Two weeks of bracing sea air, freezing salt water, and girly conversation soon cheered Jenny up. It helped to put the troubles of school behind her. For a short time, we could forget about what was waiting for us at Netherfield Academy. I'd hoped that Charlie would be there upon our return, but my predictions had been seriously off.

Waiting in our room when we got back was Meg. She pointed out a note which had been delivered that morning. It was addressed to Jenny. I felt a weight sink in my stomach when I recognised Chantelle's handwriting. Inside of the envelope was a postcard. It depicted snowy mountains and clear blue skies. Apparently wherever they were was a haven, and they had no desire to leave it to return to school soon.

Dear Jenny,

Switzerland is paradise. We're all so happy here that we're going to stay until we get bored! We have private tutors, so we won't be back this term. Try not to miss us too much!

~ Chantelle

I read the card over and over. Jenny had put it down after just one attempt and returned to quietly unpacking her things. I didn't know how she could be so calm in the face of what was going on. I would have been calling Chantelle and shrieking at her in anger. Well, I wanted to do that most of the time anyway, but it was fully justified in this case.

'This is a joke.' I brandished the card at Jenny. 'This can't be true.'

'Clearly it is.'

'No. I'm not accepting this. Charlie had a massive crush on you! Things like that don't just disappear overnight!'

'Beth, please,' she begged, 'don't talk about it anymore. I can't do anything to make them come back. I just have to accept that Charlie doesn't –'

'Don't even say it,' I warned. 'Not when you haven't heard that from him yet. Jen', you can't just let things like this slide. If you find someone you really like, you should at least fight for them. If not that, don't give up before he's even had a chance to tell you himself how he actually feels. All you have is Chantelle's word!'

'And she's his sister. Chantelle knows Charlie better than I do. Besides, what am I meant to fight for? Just whom should I be fighting?' she asked.

'Your own ideas of good behaviour. Hell, social conventions would be a bloody good start! Look, Switzerland, right?'

'Yes. I read it.'

'Doesn't your Mum have a house out there?'

'Yeah. We only go out for the ski season, though.'

'Why not spend the winter break there this year? And if you accidentally bump into them, then that's not your fault, is it?'

Jenny pouted. 'Switzerland is a big place.'

'Then it'll be fate if you do see each other. You can't deny fate, right?'

'What are we talking about?' Lisa asked. She skipped into the room, full of energy as per usual and refreshed by the time spent away from school.

'Nothing,' I said before Jenny could spill anything.

I trusted Meg not to breathe a word. She hardly spoke two of them together at the best of times. Lisa, and Chrissy by extension, wouldn't be tactful in voicing their opinions of the situation. Even I thought it seemed hopeless for Jenny and Charlie when Chantelle kept putting herself in the way, but she might catch him alone over Christmas. If she did, then she'd have to find the courage to speak up for herself, or at least clear the air and get the closure that she so sorely needed. I wouldn't go with her to hold her hand. I would have if it had been in my power to do so, but it wasn't.

I couldn't afford the flight.

That, and it wasn't right for me to get involved any more than I was already. I could nudge and encourage, but I couldn't force them together. If I wasn't so totally convinced of Charlie's feelings, then I wouldn't have bothered to contrive such a foolhardy plan. But what else could I suggest? If he never came back, then I would have to watch Jenny suffer more and more. It didn't make sense to me to see it all come to an end before she'd even tried to make her own feelings clear.

I squeezed Jenny's shoulder in a reassuring way. It might take some time for her to come around to going to Switzerland, especially if she was being so guarded. I understood better than most that she wanted to emotionally protect herself. Putting up walls was something I did well. But I also knew that people didn't get things without working for them, or without taking risks. It had been a risk for me to come to Netherfield. I'd been tormented by bullies in my early days, but I'd persevered and come out more resilient and with better friends than I'd thought possible.

Friends like Jenny who deserved that same happiness, which was precisely why I wouldn't let her give up. She was so shy and quiet, and that was part of her charm, but it meant that she was likely to be ignored or overlooked. I had thought Charlie had understood as much himself. Apparently, I was wrong. Otherwise he'd never have allowed his sister to come between him and a girl who was so clearly made for him.

Fortunately, I didn't need to convince Jenny then and there that my plan was the only right one. We had six full weeks until the winter break and her mother could secure her a flight with a snap of her fingers. I was confident that I could win her around to my way of thinking.

In the meantime, I had my music lessons with Gideon to focus on.

If only I could focus on the music rather than the man.

'Okay, I think we should stop there for today.'

It was our final lesson of the week on the Friday of our return. I wasn't quite through, but I pressed my palm to the strings to stop the sound of the guitar. I knew that I wasn't the best student in the world, and that had to be frustrating for him. I was going to apologise for my lack of talent, but found he was smiling at me in that charming way of his. The way that made my insides flutter and my knees tremble.

'What?' I asked.

'That was good. Much better than before.'

'Seriously?'

'Well, I don't think you're going to sell out Wembley stadium next week or anything, but when you concentrate, you're better than you think you are. You just need discipline. The talent is there, but it's not going to get you through any exams or into university unless you focus.'

I couldn't bring myself to tell him that my resolve to attend university in any capacity had been wavering of late. I'd considered changing my course of study to something more steadfast. I'd even thought about becoming a music teacher myself so that I could keep hold of my passion but channel it into a defined career. So many people entered the music industry with the dream of becoming rich and famous, but for most it never developed past the point of fantasy. If my father had taught me anything, it was that some dreams needed to be put on hold for the sake of keeping a roof over one's head and food on one's table.

Gently, I plucked at the strings again, finding some solace in the soothing resonance. I sighed quietly. It was barely a breath. Observant as a man training to be a teacher ought to be, Gideon reached out to place his hand on my shoulder and offered a reassuring smile rather than his roguish grin.

I smiled sadly. 'Is it that obvious that something's bothering me?'

'It couldn't be more obvious if you started singing about your feelings in an impromptu musical number.'

'Thankfully, that doesn't happen outside of the movies.'

'Yes, that is a blessing,' he agreed. 'What's on your mind?'

'We're friends, aren't we?' I asked.

'Of course. Although, if another teacher asks, then no.'

'Fair enough. Look, do you really think it's worth me pursuing this?'

'Do you enjoy it?' he asked.

'Yeah...'

'Then what's the harm? If it's something you like, then you should do it. It doesn't mean you have to be the best person in the world at it. It makes you happy. That's what matters most.'

I'd learned a lot at Netherfield Academy. I'd learned etiquette, social conformity, and had a solid, expensive education behind me. In all that time, none of my teachers had told me it was okay for me to be passionate about something. That I could undertake a hobby purely for the enjoyment of it, and not because it might advance my life or career in some way. Of all the people who might have offered that life lesson, I'd never have imagined it would have come from a playboy like Gideon. Not from someone who had such a difficult time taking anything seriously.

'Don't be a stranger,' Gideon said as he showed me out.