‘Heavenly! It just melts in the mouth.’
‘Delicious! Thanks very much, Violet.’
Daffy and one or two others waited for Violet to boast about how much the cake had cost, but, to their surprise, she accepted everyone’s thanks and compliments with a smile. The girl really was on her best behaviour, Daffy realised, when she got out her camera and said cheerily, ‘Let’s take some photographs so that we can all remember this happy time.’
‘Ooh, yes, let’s!’ cried Katie, clapping her hands together. ‘Violet, will you take one of Daffy and me, please?’
Of course, Violet was only too happy to do this, and it didn’t occur to Daffy for a second that allowing herself to be photographed at the picnic was rather foolish. The girls posed happily, pulling silly faces at the camera, and Daffy was silliest of all, getting herself into almost every photograph. At last, Violet said, ‘That’s it, I’m afraid. The film is all used up now. Faith, if you will come into town with me on Monday I can take it in to be developed.’
‘Of course,’ said Faith at once. ‘I can’t wait to see them.’
And that was when the sky had turned dark, and the same rumble of thunder that the girls at Five Oaks had heard sounded. Some of the girls were scared of thunder, and they began packing everything away rapidly.
‘We had better get back to school before the heavens open,’ said Ivy with a shiver. ‘Come along, everyone!’
The girls trooped happily back to school, and it was as they were almost at the gates that they saw Felicity and Susan coming towards them.
Daffy was at the back of the little group, and she cast a horrified glance at Katie, who acted quickly.
‘Get behind that tree,’ she hissed, giving her friend a shove. ‘And don’t move until you’re certain Felicity and Susan have gone.’
The two sixth formers greeted the first formers as they turned in at the gates together, Felicity swiftly running an eye over the group to make sure that Daffy wasn’t there. She felt pleased when she realised that the girl had obeyed her orders, and hoped that she wouldn’t have reason to punish the first former again.
There was no time to ask the youngsters how they had enjoyed their picnic, for just then the heavens did open, and the first formers ran squealing towards the school.
Felicity and Susan followed in a more orderly fashion, and soon only Daffy was left outside in the rain. The girl waited for a few moments before stepping out from the shelter of the tree, then she moved stealthily up to the gates, slipping through them when she realised that the others were out of sight. Walking up the long drive, the girl grinned to herself. She had got away with it!
9
A marvellous trick
‘My word, won’t I be glad when Higher Cert is behind us and we can relax a little,’ said Felicity to Susan as the two girls slipped into their seats in the class-room. ‘Thank heavens we don’t have Maths this morning, for I spent all of last night studying it and I simply couldn’t face it today.’
‘Well, it won’t be long now,’ said Susan. ‘Only a couple of weeks until half-term, and the exams start immediately afterwards.’
‘And once the exams have finished, we have our lacrosse matches against Marlowe Hall,’ said June. ‘It’s a pity that you two are so busy studying that you haven’t had much time to practice, otherwise I should certainly have put you in the upper-school team. As it is, I have had to fall back on the fourth and fifth formers.’
‘You will be in the team though, won’t you, June?’ said Felicity. ‘We must have someone from the sixth on there.’
‘Oh yes, I shall be playing all right,’ said June, who didn’t seem to be feeling the pressure of the forthcoming exams as the others did.
‘Lucky you,’ said Susan enviously. ‘I wish that I had your marvellous memory and didn’t need to study so hard.’
‘Yes, it’s awfully unfair,’ said Freddie, joining in. ‘While I’m sighing and groaning over my books for hours, June has memorised everything in a matter of minutes and is off to lacrosse practice.’
‘I’m just lucky, I suppose,’ said June. ‘It must run in the family, for my cousin, Alicia, was just the same.’
‘I wish it ran in my family,’ sighed Felicity. ‘But I know that Darrell had to study just as hard as me to get good results.’
‘Well, I’m just as busy as you are, in my own way,’ said June. ‘What with arranging practice times and coaching. Thank goodness the weather has turned too cold for swimming now, and I don’t have to give Violet swimming lessons any more. I don’t know who found them more trying, her or me!’
Then the girls fell silent, getting to their feet as they heard Miss Oakes approaching, and soon the English lesson was under way, the sixth formers silent as they concentrated hard on their work.
Miss Oakes, looking at all the heads bent over books, felt very pleased with her form, for the majority of them were good, hard-working girls. The mistress knew very well that, if she were to leave the room now, they could be trusted to get on with their work and not play the fool. Even June, who had been such a scamp when she was lower down in the school!
The first formers, however, in the class-room next to the sixth form’s, could not be trusted alone, and they were very pleased that Mam’zelle Dupont was late, for they were planning a little surprise for her!
The first form had an extra member that morning – in the form of Queenie, the stable cat. The girls had taken her from the stables after breakfast, and had been playing with her non-stop, so that now the little creature was ready for a nap.
‘Which is just what we want,’ said Daffy happily, stroking Queenie as she lay peacefully on her lap. ‘We don’t want the cat getting out of the bag too soon!’
‘We had better hide her quickly,’ said Katie. ‘Mam’zelle could arrive at any second.’
Daffy gently lifted the cat up, and gave her to a girl called Jenny, who sat at the front of the class.
‘You know what you have to do, Jenny,’ said Daffy.
Jenny, her eyes alight with amusement, nodded eagerly as she took Queenie, placing the sleeping cat on the floor between her desk and Violet’s.
‘Move your satchel, Violet,’ said Jenny. ‘And I’ll put mine just here, so that Mam’zelle won’t be able to see Queenie from her desk.’
Violet obliged, for she was looking forward to the trick as much as the others. She was very poor at French, and had come in for a great many scoldings from Mam’zelle, so anything that wasted time in the class was fine by her.
She didn’t care for Queenie, however, and said with a sniff, ‘How very ordinary she looks, compared to my own beautiful Willow. Willow has the most wonderful blue eyes, and she wears a collar set with tiny little jewels, and – ’
‘And she eats fresh salmon every day, out of a dish made from the finest bone china,’ said Daffy, making the others laugh.
Violet scowled, but there was no time to retort, for the sound of Mam’zelle Dupont’s high heels could be heard coming along the corridor, and Daffy rushed to hold the door open for her.
Mam’zelle looked flustered, for she hated being late for any class, but Daffy had quickly become one of her favourites, and the sight of the girl’s sweet smile soothed her a little.
‘Merci, Daphne,’ she said, patting the girl’s dark curls, before walking to the big desk at the front of the class. ‘Bonjour, mes enfants. Sit down, please, and get out the French grammar prep that I set you on Monday.’
The girls got their books from their desks, and Daffy put up her hand, saying, ‘Please, Mam’zelle, I have done my very best, but I’m afraid that I didn’t understand some of the grammar rules that you explained to us. Would you mind awfully explaining to me again, for I do so want to do well at French?’
Of course, Mam’zelle was delighted to hear this, and only too happy to help her favourite, and she went to Daffy’s side at once. The girl’s desk was at the back of the classroom and, as soon as the French mistress’s back was turned,
Jenny moved swiftly.
Mam’zelle Dupont had a very large handbag, which she took everywhere with her, and it sat unattended under her desk now. Quickly, Jenny scooped up Queenie, carried her to the mistress’s desk, and deposited her in the handbag. The cat, annoyed at having her nap disturbed, opened her eyes and gave a little mew of protest, but fortunately Ivy happened to sneeze loudly at the same time, so Mam’zelle heard nothing. Once she was in the bag, which was warm and comfortable, Queenie soon settled down again and, with one eye on Mam’zelle, Jenny fastened the top of the bag, leaving a little gap so that the cat could breathe.
Then she darted back to her seat, winking at the others, who were all doing their utmost to stifle their giggles.
At last Mam’zelle finished with Daffy, then she went round the class collecting everyone’s prep, before returning to her own desk. The lesson progressed smoothly, until Queenie, refreshed by her long nap, awoke, feeling in need of a little exercise.
Mam’zelle was writing something on the blackboard when she became aware of a strange noise coming from under her desk, and she turned sharply.
‘Tiens! ’ cried the French mistress, looking most alarmed. ‘What is this strange noise that comes from under my desk?’
‘A strange noise, Mam’zelle?’ said Jenny, looking puzzled. ‘I can’t hear anything. Can you, Violet?’
Violet shook her head solemnly, and just then the noise started again, more loudly this time. It really was a most peculiar sound, thought Mam’zelle, a strange hissing and spitting and yowling, as though some wild beast was under her desk, but there was nothing to be seen.
Of course, all of the girls could hear the noise, and all of them were struggling to contain their laughter now. Katie had stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth, while Ivy lifted the lid of her desk to hide her mirth from the French mistress.
Then Mam’zelle gave a little shriek, tottering backwards on the high-heeled shoes she always wore, and Daffy said, ‘Why, Mam’zelle, whatever is the matter?’
‘My bag, he moved!’ wailed poor Mam’zelle, as white as a sheet. ‘He wobbled from side to side, then jumped up and down.’
‘But that’s impossible!’ said Daffy, making a tremendous effort to keep her face straight.
‘Ah, Daphne, it is not impossible, for it is happening!’ cried Mam’zelle. ‘Come and see for yourself, then you shall believe me.’
Mam’zelle meant for Daffy to come and see, but the whole class surged forward, crowding around Mam’zelle’s desk.
‘I can hear something!’ said Katie. ‘And it seems to be coming from your handbag, Mam’zelle.’
‘I hear it too,’ said Daffy gravely. ‘It sounds like – like a soul in torment!’
‘Nonsense!’ said Mam’zelle stoutly, though she looked a little alarmed. ‘I have no tormented souls in my handbag.’
This was too much for Ivy, who went off into a peal of laughter, so contagious that several of the others joined in. Katie was holding her sides, while tears poured down Faith’s cheeks.
‘Ah, méchantes filles!’ cried Mam’zelle. ‘I do not see anything at all amusing about this.’
‘Mam’zelle, I really think that you should open your handbag, so that you can see exactly what is going on in there,’ said Jenny.
Mam’zelle gave a little moan and seemed rooted to the spot. It was quite plain that she was far too afraid to open the bag, and Daffy stepped forward, saying nobly, ‘Mam’zelle, with your permission, I shall open the bag. Please stand back, everyone.’
Mam’zelle jumped back at once, almost treading on Violet’s toes, and the girls, giggling, followed suit.
Cautiously, her expression very grave indeed, Daffy moved towards the handbag and unfastened it, making it look as though her hands were shaking uncontrollably, so that the others started to laugh again. Then she pulled the handbag open, springing to her feet and giving a squeal as Queenie shot out. Mam’zelle was no great lover of cats, and she, too, squealed as Queenie made straight for her, while the first formers roared with laughter.
In the class-room next door, Miss Oakes and the sixth formers wondered what on earth was going on.
The first formers had been noisy all morning, and Miss Oakes had cast a great many irritated glares at the wall that separated the two class-rooms. Now, though, it sounded as though a perfect riot was going on, making it quite impossible for the sixth formers to concentrate. Miss Oakes gave an angry exclamation as she stalked to the door. It seemed that Mam’zelle must have left the room, and those irresponsible first formers had taken advantage of her absence to act the goat. Well, Miss Oakes would soon set them straight!
The mistress got the shock of her life when she pushed open the door of the first-form class-room and a little tabby cat shot out straight past her, then ran away down the corridor as if her life depended on it.
And, far from being away from the class, Mam’zelle Dupont was in the thick of the disturbance. She sat in her chair now, as white as a sheet, while Daffy fanned her with a book and the rest of the first form stood around, chattering excitedly.
‘Mam’zelle!’ said the mistress sharply. ‘What on earth is going on here? My girls can hardly hear themselves think!’
Miss Oakes’s stern tone quelled the first formers, who all slunk away to their seats, and Mam’zelle sat up straight in her chair and said excitably, ‘Ah, Miss Oakes, it was dreadful. The cat was in my bag, and then she got out of the bag and attacked me!’
Of course, poor Queenie hadn’t attacked Mam’zelle at all. The little cat was very affectionate, and had simply rubbed herself against Mam’zelle’s legs. Mam’zelle, however, had not appreciated this gesture at all, and, for one moment, the girls had thought she was about to faint.
‘A cat in your bag, Mam’zelle?’ repeated the astonished Miss Oakes. ‘How did a cat come to be in your bag, may I ask?’
Mam’zelle Dupont had been so bewildered by the morning’s happenings that she hadn’t had leisure to consider this. Now, though, a doubtful look came across her face and she looked suspiciously at the first formers. Each and every one of them, though, looked a picture of innocence, and Mam’zelle dismissed her unworthy suspicions at once.
‘It is a mystery,’ she said to Miss Oakes. ‘It must have climbed in and gone to sleep while my bag was open.’
‘Hmm,’ said the sixth-form mistress, also looking at the innocent faces of the first formers. Miss Oakes was not so easily fooled as Mam’zelle, and she wasn’t taken in for one moment.
‘Well, I shall leave you to it, Mam’zelle,’ she said. ‘And I trust that I shan’t have cause to come in and complain again!’
Mam’zelle felt rather put out at being spoken to in such a way. Ah, how hard and unfeeling these English mistresses could be at times, to those of a more sensitive disposition. Miss Oakes had seen how distressed she, Mam’zelle, was, yet had not spoken one word of comfort.
But the girls could see that Mam’zelle was ‘in a paddy’, as Daffy put it, and were at their sweetest, sympathising warmly with the French mistress as she speculated on how Queenie could have come to be in her bag, and talked at length about her dislike of cats. In fact, Mam’zelle talked so much that she wasted the rest of the lesson, just as the naughty first formers had hoped! But the first formers had gone up in her estimation, for they were dear, good-hearted girls and their concern for her had warmed her heart.
‘Dear old Mam’zelle,’ chuckled Ivy, as the class followed the French mistress along the corridor. ‘She doesn’t so much as suspect that we were the ones who put Queenie in her bag.’
‘My big sister, Sally, told me that she was a most marvellous person to play tricks on,’ said Daffy with satisfaction. ‘And it seems that she was right.’
‘Was Sally as naughty and daring as you are, Daffy?’ asked Jenny curiously.
‘Heavens, no!’ said Daffy, with a giggle. ‘She was as good as gold. I mean to say, she enjoyed a joke and a trick, but she was more of a watcher than a doer.’
> ‘And you are most definitely a doer, Daffy!’ giggled Katie. ‘I say, did Sally give you any useful information on the other mistresses?’
‘A little,’ answered Daffy. ‘She warned me to beware of Mam’zelle Rougier’s temper, and not to get on the wrong side of Miss Potts.’
‘She’s quite right,’ said Faith seriously. ‘Don’t forget that I have already been in her form for one term, and I know how stern she can be at times.’
‘She’s not a bad sort,’ said Ivy. ‘Although I certainly wouldn’t like to be in her bad books.’
‘Yes, you had better watch out, Daffy,’ said Maggie. ‘Potty looked at you most suspiciously the other day, when she was talking about the tricks that had been played on Violet.’
But Daffy only laughed, saying with a careless shrug, ‘I’m not afraid of old Potty. She might be sharp, but I’ve never met a mistress who can get the better of me!’
10
Puzzles and plots
As it was the largest, Felicity’s study soon became a meeting place for the North Tower sixth formers. At a pinch, they could all squeeze in, though it meant girls sitting on the desk and window-sill, or even on the floor!
Felicity was quite happy for her study to be used as a common-room some of the time, provided that the others understood that there were times when she needed to study and must not be disturbed.
But, although the sixth formers knew this, the younger girls didn’t, and Felicity often was disturbed, by a timid tapping on the door, as one member or other of the lower forms asked her advice on a problem. However busy she was, Felicity never turned anyone away, for it was her duty to help and guide the youngsters, and one she was determined not to shirk.
June also had a devoted following of youngsters, and one person who looked up to her enormously was Daffy Hope.
Daffy had heard all about June from her sister, Sally, long before she had started at Malory Towers. June, according to Sally, was the wickedest, boldest girl that the school had ever had, famed for her ready wit, sharp tongue and – above all – her jokes and tricks. Daffy longed to be just like her and, although June had not put her in the lacrosse team, the girl looked up to her no end.