'Time,' Katie shouted. 'Pru? You may return to your clothes.'

A long moment passed, and everyone fell silent, as if they thought she wouldn't reappear. But she bounded out of the tower and ran back to her seat, shivering. She wasn't smiling now.

'Bloody hell it's freezing in there. I should have taken Truth.'

'Your turn, Pru,' Katie said.

'Lucas.' Pru zipped up her coat and pulled her hat down over her head. 'Have you ever shagged someone inside the school building.'

Allie felt Jo flinch beside her and glanced at her curiously; she was staring down at the ground.

'Truth,' Lucas said, without smiling. 'Yes.' The boys around him applauded sardonically. He didn't look at Jo.

'My turn.' Lucas swiped a bottle someone held up to him and took a deep drink. 'Katie.'

The crowd cheered wildly as the redhead stood up, her expression fearless.

'Truth or Dare,' Lucas said. 'Have you ever shagged someone on the school grounds. In, for example, the summer house, after curfew?'

'Truth,' she said, a hand on one hip. 'Definitely.'

The group laughed.

'My turn,' she said, turning towards the fire. In the light of the flames her face looked unearthly. 'Allie.'

Allie was so surprised she jumped. With a sympathetic look, Jo squeezed her hand.

A chorus of 'oohs' greeted the choice.

Slowly, Allie stood up and turned to face her. Dread formed a tight knot in her stomach, as she kept her eyes on Katie's fire-lit face.

I knew I shouldn't have come.

She waited to be asked about sex or blow jobs or all the things she hadn't ever done. But Katie's question was completely different.

'Are you Lucinda Meldrum's granddaughter?'

Time seemed to stop.

A puzzled murmur swept the fireside. Allie was aware of the hot fire cracking and snapping behind her. Jo's fingers slipped from her hand.

Stunned, she stared at Katie in disbelief all she saw in her face was triumph she knew the answer already. Finally, Allie found her voice. 'Dare.'

Whispers swirled around her. She wished Jo was still holding her hand.

'Kiss Sylvain.' Katie's words hit her like icicles. 'Passionately.'

TWENTY-FOUR.

'No!' Allie took a startled step backwards. 'That's not ... He's with Nicole.' She felt sick. Like she'd stumbled into one of those reality TV shows where you're forced to do things you don't want to do.

'It's OK,' Nicole called out merrily. 'It won't bother me.'

Katie didn't take her eyes off Allie. 'You have to. Or everyone will know you're a coward as well as a liar.'

A hiss of concern passed through the crowd. When Allie turned towards Sylvain she saw he was staring at Katie with open contempt.

She didn't know what to do. Whatever happened now, she knew would stay with her for as long as she was at this school. It seemed as if everyone held their breath, waiting for her to move.

Her legs felt numb, and it took all her strength to make them carry her through the crowd to where Sylvain and Nicole sat. Students moved to clear a path, as if she were royalty. Or tainted.

Standing in front of Nicole, she held out her hands helplessly.

'I don't want ...' she said, before stopping and trying again. 'He's your boyfriend, this isn't right.'

Leaning forward, Nicole placed her lips against Allie's ear to whisper. 'Sylvain is not my boyfriend.' She sounded a little tipsy. When she straightened she gave Allie a significant look. Then she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear: 'I know what to do.'

She leaned towards Allie again. Confused, Allie at first thought she was going to whisper something else but, instead, Nicole grabbed her scarf and pulled her closer, kissing her on the lips. Allie was so stunned she stood stock still. Nicole's lips were soft and tasted of champagne. She smelled like jasmine and roses. Being kissed by a girl wasn't bad exactly, it was just ... peculiar. Especially when Nicole's long hair swung down and brushed her cheek like feathers.

After a second, Nicole stepped back and turned to face the crowd with a sophisticated little shrug. 'Now it is fine for you to kiss Sylvain, because I have kissed you.'

As she sat down, appreciative applause and laughter greeted this gesture, but Allie could sense the confusion beneath the noise. She knew everyone was thinking about Lucinda Meldrum and why Katie had asked that question.

She could hardly breathe as she turned to face Sylvain. His anger was clear in the tight set of his shoulders and the way his hands clenched at his sides. 'It's a foolish children's game, Allie,' he said. 'We don't have to do it. Katie,' he raised his voice, 'is just causing trouble as usual.'

Looking into his eyes, sapphire in the darkness, she thought her heart would explode with pain and longing. Trust Katie to devise the most perfectly focused torment for them both. Of course she would know there was attraction between them; she would have heard the gossip. She would also know how much this would hurt Carter if he found out, but she wouldn't care about that.

Tears of confusion stung Allie's eyes. Stepping closer to him, she whispered so quietly only he could hear. 'I can't ... Carter ...'

At Carter's name, he recoiled as if she'd slapped him. Allie's breaths were shallow and her heart pounded with rage and shame and loss.

I have to get out of here.

If she didn't, she was going to kiss Sylvain or hit Katie or have another panic attack. None of those things would be good.

Pivoting she strode back to where Zoe stared at her, openmouthed. Next to her Jo watched the fire, avoiding her eyes.

'Come on, Zoe,' Allie said hoarsely. 'We're going. Neither of us belongs here.'

There was a split-second pause as the younger girl seemed to process this, then she scrambled to her feet and hurried to follow Allie away from the fire.

As they walked into the darkness, Katie called after them, her voice echoing off the castle rocks.

'You should have chosen Truth.'

'I thought you were kidding about kissing with tongues.' Zoe hopped to keep up with Allie's pace as they headed down the hill away from the castle.

They moved so quickly the beams from their torches swung wildly, bouncing from rocky path to tree branches to dark sky.

'So did I.' Allie's reply came through gritted teeth as she skidded on a stone. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she slowed her pace. After that they walked for a while in silence, the sound of their feet on the earth the only noise in the silent forest.

'Allie?' Zoe's voice was quiet.

'Yes?' Allie said, although she knew perfectly well what the question was going to be.

'Is your grandmother really Lucinda Meldrum?' Zoe was looking at her with something like awe.

An owl hooted in the woods nearby Allie stopped walking. 'Did you hear that?'

'An owl.' Zoe nodded. 'Somewhere close.'

'I love the way owls sound.' Allie had lowered her voice to a whisper as she peered at the branches above them. 'They sound like they know so much.' Silence fell between them as they waited. The owl hooted again. 'Yes,' Allie said, still staring at the trees.

'Yes?' Zoe looked at her, puzzled.

'Yes, Lucinda Meldrum is my grandmother.'

Allie started walking again. After a second, she heard Zoe follow.

'But how ...' Zoe hopped over a root that bulged in her path. 'How could nobody know you're her granddaughter? Everybody knows who everybody's families are.'

They were at the base of the hill now, making their way around the walled garden.

'I really don't want to talk about this right now,' Allie said, her voice grim.

Zoe seemed to accept this, and she changed the subject. 'You kissed a girl.' There was admiration in her voice.

'Oh God.' Allie thought of Nicole whispering, 'Sylvain is not my boyfriend.' 'Yes I did.'

'You're going to be famous,' Zoe said as the school building appeared in front of them.

Rachel was half asleep when she answered her bedroom door to Allie's light tapping. Her white pyjamas seemed too big for her, and her normally glossy hair hung across her shoulders in tangled curls.

'Allie?' She looked bleary-eyed. 'What's the matter?'

'Allie kissed a girl,' Zoe said.

'What?' Rachel blinked.

'She's going to be famous.' Zoe sounded pleased.

Rachel's eyes moved up to Allie's face and her eyebrows arched skyward.

'You know that thing you didn't come to tonight?' Allie said. 'That was smart of you.'

Rachel held the door open. 'Inside. Both of you.'

She must have fallen asleep reading books were still piled on the bed near the pillow. Now she swept them out of the way as Zoe sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes wide as if she were watching an exciting film. Allie sat backwards on the desk chair, leaning her chin against the tall back, while Rachel climbed back into bed, pulling the duvet up to cover her bare feet.

'Start at the beginning.'

Speaking quickly, Allie told her about the night. When she got to the part where Katie asked her about Lucinda, Rachel's breath hissed between her teeth.

'How did she find out?' she murmured mostly to herself. 'I haven't heard a thing.'

'Well, everybody knows you're my friend,' Allie said. 'Maybe they don't talk to you about me any more.'

Rachel waved that away. 'Yeah, but I eavesdrop.'

'You're the most important legacy student at the school now,' Zoe said matter-of-factly. 'More important than Sylvain.'

Allie looked at Rachel. 'There's no way this doesn't spread to the whole school, is there?' Futile hope suffused her voice, but Rachel's look told her to give up.

'Sorry, babe. You're outed.' Rachel stretched out her legs under the covers. 'Now tell me the rest. Did Pru get her tits out again? She's so predictable.'

Walking into the half-empty dining hall late the next morning, Allie kept her head high and her eyes straight ahead. Selecting a table in a far corner, she pulled a book from her bag and pretended to immerse herself in studies as she ate her cereal. She could feel eyes on her. Hear whispers. She didn't know how much was real and how much of it was in her head but it didn't really matter the impact was the same.

When someone pulled a chair out across from her and sat down a few minutes later she froze, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

'Allie.' Reluctantly she looked up to meet Jo's blue eyes, which today looked clouded and serious. 'I think we should talk.'

Balls.

Setting her spoon down, Allie clutched her tea mug like a shield. 'Sure.' She kept her voice diffident. 'What's up?'

'Why didn't you tell me who you are?'

Allie's head dropped until her chin touched her chest. And so it begins.

'It's true, isn't it?' She could hear the hurt in Jo's voice.

Allie nodded. Jo's quick intake of breath was audible. 'That's huge. And you never told me. Why, Allie? I'm supposed to be one of your best friends.'

'I didn't know,' Allie said, knowing how unbelievable it sounded how much like a lie. 'Until I went home after summer term. And then I promised not to tell.'

'But you told some people.' Jo's voice was accusing. 'You told Rachel, didn't you? And Carter.'

'I told only those I had to tell. Only a very small number of people know.'