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Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7099

Author:  Advent Drabblers [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:41 am ]
Post subject:  Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

After


Annis Lovell climbed out of the slim racing boat and splashed through the shallow water to the shore. It was bitterley cold, with a nasty lazy wind coming off the water that went straight through a body without bothering to go around. However, Annis hardly felt it, as she had just completed a hard workout for the university team. She helped to pull the boat up to the ramp leading into the water,, and then to lift it and carry it upto the boathouse. Annis had joined the rowing club as soon as she'd arrived at university, having had personal experience of the benefits of rowing training. Now, in the weeks before Christmas, she was enjoying feeling the added fitness that the training had given her. She was strong especially in the upper body and arms, and the fresh air gave her a healthy complexion. Once the boat was securely put away she left the boathouse with her friends for the short walk to the nearby pub. She was just following the crowd through the doors when she saw a face from her past, one she had never thought to see again.

"Cousin Margaret!" she gasped.

The woman walking towards her stopped dead in the street, staring in equal shock.

"Annis? Annis Lovell?" she asked. "I haven't seen you since...." She stopped, remembering that the last time she had seen Annis had been when she'd delivered her to the train taking the girls to the Chalet School. And that term had also almost seen the girl's death after she'd run away. Not that Margaret blamed herself; the fault lay with Annis and her upbringing of course. But even so, the moment was a trifle awkward. Annis stepped into the breach.

"I'm with a group of friends at the moment," she said. "But how about meeting for a coffee tomorrow? I've got rowing practice tomorrow morning, but I'll be finished by 10.00. Come down to the boathouse and we can decide where to go."

Being still as self-centred as ever, Margaret saw nothing strange about the offer. She had never understood why the way she had behaved years before had been wrong, not even the financial tinkering that she had done. Therefore the following morning saw her standing on the shore watching Annis send the skiff skimming over the water. It was quiet, with no one around when Annis pulled the little skiff out of the water.

"Wait here a moment while I put the boat away," she said calmly. She hefted the boat onto her shoulder and carried it into the boat house, placing it securley on the rack. Then she came back for the oars. Margaret was standing with her back to her, looking out across the river, when Annis picked up the oars and swung them hard at the back of her cousin's head. They connected with a dull thud, and she toppled forward to strike her forehead on the concrete slipway. Dropping the oars, Annis ran to the inert body and pulled it out into the river, where it drifted away downstream. Then she thoroughly cleaned the oars in the river before taking them back to the boathouse and storing them with all the others.

Author:  JS [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

All that rowing training was good for something :lol: . Thanks ADs - I've been tuning in each day and loving the different takes on the characters.

Author:  keren [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 9:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

Death for breakfast? (I suppose you realized you only had a few days left and had not written enough murders in to the drabbles :D )

Author:  shesings [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

:shock: :shock: But she had it coming! :wink: Brilliant again, ADs!!

Author:  jmc [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

Excellent! A fitting end for such a horrible person.

Author:  JB [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

She did so deserve it. Well done Annis.

Author:  cal562301 [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

Glad to see I'm not the only CBBer who loves a good murder! Only for those who deserve it, of course. :devil:

Author:  snowmaiden [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 4:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

:devil: I agree cal, and she did so deserve it! Well done AD's.

Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 5:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

I don't know how that managed to be an unexpected ending when I thought I knew you all so well!

Author:  Advent Drabblers [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 7:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

Before

Margaret Bain stirred her tea thoughtfully. It wasn't a responsibility she had wanted, when she agreed to be named as guardian she never thought she would actually be called on. Taking on a teenage girl was not something she relished. There might be an upside though. There was money included. It was for the girl certainly, but in providing somewhere for the girl to live, she was also providing for herself. If only the girl was amenable, quiet, polite, willing to be guided.

Annis was not happy. She had enjoyed living with the Maples family. Helen and Elizabeth were good friends and she found the happy relaxed atmosphere in the house had helped her to settle when her father went away. It had also helped tremendously knowing that she was living with a family he had met and was happy to leave her with. Now, as well as learning that her father was missing, she was also suddenly told she would be meeting a cousin, Margaret who would now be responsible for her, and it seemed that this cousin would want to take her away.

It was not a meeting either was looking forward to, and when it came a few days before Christmas both parties were tense and awkward. Mrs Maples did her best, she had baked a lovely sponge cake and had a tea tray waiting and made sure Annis took her cousins coat. She left them while she went to brew up, with the suggestion that Annis tell her cousin about school. When she came back it was to find an uncomfortable silence. With an inward groan she sat herself down and tried to make conversation. Since neither Annis nor Miss Bain was very forthcoming with each other, Mrs Maples found herself having to chatter more and more to try and fill in the uncomfortable silences that kept occurring. Eventually she sent Annis away to go and find Helen and Elizabeth while she showed Miss Bain her school report and discussed some business.

“She's a horrid old thing,” Annis declared when she burst into the bedroom the girls shared upstairs. “A dry old bat who wants to take me away.”
“She can't be that bad surely, she is related to you,” asked Helen.
“She's worse. I might as well be dead.” Annis threw herself on the bed.
“Maybe we can persuade her to leave you here, I know mum's going to ask if you can.”
“She won't allow it, I could see her looking down her nose every time she looked around the room.”
“How horrid of her,” Elizabeth was not impressed at this.
The three of them sat there grumping for a few minutes. When questioned afterwards they couldn't remember which of them said it first, either that or they were not saying, but suddenly one bright spark came up with a suggestion, “Maybe if she thinks you are bad she won't want you.”
“Your mum won't tell her that though.”
“If you do something bad then it won't matter what mum says.”

They all fell on this suggestion and set to thinking what they could do, because of course they would all do it together, and all take the blame togther.

Thus, when Margaret Bain decided it was time to leave, having listened to Mrs Maples request to keen Annis in silence, saying with a sniff that she would consider it, but thought it unlikely none of the girls were to be seen initially.
“They are probably taking advantage of the good weather and are out in the garden,” said Mrs Maples.
“I do hope they come when called, surely you teach them obedience.”
“Of course, they are good girls, but if they are at the end of the garden they won't have heard.”

They opened the front door, but didn't have to go as far as the end of the garden. Margaret Bain let out a gasp of horror. There, in front of the door was a snowman. Not just any snowman, but one that was dressed in her own hat and coat and to add to this insult, perched on top of the carrot nose; not unlike her own pointed one; were her spectacles that Annis had found in the pocket.

The situation was made so much worse when Mrs Maples bust into laughter and called, “Girls, very good, but where on earth did you find that hat and coat?”

Suffice it to say Miss Bain did think that Annis was badly behaved. However she also thought the same of the Maples, and blamed Annis' behaviour on their influence, no matter how hard that young person pleaded that it was all her idea and that she and only she had taken the clothes and gone through the pockets.

“Like a common thief and pickpocket. You had better learn quickly that my standards are much higher than that.”

Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 7:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell

Poor Annis!

Author:  JB [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x2

Oh dear. Interesting take on that encounter.

Author:  Carolyn P [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x2

I'm wondering if instead of writing tomorrows drabble I should sit and drink this glass of Baileys and eat Hotel Chocolat munchkins.

After all Baileys and chocolate are much more important than telling you about the crime that xxxx commits aren't they?

Author:  tiffinata [ Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x2

depends- perhaps the crime could be the theft of said Baileys and Hotel chocolat munchkins!

Author:  Advent Drabblers [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x2

Annis was in trouble; this would not have been unusual a few years before – after all, when she first started at the Chalet School her one and only aim was to get herself expelled as quickly as possible. She'd tried everything to get herself sent away but the school authorities were too understanding and just plain nice. Eventually though, after a somewhat hair-raising adventure, Annis had been reunited with her father and allowed to remain at the Chalet School. And she had even risen to the rank of Games Prefect. So being in trouble was not something that she had experienced for some years.

'This was all Tom's fault,' she thought furiously, 'if she hadn't said that I'd become somewhat boring I'd never have done this.

Tom Gay, now attending the finishing branch, was a good friend to Annis even though there were two or three years difference in age. The Chalet School itself had been in Switzerland less than a year and although enjoying the new surroundings a number of the older girls had noted that there was rather less freedom for the girls. They could hardly walk down into town. Tom and Annis had been discussing the matter over a series of letters and Tom had declaimed that, if she were still at the Chalet School, she could manage to get down to Interlaken and back without anyone in authority noticing. It was a rather silly thing to say – and probably not something that Tom had intended anyone to take seriously – but Annis had become determined to prove her friend wrong.

The first part of her plan had gone extremely well, although she had not mentioned anything to Julie Lucy she had spoken with the Second Prefect Clem Barrass. Clem, remember certain activities in her youth, had not tried to dissuade Annis, but had helped her to plan and, one Saturday, Annis had left the School grounds early to catch the train down to the city. Clem had managed to ensure that none of the Mistresses and, most particularly, Matron, did not realise Annis was missing. Annis had hiked the three miles to the train station and managed to catch the train down to Interlaken. She did not intend to stay long, only enough time to quickly buy a bus ticket which had the date and time stamped upon it. This to prove to Tom that she'd been in Interlaken when she should have been at School. She was about to return to the train station to catch her train when, to her horror, she caught sight of someone. The woman was tall with white hair and grey eyes and, as she drew closer Annis saw it was Miss Wilson, one of the Joint Headmistresses and Head of the Finishing Branch. She though furiously, she could remember Tom saying to her that Miss Wilson had been down in Interlaken for a few days interviewing staff – now she seemed to be intending to return to the Gornetz Platz.

Unable to get past without attracting attention Annis remained close to the head as she made use of a public telephone,

“Hilda, that you? Well the interviews are all over, I think that Miss Stone might be suitable but Miss Beale was totally unsuitable, not sure if she's ever taught before but I wouldn't trust her in front of any of our Middles. What was that? No, I'm fine, well actually I think I'm coming down with a cold – had a terrible headache last night, didn't sleep too well. I think I'll be retiring to my bed when I get back to Das Haus unter die Kiefern. No I don't need you to send Matey along to look after me – yes Mother, I'll be careful driving. Bye Hilda.”

Annis waited, her hand stuffed in her mouth to stop herself from laughing, really, Miss Wilson sounded just like any of Annis' own friends speaking to Miss Annersley. She hoped the Head would just get in her car and drive away but Miss Wilson really did not seem too well. Instead of getting in the driver's seat she got into the back, apparently to retrieve a car blanket, but instead stretched herself out on the back seat and fell asleep. Annis bit her lip, she had already missed her train, she was going to be late back, Clem would not be able to cover for her for much longer. Then a sudden idea struck her. During the holidays Annis' father had taught her how to drive, had said she was a natural...to think was to act and, before she could even consider the consequences, Annis had slid into the driver's seat and started the car.

Some time later Miss Annersley, out for a short walk, noted her friend's car parked in front of the Chalet School. She walked over to see that her friend was fast asleep on the back seat,

“Nell? I though you said you were going back to your place?”

“Hilda? What on Earth am I doing here?”

The mystery was never solved.

Author:  shesings [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

:santa: :santa: :santa: :santa: :santa: Absolutely perfect! What a way to start Christmas Eve! Thank you!

Author:  Pat [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Nice one!!!

Author:  shazwales [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Brilliant :D :D :D

Author:  JB [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

:lol: :lol: :lol: Very funny.

Author:  JS [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Wot JB said :lol:

Author:  Liz K [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Absolutely brilliant!!! :D :lol: :D :lol: :D :lol: :D

Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 11:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

That was unexpected! :lol: Pleased she wasn't caught, though.

Author:  cal562301 [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Wonderful! Thanks.

Author:  Chris S [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Surprised that any father ever manages to teach his daughter to drive! Loved the story.

Author:  Nightwing [ Fri Dec 25, 2009 3:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Loved that last one particularly! Thanks ADs, love your take(s) on Annis!

Author:  Abi [ Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

:lol: Loved that last one!

Author:  Kathy_S [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advent 23. Annis Lovell x 3

Lucky Miss Wilson didn't wake up during the drive! :lol: (I wonder if Tom ever heard the details....)

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