Despite her profoundly giddy, loved-up state, on Thursday morning, Jackie noticed the odd mood in the office right away.

"Morning," she greeted Ella, who, contrary to the usual proceedings, jumped to her feet when Jackie entered the room.

Ella rushed to Jackie and ushered her into a small board room adjacent to the office. The secretary hastily closed the door and pressed her back to it.

"What's up?" Jackie asked, bracing herself.

"Mrs. Guthrie called twice this morning, looking for you," Ella whispered frantically. "She also said that you wouldn't be here for lunch, so I shouldn't schedule anything for you. I mean, I used to manage her diary, so she assumed–"

"That you're doing the same for me," Jackie finished the thought and nodded. "Makes sense."

"She also left you a message to call her back as soon as you come in." Ella handed Jackie a sticky note with the words 'Mrs. Guthrie, lunch, urgent' on it. "And she asked how you were... doing. As in, 'How's she settling in? What's new?'" Ella mimicked the former Headmistress' posh intonations.

"Uh-huh," Jackie drew out, staring at the pink paper square.

"It's about Coach Fergusson, innit?" Ella asked, in an even quieter voice. Jackie's eyes flew up; and Ella gave her a forced apologetic smile. "Everybody's talking about it."

Jackie stuffed the note into the pocket of her dress.

"And what is everybody saying exactly?"

"That–" Ella was visibly uncomfortable. "That you're... in a relationship."

"Right. As in 'dating' or 'sleeping together?'"

"Um..." Ella fidgeted with a pen she had in her hands. "There are different rumours. But mostly– yeah, sleeping together."

Jackie fixed a direct look on the secretary's face.

"Is that what you told Mrs. Guthrie when she asked what was new with me?"

"No! Of course not!" Ella exclaimed, blanching. "I told her how well everything was going! And that you're on top of things! I mean, as a trustee, she knows the official part. So she asked about my impression, sort of emotionally; and I told her how much we all appreciate you!"

"Thank you." Jackie softened her tone. "I appreciate working with you too. I'll go give Mrs. Guthrie a ring."

When she headed to the corridor, Ella lingered behind, still somewhat shaken.

***

As per Mrs. Guthrie's demand, for their 'unofficial meeting slash lunch,' they met up in the Oak and Shield, Fleckney's historic pub. While they waited for their food, they exchanged a few pleasantries and discussed the preparations for the fashion show, this year's festive project in the Comprehensive, held in place of a nativity play, which the county hadn't staged for almost a decade.

Once they collected their plates and drinks from the bar, and returned to their booth; the former Headmistress sighed and picked up her fork.

"Would you like to address the proverbial elephant in the room already?" Jackie chuckled and broke off a piece of naan. "I promise you, it won't spoil my appetite."

The other woman gave Jackie a sardonic glance. "Shouldn't it? The situation is rather dire."

Jackie chewed a spoonful of her curry.

"And what is the situation?" she asked calmly.

"The school's governing board has been strongly advised to hold an ad hoc meeting to discuss the private and public morals of the school's Headmistress." Mrs. Guthrie tilted her head towards Jackie. "A number of concerns have risen recently; and some members of the board feel that a preliminary examination is now in order."

"That was quick," Jackie muttered.

"Quick?" Mrs. Guthrie repeated. "I wonder if you're misunderstanding what concerns we're talking about here."

"I assumed that would be my relationship with Alexander Fergusson."

Jackie scooped some more curry.

"Among other things, yes. But it is hardly the first, or the only, allegation that the board was made aware of." Mrs. Guthrie leaned over the table, her attentive eyes boring into Jackie. "Jocelyn, I wanted to meet up with you before the matter escalates and prepare you for what's coming. And also, before we even discuss it–" Mrs. Guthrie took a slow breath and hissed, "What were you thinking?! Alexander Fergusson?! He was in my class. I was his form teacher!"

Jackie had imagined this exact scenario so many times before! Someone who understood; someone with the same or a similar background as Jackie; who knew the gravity, the stakes, and the potential consequences of Jackie's choice; that sort of a person would, of course, question her judgement, her sanity. She'd expected to feel angry at the invasion of her privacy; and hurt, scared, defensive; but also hardly surprised. The emotions were there; but so was some sort of a content resignation.

"What other insinuations will the board be dealing with?" Jackie asked, pushing her plate aside.

Mrs. Guthrie shook her head in disbelief. "You aren't even trying to deny it."

"That would be lying," Jackie answered. "I am in a relationship with Alexander. So, what else am I accused of?"

"There is no need to throw this term around." Mrs. Guthrie frowned. "No one is accusing you of anything. At this stage, it is a conversation that the board needs to have."

Jackie nodded. She'd been part of such 'conversations' more than once before; except in those cases there had definitely been accusations; more so, those had been valid, provable, and punishable.

"Some time ago the board received an anonymous email, which alluded to some facts of your past, painting them in a very disconcerting manner. Whether it is in truth or falsely is yet to be determined. The account also allowed a rather unpleasant interpretation of your move to Fleckney and your overall standards of behaviour."

"Does the email have anything to do with Stephen Bassey?" Jackie asked, rather certain of the answer to this question.

"Everyone on the board received the email," Mrs. Guthrie added, ignoring Jackie's query. "Including Eddie Sparrow, who's one of the parent governors of the school."

That surely explained the recent exacerbation of drama in the Bassey family.

"Additionally," Mrs. Guthrie continued, "there are rumours circulating the school, regarding your facial injuries."

"What sort of rumours?" Jackie couldn't hold back her shock. "It was an accident!"

"An accident involving the aforementioned Stephen Bassey, Alexander Fegusson, and potentially Eddie Sparrow as well." Mrs. Guthrie made a disgruntled noise. "Put yourself into our shoes, Jocelyn. You've got two men - much younger than you! - and some sort of an incident, which took place late at night, on top of things, in your household. You have been - and in a way, still are - involved with both of them; and to make matters a hundred times worse, in both situations you are in the position of power! Bassey was your TA, Alexander is your subordinate at the school. And again, what are you thinking?! The boy is twenty-seven!"

Jackie had decided from the start that she wouldn't be one of those 'lady doth protest too much' people, like the ones she'd had to have said 'conversations' with regarding their professional misconduct - but she just couldn't hold back her next biting remark.

"That's an oxymoron, Mrs. Guthrie," Jackie grumbled. "A boy can't be older than eighteen."

The dark-haired woman scoffed. "Stop weaving sophisms, Jocelyn. You know it just as well as I do. It is simply not done. We don't sleep with our pupils, present or past."

"He was your pupil, not mine." Jackie was starting to feel irritated. "I never taught him. Neither had I had any sort of a personal relationship with him before August. And you know it."

Mrs. Guthrie huffed another frustrated exhale and tapped her fingers on the table.

"It doesn't matter what I know, Jocelyn," she said. "What matters is how all these little things add up. One week all of Fleckney is buzzing about you coming out and dating Dr. Amorsolo; and then suddenly children post on Instagram that their Headmistress is snogging the football coach behind the bins.

"There hasn't been any snogging behind the bins," Jackie muttered.

"Jocelyn, there will be a meeting," Mrs. Guthrie said firmly. "Probably next week, Tuesday or Wednesday. I suggest you prepare some sort of an official statement, explaining the recent events. Depending on how the meeting goes, you might be required to present it to the board members afterwards."

Jackie didn't argue - but she had proper doubts of how much good her statement could do. Stephen and Eddie were both on the board; and she hadn't got the foggiest how they would react to the discussion. Neither did she know how the staff governors would behave. She had established a fairly productive positive relationship with most of the teachers and administrative staff; but she'd only been in Fleckney for a few months. She often recalled Eddie's threats of all those weeks ago: the Fleckney folk were tolerant and accommodating towards the queer and the unorthodox; but not towards the unscrupulous and the dishonest. What did Eddie say then? 'A home-wrecker?' The other local authority governor besides Mrs. Guthrie was Father Peters from the Church of All Saint in Fleckney Woulds. Jackie had only met him during the previous board meetings; but obviously, expecting leniency from a Catholic padre in such situations would be unreasonable.

"There is also the matter of Varya Bjornsson's social media campaign," the brunette said suddenly; and Jackie stared at her puzzled.

"Pardon?"

"Hashtag FleckneyFree?" Mrs. Guthrie said. "Doesn't ring a bell?"

Jackie had to admit there was no figurative ringing.

"Varya Bjornsoon, the daughter of one of the school's most generous benefactors and another of the parent governors, has recently been active and loud on several media platforms, discussing LGBTQIA+ politics, focusing majorly on the Comprehensive," the former Headmistress readily informed Jackie, "using the school's ongoing uniform debate, and the experiences of several pupils, including openly nonbinary Pat Holyoake, an offspring of another powerful Fleckney family; as examples of problematic ways such matters are handled in the county."

Jackie swore internally. Monitoring social media was Ella's job as the school's newly appointed Marketing Specialist. The mishap would be on Ella; but Jackie was the one who had promoted the young woman.

"I'm not aware of the hashtag," Jackie answered slowly.

"You might find it useful to familiarise yourself with the content." Mrs. Guthrie squinted sarcastically. "The girl is surprisingly sharp and eloquent. Trust me, we don't come out well in her posts."

Jackie added another line to her ever growing to-do list. Mrs. Guthrie took a few sips of her drink, and then scrutinised Jackie with a certain degree of melancholy in her bright blue eyes.

"This is surely not what I expected when I suggested your candidacy to the board before my resignation."

"This is surely not what I expected when I agreed to take the position." Jackie parroted Mrs. Guthrie's intonation. "And nonetheless, here I am."

Her mind was whirring; and she took a sip of her alcohol-free wine, just to do something to ground her senses.

"I'm not telling you what to do, Jocelyn," Mrs. Guthrie started softly, "but you might want to get your ducks in a row before Wednesday. There is no way to hide it now; and obviously, you can't pretend it never happened, with the pupils and parents discussing it. But you might want to reframe the whole story with Alexander somehow. Have a less damaging narrative of it, so to say."

Jackie gently spun her now empty glass.

"I'm moving in with him this weekend," she deadpanned. "I obviously anticipated that when it came to light, it could go either way with the board. I just sort of thought I'd have more time here. But still, we've got a contingency plan. I reckon, if I get sacked, at least all his belongings will be packed already for a move to a different county."

The fork fell out of Mrs. Guthrie fingers, like in a comedy skit.

"Is it really that serious?!"

Jackie laughed, this time much more jollily. "You were his form teacher. When has anything ever been less than dead serious when it comes to Alexander Fergusson?"

Mrs. Guthrie looked Jackie over, in utter bewilderment. "And you're OK with it?"

Jackie considered coming up with a more eloquent and cheesy answer; but then she simply shrugged and said, "Yeah, I am."