Chapter Twenty-Six
Marigold Hedges gathered the swans together after school and arranged for a light tea to be prepared for them in the dining room.
The girls sat huddled around the table, chatting excitedly about the evening’s events.
Miss Humphries supervised the service, and her staff busied themselves serving tea, sandwiches and cake. Once everyone had been served, Miss Hedges thanked the head chef for her assistance and the rest of the staff were dismissed.
“Now, ladies,” began the headmistress, “I trust that you are all looking forward to this evening’s festivities?”
The girls nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, thank you, Headmistress, we are.” Cynthia spoke on behalf of the girls. “And we would all like to say thank you for choosing us to represent the academy this evening. We will
