The Worst Witch All at Sea (2 page)

‘Incredible weather, isn’t it? And they call it
Summer
Term!’

Mildred scrambled to her feet, brushed off as much snow as she could and waded across to Maud, dragging her suitcase and broomstick behind her. Tabby had now assumed his usual position, draped around Mildred’s shoulders like a fur stole.

‘Do you think they might light a few fires as a special concession?’ asked Mildred.

‘I shouldn’t think so,’ said Maud. ‘You know what they’re like – healthy fresh air at all times. What about the uniform then? Frivolous! I ask you!’

The yard was rapidly filling up with pupils all stamping their feet to warm themselves and hoping that they might be allowed inside instead of assembling in the yard as usual. They made a rather dramatic sight dotted about like crows against the glaring white.

The main door opened and Ethel Hallow, a member of Mildred’s class generally known for her bossiness, especially towards Mildred, appeared with a note which she pinned to the door.

The note read:

‘I
told
you,’ said Maud grimly. ‘And how did Ethel get inside when we’re all out here? That’s what
I’d
like to know. Look at her, all dry and comfortable when everyone else is frozen stiff, waiting to be summoned out of the storm.’

‘Watch out, Maud,’ said Mildred. ‘She’s beckoning to us.’

‘Mildred Hubble,’ shouted Ethel from the shelter of the doorway, ‘Miss Cackle wants to see you in her study straight away. Didn’t take you long this time, did it?’ She couldn’t resist sneering. ‘How many minutes have you been here – five, is it?’

She pulled a face and ducked inside, closing the door behind her.

‘Oh, Maud,’ said Mildred. ‘Miss Cackle must have seen me crash-landing. You’d think she’d have let me off a bit, with a force nine gale and a blizzard going on.’

‘Never mind, Mil,’ comforted Maud. ‘I wish she wanted to see
me
. There’ll be a fire roaring in her study and at least you’ll be able to warm up. Anyway, I’ll bet it’s not even about your crash-landing – probably something perfectly pleasant.’

‘Perfectly pleasant!’ giggled Mildred. ‘Well, I’d better go and find out what I’ve done. Why don’t you see if you can find Enid while I’m in there? She must have arrived by now.’

Enid was their other friend.

‘Good idea,’ said Maud. ‘Best of luck then.’

Mildred gathered up her suitcase and broom and made her way up the snow-clad stone steps and in through the heavy front door.

t wasn’t much warmer inside the school than out in the snow-swept yard. There was no glass in the castle-style windows, and there were little drifts of snow in regular heaps beneath the window-ledges all the way along the corridor. Miss Cackle’s door loomed ahead and Mildred slowed to a snail’s pace to put off the moment when she would have to enter and see what she had done now, ten minutes after the start of term.

She knocked very softly, hoping that she might not be heard.

‘Come in!’ called Miss Cackle’s cheery voice from inside. Mildred pushed open the door and there was Miss Cackle sitting at her desk with a glorious log fire blazing in the grate.

‘Ah, Mildred, my dear,’ continued Miss Cackle. ‘Come and sit here by the fire, you look absolutely frozen. I want to have a little chat with you. Ghastly weather, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, Miss Cackle,’ agreed Mildred politely, feeling less anxious as she noted the good-humoured tone of Miss Cackle’s voice. Perhaps it
was
something ‘perfectly pleasant’ after all, as Maud had said.

Mildred sat down gratefully in a chair next to the hearth and Tabby jumped down from her shoulders and curled up so near the grate that his fur almost caught fire.

‘Tabby!’ called Mildred, clicking her fingers. ‘Come back here at once.’

But the little cat was too intent on thawing out to obey his mistress’s orders. Also thawing out were the icicles on Mildred’s hat and three of them descended simultaneously to the floor with a gentle clinking sound.

‘Now then, Mildred,’ said Miss Cackle, pressing her fingertips together and surveying Mildred over the top of them. ‘I wanted to speak to you about that little cat of yours. Sweet, isn’t he?’

‘Oh yes, Miss Cackle,’ said Mildred. ‘He’s
very
sweet. Not very
good
. I mean I can’t get him to do anything right and he’s still petrified of flying, but he’s very good-natured and –’

‘Yes, dear,’ said Miss Cackle. ‘I can see that he’s a charming little cat, but I was watching your arrival just now and I couldn’t help noticing that you were pulled off balance by the cat as you came over the gates. He really is a

rather useless creature, despite his nice nature and he
looks
terrible too when we’re all on display – hanging on by his claws, spread out flat, when all the other cats are sitting up nice and straight by now – except for the first year’s kittens, of course. Yours has never really got past the kitten phase, has he, my dear? And of course he has completely the wrong markings for the school and looks very untidy next to the black ones.’

Mildred stared at Miss Cackle, a wave of alarm spreading through her. Another icicle broke from her hat and fell into her lap.

‘Anyway, dear,’ Miss Cackle continued. ‘I was wondering if a more normal, regulation black cat might possibly help you with your studies. One of the third-year girls, Fenella Feverfew, transferred to Miss Pentangle’s Academy last term and left behind her extremely well-trained cat – they have owls at Miss Pentangle’s, so she had no use for a cat.
You
could have it if you like.’