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CHAPTER 1

ARRIVAL

Emma Higsby sat forward in her seat, eagerly awaiting her first glimpse of Dinswood Academy, the most prestigious boarding school in the country. Generally, only the very rich attended Dinswood, but recently, the board of directors of the school, in a fit of conscience, had decided to award full scholarships to the five seventh graders who scored the highest on the school's entrance exam. Emma had studied for months prior to the exam and had miraculously earned the highest score among those who took it. She couldn't believe her good fortune.

Dinswood Academy was famous for its high academic standards. Not only was it the best school academically, but it was situated in the heart of the mountains, where the scenery was said to be breathtaking. In the winter months, the school was inaccessible to the outside. The school's virtual isolation, although unattractive to some, was the very thing that appealed to Emma the most.

Emma had lost her mother to cancer at the tender age of five. Her father had remarried a year later, and unfortunately, Emma and her stepmother had never really connected. Vera wasn't mean to Emma in the physical sense, but her complete and total indifference over the years had left an emptiness in Emma's heart and a growing desire to get away from a home where she no longer felt wanted. The arrival of her twin half-brothers four years ago had only compounded the problem. Her father doted on Vera and the boys, and if he noticed anything lacking in Emma's upbringing, he never commented on it or made any attempts to correct it. It had been her need to get away that had driven her to work so hard to get into Dinswood.

She had received notification that she had been accepted to Dinswood a month ago. So eager was she to embark on her new adventure that Emma would have packed her bags that very second, but unfortunately, the new term didn't begin until September first. The time until the start of the first term had seemed to drag by at a snail's pace. As far as Emma was concerned, that month of August would go on record as being the longest of her life.

Her family had expressed neither joy at her acceptance to Dinswood nor any great sadness that she would be away from home for the next nine months. The news had been greeted with the same indifference that Emma had grown accustomed to. Her father had, however, helped make the travel arrangements that would convey Emma to her new home.

Emma had just been treated to her first airplane ride. She didn't know how her father had been able to afford the fare, but she was too excited about going to Dinswood to care. The bus in which she was riding had been sent to the airport by the school to pick up the arriving students. Emma was glad that she had gotten a seat by herself so that she could absorb the scenery in solitude. There would be time enough to meet people when she was settled in at the school.

Emma had read the brochure the school had sent with her acceptance letter. Dinswood Academy had, in years past, been a castle complete with towers and a parapet with battlements for defense in times of siege. Of course, the castle had been renovated extensively over the last half century. At his death, Lord Percival Dinswood had donated the buildings and grounds to the state to be used as a school. Lord Dinswood had left specific instructions on the renovations that were to be carried out in order to create the finest school in the country. There were parts of the castle, however, that he had requested remain unchanged. Looking at the pictures in the brochure, Emma was sure that Lord Percival Dinswood would have been pleased with the result.

The bus had been climbing in a twisting fashion for the last hour and a half; Emma thought they must be getting close now. Just then the bus rounded a bend, and the castle came into view. The pictures in the brochure hadn't done it justice. Emma felt as if she just stepped backward in time to the seventeenth century. A magnificent three- story, gray stone structure complete with towers stood in the center of beautifully landscaped and immaculate grounds. Well-tended shrubs lined the drive leading up to the castle, and directly across from the main entrance was a huge, circular stone fountain. Water shot upward from the middle of the fountain and sparkled in a rainbow of colors as the afternoon sun shone through the mist. A multitude of flowers in every color had been planted all around the base of the fountain and stone benches encircled it. Large oak and maple trees dotted the front lawn, and many of them had benches or swings underneath them.

Although she couldn't see them from her vantage point, Emma knew that two wings had been added to the main structure that served as dormitories. The east wing, Bingham Hall, was the boys' dormitory, and the west wing, Brimley Hall, was the girls'. The main part of the building contained a large, two-story library, a lounge with a fireplace, a ballroom where music, band, and PE classes were held, the dining hall, and the kitchen. The classrooms and staff residences were located on the second and third floors of the main building. The entire structure was surrounded by Fangorley Forest, and to the west, a stream flowed down the side of the mountain. At this time of year, the stream would be relatively small, but in the spring, as the winter snows melted, it would swell with swiftly moving, crystal clear and extremely cold water. All of these things Emma had read in the brochure, but she couldn't wait to explore and see them all first hand.

The next thing Emma knew, the bus was coming to a stop in front of the school, and she could see stone steps leading up to a terrace and massive oak doors. The bus driver instructed Emma and her fellow classmates to disembark and informed them that their baggage would be deposited in their dorm rooms for them. Today was a day of orientation for all of the first-year students; the rest of the student body would be arriving tomorrow.

Dinswood Academy taught students from the seventh to the twelfth grades. The board of directors felt that children needed to be at least twelve-years-old before they would be mature enough to live away from home for an extended period of time. Emma would be turning thirteen November twelfth and knew that she would be among the oldest in her class. The first-year students were herded through the oak doors and into a large central hall where they were met by the dean of the school. Dean Harwood was a rather handsome man of medium height with dark hair that was beginning to gray at the temples. He was not at all what Emma had expected the dean to look like. She had pictured a short man with a stocky build and thinning brown hair. Dean Harwood stood on the stairs leading up to the second floor in order to be seen by all the students. The commotion in the great hall subsided as Dean Harwood cleared his throat, a signal that he was preparing to speak, and the students had better pay attention.

"Welcome to Dinswood Academy," Dean Harwood began. "You are very fortunate to be attending the most prestigious school in the country. I need not remind you that Dinswood sets high academic standards. You will find that our curriculum is challenging, and our instructors are among the finest in the world. You will be meeting them shortly in the dining hall. Of course, with a school of this caliber, certain rules and regulations are a necessity. You will be informed of the rules and regulations by your dorm advisors later today. Please be aware that failure to comply with these rules may result in your expulsion from Dinswood. I encourage you to work hard and take advantage of all Dinswood has to offer. At this time, our history teacher, Miss Priscilla Grimstock, will take you on a tour of the facility and acquaint you with meal times and dorm curfews. If I can assist you in any way, please make an appointment with my secretary. Again, welcome, and now I leave you in the capable hands of Miss Grimstock."

Miss Grimstock was a tall, thin, hawkish-looking woman that rather reminded Emma of a witch — all that was lacking was the pointy hat and a broomstick. She wore a navy blue suit and low heels and had her reddish-brown hair drawn back from her face and tightly coiled in a bun.

"Students, if you will please follow me." Miss Grimstock gave a grand sweep of her hand and set off down a side hall, walking in a dignified, if not somewhat stiff manner. Her tone was just as dignified as she pointed out the first room on the right down the east hall. "This is the dining hall. Breakfast is served buffet style from seven to seven forty-five in the morning. Lunch is served at noon and supper is served at six o'clock in the evening. The kitchen is next to the dining room, but it is off limits to anyone other than the kitchen staff. Classes begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. Please be on time to all of your classes, as your tardiness will result in a detention." This last statement was met by muffled moans from the students. Ignoring the moans, Miss Grimstock continued on, "Classes resume at one o'clock and will conclude at three each afternoon, except, of course, on Saturday and Sunday. If you will follow me please ..." and off she went again. The dean's and administrative offices were on the north side of the east hall. These were pointed out to the students in a perfunctory fashion, and the group was informed that usually the only students that saw the inside of Dean Harwood's office were those who had committed serious infractions.

The tour continued on in this manner for another thirty minutes. The ballroom was the last room off the east hall. Emma had never seen a room so large. It had a beautiful marble floor and huge windows all along the north side. French doors led onto the terrace, and Emma found herself imagining what it would have been like to attend a ball in this room a century ago. She imagined waltzing around the room in the arms of a handsome young man and then being swept out onto the terrace for a bit of stargazing.

Emma was pulled from her reverie by the groans of those around her and wondered what she had missed. She didn't have to wait long to find out as Miss Grimstock continued on as if there had been no interruption, "We here at Dinswood feel that ballroom dancing is the only civilized form of dancing, and so, of course, you will be instructed in the waltz, et cetera. This is the only time the boys and girls will have physical education together in order that you might have a proper partner." Then with another wide sweep of her hand, she continued down to the end of the east hall, where a set of swinging double doors led into the boys' dormitory. They didn't enter the boys' dormitory but were told that both boys and girls were supposed to be in their rooms by nine o'clock, and that lights out would be at ten o'clock. "You are not to leave your rooms after ten o'clock. If you are caught out and about after ten, it could result in your expulsion from Dinswood," Miss Grimstock informed them in a haughty tone. "Many of Lord Dinswood's valuables remain in house and so we have in our employ several security guards. The grounds and building are regularly patrolled, so if you choose to ignore this rule, you will be caught. In addition, at no time may the boys enter the girls' dorm or vice versa. Are there any questions?" As there were no questions, Miss Grimstock led them in the direction of the main entrance and then down the west hall.

Emma fell in love with the lounge. It was an enormous room that ran almost the entire length of the west hall on the north side. The room boasted a large fireplace and comfortable-looking couches and chairs arranged in little groups. According to Miss Grimstock, it was a cozy room in which to read or play chess after supper. "This was Lord Dinswood's favorite room in the castle," she told them with what could be interpreted as a smile, but which looked more like a grimace on her birdlike face. "He loved to play chess in here. In fact, he always kept a chess board set up on the table you see there in front of the fireplace." Some of the students snickered at the mention of reading and chess, but Miss Grimstock once again ignored them and continued on with the tour.

If Emma loved the lounge, the library had to be a close second. It had two stories with an old-fashioned, wrought iron spiral staircase leading up to the book stacks on the second level. Emma couldn't begin to estimate the number of books housed here, and she found herself looking forward to browsing among the endless bookshelves. The library also boasted a fireplace with some overstuffed armchairs set in a semicircle in front of it. Emma could see herself curled up in one of the armchairs enjoying a good book. She hoped she'd have time to read, considering the high academic standards Dean Harwood had been talking about.

Miss Grimstock's voice droned on as she pointed to a section of the library containing long, wooden tables with lamps for research and study and another section of the library that contained computers. "The computers are to be used solely for word processing; computer games are strictly forbidden here at Dinswood Academy. We feel your time is better employed on more mentally challenging activities. You will not have internet access, nor do we have any television sets." The groans from the students were too loud to ignore this time.

One student even objected out loud. "No TV? You've got to be kidding!"

Miss Grimstock's beady eyes searched out the offender and gave him a piercing look. "And what is your name young man?"

Clearly embarrassed now, the young man stammered, "S-S-Sebastian C-Conners." Sebastian, a plump boy with red hair and freckles, shifted his weight and stared fixedly at the floor.

"Well, Mr. Conners, as I was saying, there are no televisions at Dinswood. Sitting mindlessly in front of a television screen for hours on end is a waste of our most valuable asset. I'm speaking of time, Mr. Conners, time that could be used for reading or a hobby such as woodworking or knitting." Miss Grimstock's look now encompassed the entire group. "Each semester you will be given a list of hobbies from which to choose, and you will receive the instruction necessary to pursue these hobbies. Does anyone else have a complaint or question?"

The rest of the group had the good sense to remain quiet, and so Miss Grimstock led them back into the hall and pointed to the doors leading to the girls' dormitory. As with the boys' dormitory, they did not go in, but instead were taken back to the main entrance hall. "The classrooms are on the second floor. We have a well-equipped science laboratory, and we are proud to announce that the greenhouse has finally been completed and can be found behind the main building. You will now have the opportunity to take classes in horticulture." At this point, Miss Grimstock paused as if expecting some kind of excited response from the students, but when none was forthcoming, she simply pursed her lips and continued on. "The staff residences are on the third floor and are strictly off-limits to students." This last statement was emphasized with a warning frown from Miss Grimstock. "And now I will turn you over to your dorm advisors."

Dorm advisors were actually older students who had demonstrated sufficient responsibility and intelligence to be entrusted with a group of new recruits. Emma's dorm advisor was a senior girl named Deborah. Deborah was a tall, rather plain girl with long brown hair, who obviously didn't believe in wasting a lot of time in conversation. She showed each of the girls to their rooms and told them they would have just enough time to unpack before supper. Then she left them to fend for themselves until supper.

The dorm rooms could more accurately be described as suites with each suite capable of housing four students. Every student was provided with a twin bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a closet. Each suite also included a nicely sized, relatively modern bathroom. As Emma entered what was to be her new home for the next nine months, she saw that her luggage had already been deposited next to her bed, as had that of her roommates. Emma was embarrassed to see that her suitemates had quite a bit more luggage than her one tattered suitcase. The other girls had trunks, in addition to numerous suitcases and assorted bags. One of the girls looked pointedly at Emma's meager possessions and stuck her nose in the air. Emma's discomfort increased as she watched the reactions of the other two girls with whom she would be sharing a room. Well, I certainly don't see what the big deal is, Emma thought to herself. Really, how much clothing do you need to go to a school where the students have to wear uniforms? The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She was about to say something she knew she'd regret later when she was forestalled by the sudden reappearance of Deborah.

"I forgot to tell you that after dinner we will meet together to discuss school policies and regulations. I will answer any questions that you might have at that time." At that, Deborah spun around and hastened from the room.

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Excerpted from "The Secret of Dinswood"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Ellen Alexander.
Excerpted by permission of BHC Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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