The Mandie Collection (42 page)

“Just stand there and see.” Mandie tried to nudge her aside. April stared at her a moment and then moved slightly.

“All right, you get through this time, but just remember, I know you were out of your room well after ten o'clock.”

“And so were you,” Mandie taunted, running up the stairs.

Celia was waiting at the door. “Is everything all right?”

“Fine, except I met April Snow as I was coming up the stairs. I have an idea she'll try to cause trouble,” Mandie said. “But look!” She held up the envelope in the dim light. “Uncle Ned brought me letters from everybody.”

Mandie draped her shawl over the back of a chair and sat down in the moonlight by the window. She tore open the envelope and excitedly shared her letters with her friend. Everyone was well, and everyone hoped Mandie was enjoying the school. They all said they missed her and hoped she'd soon come home, at least for a visit.

But April wasn't through with Mandie.

CHAPTER FOUR

YOUNG GENTLEMEN CALLERS

The next morning, Mandie's shawl was missing. She had hung it across the back of a chair while she read her letters, but now it wasn't there! Both girls looked all around the room, but they couldn't find it anywhere.

“Thank goodness I put my letters under my pillow!” Mandie exclaimed. “Otherwise they might have disappeared, too.”

“Do you think April took your shawl?” Celia asked.

“I don't know. I can't imagine why she would do a thing like that. I sure wish Miss Prudence hadn't made us give her our key.”

“Are you going to tell Miss Prudence about the shawl?”

“Not yet. Maybe whoever took it will bring it back,” Mandie replied.

After making their bed, the girls laid their nightgowns across the foot of the bed, according to the school rule, and went downstairs.

Later, the girls didn't have time to think about the shawl. The students from Mr. Chadwick's School for Boys came across town to call on all the new girls for afternoon tea.

Miss Prudence told them it would be an opportunity for them to practice their social graces. “You will be graded on how you conduct yourselves,” she reminded them.

Mandie wore her pale blue voile dress with white sprigs of baby's breath scattered among its folds. Around her neck, she clasped the strand of tiny pearls Uncle John had given her as a going away present. She let her blonde curls hang free around her shoulders.

Celia sat beside her friend in the parlor, dressed in a bright green muslin dress with a matching hair ribbon. She twisted her handkerchief and blushed at even the thought of a boy speaking to her. She wanted to hide in a corner by herself.

“You stay right here with me, Celia,” Mandie told her. “We need each other's support. This is just something we have to do.”

“But Miss Prudence said each boy had drawn one of our names. There's no telling what kind of boys we'll end up with,” Celia protested.

“If we don't like them, we just won't talk,” Mandie said.

The girls heard the sound of horses outside, and in a few minutes Miss Prudence entered the parlor with a tall, thin man wearing spectacles.

“Young ladies, this is Mr. Chadwick,” she told the girls. “His young men have arrived. Now, when they appear at the doorway and call your name, please rise and go outside. We will serve tea on the veranda as soon as all names have been called. Now, Mr. Chadwick, I believe we're ready.”

“Thank you, Miss Heathwood,” the man answered. “Excuse me, ladies.” Stepping back to the doorway, he beckoned to the first boy in line in the hall.

The boy stood in the doorway, introduced himself as William Massey, and called, “Miss Etrulia Batson.”

Etrulia, shy and quiet, stood up shakily. “I'm Etrulia Batson,” she said.

William stepped forward, offered her his arm, and escorted her out of the parlor.

The line continued. Mandie and Celia clutched each other's hands as the tension mounted.

A boy of medium height, with a shy smile and unruly brown curls, stepped to the doorway. “I'm Robert Rogers, and I'm looking for Miss Celia Hamilton,” he announced.

Mandie nudged her friend, but Celia froze. “Get up,” Mandie whispered. “He called your name. Isn't he cute?”

Celia managed to get to her feet. She nervously smoothed the folds of her long skirt and took a deep breath. In a soft voice she replied, “I'm Celia Hamilton.”

Robert strode forward, smiling. “I was afraid of what I'd get, and here I got the prettiest girl in the school,” he told her.

Celia blushed. As they left the room, she saw Mandie smile at her.

With the line dwindling, Mandie began to think that maybe they would run out of boys, and she wouldn't have to bother being nice to someone. But the very last boy in line was hers.

A tall, handsome young lad with brown hair and dark brown eyes stepped to the doorway. Seeing Mandie was the only girl left in the room, he laughed.

“My name is Thomas Patton and I'm looking for Miss Amanda Shaw,” he said, bowing slightly. “This was worth waiting for.”

Mandie rose, straightened her skirts, and lifted her chin. “I'm Amanda Shaw,” she replied. Then with a nervous giggle she added, “My friends call me Mandie, but they don't like nicknames at this school.”

“My friends call me Tommy,” the boy whispered loudly, “but nicknames aren't permitted at our school either. They want us to learn how to be real gentlemen, and they say real gentlemen don't go by nicknames.” He offered his arm and Mandie tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Just between you and me, I don't think they'll ever make a real gentleman out of me.”

Mandie laughed as they went out onto the veranda. “And I know they won't ever make a real lady out of me. It's impossible.”

The other girls turned to look as Mandie and Tommy sat down near April and her escort. Mandie looked around for Celia, and
saw her at the other end of the porch. She was listening attentively to her new friend.

“Where are you from, Mandie?” Tommy asked.

“Franklin, North Carolina,” she replied. “And you?”

“I'm from Charleston, South Carolina,” he said.

Mandie's eyes widened. “Charleston? Where the beaches are? I've never seen the ocean. Tell me about it, please. What is it like?”

“It's the biggest body of water I have ever seen,” he teased. Then more seriously he added, “You know that already, of course. But when the tide comes in, it brings huge waves that splash water way up onto the beach. And then when the tide goes back out, and takes all the extra water with it, it leaves all kinds of shells and tiny ocean creatures that have washed up from the sea. I have a collection of shells and sand dollars.”

“Sand dollars?” she asked.

“Sand dollars are little flat circular urchins with a star pattern in the middle. They live on the bottom of the sea and the tide washes them ashore. Of course they're dead then, and can't bite,” he teased. “Seriously, they look like they're made out of the same thing shells are. They don't look like they were ever alive.”

“And you collect these things and put them in your house?” “Sure. Next time I go home I'll get you one.”

“Oh, thanks, I'd love that. I want to see the ocean someday.” Mandie's blue eyes twinkled.

“You and your parents will have to come to visit us. I'll show you the beaches and the whole town. Charleston has lots of historical places to see, you know.”

“Yes, I've read about it. I'd love to visit sometime.”

Mandie became aware that April continually stared at Tommy and paid little attention to her escort. April leaned toward them to hear their conversation.

Seeing some seats vacated near Celia, Mandie stood up quickly. “My friend is at the other end of the porch, and I see two empty seats,” she said.

As they walked away, April kept her eyes on Tommy. Even after they had sat down, she was still staring at them.

The maids came out and served tea while Miss Prudence and Miss Hope watched the girls.

Mandie was so nervous she was afraid she would drop something. She looked around to see what the others were doing. Most of them seemed to know exactly how to behave at afternoon tea.

Celia's hand shook so much that she didn't dare lift the cup to her lips for fear of spilling the tea.

Robert noticed that she was not drinking it. “Is something wrong with your tea?” he asked.

Celia blushed and said the first thing she could think of. “Oh, no, I—uh—just don't like tea.”

“Well, don't drink it then,” Robert said.

“Celia, you should try,” Mandie urged. “Miss Prudence might notice that you didn't drink it.”

Robert reached over and quickly exchanged cups with Celia. He had already finished his tea. “Here, I'll drink it for you. Then you'll have an empty cup,” Robert said with a laugh.

“Thanks,” Celia said. “Here comes Miss Prudence now. I hope she didn't see what we just did.”

“She didn't,” Mandie assured her. “I was watching. She was walking the other way when you swapped cups.”

“What if she did see us,” said Tommy. “Not everyone likes tea. People shouldn't be forced to drink it just to learn the social graces, as these teachers call it.”

Miss Prudence strolled by with Mr. Chadwick and surveyed the various students.

Tommy waited until they had passed, then said, “You know our school is coming over for the dinner party next weekend. Mandie, would you consider being my partner?”

“Aren't we drawing names again?” Mandie asked.

“No, I don't think so. That was just for this first visit. After this we're supposed to know everyone,” said Tommy.

“How can they suppose such a thing?” Robert asked. “I certainly don't know everyone.” He smiled at Celia. “But then I don't want to know everyone. Celia, will you do me the honor of being my partner?”

“Well, I—yes, if that's the way we're doing it,” Celia answered.

“You didn't answer my question, Mandie,” Tommy protested.

“Thank you, Tommy, I'd enjoy being your partner,” Mandie responded.

Mr. Chadwick stood in the center of the porch. “All right, gentlemen, it's time for us to go home,” he announced. “I hope you remembered to ask a partner for the dinner party next week.”

Excited conversation broke out among the students as the boys prepared to depart. After saying good-bye to Robert and Tommy, Mandie and Celia walked down the long hallway.

Suddenly, April rushed up behind them. “Tommy Patton is mine for the party,” she told Mandie.

Mandie stopped and stared up at the tall girl. “Just what do you mean by that?” she asked.

“Just what I said. Tommy Patton is my partner for the party.”

“What did you do, April? Ask him? I'm afraid he has already asked me.”

“I don't care who he asked. He's going to be my partner,” April fumed.

“He does have a mind of his own, you know,” Mandie said. She flashed an amused look to Celia, who stood by listening. “And he asked
me
, so he is going to be
my
partner.”

“Let me tell you one thing,” April growled at her. “You'd better forget that he asked you, or I'll just conveniently remember that I caught you coming up the backstairs last night after ten o'clock.”

“Oh, mind your own business,” Mandie said angrily.

April hurried on down the hallway. “I'm warning you,” she called back over her shoulder. Then she ran upstairs.

Mandie and Celia just stood there, puzzled by the girl's behavior. “Well!” Mandie said. “What do you suppose that was all about?”

Celia shrugged her shoulders, and the two girls returned to their room for a rest period before the evening meal. As soon as they opened the door, Mandie noticed that her nightgown was missing. She knew that she had laid it across the foot of the bed. Celia's was there but Mandie's was not.

“It looks like someone took my nightgown,” Mandie said, glancing about the room. “If they don't quit taking things, I'm going to run out of clothes pretty soon. My shawl this morning and now my nightgown.”

“I'll bet it was that April Snow,” Celia accused.

“But she was downstairs on the porch with us,” Mandie replied.

“Yes, but she came flying up the steps ahead of us after she threatened you in the hall.”

“I suppose it's possible, but why would she do that?”

“I don't know. Are you going to report it to Miss Prudence?”

“No. I can't prove anything. I think I'll just do some detective work on my own. Maybe I can find out for sure who's doing this,” Mandie said, as she took another nightgown from the bureau drawer.

Mandie certainly didn't want to get the wrong person in trouble. She wasn't certain that April was taking these things. She would just have to watch April carefully from now on. Although Mandie wasn't a tattletale, she also wasn't going to be threatened, nor was she going to put up with her clothes disappearing.

At supper, April didn't say anything to Mandie, and when they were dismissed from the table, she hurried out to the veranda. Mandie and Celia went to their room to write letters.

Long after the ten o'clock bell had rung and the lights were out, Mandie and Celia lay awake. They talked quietly about the disappearance of Mandie's clothes. Suddenly they heard the clanging metal and squeaking boards again. They looked at each other, and their bodies stiffened in fright.

“There's that noise!” Celia whispered.

“It sounds like it's in the attic,” Mandie whispered back.

“It does seem close.”

Mandie sat up on the side of the bed. “Let's go see what it is,” she said in a low voice.

“No!” Celia objected.

“We don't have to let
it
see
us
. We'll just find out what or who is making that noise,” Mandie told her. “Come on!” She started for the door.