terrace practicing her flight, Caul captured her in a fishing net. He then presumed to pluck out the majority of poor Alma's feathers. It was only then that the council granted me permission to rid of him- and so I did."
A small rage began to burn in my core. How dare that bastard do such a horrid thing, and to his own sister! No wonder he could shoot her without so much as a hint of remorse. Some day in the late future, I would track down Caul Bentham and put his miserable life to an end. Only then could Miss Peregrine be truly safe. But for now, I was stuck here, in ymbryne academy. My growth into a fully-bloomed ymbryne would require hard work and concentration.
Miss Avocet reached across the desk, took hold of my hand and squeezed it. "I can assure you that the council will permit nothing to happen to Alma. However, if something were to happen that ended Alma's life- I don't know what I would do."
"Neither would I," I replied.
The energy in the room shifted and Miss Avocet quickly got to her feet. She bound to the office doors and she cracked them. Sticking her head out into the hall, she peered both ways, withdrew herself back into the office, then tightly locked the doors.
She returned to her seat.
"As I said before, favoritism is not something I care to condone in the open. However, in private, I am known to 'stretch' my own regulations for the proper reasons."
She pulled out a small notebook from her desk, along with a pair of spectacles. She placed the spectacles and began to scan the contents of the notebook. Unaware of what to say or do, I sat in silence, gripping the arms of my Tudor chair tightly. I focused on breathing deeply to calm the storm that had risen internally within me at the mention of Caul Bentham's horrid childhood tactics. If Miss Avocet was picking up on my energy, she had one hell of a hard time showing it.
She made an 'Aha!' noise and picked the phone off the receiver. Her slender fingers dialed a number, then found its way to the speaker button. The phone began to ring out loud.
"Do remain silent until I introduce you, hmm?" she asked me.
Introduce me? Who could we have been calling.
On the fifth ring, the other line clicked open.
"Hello?" said a very familiar voice.
MISS PEREGRINE!
Containing myself would be a difficult task. I dug my fingertips into the chair arms.
"Alma," Miss Avocet cooed loudly.
Miss Peregrine chuckled. "Esmeralda, how did I know that was you?"
Giving a sly look, Miss Avocet said: "Because you know practically everything." She was being extremely sarcastic, although she was indeed right, Miss Peregrine's intuition was phenomenal. She leaned back in her chair. "I am calling on behalf of your fledgling, Miss Stonington."
Miss Peregrine gasped. "Is she causing you grief?"
Miss Avocet pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nonsense, she is a model student! My reason for calling is that she has- in most confidentiality- informed me that she is experiencing rather a deep sting from the absence of your loop." Then she jabbed me with her pointer finger, and gestured to the phone, signaling me to talk.
"Miss Peregrine?" I asked aloud.
Another gasp. "My birds! Minnette! Hello, darling! How are you?"
"I'm decent, thank you. How are you, Miss P?" I was trying my hardest to keep my learned air about me, but it was hard considering everything inside me was screaming like an excited child.
Miss Avocet then jabbed me again. She cupped her lips and cooed very quietly so Miss Peregrine couldn't hear her.
"You are not to tell her anything I have told you," she said in ymbryne.
I winked at her.
"We are all getting on well. Did you receive your package?" she asked.
I grinned. "I most certainly did. I thank you from the very bottom of my heart, Miss Peregrine, the photograph is beautiful." A mental image of the photo flashed into my mind. Like I never took my eyes off it.
"Thank Miss Bloom, it was her idea, after all," she replied smoothly. "She considers it essential that you have a piece of us while your there."
Emma was the second oldest of Miss Peregrine's wards, after me, of course. Her and I were often trusted to look after the little ones while Miss Peregrine accomplished chores, or even going into town for supplies. We had spent much time together and we made quite a team when it came to mothering over the others while Miss Peregrine was busy. Besides Helena back home, I would have to say that Emma Bloom was one of my dearest friends. It was highly like her to think so sweetly of me.
"You'll have to give her my thanks," I urged lightly.
"Consider it done," she said.
Miss Avocet opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by voices coming from Miss Peregrine's line. Miss Avocet and I glanced at one another curiously. I recognized the voices off the bat as Emma and Horace.
"Miss Peregrine?" Emma called. "The policeman is at the door. He's here about the pub."
"Drat!" Miss Peregrine hissed. "Is it that time already?" I could just see her whipping out her pocket watch and staring at it. "Hold tight, ladies," she whispered. It then sounded like she covered the phone with her hand. "I'll be right there, Miss Bloom! I must snuff out my pipe!" The phone then made a bristling noise. "I'm dearly sorry but I must be going. I do not want the children knowing of this conversation- not yet, at least. I am aware that I am permitted to make phone calls to you on Saturdays- and that I shall promise to do."
"All right, Miss P," I said. "Perhaps you can avoid killing the pub owner today?" I taunted.
Miss Avocet's eyes widened horrendously. She must not have known about Miss Peregrine shooting the pub owner with her crossbow after he had presumed to try and strangle me.
Miss Peregrine laughed. "Unfortunately that is something I cannot promise. I must be going. Goodbye, Esmeralda, farewell my dear Miss Stonington. Ta-ta for now!"
The phone clicked.
Hanging the phone back up, Miss Avocet patted my hand. "Well?"
I smiled. "Thank you, Miss Avocet, I needed that."
"Indeed. Do not speak of this to the other wards, all right?"
With Miss Peregrine on my mind, I said: "Consider it done."