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NEXT MORNING I AWOKE to find a heavy weight pinning down the duvet alongside my right thigh. Wondering what on earth it might be, or who, I kept my eyes tightly shut, racking my brains for a harmless explanation.
It was far too heavy to be the novel I’d been reading as I fell asleep the night before. Surely it couldn’t be the school governor that Oriana had warned me against? I’d gone to bed alone. Was there a secret entrance to my flat? It could hardly link to one of Lord Bunting’s underground tunnels as my flat was upstairs. Or had Joe drugged my coffee in the staffroom after dinner, and was now sleeping off his conquest beside me? Mavis had called him an old goat, but I hadn’t expected him to be a devious goat too.
As I tried to edge away, the lump stirred and settled down again. My eyes still closed, I reached one hand out from beneath the duvet in search of a clue. My fingertips encountered something warm, furry, and steadily vibrating.
I opened my eyes to find a purring McPhee curled up like a hibernating squirrel, the tip of his tail touching his ears with commendable neatness. How long had he been there, and, more importantly, how had he got in? I had no recollection of admitting him. I’d kept my windows closed, and the front door to my flat was still firmly shut and bolted.
McPhee opened his eyes, and as I stroked his soft black back, the volume of his purr increased. Miss Harnett might be missing him, even if McPhee wasn’t missing Miss Harnett. I realised I should return him straight away.
Suddenly McPhee sat up and pricked up his ears. A split second later, the school bell rang, and I glanced at my watch. It was 7.45 am, which meant this was the fifteen-minute warning bell for breakfast. Realising I had slept through the 7am wake-up bell, I threw back the covers and scrambled into action, leaving McPhee rolling over on to his back and stretching out his paws.
* * *
WITHIN TEN MINUTES I was washed and dressed, which gave me five minutes to return McPhee to Miss Harnett’s study before breakfast. With the cat bundled in my arms, I tiptoed down the carpeted hall and stooped to set him gently down by the closed door. McPhee promptly gave the game away by miaowing loudly and plaintively.
“Just coming, darling,” said Miss Harnett from within. Soft footsteps pattered across the deep pile carpet towards the door. Wary of making too much noise or looking foolish by sprinting away, I was still standing there when Miss Harnett opened the door.
Her eyes homed in at McPhee’s level, and she beamed at the sight of him. McPhee trotted contentedly in as if this was all part of his plan, brushing affectionately against Miss Harnett’s ankles on the way. A moment later I heard the unmistakeable crunch of cat biscuits. It was McPhee’s breakfast time too.
Only then did Miss Harnett acknowledge my presence. I assumed she’d want an explanation.
“I’m sorry, I hope you didn’t think McPhee was lost. I just found him on my bed when I woke up this morning. I’ve no idea how he got in. He wasn’t there when I went to bed last night.”
Miss Harnett smiled like a proud parent who’s just been told their child has won a house point for helpfulness.
“Ah, that’s McPhee for you. Appears out of nowhere when you need her. But when you want her and don’t need her, she’s nowhere to be found.”
That didn’t explain McPhee’s power to pass through locked doors. And she? Her? I didn’t know much about animals, but when McPhee had displayed his fluffy tummy, paws in the air on my duvet, I had been sure he was a boy.
The breakfast bell rang before I could reply.
“Go on, then, off you trot. The girls will be waiting for you.”
She waggled her fingers at the corridor to set me marching swiftly off towards the Trough.
* * *
“GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP, Miss Lamb?” called Joe cheerily from his table, as I took my usual place at the head of mine.
I wondered whether he knew about McPhee. Had Joe put the cat in my room as a prank? If so, how did he get in? Perhaps he had a spare key, given to him in an amorous moment by the previous occupant, in breach of the school rules. Or were the girls playing a trick on the new teacher as some kind of initiation rite?
I forced a smile.
“Fine, thanks, Miss Spryke. That is, until I awoke to find a large black cat curled up on my bed.”
Joe grinned. “Lucky cat.”
“I’ve no idea how he got into my room.”
“Just wandered in behind you, I expect. She’s done that to me before. Silent as a shadow, is McPhee.”
“She? But McPhee is a boy. I’ve seen his – I’ve seen the evidence.”
Joe winked. “Remember the school marketing strategy. While school’s in session, McPhee is female, like the rest of us.”
Before I had a chance to press Joe further, the girls returned from the serving hatch, bringing their breakfasts, and I was left to wonder at the wisdom of it all in my head.
* * *
TO MY RELIEF, THIS morning’s lessons went smoothly, with the girls having mostly done their prep. They were more than willing to talk about their new reading books. Their compliance couldn’t all have been down to the effectiveness of Miss Harnett’s policies. Perhaps I’d make a better teacher than I’d allowed myself to believe.
I packed the second class off with a composition exercise as prep. Break in the staffroom was considerably more relaxing than the day before.
The third lesson of the day I had free, and I was determined to spend it exploring the school library to search for further teaching resources. With the curriculum reading list appearing to consist of classics, I hoped the library might offer more modern reading material for the girls to enjoy during their leisure time. I might even find some good books to read myself, having left most of mine at Steven’s flat, taking only what I could fit in my car. I wondered whether Steven had even noticed what had gone.
