The Song of the Abbey

“What’s the matter with Tessa?” Nanta asked, as Frost held open the door of the car and the school party crowded in.She was the reigning May Queen and Tessa was her successor, to be crowned on May-Day. But this was still only March, and Nanta was troubled by the cloud on the face of the Queen-elect.“Same old thing,” said Jansy Raymond. “I had to take a message to her from the Head, while you orchestra people were hard at it, and Tessa was letting herself go about to-morrow night. She hates being left out.”“It’s jolly hard on Tessa,” said one Abbey twin, from her corner. “I wouldn’t like it a scrap.”“I’d be bursting mad,” said the younger twin.They came together in the car every day, a jolly friendly party. The babes, tucked into the front seat beside the chauffeur, were Rosemary and Michael Marchwood, she aged nearly ten and he almost seven. Rosemary was a dark little person, with smooth short hair and beautiful brown eyes; Mike was big and fair and sturdy and was the life of the Kindergarten class. Their home was at the Manor and their mother, Jen Marchwood, had been the Beech Brown Queen at school fifteen years before.