Kitty took a moment to collect her thoughts as she stared at the modern single-storey building.You’re Kitty Brown now, she reminded herself. The name felt like a borrowed coat, warm enough, but not yet moulded to her own shape.This is a new start. Picking up the woven basket at her feet, she slipped it over her shoulder. With a deep breath, she walked to the entrance of the school.
The first thing to reach her as she stepped through the doors was the sound of laughter and the smell of cleaning products. Although she’d always found schools with no pupils a strange place to be, there was nothing intimidating about the atmosphere here.
‘Kitty?’ A woman’s head popped up from behind the reception desk, making her jump.
‘Yes, Kitty Brown.’
‘Thought so. Miriam Jones, school secretary. Welcome to the madhouse.’
Kitty smiled. ‘Pleased to meet you, Miriam.’
‘Sorry if I startled you. I dropped a biscuit under my desk and was trying to find it before Charlie tells me off. He’s the cleaner-slash-caretaker and likes to pretend to be stern.’ She laughed and shook her head. ‘All an act, of course. He’s a sweetheart underneath the faux-grumpy exterior. Sorry, listen to me blabbering on. You’ll be wanting to see your classroom, I expect, or shall I show you to the staffroom first? You’ll be able to tell from all the cackling that several other members of staff are here already.’
‘Finding my classroom would be great,’ said Kitty, keen to delay the moment she had to face her new colleagues. Everyone was always intrigued by the new girl, and there would be inevitable questions.
‘No probs. I’ll take you to your classroom, then I’ll tell Suzanne you’re here. She’ll want to come and welcome you properly to the school.’
‘Thank you.’
Kitty guessed Miriam must be in her early fifties, and a good couple of feet shorter than she was, neither of which slowed her purposeful strides across the school hall. Kitty had to trot to keep up. Miriam led her to a long corridor, her brisk pace accompanied by a quick-fire guided tour which Kitty struggled to take in.
‘And this,’ said Miriam, pushing open a door, ‘is yours.’
Kitty stepped into a light-filled classroom and crossed straight to the wall of windows. The immediate view was of the playground. Beyond it, through a row of sparsely planted trees, lay the sea in all its glory.
She grinned. ‘How does anyone get any work done with this view?’
Miriam laughed. ‘It’s surprising how quickly you get used to it. And for the kids, it’s always been there, and they barely noticeunless there’s a fierce storm or a particularly high tide. Then they’re glued to the window. Thankfully, those days are rare.’
Kitty shook her head, trying to imagine what it would be like to grow up in a place like Saffron Bay. Her own childhood had been landlocked in a grey Irish town that all the local teenagers had been desperate to escape. And although London had seemed exciting when she first moved there, the novelty had quickly worn off. Kitty would take a commute along a beach over a commute on a packed tube train any day.
‘You settle yourself in,’ said Miriam, ‘and I’ll fetch Suzanne.’
‘There’s no need to disturb her if she’s busy,’ said Kitty.
‘I won’t be disturbing her. Suzanne’s a good head teacher and takes care of her team. She’ll have my guts for garters if I don’t give her the chance to welcome you properly.’
‘Alright, if you’re sure.’
Miriam left the room, and Kitty walked over to the desk. She ran her hand across the empty space, knowing it wouldn’t stay tidy for long. The electronic whiteboard looked straightforward enough. The smell of poster paints and pencil shavings was comforting and familiar. She surveyed the empty hessian display boards, picturing them filled with the designs she’d been sketching out in her notebook ever since she’d got the job. To make the room more welcoming and homely, she wanted something on the boards before the children arrived and could fill them with their own work. Her students might be used to the school. They weren’t used to her, and she wanted to get off on the right foot.
‘Kitty, welcome!’ Suzanne Arnold burst through the door, wearing knee-length shorts, Crocs, and an old rugby top. Kitty must have stared, for Suzanne laughed and looked down at her clothes. ‘Excuse the outfit. I’m clearing out one of the hall cupboards today and didn’t want to get my nice clothes covered in dust.’
At Kitty’s interview, which mercifully had taken place at her old school in London, she had warmed to Suzanne straight away. This second meeting was doing nothing to change the positive opinion she’d formed.
‘Do you need any help clearing out the cupboard?’
Suzanne pressed her palms together with a look of amused horror. ‘Good gracious, I wouldn’t inflict that on you on your first day! Has Miriam given you the tour?’
‘Yes, she’s been very helpful.’
‘That’s Miriam for you. She’s worked here her whole adult life, so if you’ve any questions about the school, she’s the person to ask.’
‘How long have you been here?’
‘This is my fifth year, and I’m not planning on going anywhere, not with that view.’ Suzanne’s grin fell from her face as quickly as it had come. She closed the door and came closer to Kitty. ‘Sorry, I’ve been babbling on and haven’t even asked how you are. Did you get out of London all right? There were no issues leaving?’
Kitty winced at the unspoken words between them. There had been no option. She had had to be honest about her circumstances with Suzanne, despite her strong preference to keep her personal life to herself. ‘Everything was fine.’
