Holly Webb - A Little Princess Finds Her Voice

One afternoon in June, a carriage rolled up to the door of a tall house in a quiet London square. The girl who climbed down the steps was dressed in the height of fashion, her dress heavily trimmed with lace. She was swathed in a rich fur wrap, and she stroked the fur smugly as she looked up at the house and the discreet brass plate by the front door.

Miss Minchin

Select Seminary for Young Ladies

I have come to visit Miss Jessie, the girl said to the sour-faced parlor maid who answered the door.

Im sure I dont know, miss, the parlor maid began. Im not sure what Miss Minchin would say. Shall I take in your card to her?

Oh, for heavens sake, Mary, the girl snapped. Its me, Miss Lavinia. Just show me into the schoolroom. And she tilted her head sideways so that the maid could see underneath her enormous hat.

The parlor maid peered at her, and her mouth turned down even further. I didnt recognize you, miss, she said coldly, standing back to allow her in. Ill show you to the schoolroom As if you didnt know exactly where it was, she added under her breath. She glanced behind her and smirked a little as she watched Lavinia primping in the mirror on the wall, adjusting her hat to show off her sharply pretty face and her elaborate piles of hair.

Miss Lavinia to see you, Miss Jessie. The maid threw open the schoolroom door and stepped back to allow Lavinia to swan graciously inside.

Lavinia!

Lavvie! Oh, youve come to visit!

Look at your dress, and, oh, Lavinia, the furs! Did your papa buy them for you?

The girls swarmed around her, cooing and stroking the luxurious brown fur and admiring the puffs of ostrich feathers on Lavinias extravagant hat.

Do you think she put on her very grandest things just to show off to all of us? muttered a younger girl, sitting in the deep window seat that looked out at the street. She looks ridiculous. That hatshe cant even see out from under it without cracking her neck.

Shh, Lottie. Shell hear you.

I dont care if she does, Lottie retorted. Its not as if she can do anything to us now, Ermengarde. Miss Minchins has been almost bearable since Lavinia left. Jessie isnt nearly so bad without Lavinia here to egg her on. Lottie watched the others who were listening delightedly to Lavinias boasting, and she turned back to the window in disgust, watching the dusty, sunny street in front of the seminary.

Almost bearable Lottie had been at Miss Minchins since she was a spoiled baby of four. She had grown up in luxury, surrounded by Miss Minchins grand furnishings, taught French and literature and dancing by the most expensive teachers. She was a young lady through and through, just like Lavinia and the other girls.

She hated it. No one actually liked Miss Minchinsunless Lavinia had? Lottie glanced back at the crowd in the middle of the schoolroom and frowned. Lavinia had always been a bullybut she was a clever one. She seemed to know the most hurtful things to say at the very worst moments. As a favorite pupil of Miss Minchins, she was almost unstoppablecertainly Lottie would never dare to complain about Lavinias cruelty. She had ruled the schoolroom with her sharp tongue and sharper nails. Yes, perhaps Lavinia had enjoyed her time as queen of the seminary. She had learned from Miss Minchin herself, Lottie thought. Her cutting remarks were just the same sort of things Miss Minchin said about wrong sums or daydreaming or bitten nails.

The pupils at Miss Minchins knew quite well who the favorites were: Not the cleverest girls, but the richest ones. The ones who had families who would recommend the seminary and send more girls to be shut up and stifled in the tall, dark house.

The heat had yellowed the leaves on the trees early, and there wasnt a breath of wind to move them, but Lottie still ached to be outside. Not in a slow, tortuous crocodile of polite little girls, but she wanted to be running around the square, chasing after a hoop or a ball, just like the children from the other houses in the square did sometimes. She sighed, and Ermengarde sighed too.

Perhaps Jessie hasnt been so awful to you. Ermengarde stroked her cheek nervously with the fluffy end of her braid. But she never stops telling me how stupid I am, and Lavinia visiting is only going to make her worse.

Lavinia possibly heard her name She certainly looked over at just the wrong moment, when Ermengarde was doing her very best impression of a frightened white rabbit, and Lottie had wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Lavinia, seated on one of the schoolroom chairs with her ankles graciously crossed, smiled at them at her grandest. Her expression was sweet and pityingthe smile of an adult faced with two silly girls. Is there something the matter, Lottie? she asked gently. You look quite ill. Perhaps you should go and see Miss Amelia and ask to be put to bed.

Lottie smiled back. I do have a little bit of a headache, she admitted. Im afraid your necklace is making it worse. Its just so glittery. Fake jewels are very bright, arent they?