Top Highlights

• After all, grown-ups always underestimate children. Children never underestimate each other.
• It really is silly when adults try to protect children, as though we are not on our way to becoming adults ourselves. We need to understand the world, and they only have themselves to blame if we must creep about and lie to them to make sure we do it.
• ‘I’m the cleverest in my year,’ said Amanda. ‘Not that the dons acknowledge it. D’you know that the last essay I did for Chummy got ten marks more than mine? I wrote both of them, but he’s a man, so his must be better.’
• It isn’t good for women to be ignored and side-lined. Things may go along all right, for a while, but in the end there is always an explosion.
• It seemed meant to be. I imagined Miss Livedon and Uncle Felix running about the world hand in hand, catching spies and criminals and saving Britain. It was terribly romantic.