anything–’ Una cried before a chilling glance from Lady Hecate silenced her.
‘This insolent child,’ the woman snarled at Jenny, ‘will be bound for her ineptitude.’
There was a gasp from the crowd, then a distant chime from inside the castle. The chiming got closer and closer until it became the unmistakable clanging of metal off stone. Something flew through the arena entrance, bouncing off bleachers and finally snapping around Jenny’s ankle.
‘Ow!’
‘
That
,’ the woman snarled again, ‘will impose some much-needed control.’
Jenny looked up at her friends, apparently not in pain from the metal ring now closed around her ankle, and shrugged her shoulders. Behind her it took four students to help Lord Machlau to his feet. When all Supremes were standing, they walked grandly from the arena, leaving Grace and her friends perplexed as to what punishment Jenny had just suffered.
10
A Whole New World
‘This is well fancy.’
Rachel paused at the door and smiled at the sound of Una’s voice. She checked her hair and blouse one more time, making sure the girls’ first impression of her new look would be perfect. Her friends had been shown into one of the reception rooms off the main entrance hall. She had hoped they might be given a quick tour of the building, so they could soak in the opulence before she appeared, fashionably late and effortlessly casual. But Alinda had fetched her as soon as they had arrived. Still, the mansion was impressive enough even without a tour – they’d still be bowled over.
‘Hello, everyone.’
She wasn’t disappointed with their reaction. Grace’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline, Adie and Delilahstood with open mouths and Jenny, who sat bent over in a chair, fiddling with something on her ankle, looked up and stared.
‘Wowza,’ Una said, clumsily replacing the gold-plated ornament she had plucked from the mantelpiece. ‘You’ve been Swanned!’
‘Well,’ Rachel said, faking modesty as she swept a hand over her plaited locks, ‘don’t know about that, but they lent me some new clothes. Didn’t have any clean ones with me.’
‘Well then, A-plus to the Hunters for their clean clothes.’
‘You do look gorgeous,’ said Grace. ‘But isn’t that a little tight?’
She gestured to the corset that was, again, digging into Rachel’s ribcage. She wasn’t sure why it was still uncomfortable, she had eaten as little as possible at breakfast that morning. Jenny got to her feet and took a long look at her outfit.
‘Where does your liver go?’
‘Huh?’ said Rachel.
‘In the biology lab at school remember that half-a-body made of plastic? With all the internal organs that look kind of real? And the liver is humungous. It goes right there,’ she pointed just below Rachel’s ribs, ‘so if you do that to your waist, where does your liver go?’ She stared at the corset like she was working out a puzzle. ‘All your intestines must be pushing it upwards.’
‘Maybe it goes up into your throat,’ said Una, leaning in tolook into Rachel’s mouth. ‘Say aaaahh.’
‘I’m loosening the laces, Rach,’ said Grace.
‘Don’t!’ Rachel exclaimed, ‘I’m fine, I swear. It’s comfortable, it’s how they all wear them.’
‘You’re about to pass out, it’s way too tight. Here.’
Rachel tried to keep Grace from grabbing the laces at the back of the corset, but gave up quickly. It was such a relief when the bones stopped digging into her sides and she didn’t want to admit it, but she’d been feeling a bit light-headed.
‘Much better,’ said Grace, retying the laces with a little room to spare.
Rachel frowned looking down at herself; it wasn’t a Barbie-doll waist anymore.
I can tighten it up when the girls leave
, she thought to herself. Though being able to breathe was kind of nice.
‘So,’ said Una, tipping back into the seat of a chair, leaving her legs draped over the arm, ‘how’s it been in the posh
‘This insolent child,’ the woman snarled at Jenny, ‘will be bound for her ineptitude.’
There was a gasp from the crowd, then a distant chime from inside the castle. The chiming got closer and closer until it became the unmistakable clanging of metal off stone. Something flew through the arena entrance, bouncing off bleachers and finally snapping around Jenny’s ankle.
‘Ow!’
‘
That
,’ the woman snarled again, ‘will impose some much-needed control.’
Jenny looked up at her friends, apparently not in pain from the metal ring now closed around her ankle, and shrugged her shoulders. Behind her it took four students to help Lord Machlau to his feet. When all Supremes were standing, they walked grandly from the arena, leaving Grace and her friends perplexed as to what punishment Jenny had just suffered.
10
A Whole New World
‘This is well fancy.’
Rachel paused at the door and smiled at the sound of Una’s voice. She checked her hair and blouse one more time, making sure the girls’ first impression of her new look would be perfect. Her friends had been shown into one of the reception rooms off the main entrance hall. She had hoped they might be given a quick tour of the building, so they could soak in the opulence before she appeared, fashionably late and effortlessly casual. But Alinda had fetched her as soon as they had arrived. Still, the mansion was impressive enough even without a tour – they’d still be bowled over.
‘Hello, everyone.’
She wasn’t disappointed with their reaction. Grace’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline, Adie and Delilahstood with open mouths and Jenny, who sat bent over in a chair, fiddling with something on her ankle, looked up and stared.
‘Wowza,’ Una said, clumsily replacing the gold-plated ornament she had plucked from the mantelpiece. ‘You’ve been Swanned!’
‘Well,’ Rachel said, faking modesty as she swept a hand over her plaited locks, ‘don’t know about that, but they lent me some new clothes. Didn’t have any clean ones with me.’
‘Well then, A-plus to the Hunters for their clean clothes.’
‘You do look gorgeous,’ said Grace. ‘But isn’t that a little tight?’
She gestured to the corset that was, again, digging into Rachel’s ribcage. She wasn’t sure why it was still uncomfortable, she had eaten as little as possible at breakfast that morning. Jenny got to her feet and took a long look at her outfit.
‘Where does your liver go?’
‘Huh?’ said Rachel.
‘In the biology lab at school remember that half-a-body made of plastic? With all the internal organs that look kind of real? And the liver is humungous. It goes right there,’ she pointed just below Rachel’s ribs, ‘so if you do that to your waist, where does your liver go?’ She stared at the corset like she was working out a puzzle. ‘All your intestines must be pushing it upwards.’
‘Maybe it goes up into your throat,’ said Una, leaning in tolook into Rachel’s mouth. ‘Say aaaahh.’
‘I’m loosening the laces, Rach,’ said Grace.
‘Don’t!’ Rachel exclaimed, ‘I’m fine, I swear. It’s comfortable, it’s how they all wear them.’
‘You’re about to pass out, it’s way too tight. Here.’
Rachel tried to keep Grace from grabbing the laces at the back of the corset, but gave up quickly. It was such a relief when the bones stopped digging into her sides and she didn’t want to admit it, but she’d been feeling a bit light-headed.
‘Much better,’ said Grace, retying the laces with a little room to spare.
Rachel frowned looking down at herself; it wasn’t a Barbie-doll waist anymore.
I can tighten it up when the girls leave
, she thought to herself. Though being able to breathe was kind of nice.
‘So,’ said Una, tipping back into the seat of a chair, leaving her legs draped over the arm, ‘how’s it been in the posh
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