The CBB :: View topic - Nell and Caroline

#1: Nell and Caroline Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:16 pm

In the general scheme of things, Nell Wilson would not have been in her study on a Sunday evening after Kaffee und Kuchen. Even Headmistresses are entitled to a rest sometimes. However, on this particular evening, Nell had remembered something important which needed to be done urgently on Monday morning. Rather than disturb her secretary, Gill Culver, who had gone to bed early suffering from a headache, she had decided to write a note and leave it on her desk in order to remind herself. She had just completed the notice and capped her pen when there was a knock at the door.

“Herein,” she called, rather puzzled as to why anyone would be looking for her at that time.

Dickie Christie entered the room, followed by Caroline Darroch, and Nell immediately realised that something was badly wrong. Dickie wore an expression of grim determination, rather like a judge sentencing a prisoner to death and Caroline’s air of sulky defiance clearly marked her as the guilty party.

“Miss Wilson, Caroline has been carrying out a hate campaign against Esther Gardner for the past few weeks,” Dickie said abruptly. “I wish to report it to you.”

‘Bill’ raised an eyebrow. “The past few weeks? Why am I only being informed about it now?”

“Esther didn’t want us to tell you until she had found out who was responsible,” admitted Dickie.

Nell passed over this explanation for the time being - at this stage it was more pressing that she found out exactly what had been happening, and so she asked Dickie to relate the events of the past few weeks. Dickie explained how Esther had found a crucifix in her cubicle and had been forced to admit to being an atheist, how some of the other girls had been appalled by this revelation and had turned against her, how the persecution had continued and no one had admitted to being responsible despite being directly challenged by Esther and Tom. She told how she had become suspicious of Caroline during that afternoon’s ramble to St. Cecilie and how she had caught the younger girl hiding a prayer book under Esther’s pillow, and as Nell listened, her eyes never leaving Caroline’s face, she admitted to herself that a few things were now becoming clear to her. As Peggy Bettany had remarked, she was ‘very much on the spot’ and had realised that something was afoot amongst her charges. It had been plain to all the staff that there was tension of some sort between Esther and Aisling O’Connell, and that the bad feeling between the two was emanating from Aisling. However it had always been the policy of the Chalet School staff not to interfere in the girls’ relationships unless it was absolutely necessary and as the two seemed intent on avoiding each other, there had been no incidents worthy of staff involvement. Esther had seemed rather strained recently but Gertrude Rider had assured Nell that it was a case of delayed homesickness and Nell trusted her staff enough to leave the matter in the matron’s hands. Now she was aware of the full story, ‘Bill’ could have kicked herself.

“There is one last thing, Miss Wilson,“ said Dickie, somewhat reluctantly as she reached the end of her account. “We met Geraldine on the stairs on the way here. She asked where we were going and I explained than we were looking for you. She asked why and Caroline said…“ Dickie glanced across at Caroline, who coolly stared back at her, “she said that I was reporting her for orchestrating the campaign against Esther. Geraldine was shocked and Caroline…well, she turned on her and told her that she was a self-centred opinionated Yank and she couldn’t stand her company any more than anyone else could. She said that she had been trying to intimidate Esther in such a way that people would think Geraldine responsible.”

At this, Nell tore her eyes away from Caroline and looked incredulously at Dickie. One look at that young lady’s face, still grimly set, convinced her of the truth of her words.

“Well, Caroline, do you have anything to say in response to this?”

“No,” Caroline’s voice was as sulky as her demeanour. “Everything Dickie has told you is true. There‘s no point denying it.”

“In that case, Dickie, you are dismissed. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention.”

Dickie bobbed the standard curtsey and exited, leaving Nell to tackle this unexpected problem to the best of her abilities. With a silent prayer for guidance, she turned back to Caroline.

Last edited by Ann on Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:41 pm; edited 3 times in total

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

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:18 pm

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself? I fail to see any justification for your actions. This is your opportunity to enlighten me.”

Caroline remained silent.

“Come, Caroline!” ‘Bill’ spoke sharply. “You have deliberately upset Esther Gardner, apparently in order to incriminate Geraldine Hannigan. I should like to know the reason why you thought this was a suitable course of action to follow!”

Caroline’s head snapped up and she faced Nell with blazing eyes. “I couldn’t stand the thought of spending any more time with that American girl,” she said in a low tone, her anger only just suppressed. “She is only interested in herself and no-one else is of any importance to her.”

“And so you tried to discredit her in the eyes of the other girls?” Nell’s disgust was apparent.

“I hoped she would either be sent away or taken away.”

“And Esther? What had Esther done to warrant such treatment?”

“Nothing directly. I don’t give a hoot whether she believes in God or anything else. But she’s the same as all the rest of them. They don’t care about me, they leave me in Geraldine’s company all the time when they wouldn’t spend any time with her if they didn’t have to.”

“You don’t seem to understand the distress you have caused, Caroline,” Nell’s tone was more gentle now. She wanted to give the girl a chance to calm down and to show some degree of remorse for her actions. “I understand from Dickie’s account of recent events that Esther has suffered a good deal, she has been forced into revealing something which she would probably have preferred to admit to on her own terms. How she will feel when she learns that she was simply a…a pawn, I cannot imagine. I expect that Geraldine had no idea of your true feelings about her until a few minutes ago. How do you think she is feeling now?”

Nell’s hopes were dashed by Caroline’s next declaration. “Geraldine deserves all she gets,” was the only response.

This was more than Nell could take. “And pray, what gives you the right to determine and implement appropriate punishments for your peers? What is it which makes you better than them?”

Caroline, of course, had no answer.

“Are you honestly telling me that you feel no sense of regret or remorse for having behaved so cruelly to girls who had not intentionally harmed you?”

Again there was no reply. Nell struck the desk, hoping to startle the girl into reacting. “Answer me! If you insist on behaving like a petty child than I shall treat you as such!”

Caroline raised her eyes again to the mistress’s face. “No. I’m not sorry. My only regret is that Dickie caught me out.”

Nell scrutinised the girl’s face. This was not sheer bravado. Both her actions and her lack of remorse suggested that Caroline was a seriously troubled young woman, so much so that Nell doubted that the staff at Welsen were equipped to deal with her. She rang a bell on her desk and after a few moments Matron Rider appeared.

“Ah Matron. I’m sorry to disturb you on a Sunday evening,” Nell greeted her colleague with an expression which told that lady she would hear the full story in due course. “I’m afraid Caroline is to be kept in isolation this evening. There is no-one in San at present, is there?”

“No, Miss Wilson. Shall I escort Caroline there now?”

“Yes, thank you.” Nell turned back to Caroline. “I shall speak to you again later. I cannot say how disappointed I am by your actions and I hope you will spend your time away from the other girls reflecting on why that is the case. You may go.”

Once they had departed and Nell was alone, she buried her head in her hands and let out a huge sigh. After a few minutes of berating herself for not realising what had been happening under her nose, she pulled herself together, summoned a maid and asked for some coffee, and settled down to the unpleasant task ahead of her. She would have to speak to Esther and Geraldine at some point, and to the rest of the Welsen mistresses, but first of all she had some phone calls to make. There was no doubt in her mind. Caroline could not stay.

Last edited by Ann on Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:44 pm; edited 1 time in total

#3: Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:14 pm

Well! That was study scene and a half. Will they uncover extenuating circumstances or is it curtains for Caroline? Can't wait to find out. Thank you, Ann

#4: Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 7:25 pm

Thank you its nice to fill in the gap.

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

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 7:30 pm

Thank you Ann - Bill handled it as I would expect - nasty situation for her to be in but she didn't baulk at the tough decision.

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

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 7:36 pm

Thank you for that scene Ann. Nell handled what must have been a hard situation for her so well

#7: Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 11:01 pm

Thank you Ann I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of your Nell after reading that scene

#8: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 11:48 pm

Thank you, Ann! Poor Nell! But wicked Caroline Evil or Very Mad

- hope she'll come to her senses eventually... I doubt it'll be soon, though.

#9: Author: Emperor Zhark, Location: North East

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:56 am

It needs more 'splosions. I think Nell should have been a dinosaur and the Chalet School should have been relocated to an ocean liner like in Speed 2: Cruise Control. That would have made it good, I mean bad, wicked. Smile

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

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 3:37 am

Well Emperor Zhark, isn't this 'splosions enough for you?

Ann wrote:

“Are you honestly telling me that you feel no sense of regret or remorse for having behaved so cruelly to girls who had not intentionally harmed you?” Again there was no reply. Nell struck the desk, hoping to startle the girl into reacting. “Answer me! If you insist on behaving like a petty child than I shall treat you as such!”

Loud bangs and scary noises galore!
Yelling scares me quite enough without dinosuars being added to the equation. Unless there are Caddilacs and Dinosaurs.

#11: Author: Emperor Zhark, Location: North East

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:12 am

Sounds like someone I know! Laughing

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

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:06 am

Thank you Ann! Really well written and Nell handled a horrid explanation perfectly.

#13: Author: Ann at work,

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:41 pm

Emperor Zhark wrote:

Sounds like someone I know! Laughing

What exactly are you getting at? Evil or Very Mad

#14: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 5:43 pm

Thanks Ann. Poor Nell what a situation to del with but she did it perfectly.

#15: Author: dackel, Location: Wolfenbuettel, Germany/Cambridge, England

Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:44 pm

Thank you for that, Ann, it rounded off the other drabble nicely.

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