‘How beautiful,’ said Millicent, in her low, dramatic voice. ‘It makes me feel like composing a tune, all about the wildness and beauty of the sea.’
‘Does it?’ said the forthright June, sounding unimpressed. ‘It makes me feel like diving in fully clothed, but as I’m a fifth former now, I suppose I shall have to restrain myself.’
Just then the bell went for tea, and Pam cried, ‘Good, I’m simply starving. Come along, everyone!’
The fifth formers looked around as they entered the big dining-room, giving rather superior smiles as they saw the lower forms, who all had a mistress seated at the head of their table.
The fifth and sixth formers, however, were judged to be grown-up enough to supervise themselves at meal-times, and ate alone.
‘My word, this looks good,’ said Susan, rubbing her hands together, as the girls took their seats. ‘Cold ham, tomatoes, potatoes cooked in their jackets – and fruit salad with cream for afters. Scrumptious!’
As the fifth formers tucked in, the old girls pointed out various mistresses to the new girls.
‘That’s Mam’zelle Rougier over there, at the second formers’ table,’ said Felicity. ‘One of our French mistresses. She can be awfully bad-tempered, so it’s best not to get on the wrong side of her.’
‘And there is Mam’zelle Dupont, our other French mistress,’ said Freddie. ‘She’s awfully good-hearted, though she has a hot temper at times. And she’s a most marvellous person to play tricks on, for she is so easy to take in.’
‘Not that we shall be playing tricks on her, of course,’ said Susan, in a lofty tone. ‘We shall leave that sort of thing to the lower school.’
‘I can’t see Miss James anywhere,’ said Nora, peering round. Then she turned to the new girls, and said, ‘Miss James is our form mistress. I don’t know her awfully well, but she seems quite a good sort.’
‘I think that she is coming back later tonight,’ said Pam. ‘So we will meet her properly for the first time tomorrow.’
‘And where is the music master, or mistress?’ asked Millicent.
‘Well, not all of the girls take music lessons,’ explained Felicity. ‘So we have someone who comes in several times a week and gives lessons. Her name is Miss Johnston and she’s supposed to be awfully good.’
‘Yes, I took piano lessons with her for a while back in the second form,’ said Pam. ‘She’s a fine teacher.’
Millicent didn’t look impressed by this, and gave a sniff. ‘I daresay I shall be above the standard that she is used to teaching,’ she said, rather haughtily. ‘But as I have learned just about all there is to learn, perhaps it doesn’t matter so very much. As long as I can get my practice in, that is the most important thing.’
The fifth formers exchanged glances, and June said smoothly, ‘Perhaps you will be able to teach Miss Johnston a thing or two, Millicent.’
The others grinned, but Millicent, apparently unconscious of any sarcasm, seemed to see this as a compliment, and smiled.
‘Will you be taking music lessons, Gillian?’ asked Lucy.
Gillian shook her auburn curls, and said, ‘No, I stopped taking lessons last year. I have brought my violin to school with me, and I love playing it, but, as I said, it is just for fun.’
Seeing that Delia looked rather left out, Felicity turned to her and said kindly, ‘What about you, Delia? Do you have any amazing talents? Are you marvellous at games, or do you play an instrument, or anything?’
‘No,’ said Delia rather bleakly. ‘I’m afraid there’s nothing marvellous about me. I’m no good at games, I have no talent for music, and I’m not even very clever at my lessons. I’m just a complete duffer.’
Nora patted the girl on the back, and said, ‘Cheer up! I’m jolly pleased to have you here, for it means that you may be bottom of the form once in a while, instead of me.’
The others laughed at this, even Delia herself, and Susan murmured to Felicity, ‘At least she has a sense of humour, and can take a joke. She seems quite nice, although she doesn’t have much confidence in herself.’
‘And Millicent has too much!’ said Felicity. ‘I think I like Gillian best, out of the three new girls. She seems natural, and friendly, and good fun.’
The fifth formers were allowed to go to bed when they pleased, within reason, and all of them felt very grown-up and were determined to take advantage of this.
But most of the girls had had very long journeys, and it wasn’t long before some of them began to yawn.
‘I think that I shall go up soon,’ said Nora. ‘Otherwise I shall never be able to concentrate in class tomorrow.’
Several of the others felt the same, and got to their feet, and Susan said to Millicent, ‘Are you coming to bed?’
Millicent, who was engrossed in a newspaper that she had found on the table, said rather absently, ‘I shall stay up a little while longer, I think.’
‘What’s that you’re reading?’ asked Pam, curiously. ‘It certainly seems to have got your attention.’
Millicent looked up, and said, ‘Actually it’s an article about a competition to find the best school orchestra in the country. And there is an entry form here too. I was just wondering if I could persuade Miss Grayling to let me get up a Malory Towers orchestra and enter. What do you think?’
The others thought that this sounded like an extremely exciting idea, and Felicity said, ‘I should think that Miss Grayling would be very interested indeed. It’s certainly worth asking her, Millicent.’
‘Very well,’ said Millicent, removing the page she had been reading from the newspaper and folding it carefully. ‘I shall ask her tomorrow, then.’
By ten o’clock all of the fifth formers were tucked up in bed, most of them fast asleep.
Only Millicent and Delia seemed to be having trouble in settling down.
Millicent’s head was full of dreams of winning the school orchestra competition, of bringing glory to Malory Towers and of having her name spoken with awe by the others.
Delia’s feelings were mixed. She felt happy to be away from her mean-spirited aunt and spiteful cousins, but was anxious about whether she would fit in at Malory Towers. She liked the girls, who all seemed very friendly and jolly, and had certainly done their utmost to make her feel welcome. But she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with them at lessons, or games. If only she had a special talent, like Millicent, or Gillian, she might feel like a more worthwhile person. But poor Delia was not gifted at all.
At last, though, she fell asleep, as did Millicent, and soon the only sound coming from the dormitory was Pam’s gentle snoring.
After breakfast on the first morning, the new girls had to go and see Miss Grayling, the wise and kindly Head mistress of Malory Towers. Gillian, Millicent and Delia all felt very nervous as they stood before her, thinking that she looked rather stern. But then Miss Grayling’s face broke into a lovely smile, and the three girls relaxed a little as she spoke to them one by one, asking their names.
Then Miss Grayling gave the little speech that she gave to all the new girls at the beginning of term, and the three of them listened intently, feeling very stirred by her words.
At last the Head finished, saying, ‘You may go to your classroom now, and please remember what I have said throughout your time at Malory Towers.’
The girls nodded solemnly, and Gillian and Delia turned towards the door. But Millicent lingered, and said rather hesitantly, ‘May I ask you something, please, Miss Grayling?’
‘Of course,’ said the Head. ‘What is it, Millicent?’
Millicent told the Head about the school orchestra competition, pleased that she seemed to be listening with as much interest as the girls had listened to her speech earlier.
At last Miss Grayling said, ‘I must say that it sounds like a very good idea. We have several very talented musicians at Malory Towers, from various forms, and it would be good for them all to work together at something. Yes, Millicent, you have my permission
to get an orchestra together and enter it into the competition. I suggest that you put something up on the notice-boards, then any girl who is interested can put her name down.’
‘Thank you, Miss Grayling,’ said Millicent, the smile that she gave making her face look much less grave than usual. ‘I shall do my very best to make sure that we win.’
‘I am sure that you will,’ said the Head. ‘But even if you don’t, I hope that everyone who takes part will learn something of value from the experience.’
Millicent was rather puzzled by this. What on earth was the point of entering a competition just to learn something from it? She was going to go all out to make sure that the Malory Towers orchestra – her Malory Towers orchestra – won, for that was the whole point. Of course, she didn’t say this to Miss Grayling, but went along to the classroom with her head full of plans.
The other girls were already seated, and Millicent took the only seat that was left, in the front row, with Gillian and Delia.
Miss James had not yet arrived, and June said, ‘Did you ask the Head about the competition, Millicent?’
‘Yes, and she’s given permission,’ said Millicent, looking and sounding more excited than the girls had yet seen her. ‘Gillian, you must let me hear you play your violin, for there may be a place for you in the orchestra. And Pam, didn’t you say that you could play the piano?’
‘Yes,’ answered Pam, looking rather doubtful. ‘But I don’t know that I’m good enough to play in an orchestra.’
‘Well, we’ll soon see,’ said Millicent. ‘I am going to put something up on the notice-board a little later, and I will be holding auditions for anyone who is interested.’
‘To be honest, I don’t know whether I want to be in the orchestra,’ murmured Pam to Nora. ‘I rather fancied a nice, easy term.’
‘Well, just fluff your audition,’ said Nora. ‘Then Millicent won’t want you.’
Just then Miss James’s footsteps could be heard approaching, and the girls fell silent, while Susan got up to hold the door open for the mistress.
‘Thank you, Susan,’ said Miss James, with a smile. ‘Please sit down, girls.’
The girls sat, and looked at Miss James curiously. She was tall and thin, with curly grey hair and hazel eyes. Delia thought that she looked kind, and felt much more comfortable.
‘Well, before we get down to the business of making out time-tables, there are one or two matters I need to tell you about,’ said the mistress. ‘First of all, I am sure that you are all eager to know who is to be head of the form. This is something that I discussed with Miss Potts and Miss Williams, who was your form mistress last year, and I took their advice before making my decision.’
Miss James had, in fact, had a very long discussion with the two mistresses.
‘Susan Blake was head of the form last term,’ Miss Williams had said. ‘And very good she was too. I believe that Felicity Rivers was an excellent head-girl in the third form as well.’
‘Either of them would be a good choice,’ Miss Potts, the head of North Tower, had said. ‘But I have a very strong feeling that Miss Grayling may make one of them Head Girl when they go up into the sixth next year. As you know, the Head Girl of the sixth will be Head Girl of the whole school. So it seems to me that someone else should have the honour this year.’
Miss James had nodded, and ran her eye over the list of names in front of her.
‘Nora Woods,’ she had said aloud.
‘No!’ Miss Potts and Miss Williams had said at once.
‘Nora is a dear girl,’ said Miss Williams. ‘But a complete scatter-brain.’
‘I think that you can also rule out Amy and Bonnie,’ said Miss Potts. ‘Neither of them has the makings of a leader.’
‘June?’ suggested Miss Williams.
‘Ah, now June most definitely is a leader,’ said Miss Potts. ‘Though she is not always very kind at times. Besides, Miss Grayling and I have other plans for June.’
Miss Williams and Miss James exchanged curious glances, but Miss Potts would not be drawn, and went on to say, ‘Freddie will always follow June’s lead, so I don’t think that she would be a good head-girl either. That leaves Pam, Julie and Lucy.’
‘All nice girls, with good characters,’ said Miss Williams. ‘But Julie and Lucy are so horse-mad that there is very little time for anything else in their lives, and I don’t think that either of them would be very whole-hearted about being head of the form.’
‘Pam was head-girl in the second form,’ said Miss Potts. ‘All of the girls like, trust and respect her.’
‘Well, it looks like Pam will be head of the fifth form, then,’ said Miss James.
Now Miss James made the announcement in class, and all of the fifth formers were delighted. Had they been in a lower form, there would have been an outbreak of cheering and clapping, but as fifth formers they were more restrained, saying, ‘Well done, Pam, old girl.’
‘Yes, jolly good choice.’
‘You’ll make a fine head-girl.’
‘Oh gosh!’ said Pam, feeling quite overwhelmed. ‘Just as I was saying that I fancied an easy term.’
But, of course, she was as pleased as punch, and simply couldn’t wait to write to her parents and tell them the good news.
Miss James smiled, and said, ‘I have something else to tell you, as well. As you know, Ruth Grainger, the games captain, left Malory Towers last term. As there is no one in the sixth form who is really good enough to take her place, the new captain is going to be someone from the fifth form – June!’
For a moment June thought that she hadn’t heard properly, for surely Miss James couldn’t have said that she was to be games captain of the whole school? But the others were beaming at her, congratulating her, and Freddie was clapping her on the back, so it must be true!
June was both astonished and delighted, for it had never occurred to her that she would ever be given a position of responsibility at Malory Towers. It was true that she was far and away the best sportswoman in the school. But she also had a reputation for being bold, mischievous and downright wicked at times!
Miss Potts had said as much to Miss Grayling when they had talked about the matter, and Miss Grayling had said, ‘Well, it is time for June to put her tricks and jokes behind her, and learn how to be a responsible young woman. There is no doubt at all that she has the drive and determination to succeed, and I feel that this could be the making of her.’
And it seemed that June was going to make the most of the opportunity offered to her, for she was already turning over various plans in her mind.
The Malory Towers teams were going to win every tennis match they went in for. She would arrange extra coaching for the lower forms, and pick out any promising youngsters. And woe betide any slackers! Even people like Bonnie and Amy, who simply loathed games, would have to toe the line.
But there was no time to think about that now, for Miss James was speaking again, saying, ‘Of course, it is a very big responsibility for one person alone, so Felicity and Susan will help you.’
Felicity and Susan exchanged excited glances, both of them wishing for a moment that they were back in the first form so that they could let out a yell! Goodness, what a term this was going to be!
3
A clash of wills
‘Well, what a morning it’s been!’ exclaimed Felicity, as the fifth formers went out into the fresh air at break-time. ‘Pam head of the form, June head of games for the whole school, and Millicent has been given permission to get up an orchestra.’
‘Where is Millicent?’ asked Susan, looking round.
‘Oh, she’s gone off to write out a notice, so that people will get to know about the auditions she is holding,’ said Nora. ‘I must say she’s awfully keen. How about you, June? I’m surprised that you haven’t started making out lists of teams yet, or putting up notices about practice times.’
June laughed, and said, ‘Well, I have a lot more to think about than Millicent. All she has
to do is listen to people play, and decide whether they are good enough or not. After that, it is simply a matter of rehearsing. I have to arrange matches and practices, decide on players and reserves, coach people, and do my best to bring all the slackers up to scratch!’
‘Well, thank goodness you have two willing helpers,’ said Julie.
‘Yes, I think the three of us will work together well,’ said June, grinning at Felicity and Susan. ‘Perhaps we can put our heads together in the common-room later, and decide how we are going to go about this?’
Felicity and Susan nodded eagerly, then June turned to Gillian and said, ‘If you are as good at tennis as you say, you might get a place on one of the teams. It’s tennis next lesson, so I shall be watching you carefully.’
Not only did June get the opportunity to watch Gillian, she actually played against her. And she soon saw that the new girl was as good as her word, for Gillian was a marvellous player and very nearly beat June. And, for once, June didn’t mind, for she was absolutely thrilled to have found someone who could play tennis so well.
‘You’re a certainty for the team!’ said June, in the changing-room afterwards. ‘Just make sure that you keep your practice up.’
‘Heavens, I am in demand!’ said Gillian, with a laugh. ‘Millicent wants me to try out for her orchestra, and now you want me to play tennis.’
‘What it is to be popular!’ laughed Freddie. ‘What are you going to do, Gillian?’
‘Well, it’s quite obvious that Gillian will choose to play tennis,’ said June. ‘Who wants to play in a stuffy orchestra, when they can be out in the fresh air.’
Unfortunately, Millicent overheard this, and said stiffly, ‘There will be nothing stuffy about the Malory Towers orchestra, June. I simply can’t imagine why Gillian would want to waste her time knocking a ball back and forth, when she could be using her talent for something worthwhile.’
June opened her mouth to retort, but Bonnie interrupted to say, ‘Millicent, you haven’t even heard Gillian play yet. You only have her word for it that she is any good.’