CHAPTER 1
"Thanks for the ride, Daddy," said Christie as
Finchley pulled the big, black Mercedes-Benz limousine up to the curb in front
of St. Margaret's school.
"No problem, sweetheart," Mr. Winchell replied.
Usually Christie rode one of the red, double-decker city
buses to school. But today her father was going to a business meeting in France
and had offered to have Finchley, the company chauffeur, drop her off on the
way to the airport.
Christie slid out of the car and shoved her hat down on her
head. She didn't mind wearing the blue blazer and skirt that were the school's
uniform, but the wide-brimmed hat was a real pain. It looked silly on her and
blew off with the slightest breeze.
"Well, look who just came to school in style!"
called Nicki McAfee. "Is it the queen herself, arriving in her carriage?"
Nicki, Phoebe Mahoney, and Eleanore Geach were standing by the gate to the
schoolyard.
Nicki had light brown hair that was cut short in the front
and on top and long in back. She was flamboyant and reminded Christie of one of
her friends from home, Beth Barry. Phoebe was more like Jana Morgan. She had
dark brown hair and always seemed to be in control of herself. Eleanore—Ellie,
as the others called her—was small and red-haired. She looked like Katie
Shannon, but she was a lot less opinionated than Christie's friend back home.
Phoebe joined in the teasing. "Maybe it's Lady Di."
Other kids turned to see what was going on. Even Christie's
science teacher, Miss Finney, who was just going into the school, stopped to
look.
Christie cringed. She hadn't thought coming to school in her
father's company limousine would attract so much attention.
"My dad had to go to the airport this morning,"
she quickly explained, "and he dropped me off on the way."
"No need to explain to us," replied Nicki. "We
know our places. Some of us were meant to be commoners, and some were meant to
be royalty."
Christie grinned. When they had first met, she had thought
Nicki didn't like her and was singling her out. But it turned out that Nicki
was that way with everyone. She just liked getting under people's skin.
It had been hard for Christie when her family moved to
London, England, a couple of months before because of her father's job. She had
had to leave behind all her friends at Wakeman Junior High and everything else
she loved. Leaving her best friends in The Fabulous Five was the toughest thing
of all. She had known Jana Morgan, Beth Barry, Melanie Edwards, and Katie
Shannon for almost as long as she could remember, and she missed them terribly.
When her family first arrived in London, Christie had felt
like a stranger. She didn't know anyone, and the schools were totally
different. All the private schools, like St. Margaret's, were for either boys
or girls. And for some strange reason, the private schools were called public
schools. On top of that, there weren't any malls or places like Bumpers, the
fast-food place back home, where kids could hang out. Even some words had
different meanings, and Christie was constantly misunderstanding what was being
said to her.
"We were talking to Connie on the bus this morning,"
said Phoebe, changing the subject. "Guess what—he says he's going to ask
his mum if he can have a horseback-riding party at his family's country home."
Christie realized her mouth was open and shut it quickly. "Country
home?" she asked. She knew the Farrells were something like fifteenth
cousins to the queen of England and lived in a mansion in London. It was filled
with all kinds of gorgeous furniture and huge, gilt-framed paintings of their
ancestors. But Christie hadn't known they had another home in the country. They
must be richer than she thought.
"Yes, it's near Hoddesdon," said Phoebe. "It's
not far from London. We went riding there once."
Ellie got a dreamy look in her eyes. "They've got
servants that bring you sandwiches and sweet cakes when you come in from
riding."
"And they've got all sorts of
"Thanks for the ride, Daddy," said Christie as
Finchley pulled the big, black Mercedes-Benz limousine up to the curb in front
of St. Margaret's school.
"No problem, sweetheart," Mr. Winchell replied.
Usually Christie rode one of the red, double-decker city
buses to school. But today her father was going to a business meeting in France
and had offered to have Finchley, the company chauffeur, drop her off on the
way to the airport.
Christie slid out of the car and shoved her hat down on her
head. She didn't mind wearing the blue blazer and skirt that were the school's
uniform, but the wide-brimmed hat was a real pain. It looked silly on her and
blew off with the slightest breeze.
"Well, look who just came to school in style!"
called Nicki McAfee. "Is it the queen herself, arriving in her carriage?"
Nicki, Phoebe Mahoney, and Eleanore Geach were standing by the gate to the
schoolyard.
Nicki had light brown hair that was cut short in the front
and on top and long in back. She was flamboyant and reminded Christie of one of
her friends from home, Beth Barry. Phoebe was more like Jana Morgan. She had
dark brown hair and always seemed to be in control of herself. Eleanore—Ellie,
as the others called her—was small and red-haired. She looked like Katie
Shannon, but she was a lot less opinionated than Christie's friend back home.
Phoebe joined in the teasing. "Maybe it's Lady Di."
Other kids turned to see what was going on. Even Christie's
science teacher, Miss Finney, who was just going into the school, stopped to
look.
Christie cringed. She hadn't thought coming to school in her
father's company limousine would attract so much attention.
"My dad had to go to the airport this morning,"
she quickly explained, "and he dropped me off on the way."
"No need to explain to us," replied Nicki. "We
know our places. Some of us were meant to be commoners, and some were meant to
be royalty."
Christie grinned. When they had first met, she had thought
Nicki didn't like her and was singling her out. But it turned out that Nicki
was that way with everyone. She just liked getting under people's skin.
It had been hard for Christie when her family moved to
London, England, a couple of months before because of her father's job. She had
had to leave behind all her friends at Wakeman Junior High and everything else
she loved. Leaving her best friends in The Fabulous Five was the toughest thing
of all. She had known Jana Morgan, Beth Barry, Melanie Edwards, and Katie
Shannon for almost as long as she could remember, and she missed them terribly.
When her family first arrived in London, Christie had felt
like a stranger. She didn't know anyone, and the schools were totally
different. All the private schools, like St. Margaret's, were for either boys
or girls. And for some strange reason, the private schools were called public
schools. On top of that, there weren't any malls or places like Bumpers, the
fast-food place back home, where kids could hang out. Even some words had
different meanings, and Christie was constantly misunderstanding what was being
said to her.
"We were talking to Connie on the bus this morning,"
said Phoebe, changing the subject. "Guess what—he says he's going to ask
his mum if he can have a horseback-riding party at his family's country home."
Christie realized her mouth was open and shut it quickly. "Country
home?" she asked. She knew the Farrells were something like fifteenth
cousins to the queen of England and lived in a mansion in London. It was filled
with all kinds of gorgeous furniture and huge, gilt-framed paintings of their
ancestors. But Christie hadn't known they had another home in the country. They
must be richer than she thought.
"Yes, it's near Hoddesdon," said Phoebe. "It's
not far from London. We went riding there once."
Ellie got a dreamy look in her eyes. "They've got
servants that bring you sandwiches and sweet cakes when you come in from
riding."
"And they've got all sorts of
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