Then Emmy noticed something else: she was the only girl in the room. That didn’t seem right. If so many boys found Latin this interesting, there must be girls who liked it, too.
Emmy started reading and got through a whole chapter by the end of the session. No blaring music, no one yakking on their cell phone, and no Victoria. It was actually a pretty good place to get work done.
The room started emptying out, and Emmy followed the crowd. The bookshelves by the door were crammed full of old books with beautiful leather spines. She cocked her head. One of the spines had the same strange symbol as the hidden door, but this time she could see it much better: a skull with a cross on the right and a dagger on the left. She still had a nagging feeling about it. What did it remind her of? Maybe it was a common symbol in Britain, and her dad had something like it when she was little. It did make her think of him. It would be so much easier if she could just ask him stuff like this. She reached for the book. Maybe something inside would trigger her memory.
“Emmeline!” Master Larraby had appeared out of nowhere. “How did you enjoy your time with us? I suppose you found it a bit dull, didn’t you?”
Emmy slid the book back in its place. “Actually, I—”
“Not to worry, I won’t ask you to suffer through another meeting if it’s not really your thing. We’ll just switch you to something a little more up your alley. Tell me, are you fond of the noble game of conkers?”
“Uh…”
“I hear they’re expecting a visit from the Annapolis Royal Conkers Club this year. Should be very exciting!”
“Actually, I’d like to stay in Latin Society. I could use the extra time to catch up, and it’d be nice to have a teacher around to help me if I get stuck.”
“Oh…oh yes, I see.” Larraby was smiling, but he didn’t look happy. More like confused. “We’ll be glad to have you. Now, allow me to show you the way out.”
Emmy followed him out the secret door. He didn’t seem all that happy about her coming to Latin Society, but that couldn’t be right. Why would a teacher not want someone in his club?
CHAPTER 5
Saturday
Emmy got lost twice on her way back to Audrey House, but she eventually found the right path. She slid into the crowded common room and made a beeline for the stairs. She didn’t feel like being stared at again.
“Hey, Emmy!” Lola waved at her and pointed to the empty seat at her table. She was sitting with Jack and a few other people Emmy didn’t know.
Emmy fiddled with a button on her sweater. She wasn’t really used to people asking her to sit with them. She squeezed in next to Lola and tried to look like she belonged. A girl with blond curls gave Emmy a shy wave, and Emmy waved back.
“That’s Natalie,” Lola said, “and that’s Jaya.” She pointed to the willowy girl who had gotten the shoes from her mother. “She’s a lot cooler than the rest of us, but we try not to hold that against her.”
Emmy blinked. She didn’t know what she’d do if someone said that about her. But the girl named Jaya just laughed and went back to her conversation with Natalie.
“Did you have a society today?” Lola asked Emmy.
“Yeah, Latin.”
Jack looked up. “You’re in the Latin Society?”
“Yeah. Madam Boyd put me in there to try and help me catch up.”
“Right.” Jack picked up a new pencil and started shading a drawing he was working on. “So how was it? Did you figure out how to get in the building?”
Emmy stared at Jack. How did he know she’d have trouble? “Yeah, but it took a while. Larraby said he’d forgotten to send someone to show me how to get in.”
Jack smirked. “He always says that. It’s a test. To see if you’ve got problem-solving skills or something like that.”
“Why would you need to pass a test to join a school club?”
“They just want to have more control over who gets in. They’re not exactly the friendliest bunch.”
“Tell me about it,” Emmy grumbled. “There was this one guy who showed up while I was trying to figure out how to get in, and he just pretended I wasn’t even there. I think I’ve seen him around the common room. He must be in Edmund House.”
Jack and Lola looked at each other. “Dark hair?” Lola asked.
Emmy nodded.
“Too much hair gel, pretty-boy blazer, looks like he’s got a giant stick up his—”
Jack kicked Lola under the table, and she swore.
“That’s Brynn, he’s Lola’s cousin,” Jack said. “He was my roommate in first year. Made my life miserable.”
“What did he do?”
Jack shifted in his chair. “Mostly pranks, stupid stuff like that.”
“It wasn’t just ‘stupid stuff,’” Lola said. “That night when you—”
“That was an accident,” Jack said.
Lola didn’t say anything, but it looked like she was practically chewing her tongue to try and keep quiet.
Pranks. Stupid stuff. Accidents. Seemed like Emmy couldn’t hear anything about Latin Society without hearing about those things, too.
“Brynn mostly leaves me alone now,” Jack said. “He’s too scared of Lola.”
Emmy’s eyebrows shot up. “Why, what’d you do?”
“She gave him a bloody nose and made him cry in front of all his friends.”
Emmy laughed. “You actually punched your cousin?”
“It was good for him,” Lola said.
“What did your mom say?”
“I got in massive trouble, but that’s nothing new. She didn’t care about it being my cousin, though. His dad’s my mum’s half-brother, but he and my mum don’t get on.”
“What about your dad?” Emmy asked.
“He lives in Glasgow,” Lola replied. “They got divorced when I was one.”
“I’m sorry.”
Lola shrugged. “Could be worse.” She glanced at Jack. He was staring at his fingertips and pinching them together.
“You mean me?” Jack didn’t look up. He smiled, but it wasn’t a happy smile. “Let’s just say I don’t exactly fit the Galt family mold. My brothers live up to family expectations better than I ever will.”
“How many brothers do you have?” Emmy asked.