Read Online Until Death by Ali Knight - Free Book Online Page B

said no. He demanded competition, rigour and results. She had wanted only love for Yannis, space for him to dream, and as the years had gone on she had had a dream of her own, that maybe his school could be a relaxed place where she could chat to other mothers as they clustered in the playground at home time. Somewhere she could dare to make a friend. But here the school, with its high fees and cramped urban site, was full of au pairs or nannies speaking languages she didn’t understand, and the mothers who might have been her friends jumped from their four-by-fours and harried their offspring, car keys waving in their palms, worried that today they wouldn’t avoid the traffic wardens who hovered over the easy pickings on the double yellows outside the gate. Her relationships were of the most superficial kind. She felt invisible here, too.
    ‘I have to be honest with you, Mrs Malamatos, if this school didn’t have such a long-standing relationship with the Malamatos family, we would have to think quite carefully about whether we could still have Yannis attend,’ continued the headmaster.
    ‘What did he do this time?’ asked Kelly.
    ‘He punched Mrs Inskip,’ said the headmaster.
    Kelly felt a vein twitch behind her eye. ‘I’m astonished that he did such a thing,’ she began, but Mrs Weaver was already talking over her.
    ‘As I’m sure you’re aware, Mrs Malamatos, I’ve had a long chat with your husband and I think we can put some things in place that might help Yannis with his behaviour.’
    ‘Chat with my husband?’
    Mrs Weaver smiled. ‘I understand things have been a bit … challenging at home, and in those situations a strong sense of routine can really help children to feel more, adjusted shall we say.’
    Kelly felt the temperature in the room drop ten degrees. ‘I don’t know what you mean. What issues at home?’
    ‘Yannis and I had a conversation and he was talking about how much he loves animals, horses in particular.’
    Kelly looked at her son’s sad and confused face.
    ‘And I and your husband hit upon an idea that I think it might be useful to try. There are horse-riding lessons in Hyde Park, not far from the school here. The children also have to learn the discipline of mucking out the stables and caring for an animal. A long-term project such as that can have a really positive effect on a child.’
    ‘You spoke to Christos about this earlier?’
    ‘Yes.’ She smiled. ‘He was enthusiastic.’
    Kelly knew she needed to be careful here. She couldn’t be seen not to be at least considering the idea. ‘It seems to me that you’re rewarding bad behaviour. That would send the wrong message, surely.’
    ‘This would be after two days’ detention.’ Mrs Weaver’s smile hadn’t wavered. Kelly wondered if she could keep it up for an entire term. ‘And then we could start the morning horse-riding. Working in a stables is not for the faint-hearted.’
    Something about that sentence struck Kelly as wrong. ‘This would be once a week, right?’ Kelly asked.
    The headmaster took over. ‘It would be every morning—’
    Kelly shook her head. ‘It’s a nice idea, but I’m afraid it just isn’t practical. I have my daughter to get to school and that’s in north London.’
    ‘Mr Malamatos had a very good suggestion. Sylvie Lockhart, his PA, can take Yannis in the mornings – she’s a great horse-rider, apparently – and then drop him here at school before going to work.’
    Kelly felt like she had been slapped. ‘No, I don’t think that would work at all.’
    The headmaster raised his hands. ‘Why don’t we try it for a month or so? Because the purpose is to improve your behaviour, young man,’ he said, turning to Yannis.
    Kelly felt the anger mushrooming. They had decided all this without her. Christos hadn’t even bothered to mention it to her. And suddenly here was Sylvie, presumptuous enough to think she could slide from her husband’s bed into their family routines