The danger to the girls themselves was certainly obvious. Elisaveta knew the maddness of her cousin was well know amongst the Belsornians; and though she had 'king and country' well rubbed in from an early age, common-sense would have told her that a man she did not have much to do with would not come and get her in the middle of the night and in secret.

If anyone was at fault, I'd say ultimately it was Veta's father for sending her off across the world without a bodyguard in the first place...

Welcome to the board Sarah! I notice that's this is your first post. You're right, I hadn't thought of that one to add in.

'She actually told me that I was no lady to speak as I did!’ declared Matron, who, truth to tell, rather bore out the validity of Elisaveta’s accusation by her present manner

Then Elisaveta got angry too, and she said Matron hadn’t the – the instincts of a lady, or she wouldn’t have said such things – it was only canaille who spoke so.

‘Ask them to let her come as an ordinary girl, then,’ suggested Joey. ‘If she just seems to be what Wanda calls Hochgeboren, they won’t think half so much of it. We’ve got two or three like that now, so they’re getting more used to it.’
There was a good deal of sense in what she said. If some of the girls knew that the newcomer was a princess, there was no doubt that it would cause a good deal of trouble, for many of the girls came from Austrian families which were strong Imperialists; and these girls had, as the young headmistress had said, an almost exaggerated idea of rank. On the other hand, there were several children at the Chalet School who came from the lesser nobility, and another such girl would make no difference to them.

Admittedly it's been ages since I read this book, but it was always my understanding that Elisaveta doesn't know that it's her cousin she's going off with. Cosimo's man introduces himself with a (forged) letter explaining that he's her bodyguard, and while Madge doesn't entirely trust him, the letter and the fact that she'd been expecting such a person make her publicly accept him. Elisaveta knows that he's her bodyguard, and that there's always the threat that Cosimo may come after her, and so when she's told that she has to leave school in order to prevent that happening, of course she goes. I can't really blame her for going. Joey, of course, should have gone to Madge to tell her what was going on, but for all she knew Elisaveta's 'bodyguard' had perfectly legitimate cause for taking her off.

If anyone was at fault, I'd say ultimately it was Veta's father for sending her off across the world without a bodyguard in the first place...

Does anyone think that EBD got a bit too obsessed with Guides in this book, though? I've nothing against Guiding, I hasten to add, but it seems to crop up every couple of pages and it's meant to be a school story, not a Guides story.

the Guides gave an exhibition of company drill which impressed him very much. Not even the men of his own regiment, seasoned veterans as most of them were, could show greater smartness. The girls were even and precise in their movements, timing it all beautifully.

...it would have made more sense for her to pal up with Margia, Evvy & co and give someone else the chance to play the heroine ...