35

In which we clear our heroine of being a simple, ordinary, everyday girl

‘Oh deary, deary me! What a dreadful pig. Such awful manners. Such nasty tricks. Such terrifying lies.’ Mrs Groves peeped out from behind the heavy velvet curtains in her office. ‘They were lies, weren’t they, Olive?’

‘Yes!’ said Olive, then lied, ‘I am really truly absolutely definitely a circus performer, a fully fledged acrobat.’ She tucked her hands behind her back so that the rope burns could not be seen, before adding, ‘I am certainly not a simple, ordinary, everyday girl.’

And that part, dear reader, was not a lie.

Olive, our beautiful heroine, had proven herself to be anything but a simple, ordinary, everyday girl.

She was a special girl of extraordinary talents.

And as one of those talents was tightrope walking, I suppose we could give her some leeway and say that she was also an acrobat.

In conclusion, I think that we can clear our heroine of gross lying.

Mrs Groves ventured out from behind the curtains. ‘Well, that’s settled then,’ she cried. ‘It is Friday afternoon. You have passed your probationary period and may stay at Groves. You are just the type of student we need here – kind, brave, determined and a true friend through thick and thin.’

Olive was quite touched. ‘Thank you, Mrs Groves. I would like nothing more than to stay.’

‘Good! Good! Marvellous! Good!’ the headmistress babbled. ‘You may have a peppermint before you leave.’

Olive lifted the lid off the silver sweets dish and popped a peppermint into her mouth. She passed another to Mrs Groves.

‘Thank you, dear. And, because you have been such a wonderful student, I would like to present you with this.’ Mrs Groves opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out the completed orange and blue jumper. It was lopsided, included two neck holes and had a floral handkerchief and three shoelaces knitted into the left sleeve. She handed it proudly to Olive.

Olive smiled. ‘Thank you, Mrs Groves. I simply don’t know what to say.’