Best Kept Secret

to his old ways. Those misgivings might have proved unfounded if four separate incidents
hadn’t taken place during Sebastian’s last year at Beechcroft Abbey that would shape his future.
    The first occurred early in the new term, when Bruno invited Sebastian and Vic to join him and his father for supper at the Beechcroft Arms to celebrate defeating the examiners. Sebastian
happily accepted, and was looking forward to a further introduction to the joys of champagne when the celebration was called off at the last moment. Bruno explained that something had arisen that
caused his father to change his plans.
    ‘More likely he changed his mind,’ said Vic after Bruno had left for choir practice.
    ‘What are you getting at?’ asked Sebastian, looking up from his prep.
    ‘I think you’ll find that when Mr Martinez discovered I was Jewish, and Bruno wouldn’t agree to celebrate without me, he called the whole thing off.’
    ‘I could quite understand him calling the whole thing off because you’re a wet and a weed, Kaufman, but who gives a damn that you’re Jewish?’
    ‘Far more people than you realize,’ said Vic. ‘Don’t you remember when Bruno invited you to his fifteenth birthday party? He explained at the time that he was only
allowed to take one guest, and it would be my turn next. We Jews don’t forget these things.’
    ‘I still can’t believe Mr Martinez would cancel the dinner for no other reason than that you’re Jewish.’
    ‘Of course you can’t, Seb, but that’s only because your parents are civilized. They don’t judge people on which cot they were born in, and they’ve passed that lack
of prejudice on to you, without you being aware of it. But sadly you don’t represent the majority, even in this school.’
    Sebastian wanted to protest, but his friend had more to say on the subject.
    ‘I know some people think we Jews are paranoid about the Holocaust – and who could blame us after the revelations that keep coming out about what really took place in those German
concentration camps? But believe me, Seb, I can smell an anti-Semite at thirty paces, and it will only be a matter of time before your sister has to face up to the same problem.’
    Sebastian burst out laughing. ‘Jessica’s not Jewish. A little bohemian perhaps, but not Jewish.’
    ‘I can assure you, Seb, although I’ve only met her once, she’s Jewish.’
    It took a lot to render Sebastian speechless, but Vic had managed it.
    The second incident happened during the summer holiday, when Sebastian joined his father in his study to go through his end-of-year report. Sebastian was glancing at the large selection of
family photographs on Harry’s desk when one in particular caught his attention: a picture of his mother linked arm in arm with his father and Uncle Giles on the lawn of the Manor House. Mama
must have been about twelve, perhaps thirteen at the time, and was dressed in her Red Maids’ school uniform. For a moment Sebastian thought it was Jessica, they looked so alike. Surely it was
nothing more than a trick of the light. But then he recalled their visit to Dr Barnardo’s, and how quickly his parents had given way when he insisted that Jessica was the only girl he would
consider for a sister.
    ‘Overall, very satisfactory,’ said his father after he’d turned the last page of Sebastian’s report. ‘I’m sorry you’re dropping Latin, but I’m
sure the headmaster will have had his reasons for that. And I agree with Dr Banks-Williams that, if you continue to work hard, you’ve got a good chance of winning a scholarship to
Cambridge.’ Harry smiled. ‘Banks-Williams is not a man given to hyperbole, but he told me on speech day that he’s making arrangements for you to visit his old college some time
next term, as he hopes you’ll follow in his footsteps at Peterhouse, where of course he was himself the prize scholar.’
    Sebastian was still staring at the photograph.
    ‘Did you hear what I just said?’ asked his father.
    ‘Papa,’ said Seb quietly, ‘don’t you think the time has come to tell me the truth about Jessica?’ He transferred his gaze from the photograph to his father.
    Harry pushed the report to one side, hesitated for a moment, then sat back and told Sebastian everything. He started with how Sebastian’s grandfather had died at the hands of Olga
Piotrovska, then moved on to the little girl who had been discovered in a basket in his office, and how Emma had