‘But, Matron, we’re so excited it’s simply impossible to sleep!’ protested Katie. ‘Can’t we talk for just ten more minutes?’
‘Not even ten more seconds!’ said Matron sternly. ‘If I hear another sound from this dormitory, I shall personally telephone each and every one of your parents in the morning and tell them that half-term is cancelled!’
Of course, the first formers knew that Matron had no intention of carrying out her threat, but not one of them, not even Daffy, dared to flout her orders. And after she left, there wasn’t a sound from the dormitory, as the girls fell asleep, one by one.
They were woken by the sound of the dressing-bell, and in every dormitory in the school the cry went up, ‘Wake up, everybody! It’s half-term!’
11
A super half-term
Felicity was delighted that her parents were among the first to arrive, for it meant that she was able to spend a little time alone with them.
‘I hope you don’t mind, Mother and Daddy,’ she said, ‘but I have asked someone to join us for lunch. Her name is Alice, and her parents aren’t able to come today.’
‘Poor girl,’ said Mrs Rivers, her ready sympathy stirred. ‘Of course we don’t mind. Daddy and I thought that we would take you to a restaurant today, as it’s a little cold and windy for a picnic.’
Felicity was quite happy about this, and she felt thrilled when Miss Grayling made a point of coming over to speak to her parents, saying, ‘Felicity is doing a simply marvellous job as Head Girl. Not that I ever doubted she would, of course.’
‘We are very proud of her indeed,’ said Mr Rivers, his face glowing with pride.
‘And rightly so,’ said Miss Grayling with a smile. ‘Of course, she has also been working very hard at studying for her exams – as have most of the sixth formers. I hope that all of the girls will put them out of their minds this weekend, and concentrate on enjoying themselves instead.’
The sixth formers were determined to do just that, and Felicity saw many of her friends as she looked around.
There was Bonnie, with her doting parents, and Amy with hers. Lucy strolled arm in arm with her pretty mother, and June shared a joke with one of her brothers. It really was a very happy scene indeed.
The first formers were also having a grand time, though there had been bad news for Faith. Her parents had telephoned Miss Grayling at the last moment to say that they would not be able to come because one of Faith’s young brothers was ill. The others had been very sympathetic, for it was very hard to have to stand and watch on a day like this, while everyone went off with parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters to have a jolly time. Daffy felt very sorry for Faith, and decided that she would ask her parents if Faith might come along with them, but Violet spoke up first, laying a hand on Faith’s shoulder, and saying, ‘Never mind, old girl! You can come along with my people and we will be very pleased to have you.’
This was said in an extremely loud voice, so that the whole of the form would overhear and think what a kind, generous person Violet was. In fact, the only person who was fooled was Faith herself, who was very grateful indeed and thanked Violet profusely.
The others rolled their eyes, Katie muttering to Ivy, ‘Her Highness just wants to make Faith feel grateful to her, for then she will have an even greater hold on her.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Ivy. ‘And it will provide Violet with a marvellous opportunity to boast to Faith, and show off, and prove what adoring parents she has.’
Violet’s parents might have been adoring, but they quite failed to impress the first formers.
The girls giggled when they set eyes on Mr Forsyth, who was short and round, and it was quite clear to see where Violet had inherited her turned-up nose and small eyes from. He also seemed rather short-tempered, his expression habitually irritable, except when he was talking to his darling Violet.
‘Gosh, I’m glad my father isn’t like that,’ whispered Daffy to Katie. ‘And Violet’s mother is simply awful!’
This was rather unfair, because Mrs Forsyth wasn’t really awful at all, just a rather weak and silly woman, always pandering to the whims of her overbearing husband and spoilt daughter.
Violet squealed when she saw her parents big, expensive car pull up in the drive, glancing round quickly to make sure that the others were watching before she ran to greet her people.
‘My little princess!’ cried Mr Forsyth, his discontented look replaced by a fat smile, as he held his arms out to Violet. She ran into them at once, enveloped in a big hug, before turning to Mrs Forsyth, who bent to kiss her cheek.
‘We’ve brought someone else to see you, as well,’ said Mr Forsyth with a laugh. ‘Here you are, Princess!’
He reached into the back seat of the car, emerging a few moments later with the most beautiful cat the first formers had ever seen. She was very sleek and aristocratic-looking, cream-coloured with chocolate tipped ears and tail, and with brilliant blue eyes.
‘She’s been pining for you,’ Mr Forsyth was saying. ‘So I thought to myself, why shouldn’t Willow join in the fun of half-term and come to see her mistress.’
Violet was absolutely delighted to see her pet, of course, taking the cat from her father and crying, ‘Willow! Oh, how marvellous! Look, everyone!’
The first formers crowded round, for most of them were very fond of animals and were keen to take a closer look at Willow. Violet was very gratified indeed at their exclamations.
‘How lovely she is!’
‘What marvellous eyes!’
‘May I stroke her, Violet?’
‘Fancy bringing a cat to visit at half-term. I say, Violet, you’re going to have to be awfully careful that she doesn’t leap out of your arms while you’re carrying her around. She might run off and get lost.’
‘Oh, I shan’t need to carry her,’ said Violet with rather a smug smile. ‘Daddy, did you bring the lead?’
‘Of course, Princess,’ said Mr Forsyth, reaching back into the car to bring out a lead, which exactly matched the cat’s blue velvet collar.
‘You can’t put a cat on a lead!’ cried Daffy. ‘I never heard of such a thing!’
‘Just watch,’ said Violet, thoroughly enjoying being the centre of attention. Deftly she clipped the lead on to Willow’s collar, then set the cat down on the ground. She walked a few yards, and the girls were both amused and astonished to see that Willow padded along beside her as obediently as any dog.
‘Well, I never!’ said Ivy. ‘How super!’
Daffy, who was not at all pleased at the attention Violet was getting, suddenly grinned and nudged Katie, whispering, ‘Watch out for fireworks! Here comes Potty. I’ll bet that she won’t think it’s at all super to have a cat wandering round and getting under everyone’s feet at half-term!’
Indeed, Miss Potts looked a little disapproving when she first spotted Willow, nor did she care for Mr Forsyth, who, on seeing her frown, said rather pompously, ‘Ah, you’re Violet’s form mistress, aren’t you? Now, Violet told me your name – I shall remember it in a second. Ah yes, Miss Potty! Look here, Miss Potty, my wife was none too keen on me bringing Violet’s pet along, for she thought that there might be some objection. But as you can see for yourself, Willow is very well-bred and well-behaved, and so she should be, for I paid a pretty penny for her, I can tell you!’
Miss Potts’s frown deepened, as Violet turned red and the rest of the first form giggled.
‘My name is Miss Potts,’ said the mistress rather pointedly, adding stiffly, ‘And as for the cat, I really don’t think ….’
But her words tailed off, for Willow decided that she rather liked this tall, stern-looking woman, and rubbed herself against Miss Potts’s ankles, purring loudly. Miss Potts, who was secretly quite fond of cats, bent to stroke the pretty little creature, and, somewhat to her own surprise, found herself saying, ‘Well, as long as she is kept on a lead, I am sure that it will be all right, just this once.’
Then, as though to make up for
this moment of weakness, she snapped, ‘Katie! Your parents have just arrived, and as they have come a long way, I suggest that you go and greet them, instead of standing there with an idiotic grin on your face.’
The Rivers were nearby when Daffy Hope’s people arrived, the two sets of parents greeting one another happily, for they were old friends.
‘Well, Felicity!’ said Mrs Hope, once she had hugged an excited Daffy. ‘It seems like only yesterday that you were starting out as a first former at Malory Towers, and now here you are, Head Girl!’
‘And speaking of first formers, how is young Daffy settling in?’ asked Mr Hope, a big, good-humoured man. ‘I’ll bet she’s as good as gold, just like her older sister was.’
Felicity looked at Mr and Mrs Hope, their faces shining with pride in their younger daughter. Then Daffy caught her eye, a pleading expression on her face, and Felicity’s lips twitched. She certainly didn’t want to upset the Hopes, today of all days. Besides, it really wasn’t her place to report Daffy’s bad behaviour to them. That was up to Miss Potts, or Miss Grayling herself. So Felicity said, ‘I think I can safely say that Daffy is going to leave her mark on Malory Towers,’ and received a grateful smile from the younger girl.
Mr and Mrs Hope seemed satisfied with her reply too and, as she watched the family walk away, Felicity found herself hoping that Daffy would not let them down.
All of the girls spent a very happy morning with their parents, proudly showing them round the school, introducing them to their friends and talking to mistresses. Then it was time for lunch, and everyone went off with their people to different restaurants.
Violet’s parents, of course, had chosen a very expensive restaurant, and Faith, who had never been to such a place before, was quite overawed as she followed the family inside. The girl felt very nervous of Mr Forsyth, and his loud, rather pompous manner, though fortunately he took little notice of Faith, devoting himself to Violet instead.
Mrs Forsyth, however, rather liked the quiet, shy girl, and thought how pleasant it was to be with someone so softly spoken and undemanding for a change. So the two of them enjoyed a nice chat over lunch, and Faith soon lost her nerves and began to think that Violet’s mother was really rather sweet.
Willow, of course, was unable to come into the restaurant, and had been left in her basket in the car, and Faith didn’t know whether to be shocked or amused when Mr Forsyth ordered an extra portion of chicken and instructed the waitress to wrap it up, so that the cat might share in the treat!
The restaurant that Felicity’s parents had chosen was less expensive, but very nice indeed, and Alice thanked Mr and Mrs Rivers for inviting her along.
‘That’s quite all right, my dear,’ said Mrs Rivers with a smile. ‘I am just sorry that your own parents couldn’t come.’
She thought that Alice was rather a strange girl, so nervous and eager to please, but she seemed pleasant enough, and Mrs Rivers was glad that Felicity had taken her under her wing.
They enjoyed a most delicious lunch, and it was as they were having pudding that Mr Rivers said, ‘Well, exams next week for you two girls. I expect that you will be glad when they are behind you and you can relax a bit.’
‘I certainly will,’ said Felicity with feeling. ‘Alice isn’t going in for Higher Cert though, lucky thing!’
‘No, I’m not clever enough,’ said Alice with her nervous little laugh. ‘And even if I was, I’m not very good at settling down to study. I lose concentration too easily.’
Mr Rivers looked surprised at this, and said, ‘Well, I don’t know anything about how good your brains are, but I should have thought that after all your years at Malory Towers you would have learned how to knuckle down and study.’
‘Yes, but Alice hasn’t been at Malory Towers for years, dear,’ said Mrs Rivers. ‘Remember, Felicity told us that she only joined the school at the beginning of this term.’
‘But I’ve seen you before, I’m certain of it,’ said Mr Rivers, staring hard at Alice from beneath his dark eyebrows. ‘Are you quite sure that you only started this term?’
Felicity looked up sharply, glancing first at her father, then at Alice, who had turned bright red, and was blinking rapidly behind her glasses.
Seeing that she was quite tongue-tied, Mrs Rivers came to the rescue, saying, ‘Really, Alice ought to know when she started at Malory Towers.’
‘I think I must have one of those commonplace faces,’ said Alice at last, finding her tongue. ‘Several of the girls say that I look familiar to them, isn’t that so, Felicity?’
Felicity nodded, but her mind was working rapidly. So her father recognised Alice, too! The whole thing just got more and more peculiar!
Felicity got the opportunity to have a word alone with her parents before they left to go to the hotel they were staying at, and she said, ‘I just wanted to thank you both for such a marvellous treat, and for letting Alice share in it, for it has been the most marvellous day! And there’s still tomorrow as well, before we have to get back to the grindstone.’
Mrs Rivers was about to say something when her husband suddenly clicked his fingers, and exclaimed, ‘Got it!’
‘Got what?’ asked Felicity and Mrs Rivers, completely puzzled.
‘Now it’s gone!’ said Mr Rivers, looking most annoyed. Then he saw that his wife and daughter were watching him in bewilderment, and gave a laugh.
‘Just for a moment, I had a sudden flash of memory,’ he said. ‘Something to do with Alice, but then it vanished before I could grasp it.’
‘Oh, Daddy!’ cried Felicity. ‘Well, if it comes back to you, do let me know. Quite a few of us girls feel that there is something familiar about her, and we are sure that she is keeping some secret from us.’
‘Well, when someone is guarding a secret, it is often because they are ashamed of something,’ said Mrs Rivers, sounding very wise. ‘But secrets usually come out, sooner or later. And when Alice’s is revealed, I hope that you and your friends will be kind, Felicity, and not judge her harshly.’
‘Of course not,’ said Felicity. ‘I just wish that I could get Alice to confide in me, for it would be far better if she told someone the truth rather than it just coming out.’
‘Well, perhaps between us we can try to coax her out of her shell a little tomorrow,’ said Mrs Rivers.
But the following morning, after breakfast, Alice came up to Felicity, and said, ‘I’m awfully sorry, but I don’t think that I will be able to come out with you and your people today. I feel rather sick, so I’m going to go and see Matron.’
‘What a shame!’ said Felicity. ‘Well, if you feel better later, do come and join us.’
But, as Alice went off to find Matron, Felicity couldn’t help wondering if she was just making an excuse, for the girl didn’t look ill, and her appetite had seemed good at breakfast.
‘Blow!’ thought Felicity. ‘I think Daddy scared her a little yesterday, and now it means that Mother and I won’t have the chance to talk to her today. Oh well, at least it will be nice to have my parents to myself!’
Violet’s parents came over again on Sunday, and, once again, they brought Willow with them, the little cat attracting lots of attention from the girls as Violet paraded her around on her lead.
Even the sixth formers and the parents were amused, Nora saying to her mother, ‘My goodness, just look at that! I wonder what our old moggy at home would do if I tried to walk him on a lead.’
‘I should think that he would run away and we would never see him again,’ laughed Nora’s mother.
Two people who weren’t amused, however, were Mam’zelle Rougier and Mam’zelle Dupont, and both of them united in their belief that Malory Towers was no place for cats.
‘It is bad enough that we have that creature in the stable,’ said Mam’zelle Dupont, shaking her head. ‘The one that tried to attack me. Now we must have cats at half-term too!’
‘What next?’ said Mam’zelle Rougier, her thin, stern face set in lines of disapprov
al. ‘Are we to allow pet dogs, and rabbits and mice at Malory Towers?’
Mam’zelle Dupont gave a faint shriek at this, for the thought of mice always filled her with terror, and she and Mam’zelle Rougier linked arms and went indoors, where no cats lurked to disturb their peace.
Faith was very taken with Willow, and rather envious of Violet for being mistress of such a beautiful pet.
‘How I wish that she could stay at Malory Towers with us,’ the girl sighed as she stroked and petted the cat. ‘My word, wouldn’t it make the others sit up and take notice!’
‘Yes,’ said Violet, staring hard at her friend. ‘Yes, it jolly well would! Faith, what a marvellous idea. I shall keep Willow here at school with me.’
‘But, Violet, you can’t!’ cried Faith, quite aghast. ‘I was only joking, you know. Why, Miss Grayling would never allow it!’
‘Ah, but I’m not going to ask Miss Grayling,’ said Violet, a smile spreading over her face. ‘I shall smuggle Willow into school, and we shall keep her there in secret. None of the mistresses will know that she is there.’
The first formers would be simply thrilled, thought Violet, and wouldn’t that be one in the eye for Daffy Hope! Even she did not have enough daring to smuggle a pet into the school.
Once again Faith tried to protest, but it was too late. Violet was running across the lawn to her parents, who were sitting on one of the benches, and putting her idea to them.
Faith, leading Willow, followed more slowly, and reached the bench in time to hear Mrs Forsyth say, ‘Violet, you can’t! Why, you would be expelled if any of the mistresses discovered Willow. Think of the disgrace! Besides, Willow is a very valuable cat, what if she runs away?’
But Mr Forsyth brushed his wife’s protestations aside, saying testily, ‘Nonsense! Now, my dear, you know very well that you and I were thinking of going on a little holiday shortly. I am quite sure that Willow would be much happier here with her mistress while we are away, than at home with only the gardener and housekeeper for company. And I’m sure that my princess is quite clever enough to keep her away from the prying eyes of the teachers.’