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The New History Mistress (part 2 08/03)
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2150

Author:  RroseSelavy [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  The New History Mistress (part 2 08/03)

This is a cross-over, but I'm not telling you with what just yet! It'll probably conclude in the second post.

Nell Wilson leaned back her armchair, a cup of nectar-like coffee in one hand and a pastry twist overflowing with honey and nuts in the other. She turned to address her co-head, who was similarly arming herself from the plate of patisseries that one of the maids had set down on the table. "Well Hilda, the new History mistress certainly seems to have settled in well."

Hilda paused before settling into her own armchair, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "Oh yes. She came with excellent credentials - though I must say I had never heard of her previous school before - and the girls are gaining so much from her lessons. I don't think history has been so popular since Biddy O'Ryan's day."

"But..?" her colleague enquired, having noticed the frown.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing, Nell. It's just that sometimes she makes me feel as I'm the new mistress and she's the Headmistress. I know she's from a noble family, of course, but I didn't expect her to be quite so... impressive. And, you know, it can be impossible to find her when she's needed to cover for other staff during her free periods. Just yesterday I was sure I'd seen her go into the library, but when I went in to ask if she could keep an eye on Inter V's prep she was nowhere to be seen."

Nell laughed. "Overwork, my love. You're seeing things. Or perhaps it's time to visit the oculist?" Hilda's face was a picture as Nell demurely bit into her pastry.

The head of the Chalet School was saved from thinking of an adequately cutting reply by a knock at the door, shortly followed by the entrance of Matron Lloyd. And such a confused-looking Gwynneth Lloyd had never before been seen by either girls or staff.

"Matey!" cried Miss Wilson. "Come and sit down and try one of these luscious concoctions. Why, whatever is the matter?"

"I'm... not sure," Matey replied as she lowered herself, with much rustling of starched aprons, into the chair next to Miss Annersley. "I just met with the new history mistress on my way here and I took the chance to suggest - rather tactfully, I might add - that she do something with her hair. It really is most unconventional and given her popularity I'm worried that some of the Middles might try to emulate her. I can't see that it's natural and I don't want an epidemic of bleaching, thankyou very much."

"What did she say?" Hilda enquired as she placed a cup of coffee into Matey's trembling hand.

"Well, that's the thing. I don't remember. I remember agreeing that I had been most impolite in making such a personal comment, and that she was always well groomed. And suddenly there I was, standing alone, and she had gone."

Hilda and Nell looked shocked. The new mistress had disagreed with Matey and not only got her own way, but led the redoubtable terror of the school to acknowledge that she had been wrong? What on Earth could she have said? Gently, Nell touched Matey's frozen arm, still outstretched from taking hte coffee cup, and and lowered it to the arm of the chair. Clearly she was in shock. The girls would never have believed it if thay had heard that, eventually, Miss Wilson and Miss Annersley had had to lead the stricken Matron to her room, dose her with a sleeping draught of her own manufacture and put her to bed.

Meanwhile, such of Upper VI as took the subject were heading towards their formroom for their History lesson.

Author:  Alison H [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:06 pm ]
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Intrigued by the "noble family" bit ...

Author:  Ruth B [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:10 pm ]
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*racks brains* Nope, can't work it out.

Author:  Lexi [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:13 pm ]
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Hmmm, the only things I can come up with are that she's a vampire or a member of the Addams Family :lol:

Author:  Fatima [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:21 pm ]
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I can't work it out either, but it's intriguing.

Author:  Lesley [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:57 pm ]
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I'm sure I should know this - but I just can't work it out!


***Thinking***


Thanks RroseSelavy

Author:  white_hart [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:13 pm ]
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Hee! I think I know who it is...

Author:  Katarzyna [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:48 pm ]
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Susan Sto Helit?

:)

Author:  dorian [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:58 pm ]
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::giggling madly:: I know who this must be!

Can we have a sight of some of her lessons, please?

Author:  Lesley [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:18 pm ]
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Katarzyna wrote:
Susan Sto Helit?

:)


Thank you Kate - it's been bugging me all evening! :lol:

Author:  Pat [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:22 pm ]
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I've just read about this person in wikipedia, not having heard of her before! Would love to see some of her lessons! Arguing from cause to effect & back again?!!!

Author:  Nina [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:55 pm ]
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Yay! (and I guessed it was Susan before I scrolled down - I got it right for once!) More please... :D

Author:  RroseSelavy [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:38 am ]
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Heeehee! Well done guys! Hopefully more later today (need to revise who's in what form..)

Author:  leahbelle [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:37 pm ]
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I didn't guess at all!

Author:  RroseSelavy [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:25 pm ]
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Here's the second installment :D

They walked, of course, in silence, but they were all desperately curious about their new mistress. This was only the second week of term, and the first week's lesson had been cancelled in favour of an afternoon of skiing and toboganning, so they had not yet met Miss Sto Helit. They had, however, heard all sorts of stories from their juniors. Despite the history mistress's odd appearance at the beginning-of-term assembly, she seemed to have rapidly acquired a reputation for the most fascinating lessons - although, if Lower II were to be believed, woe betide any girl who dared to misbehave. As the grandees of the school turned the corner, they were almost bowled over by a young hurricane which proved on closer inspection to be Francie Wilford. Miss Francie had not been looking where she was going, as she had been facing over her shoulder to talk to Margot Maynard and the rest of Inter V who followed them.

"What on Earth-!" exclaimed Vi Lucy as she recovered her footing and glared at the shamefaced Francie.

"I'm so sorry, Vi. I, um, wasn't looking where I was going. And I was talking in the corridors," she added sheepishly.

"Oh? And what was so important that it couldn't wait?" Vi enquired.

"I was just saying what a smash-, er, awfully decent lesson we had with Miss Sto Helit. It was about the Battle of Hastings."

The seniors were flummoxed. Of all the things Francie could have said, this was most unexpected.

"Well, even so," Mary-Lou put her oar in. "That's no reason to break rules willy-nilly. Take an order mark. And just what have you been doing to your clothes?" Her eyes fell on Francie's tunic, which was covered in muddy stains. Margot Maynard, it seemed, was no better off, and appeared to have trodden in something left by a passing horse - though what a horse would be doing on the Platz, she never stopped to think. "Have you two been mucking about outside?"

"Oh no," replied Margot. "Truly, Mary-Lou, we've been in class all morning." The rest of Inter V nodded their assent, and with that Mary-Lou had to be content, for the mistress was waiting for them.

As Upper VI entered their form room - ignoring the arrow that could not possibly be sticking out of the door - to a polite "Good afternoon, girls," from Miss Sto Helit, the phone range in Rosalie Dene's office. It was the private line from Freudesheim, so she answered with a friendly "Rosalie speaking. That you, Jo?"

"Oh Rosalie, I'm so glad to catch you. I won't keep you long, I just wanted to ask if I could have the new girls some time this week? Say Thursday? Could you ask the Abbess?"

"Of course, Jo. And how is the family? And how was you tea with Miss Sto Helit at the weekend?"

"All present and correct, thanks. Partly thanks to your Miss Sto Helit, as it happens. You know I said that Geoff had been having nightmares? Well, I brought him and Phil down from the nursery to meet her when she came, and he seemed to take to her. She spoke to him most gravely - he does love being treated as a little man these days - and he told her about the monster in his cupboard, of all things! But she took him absolutely seriously and told him exactly how to deal with monsters. I was getting the tea tray, so I didn't hear all of it, but he told me later. And, my dear, he's slept soundly every night since. Which makes one of us at least - last night I was woken by the most furious row, but when I checked on the children they were all sleeping, so I must have dreamed it. The only strange thing was that Geoff was lying in bed with the fireplace poker in his hand. And how he managed to bend it, I shall never know! Oh mercy,look at the time. I must fly, Rosalie. Ta-ta!"

And with that, Rosalie returned to her work, feeling rather as though a whirlwind had passed through her office.

Author:  Clare [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:10 pm ]
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Yay! I aspire to be Susan in the classroom :D I'm looking forward to more.

Author:  Lesley [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:22 pm ]
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So where is she going to take the Sixth Form then? :lol:


Love the comment that they ignored the arrow that couldn't possibly be stuck in the door! :lol:


Thank you.

Author:  francesn [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:47 pm ]
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I want to read Discworld now!

Thank you.

Author:  leahbelle [ Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:29 pm ]
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Brilliant - thank you!

Author:  Dawn [ Sat Mar 10, 2007 12:13 am ]
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Oh fabulous - poor Geoff not being believed about the monster in the cupboard
:lol:

Author:  Miranda [ Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:12 am ]
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This is wonderful! I am a big Susan fan :lol: Will we get to meet any other characters too? I am feeling a Hogfather re-read coming on...

Thank you!

Author:  Jennie [ Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:48 pm ]
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I want to see the reaction when Susan's grandfather arrives to take her out for a curry.

Author:  Carolyn P [ Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:25 pm ]
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Love it.

Author:  keren [ Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:53 am ]
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What is first Hogfather or Thief of time.
I took them from my dad just now, and want to know which one to reread first.
thanks

Author:  Nina [ Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:39 pm ]
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Pretty sure it's Hogfather - there's lots of Susan in that one!

Author:  Katarzyna [ Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:14 pm ]
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From memory - because i am at work

Susan first appears in Soul Music, then Hogfather and then Thief of Time.

I have a feeling I may well have missed one out though!

Author:  Miranda [ Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:18 pm ]
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No I'm pretty sure they're the only three she's in....

But Hogfather was the first Pratchett I ever read, so it's still relatively easy to pick up the story from there.

ETA and wikipedia agrees with me on that :)

Author:  Fiona Mc [ Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:27 pm ]
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This is driving me nuts. Who is Susan Von Stelt and the Hogfather. I really like this so wouldn't mind seeing where it all originates from. PLease.

Author:  Clare [ Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:31 pm ]
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Fiona Mc wrote:
This is driving me nuts. Who is Susan Von Stelt and the Hogfather. I really like this so wouldn't mind seeing where it all originates from. PLease.


Susan Sto Helit is Death's grand-daughter in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.

Death adopts Susan's mother when her parents have died, and several years later he decides to get an apprentice - Mort. Mort and Susan's mother (is it Ysabell? Can't remember) leave Death's world, get married and have Susan. Susan has 'inherited' some of her grandfather's traits i.e. seeing what is really there, dealing with the mythological (Bogey men, tooth fairies, monsters under the bed) and can walk through walls. I think she deputises as Death for him in Soul Music, which basically entails severing the soul (if you'd describe it as that) from the body.

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