‘No, I’m afraid that won’t do. This is rather more serious than that. The kind of rumour she’s been circulating not only damages reputations, but also causes great distress, not to mention bringing down the good name of this school.’

‘So, what do you suggest?’

‘I want her to meet with me and the girl she has defamed and offer an explanation of herself. Afterwards, I want her to stand up in assembly and offer a frank and fulsome apology.’

‘Don’t you think that’s going too far? I mean, fine, if you want her to come to your office and talk this through with Sasha. But to demand that she castigate herself in front of the whole school? No. Absolutely not.’

‘I don’t think you understand, Abi. This was not just a stray word spoken, some idle gossip in the classroom. This was a deliberate campaign of bullying. Time and effort went into this. For months, Beth has been harassing this girl over her appearance – in some chat group they have. But this pregnancy rumour is the last straw. Sasha’s mother is so concerned about her daughter’s distress that she is considering taking her out of school for the rest of the term. She told me that Sasha intimated that she was thinking about suicide. I am telling you this in confidence, Abi, but I need you to understand why I must insist on a public apology.’

Her voice had risen over the course of the conversation, and now in the pause, Abi felt the blood pulsing in her ears. The word ‘suicide’ stuck in her head cold as a stone.

When Helen Bracken spoke again, it was in a strict business-like register.

‘I think you’ll agree that I have been more than patient with Beth in the past. That this school has been very understanding – forgiving, even – of her past misdemeanours. Some might say we were too understanding, too soft. And recently, we have been very accommodating of your family, going beyond the usual boundaries of our admissions policy to allow for Beth’s French friend to attend for this half-term, an accommodation, I might add, that seems to be unappreciated by Corinne, who deems it unnecessary to turn up for most of the classes she’s been assigned to and frequently absents herself from the premises.’

‘I’m sorry, Helen. I had no idea she’d been skipping school.’