Mary Lou looked proudly at the new wooden building, clearly designed in the traditional alpine style and fitting in perfectly with the other Chalet School buildings. It was very tall in places, with a series of covered passageways on the ground floor so the girls did not have to go outside in bad weather. The building was around a quad, where the grass was broken up by three beds of gaily coloured flowers.
“It's amazing, how closely it resembles the other buildings.” Mary Lou commented to Joey who was standing next to her, dressed in her finest clothes as befitted a lady opener. Her sister had been unavailable to open the newest Chalet School building and so Joey herself had been drafted in to open St Catherine of Alexandria house. “Yes, I think it will be a real asset to the Chalet School name,” responded Joey, “of course, the name was chosen especially by Madame, as St Catherine is the Patron Saint of educators, girls, scholars, maidens, students and children, among others. It seemed to tick so many boxes.” Mary Lou looked puzzled for a minute and asked the question that had been burning ever since the idea had first been mooted to her, “So how did the idea first come about?” “It was simple,” Joey responded, “So many of our girls and their parents saw this as a natural progression of their school life that we felt we much oblige them. We have arranged the same structure here as at the main school, a matron who knows our ways, dormitories, prep time and prefects chosen from the older girls, common rooms, our own Karen to be head cook, and with your qualifications you just had to be its first head.” Mary Lou blushed “I'm honoured. I really can't think of anything I would like to do more.” At that moment a bell sounded. “Oh my goodness”, Mary Lou ejaculated, “The ceremony will be starting soon!” Their conversation finished somewhat abruptly as both women rushed to the mirror to make sure they were presentable for the ceremony. Joey repaced some hairpins stolen from her hair by her 17th baby, Louise, who was safely downstairs with her eldest, now Mrs Entwhistle while Mary Lou pulled on her MA gown, and the friends swept downstairs looking very dignified indeed.
The very diginified Mrs Maynard stepped forward to open the building officially, and spoke to the assembled throng in her sweet, low tones as she put the scissors to the ribbon across the doors.
“I now declare this, the new branch of the Chalet School, St Catherine of Alexandria's College, Oxford University... open.”
Please note, details may be wrong, never been to Oxford! I was just lying in bed late last night thinking that with the number of girls who go to Oxford from the CS they might as well have their own college there...
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lovely twist at the end! The poor girls will never get the chance to break away from CS tradition now 