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Hilda Annersley Headmistress - an epilogue

#1: Hilda Annersley Headmistress - an epilogue Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:26 pm

It was four days before the start of the Spring Term and, as always, the two Heads of the Chalet School in Switzerland, had returned from their holiday and were busy preparing for the new term. Miss Annersley, sat at her desk, working through some service bills and receipts for the domestic staff, looked up with a smile as the door opened. “Nell, I wondered if you would manage the journey today!” She indicated the weather outside; there was a young blizzard forming, with swirling flakes of snow causing almost zero visibility.

Miss Wilson, removing a heavy coat, gloves and hat, to hang over a chair near the fire, smiled over at her friend. “Oh it’s not so bad,” she said, “The road is clear and I could probably walk from St Mildred’s to here blindfold!” She dropped an overnight bag into the chair before moving across to kiss her friend. “I was hoping to stay the night, if it’s all right though? I think that, by the time all our work is done, it’ll be too nasty for the walk back.”

Miss Annersley reached up to grasp Miss Wilson’s hand, returning the kiss, “Of course, Nell, you know one of the rooms in my suite is yours. Now come along into the sitting room, you’re cold!”

The two friends moved into the Head’s private sitting room where a huge log fire burned. Miss Wilson stepped up in front of the fire appreciably, warming herself. Miss Annersley rang a small bell and, a few minutes later, a maid arrived with a large pot of Kaffee and a tray of biscuits. The Head poured out drinks for them both and they sat in companionable silence for a time, sipping their drinks. After a time Miss Wilson stirred,

“Well, is there a lot to do?” she asked.

Miss Annersley smiled, “There is always a lot to do, Nell. But between the pair of us and Rosalie we should be finished by tonight. Even with this interview.”

“Interview?”

“Oh, Rosalie took a call yesterday. A man wants an urgent interview about his daughters. Twins aged nine, he wants them to start this term!”

“With four days notice, hardly likely,” Miss Wilson returned, she looked across at her friend quickly and sighed, “You did tell him that, didn’t you Hilda?”

The Head looked across at her friend, “Nell, he sounded desperate, he’s a widower and his job has just moved from Bonn to Geneva. He said he needed to have his daughters nearby but attending boarding school. He was very apologetic about the short notice and very keen for his daughters to attend an English school.”

“Hmmmm! I’m sure he said all of that only because he knew it would affect the Headmistress’ soft heart!”

There was silence for a time, then the St Mildred’s Head laughed, “Oh of course we’ll take them, we can hardly do otherwise I suppose. Are they Swiss?”

“No, German, from near Hanover originally. Strange, I almost felt that I should know this man, when I spoke to him on the phone. Anyway, he’ll be here at 1430hrs, weather permitting, we can confirm arrangements then.”

The two Heads moved back into Miss Annersley’s Study and started to run through a number of the administrative concerns. Between them they managed to complete most of the work before Mitagessen. This was a quiet affair, with just the two of them and Miss Dene. Rather than have it in the dining room they moved into the Head’s suite. Discussions during the meal included bringing Rosalie up to date with how the Maynard Triplets were managing at university. Rosalie had spent Christmas with Grizel and Neil Sheppard and had not managed to get across to Freudisham. Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson, however, had spent the holidays with the Maynards.

Promptly at 1430hrs, Miss Dene knocked on the door to the Head’s Study and ushered in a visitor. Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson both rose as a tall man, obviously German, with blond hair and blue eyes walked into the room. The man appeared to be in his late thirties and walked with a slight limp. Miss Dene spoke,

“This is Herr Grauss,”

Miss Annersley smiled, speaking in German she held out her hand, “Herr Grauss, I am Fraulein Annersley, we spoke on the telephone. This is my Co-Head, Fraulein Wilson,”

They all shook hands and the man sat in the chair opposite the desk, on his face was a slight smile, “Fraulein Annersley, it is so good to see you again,” he said softly, “I wonder, do you still remember the last time we met?”

The Head looked puzzled, “I beg your pardon, Herr Grauss, we have met before?”

The man nodded, “We have, ma’am, though I was only a boy then. July 1943, to be exact.”

Miss Annersley looked puzzled for some seconds, then suddenly her face cleared, “Oh,” she said, with obvious pleasure, “The German airman, forgive me, your name had quite escaped me!” She smiled widely at the man.

Miss Wilson looked across at her friend with some suspicion, “Hilda,” she said slowly, “If my memory serves me correctly, in July 1943 you were in hospital, recovering from that serious head injury and we were at War with Germany! Mind telling me how you managed to meet this gentleman?”

Herr Grauss looked over toward Miss Wilson then back at the Head, “You never told anyone?” He asked with some surprise. Miss Annersley shook her head. Herr Grauss turned to Miss Wilson, “The first time I met Miss Annersley,” he said, obviously enjoying being able to tell her, “I held a knife to her throat!”

Miss Wilson looked first at the man then toward her friend, and her voice took on a commanding tone, “Hilda, what on Earth’s he talking about?”

Last edited by Lesley on Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:23 am; edited 1 time in total

#2: Author: Kim, Location: Tipperary, Ireland

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:34 pm

Glad you posted this. Perhaps it is the start of another drabble Question

#3: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:54 pm

Ooooh!!!!!!!

Lovely, Lesley! Thank you!

Any chance of a wee bit more? Maybe Hilda's explanation?

#4: Author: Chair, Location: Kent, England

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:09 pm

This drabble looks like it is going to be great! I can't wait for more! Thank you very much, Lesley!

#5: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:48 pm

No, no, no, no, no.

This is COMPLETE!!!!!

#6: Author: Chair, Location: Kent, England

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:11 am

I seem to have a habit tonight of thinking that stories will carry on when they are already complete!

#7: Author: Cath V-P, Location: Newcastle NSW

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:56 am

Oh, Lesley, what a neatly tied knot! Very Happy

#8: Author: Miss Di, Location: Newcastle, NSW

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 3:29 am

Very Neat Twist. Thanks for posting it Lesley.

I shall print out the page and place it carefully in my copy of your book!

#9: Author: Nell, Location: London, England

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:41 am

Wonderful and very clever. Thank you Lesley!

#10: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:57 am

Hehe, excellent Lesley, thank you for sharing Very Happy

#11: Author: MaryR, Location: Sale Cheshire

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:31 am

I enjoyed this at the Gather and think it's a neat little twist. Perhaps you could think of a few more twists for other Gathers. Shocked

Or is that twisted of me?

#12: Author: JackieJ, Location: Kingston upon Hull

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:52 pm

Thanks for this Lesley - I realised as soon as he limped in who it was.

Lovely to see it.

JackieJ

#13: Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:56 pm

Thank you Lesley - that was a neat little epilogue!

#14: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:12 pm

Thanks for posting this, Lesley. Are you sure we can't wheedle you into writing some more of it?

#15: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:46 pm

Thanks Lesley!

Nice to see he remembered her too - and wants her to teach his daughters.

Liz

#16: Author: Lucy, Location: Leeds

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:09 pm

Thanks for this Lesley - good little twist. I can just imagine Nell's face!! What a picture Exclamation

#17: Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:16 pm

MaryR wrote:

I enjoyed this at the Gather and think it's a neat little twist. Perhaps you could think of a few more twists for other Gathers. Shocked

Or is that twisted of me?

As long as she shares!

I enjoyed this at the gather too,fits perfect with the book.
Thanks Lesley

#18: Author: Chair, Location: Kent, England

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:53 pm

JackieJ wrote:

Thanks for this Lesley - I realised as soon as he limped in who it was.

Lovely to see it.

JackieJ

Who is he?

#19: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:13 am

Chair wrote:

JackieJ wrote:

Thanks for this Lesley - I realised as soon as he limped in who it was.

Lovely to see it.

JackieJ

Who is he?

Buy and read Lesley's book and you will find out!

#20: Author: Chair, Location: Kent, England

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:22 am

What is Lesley's book called?

#21: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:51 am

the book is Hilda Annersley - Headmistress.

You can read about it and find an order form here

Liz

#22: Author: Chair, Location: Kent, England

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:58 pm

It looks like a good book. Thank you for writing it, Lesley, and thank you, Liz for giving me the link to the book.

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