The first bouncing pebbles arrived in the mailbag the following Wednesday.

'm looking forward to seeing you all in the summer - I've a lovely surprise planned for you all! All I'll say is, we're not going to the Tiernsee!

"Chas, there's nothing in this. What are you annoyed about?" Stephen demanded, "I get enough of this reading her letters to me, never mind getting to share yours as well."

"Of course!" Stephen exclaimed. "If you get this, they can't argue with you. And even if they do argue, well, it's not like any of us expected to be welcomed home like the prodigal sons, was it? It's a good scholarship too, Chas

I was never sure how much of a joke it was meant to be, but Madge and Jem said they were hoping one of their twins'd go into the Army and one into the Navy, and that was when they were still babies .
He's not exactly modest, is he ? Really hope he gets the scholarship.

So, which of the twins is Major and which Minor

.

I seriously doubt that punishment wills squash the gruesome twosome.

"Maynie, there was a couple of packages for you in the post room. I brought them up." Stephen, who was fathoms deep in a new book - part of his birthday present from Charles, Mike and Felix - looked up.
"Package?" he asked vaguely.

"Yes, you know, package - big box covered in brown paper and string. Normally has things in it."

"It's your birthday box, you idiot." Charles contributed. "And on time, for once! Put that book down and open it, one of Anna's lemon biscuits would just brighten this afternoon up nicely."

The prefects were all in their room. They had had a meeting earlier in the day, and then, since going outside was made impossible by the torrential rain that was streaming down the window, they had with one accord elected to stay put.

Ooh, looking forward to June now!

Who needs happenings? The interaction between the group is so delightful that no more is needed.....

Dreadful brats that Need Squashing.

Dreadful brats that Need Squashing.

"Right." Mr Whyte got up. "Come on, all four of you. I'm going to hand you over to Matron in the san myself, so that I can be sure you get there and don't do anything on the way. Quickly now, I haven't got all day!"

"Yes, I'm supposed to be at school! I'm supposed to be studying for a scholarship exam, you remember?" Adrienne snapped, looking like she was on the verge of tears. "Except Rosli slipped on the stairs last week and broke her leg, so she's gone home to recover, and Auntie Joey had the trip to Montreux arranged, so she phoned Miss Annersley to get me to come over and look after the kids for the last week.

I can't come up with things I shouldn't be doing all the time." he pointed out.

I don't know what's happening to this family. They all seem to have their lives planned out and then they go and completely change their minds!"

"Everyone changes their minds, Jo. When you were fifteen, you weren't going to marry, let alone have eleven children and then adopt six more!" Joey grinned.

"Point taken! Very well, Mike, we'll see what we can do. I'm making no promises though!"

And how on Earth anyone expects me to win a scholarship to anywhere with all this going on is beyond me!" Adrienne dropped her burden on Stephen's knee and faced them angrily. "It's bad enough that I missed the last week of term, now I can't even catch up or study for my exam in the holidays because the entire house has gone mad!"

?? Surely she should want to know who was supposed to looking after Geoff??

"In addition," Hilda put in "You are not supposed to be working. You are more than prepared enough for this exam and the holidays are supposed to be a break from work. You still look tired, and if you come back to school looking like that then Matron will have you in the san to catch up on the rest you should be having now."

I personally think Joey was more than a little harsh in her treatment of Erica, but....

Thanks for the update! I think Joey was a bit harsh with Erica but at least she'll calm down!

I also think Joey was being quite fair. Erica was so wound up she needed a break.
*Creeps into cupboard to hide*

"The staircase is not the place for these conversations." she said firmly. "Now, come in, sit down and dry your face while I go and get us a drink."

Of course, what Maynard Major would have to say about it is a whole different kettle of fish.”

Chocolate biscuit? We might as well make the most of exile!

I'm hoping you will follow the lives of Mike, Felix and the Ks too as they progress through the school!

"Morning, Harry." she said, without turning round.

"Right, lovely Elizabeth." Monty said, leaning on the piano. "We want to know what on Earth is going on."

Echoes Elbee. In fact I'm thinking of setting up a chant for as many parts as New Dreams

Oh dear, was he still hugging her when the head came in?

"OK, but other than Maynie." Monty hugged her again. "Come on, I'll take you back to the boarding house, will I?"

Brilliant, just brilliant!. What more can I say!
I love Monty's responses to the Head's initial questions - he must know and trust him so well to even consider responding in the way he does and the Head must be one in a million to allow him to answer in such a cheeky manner.

"Adrienne, I appreciate that you are trying to work," Joey

"In addition," Hilda put in "You are not supposed to be working. You are more than prepared enough for this exam and the holidays are supposed to be a break from work. You still look tired, and if you come back to school looking like that then Matron will have you in the san to catch up on the rest you should be having now."

"I'm sorry." Adrienne said. Joey nodded to her.

"You've all been working non-stop since Easter." he pointed out to the combined sixth forms after Assembly. "Most of you have exams starting on Tuesday, leave your books in your desks and have the weekend off. I promise you, you'll all do fine if you've worked, and if you haven't, it's far too late to start now."

Perhaps the Matron or Headmaster needs to write to Joey and tell her that her son has made himself ill working for a scholarship - after all the reason he's done so is so that he will be able to follow his own dreams about his future rather than hers.


Thanks Eilidh

Gosh forty eight hours sleep! He must need fresh air now.

Actually unless they had catheterised him or got him out of bed at regular intervals I would expect a very wet bed! I wondered if Eilidh was taking an EBD approach and not mentioning toilet breaks on purpose! I to wondered about use of the toilet, but remembered that you can give a person the opportunity to go to the toilet when they are sleeping as deeply as Charles was and they do not remember it later. I suspect he would need a bath or a shower as well before he went out.

"It's the sea, it's the sea!" one of the Lower Third yelled. The cry was taken up by half the coach, while the other half immediately began debating what to do first.

"Well spotted." Miller replied.

Drown the Russell twins, pretty please?

I must commend Miller's policy of giving praise where it's due:

This post... aargh, I hate this post.

*Nb: This is not the first time I have had a crush on a fictional character, Rupert Campbell-Black, Richard Sharpe, John of Gaunt (as written by Anya Seton)... The list is endless...

So you didn't drown the twins oh well. Thanks for the update