charming British accent。 What a beautiful crisp white shirt and perfectly ironed Helmut Lang jeans。
What adorable Church？s of London tan lace…up shoes。 What golden brown hair； what green eyes；
what great height！ He was like a taller； handsomer version of Nate？but even better than Nate；
because of that delicious accent！
Isn？t she supposed to be through with men？ But a super…British version of Nate？ e on； who
could resist？
The elevator stopped on the fourth floor。 The boy stood aside； and the concierge stepped out。 ？If
you？ll just follow me； miss；？ he said； motioning to Blair to follow him。 Blair hesitated。 How could
she leave such a delicious…looking boy behind？
？After you； miss；？ the boy murmured quietly； pressing the door…open button so Blair wouldn？t
get squashed。
？Right this way；？ the concierge prompted； leading the way down the Yale blue？carpeted hallway。
Blair stepped out into the hall and began to follow the concierge； walking as slowly as possible。
Then suddenly the boy was walking beside her； exuding pleasant odors and looking delighted with
his own hotness。
The concierge stopped at the end of the hallway。 ？Yours is the junior suite； miss。 Right next to
His Lordship？s。？
HisLord ship？！
The English boy smiled at Blair as he fumbled with his key。 ？Lord Marcus Beaton…Rhodes；？ he
introduced himself； thrusting his hand out。 Blair noticed right away he was wearing a Yale
ring。 ？Embarrassingly enough； my friends at Yale all call me Lord。？
Lord。 I？d like you to meet my boyfriend； Lord。 This is my husband； Lord。 We met at Yale。 The
lord and his gorgeous wife will be vacationing on their yacht in the South of France this spring
with their perfect family before a long sojourn at their summer castle in Cornwall。 ？
？And you are？？
Blair fluttered her thick； mascaraed eyelashes； awakening from her delicious daydream。 ？Blair
Cornelia Waldorf；？ she trilled； sounding exactly like Audrey Hepburn inBreakfast at Tiffany？s
when she first introduces herself to her new neighbor； Paul Varjak。 ？Actually； I？m starting at Yale
this fall。？
？And I？ve just finished there。 Wa…hey！？ Lord Marcus tossed his keys into his room and kicked
off his shoes in the doorway。 ？Blimey； I？m late for squash； but let？s ？？ He smiled shyly。 ？Shall we
get together for a drink tonight？？
Blair nodded in dumb agreement。 She could hardly believe her luck。
？See you in the lounge at seven； then。？
The lord closed his door and the concierge deposited the adjacent suite？s keys into Blair？s
hand。 ？Your bags will be here in a moment。 Is everything all right； Miss Waldorf？？
？Bloody hell！？ she heard the lord exclaim in his adorable accent as he crashed around in his suite。
Blair imagined him throwing his beautiful； tailor…made English clothes all over the place as he
hunted for something to wear for squash。 If she were his girlfriend； she？d color…code his shirts for
him and alphabetize his shoes according to designer so he wouldn？t have to thrash around so
much looking for things。
Of course she would。
She stepped inside her room and flopped down on the king…size bed to listen； her eyes darting
around the room as she did so； taking it all in。 It was small and shabby…chic； erring on the shabby
side； the gold accents on the curtains and bedspread and the Regency blue？patterned wallpaper the
only attempts at grandeur。 It wasn？t exactly the Plaza； but therewas a hot English lord living next
door。
Yes； yes？everything wasmore than all right。
what boarding schoolers do when they？re bored
It was already five in the afternoon by the time Jenny and her father arrived at the Croton School；
in Croton Falls； New York。 Rufus？s weekly wine and beat poetry night with his weirdo anarchist
poet cronies was starting in an hour at a speakeasy in Greenwich Village； and he was getting antsy。
Croton was only an hour and a half from the city by train； and Jenny was anxious to ditch him；
anyway； so she offered to take the train home。
？Don？t get off at 125th Street；？ Rufus advised； even though the stop was closest to their
apartment。 He handed Jenny three twenty…dollar bills。 ？Go all the way to Grand Central and then
get a cab。 And call me when you？re leaving so I can tell your brother when to expect you。？
Like Dan really cared if sheever came home。 Lately Dan had been so preoccupied； he barely
seemed to remember that they used to kind of be friends。
Jenny kissed her father on the cheek。 It was cute how he babied her； but she was almost
fifteen？she could take care of herself。 ？Have a nice night； Daddy；？ she told him sweetly。 She
waved good…bye as the battered navy blue Volvo station wagon disappeared down the road。 Then
she unbuttoned her blouse another notch and stepped inside a cute red clapboard house with a gold
plaque on its hunter…green…painted door that read ADMISSIONS； eager to meet her Croton tour
guide。
？You！？ a male voice crowed enthusiastically as soon as she opened the door。 ？It？s you！？
Jenny？s pretty red mouth dropped open in shock。 Leering at her from across the quaintly
decorated admissions office reception area was a more masculine； less flamboyantly dressed clone
of Chuck Bass。 Same European…aftershave…mercial…handsome face； same slicked…back dark
hair； same cocky smile； same perverted twinkle in the eye。 He walked over and held out his hand；
a gold monogrammed pinky ring flashing on his right hand。 ？I？m your tour guide。 Name？s Harold
Bass。 Call me Harry。 You may know my cousin Charles Bass？goes by Chuck。 He told me all about
you。 And of course I？ve seen your pictures on the ？Net。？
Oh； God。
Jenny mustered a smile。 Chuck Bass had nearly deflowered her in a stall in a ladies？ room in the
old Barneys building during her first dressy benefit party that fall； and Jenny was still a little
scared of him。 But the Basses were a powerful Upper East Side family notorious for their
philanthropy and decadence and the wild ways of their fucked…up children。 If Chuck？s cousin
liked it at Croton； then it was probably just the sort of school Jenny was looking for。
？Don？t be put off by how straitlaced everything seems here； Jennifer；？ Harry advised； his white
teeth flashing。 He shoved his hands in the pockets of his cool light blue linen Zegna trousers；
which he was wearing with straw flip…flops？very prep…school…boy…goes…to…the…beach。 ？We
basically party； like； eighty percent of the time； sleep fifteen percent of the time； eat five percent of
the time； and study whenever we have time left over； which is； like； never。？
Jenny grinned。 That sounded fine？just fine。
Harry Bass pressed his lips together and cocked his head as if he were sizing her up。 ？e on。
There are some people I？d like you to meet。？
Her heart racing with eager anticipation； Jenny followed him out of the building and down a long
sloping pebbled walkway that curved behind a row of pretty brick buildings with black wooden
shutters in the windows。 The walkway ended in a narrow dirt path that led along the banks of a
quaint little duck pond and into the heavily forested woods。 ？It？s just a little bit farther；？ Harry
explained； his flip…flops flapping against his heels。
Jenny hesitated； wondering what on earth the people he wanted her to meet were doing in the
middle of the woods。 Was she about to be a part of one of those peculiar boarding school traditions
she？d read so much about； like bonfires and midnight skinny…dipping？ In the middle of the pond a
mallard with a dark green head was quacking loudly at a demure brown duck； trying to get her
attention。 Jenny couldn？t help but marvel at how strange it was to have spent a whole day in the
country after spending her entire life until now on the island of Manhattan。
？Where are we going？？ she called to Harry as she hurried to keep up。
Before he could answer； a girl in a fire…engine red bikini stepped onto the path about fifty feet
ahead of them。 ？Hey； Bass！？ She shouted so loudly； the leaves seemed to shake in the trees
overhead。 ？You and your new girlfriend better get your asses over here before we finish all the
you…know…what！？
？ing！？ Harry shouted back。 He chuckled at Jenny。 ？e on。 You know you want to。？
He evensounded like his cousin。
Now that she was sure she and Harry weren？t going to be alone in the woods； Jenny felt more
confident about following him。 It was cooler in the shade of the trees and smelled of wet moss。 All
of a sudden they came upon a group of five guys and four girls； sitting in a circle； wearing bathing
suits or shorts and T…shirts； the rest of their clothes scattered at the base of a nearby tree。 Some of
them were drinking cans of Coors； some of them were smoking cigarettes； and all of them looked
extremely happy to be there。
The girl in the red bikini？skinny and pale； with long； shiny light brown hair and beautiful hazel
eyes？held out her palms to them。 ？One more minute and you…know…who was gonna e along
and nab these；？ she told them with a bright smile。 Jenny stared at the girl？s palms； which were
dotted with little white pills。
？April； you rock。？ Harry scooped a tab of Ecst