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much spending money and I knew I must make it last for the whole term. Buying clothes on the very first weekend wasn’t a good idea. But, really, I had no choice. I’d just have to stay away from all shopping trips for the rest of the term.
    â€œI’m going riding on Saturday,” said Emily firmly. “I can’t wait. I just wish I could magic my own pony here to Silver Spires.”
    â€œWhere are the stables?” asked Bryony.
    â€œHaven’t a clue. All I know is that Miss Stevenson says there are riding trips every weekend.”
    â€œI think I’ll spend Saturday afternoon exploring,” Bryony said. “Horses and me don’t really mix, and neither do shopping and me.”
    â€œWill you be all right on your own?” Emily asked her.
    â€œYes, I quite like being on my own sometimes. I’m going to find out about every inch of this place, including all the other boarding houses – then I can be sure that Forest Ash really is the best!”
    We laughed, then Izzy turned to Antonia and spoke slowly. “What about you? Do you want to come on the shopping trip?”
    Antonia nodded. “Yes. I like to,” she said quietly.
    As we carried on eating and chatting, I found myself relaxing. I was really enjoying the halloumi salad. I’d never heard of halloumi cheese before today, but I was definitely going to tell Mum about it so hopefully we could eat it at home sometime. It looked as though it had been cooked, and I was desperate to find out if that’s what you’re supposed to do with halloumi cheese, but I didn’t dare ask in case everyone thought it was pathetic not knowing the answer to such a simple question.
    â€œThees ees Greek cheese,” Antonia suddenly said to no one in particular. “Papa likes all things Italian, but he also likes to cook halloumi, because eet doesn’t melt.”
    I felt happy that my question had been answered just like that and I decided to have another try to get Antonia to be friendly towards me. “It must be great to taste so many delicious foods all the time,” I said as clearly as I could.
    â€œYes, I like very much,” she replied, looking right at me. She didn’t smile or anything, but I was pleased that she’d looked at me properly. Then, just when I thought how well this whole lunch was going, Suki came and sat at our table and my spirits sank. I’d seen her trying to squash in with some Hazeldean girls and I don’t think she was very impressed that there wasn’t any room and she’d had to sit with the Forest Ash lot.
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” she asked rather abruptly, as soon as she’d sat down.
    â€œAntonia’s restaurant,” said Izzy.
    â€œWhat? You’ve got a restaurant?” Suki asked in a loud voice, as though Antonia was stupid or deaf.
    Antonia nodded. “In Milan.”
    â€œIn Milan, right. I’ve been there. What’s the restaurant called?”
    â€œRistorante Alessandro – my papa’s name.”
    â€œIs your father the manager or the owner?”
    It really annoyed me that Suki wanted to know the answer to that question. What difference did it make to her?
    â€œHe owns the restaurant.”
    Suki smiled. “I’ll tell my parents. They’re often in Milan on business.”
    Antonia smiled back but she didn’t make any comment.
    â€œI love halloumi cheese,” went on Suki. “My dad goes to Greece quite often too. That’s where it comes from, you know.”
    â€œWe know,” said Emily, a bit snappily.
    Suki didn’t seem to notice Emily’s tone, because she went on, “I had a real craze on anything to do with Greece at one stage. My dad taught me quite a few Greek words.”
    â€œOh, I had to learn the Greek alphabet for school. Alpha, beta, gamma, delta…” spouted Bryony. “That’s the first four letters. I can’t remember