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A New School (updated 09 Jul)
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6222
Author:  Eilidh [ 22 Jun 2009, 15:46 ]
Post subject:  A New School (updated 09 Jul)
One - Grizel

There was what Cookie called 'a March tempest' going on outside - the rain battered off the windows and the wind howled round the old house as Grizel, hearing raised voices floating up from the room below, put her story book to one side and crept out on to the stairs.

"...come, now, she's not as bad as that. A little high-spirited perhaps..." her father was cut off from his soothing speech as her stepmother interrupted.

"I tell you the child is rude, ill-mannered, disobedient, badly brought up and spoilt into the bargain. I have had enough! She must go to school, there is no other option."

"I've told you before, one of the reasons I wanted to marry again was to have Grizel under my roof. People will talk if she is sent away to school."

"You might want her under your roof, I want her nowhere near it! I never wanted children and I don't know how to cope with yours! Either she goes, or I do!" The wind stopped abruptly as Mrs Cochrane proclaimed her last sentence, and Grizel froze as the angry words echoed around the house. "And it's five past the hour and I don't hear the piano either, that child never practices unless someone stands over her." The sound of brisk footsteps crossing the drawing room floor were heard, and Grizel, with a frantic glance at the little wrist watch she wore, turned and scrambled back up the stairs, slid on to the the piano stool and began her exercises as her stepmother's footsteps sounded in the hall. However, she gained little from the hour of practice that followed, as her hands moved automatically, and her mind was whirling with what she had overheard.
Author:  crystaltips [ 22 Jun 2009, 16:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School
This looks interesting, thanks Eilidh
Author:  abbeybufo [ 22 Jun 2009, 16:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School
Great start Eilidh - looking forward to more :D
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ 22 Jun 2009, 17:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School
Poor Grizel, her home life must have been so difficult :(

Thanks for an interesting start.
Author:  Eilidh [ 23 Jun 2009, 08:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School
A few hours later, the doorbell interrupted her as she worked at her French for the following day. As was her habit, Grizel slipped out of her room and hung over the bannister as Cookie went to the door, and the kindly woman's words floated up clearly to her.

"Ah, Miss Bettany, come in! It's a terrible day for you to be out in! The master and the missus are in the drawing room, were you looking for them?"

"I was." the sweet low voice carried easily to Grizel. "Thank you." she added as Cookie took her big coat and showed her into the room. Grizel stayed where she was, consumed by curiosity until Cookie had returned to the kitchen. Once she was sure she was safe, Grizel, suppressing the prickings of her consience, tiptoed down the stairs and across the hall, where she crouched at the Drawing Room door.

"So what can we do for you, Madge?" There was a pause.

"I've come to make a suggestion." Miss Bettany replied. "Mademoiselle Lepattre and I are intending to start a school, in the Austrian Tyrol, beside a lake called the Tiernsee. I wondered if you would like us to take Grizel as a pupil?" There was a silence. Grizel hardly dared to breath. To go to Austria, with Miss Bettany and Jo! She would never be allowed, surely?

"I won't deny that we have been thinking about boarding school for Grizel, and it sounds an excellent suggestion, but isn't it rather far away to travel to?" her father asked, and Grizel's heart sank slightly.

"For the Christmas and Easter holidays, yes." Miss Bettany replied. "But Joey and I will be making our home at the school and we would be delighted to have Grizel with us for the shorter holidays - and also, of course, for this summer. As we intend to start the school after Easter it would be a lot of travelling for her in a few months to come home again for the summer holidays this year."

"That would be wonderful." Mrs Cochrane responded warmly. "It would be a tremendous opportunity for Grizel, I think we should accept." Her husband paused.

"Yes. Yes, it's a excellent idea." he said eventually. "I'd rather trust Grizel to a friend like you, Madge, than to some random schoolteacher..." at this point Grizel felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing young lady?" demanded a voice.

"Cookie, I... I..."

"I know what you were doing." Cookie sounded grim. "You deserve for me to tell the missus about this, but I won't this time. Get yourself up those stairs, and be thankful it was me who caught you doing such a dishonourable thing! Your father would have whipped you."

Scarlet to the tips of her ears, Grizel huried back to her room, but her embarrasment faded quickly and she danced a jig in the middle of her bedroom floor before returning to her French with little enough concentration that ensured she had the lesson returned the following day.

Late that night, she sat on the window ledge in her room, wrapped in her dressing gown. She was far too excited to sleep, and she didn't dare put on the light. The storm that had raged all day had gone, and Grizel watched the moon rising over Taverton. She was going away, she was going with Miss Bettany and Jo, she was going to a new school! Grizel beamed. It was going to be such an adventure.

End of Chapter One
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ 23 Jun 2009, 09:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 23 Jun)
It's nice to see more of Grizel and Cookie, they always had such a nice relationship in the books :D

Thankyou, I can't wait to see what (who?) we get next!
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 24 Jun 2009, 03:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 23 Jun)
Poor Grizel, she had such a rough time at home. I hope we see Simone's viewpoint :wink:
Author:  Lesley [ 24 Jun 2009, 06:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 23 Jun)
Poor Grizel - glad she had Cookie at least.


Thanks Eilidh
Author:  Eilidh [ 24 Jun 2009, 08:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 23 Jun)
Simone it is! Thank you for you comments.

Two - Simone

"And finally, first, Simone Lecoutier." Simone flushed and smiled as a loud bell rang and the class of girls faced their teacher expectantly. "Well done Simone. Have a nice evening everyone." she said cheerfully, and there was an instant outbreak of noise as the girls rushed for the door.

"Don't you get bored being top all the time Simone?" one of them asked as they split up and started out towards their various homes, walking swiftly for although it was spring and all over Paris there were flowers blooming and people were beginning to enjoy the sunshine, the air was still chilly in the early evening.

"Maybe you need to work harder Juliette." Simone teased in response. "Then I would not have to be top every time." The girls laughed as Juliette pulled an expressive face.

"No, thank you." she grinned. "Last is my place. I haven't got brains like some people. You need to be careful Simone, or Madame will be telling your parents they should be taking you away and sending you somewhere where you can fulfill your potential - or in other words, where you'll have to work hard."

"Mine decided that anyway." another girl pointed out. "I'm going to the Convent in September. I'll be 12 by then and Papa thinks I should be going away to school."

"Never!" Simone said forcefully. "Maman and Papa know I would hate it. I couldn't live away from my home and my family."

"So where will you go to school?" Juliette asked curiously. "Madame doesn't take anyone over 12 normally, and you were 12 in January - you're one of the oldest of us."

"I don't know." Simone replied thoughtfully, "but I won't go away to school. I would hate it. Anyway," she added, looking uncomfortable "There is no money for me to go away anywhere, so I'm safe." Conscious of her embarrassment, the other girls changed the subject.

Slowly the girls left the group as they came near to their homes, and eventually only Simone and her own particular friend, Céline, were left. They hurried down the last street and let themselves into the tall apartment block where their families made their homes.

"We have that horrible arithmetic to do tonight." Céline complained as they halted on the first landing. "It won't take you long, I imagine, but I will be working on it all night!" Simone laughed.

"But you will do the literature easily, and you know I can't concentrate to read for a long time." she countered. "And I will have to help Renée with her work as well, because Maman will be unhappy if she gets a bad report, and all Renee wants to do is play the piano! She has no interest in school work."

"I'll see you in the morning then." Céline said cheerfully. Simone waved as her friend climbed the stairs then entered the little appartement that had been home for as long as she could remember.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ 24 Jun 2009, 08:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
Uh-oh, I hope that Simone doesn't take the news too badly!

Thankyou :)
Author:  jmc [ 24 Jun 2009, 12:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
It's nice to see Simone's life before coming to CS as we never really heard anything about that.

Thanks Eilidh.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 24 Jun 2009, 13:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
Simone is lovely there. No wonder she found it hard to settle down at first losing all her friends like that
Author:  Liane [ 24 Jun 2009, 18:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
Poor Simone, I can't see this going well. Hopefully the fact that she will have Mddle with her will help.
Thanks Eilidh
Author:  Abi [ 24 Jun 2009, 21:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
Nice to see Simone somewhere she feels secure and confident. I've never really thought about where she was before - you can see why she found the change hard.
Author:  Nightwing [ 24 Jun 2009, 21:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
Poor Simone! No wonder she was so terribly homesick and lonely at the CS :(

Thanks, Eilidh! I'm enjoying this.
Author:  Eilidh [ 25 Jun 2009, 08:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
Simone was the first chapter I wrote - The whole thing stemmed from her and her French friends :D

"I'm home!" she called.

"Just in time." her mother replied, appearing from the kitchen. "Go and change quickly, and come and have dinner. Bring Renee with you!"

Simone hurried into the little room she shared with her sister and wriggled out of her blue and white checked school frock, hanging it neatly in the wardrobe and pulling on a jumper and skirt.

"Maman said come to dinner." she said to her sister as she hastily undid her long plait, ran a comb swiftly through her hair and with deft fingers refastened it. Renee sighed and closed the book she had been reading.

"I got full marks for the arithmetic you helped me with last night." she informed her sister. "And Madame said my English today was excellent!"

"Good." Simone smiled, and help out her hand to the younger girl. "Come on now, lets go and get some dinner and then we can see what you have to do tonight."

"Papa!" Renee cried in delight as she entered the kitchen. It was rare that their father was home in time to eat with them, and Simone smiled at her sister's joy as she slid into her place at the table and listened to their father repeat the grace they always used. Renee chattered excitedly through the meal, but Simone noticed that both her parents were quiet and on several occasions she saw her father staring at her with a strange expression on his face.

"Have I a mark on my nose, Papa?" she asked eventually. Her father laughed.

"No, petite, I was just thinking how grown up you look." he smiled. "Where did you come in class this week?"

"First." Simone smiled.

"That's my good girl." her father said approvingly, though he exchanged glances with his wife as he said it.

Once the meal was finished, the girls washed up the few dishes that had been used and then once Renee had been dispatched back to the big kitchen table to do what she could with her homework before she began her piano practice, Simone was summoned to the salon where her parents were looking serious.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, settling herself on the sofa. Her father picked up several closely written pages and waved the towards her.

"This is a letter from my cousin Elise." he began, "You have heard me talk about her? You met her once when you were a very small child."

"Yes, I have heard you talk, though I don't remember her." Simone agreed.

"She writes to tell me she is giving up her job as a governess." her father said, "She is going into partnership with a young English woman she knows, and they are going together to Austria to start a school in the mountains."

"That will be very interesting for her." Simone observed, slightly confused.

"She has arranged with," there was a pause while her father turned a page, "Mademoiselle Bettany that her payment for her services will be a place at the school for you." Simone stared at him in shock.

"Me?" she asked eventually.

"Isn't it wonderful?" her mother asked, smiling at her, "We have been worrying about where you should go to school in September, and here is the answer on a plate. You know there is not a lot of money to send you to a good school nearby, and you are so clever Simone. Mademoiselle Bettany's school will be run on English lines, but Cousin Elise is an excellent teacher and you will learn English and German and see so many places. You will have a wonderful time!"

Simone stared at them in shock, her thoughts whirling. Leave her friends? Leave her family, her city, her school, her home?

"Maman, Papa..." she paused, biting her lips. "I don't want to go away to school!" Her parents exchanged glances.

"Simone, you need to understand," her mother began slowly, "this is the best chance at more education you could possibly have. Madame won't keep you after this year, and as I said, there is no money to go to one of the big schools. If we do manage to find the money, it won't be to a school nearby - you will have to board anyway."

"I see." Simone took a deep breath. If she refused this place, then Maman and Papa and Renée would have to go without so that she could go away from home anyway. And maybe by summer she would be able to convince Céline to come with her. "Well, at least I will have until the summer with my friends. After that, we would all be split up anyway. Maybe it won't be so bad." There was another uncomfortable pause.

"Simone, Cousin Elise will pick you up in three weeks time." her father told her. "The new school starts after Easter." Simone looked from one to the other, feeling unaccustomed tears pricking in her eyes.

"I have my work to do." she said, and rushed out of the room. She threw herself face down on her bed and cried stormily.

Late that night, she sat up in bed, with only the little light beside her for company. Her abandoned book lay on her knee and on the other side of the room, Renee slept peacefully, her breathing deep and even. Simone thought miserable of the next morning, when she would have to break the news to her friends, and especially to Céline, that she would be leaving school in the next few weeks. She would be leaving everything behind, and going to a new country with a cousin that she hardly knew. She was going away, she was going with Cousin Elise, she was going to a new school. Simone shuddered. It was going to be horrible.

End of Chapter Two
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ 25 Jun 2009, 08:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 25 Jun)
(((Simone))) - Joey will be waiting there for you!
Author:  JS [ 25 Jun 2009, 09:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 25 Jun)
Poor Simone :(

This is a really nice idea - who next, I wonder.
Author:  leahbelle [ 25 Jun 2009, 13:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 25 Jun)
Oh, poor Simone.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 25 Jun 2009, 13:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 25 Jun)
ChubbyMonkey wrote:
(((Simone))) - Joey will be waiting there for you!


Though I didn't find Joey particularly nice to Simone on so many occasions.

Quote:
This is a really nice idea - who next, I wonder.


I hope it's one of the Austrian girls.
Author:  Liane [ 25 Jun 2009, 14:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 24 Jun)
Eilidh wrote:

Simone looked from one to the other, feeling unaccustomed tears pricking in her eyes.

What a different girl! Poor Simone
Author:  jmc [ 26 Jun 2009, 08:48 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 25 Jun)
No wonder Simone was so unhappy at the beginning. :(
Author:  Eilidh [ 26 Jun 2009, 11:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 25 Jun)
Three - Joey

There was a crash. And a bang. Just as Madge was getting to her feet in alarm, this was followed by a yell and a series of bumps which culminated in a final loud crashing noise, giving the distinct impression that something was now broken. Rushing into the hallway, Madge discovered her sister half way down the stairs, and Joey's trunk pressed up against the wall of the hallway, a pair of neat parallel scratches on the polished floor showing its progress.

"Joey!" she exclaimed, sounding righteously annoyed.

"I say, Madge, I'm awfully sorry. I was just bringing it downstairs but it was too heavy to lift so I pushed it but when I got to the stairs I lost my grip and..."

"Quite." Madge stated. "And tell me, why couldn't you have asked me to come and help?" Joey gazed at her feet. "Well, as the trunk is down now, help me to take it to to door with the others. And then you can get busy taking those marks off the floor until it's time to leave! Joey!" this last as she pulled the trunk away from the wall, "What on earth is in here?"

"Just the usual things." Joey responded cheerfully.

"What 'usual things'? Give me your keys." Joey handed them over reluctantly and stood back while Madge began her investigation. "Josephine Bettany!"

"What?" Joey asked, attempting to look innocent.

"These books! All these books were supposed to go with Dick and Mademoiselle last week!" Joey had the grace to look ashamed.

"Well I know you said six, but I couldn't pick six and I thought I'd do a lot of reading on the train and when we were with the aunts and I put in one or two more, then I found some others that I just couldn't send with Dick..." she tailed off under her sisters' gaze.

"So you brought..." Madge counted quickly "Fourteen books."

"Sixteen." Joey corrected. "There are two more in the bottom."

"It will be less than two weeks until we get to Austria!" Madge said, sounding irritated. "And you'll be with Grizel for lots of the time. You certainly didn't need to bring all these! And all of them big and heavy. Well, it's too late to do anything about it now. Add this to the pile and get to work on the scratches you caused. And from now on, Joey, your packing will be supervised!"

Edited to fix typos
Author:  crystaltips [ 26 Jun 2009, 14:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 26 Jun)
Love it!!
When I went on holiday I took just one book for the flight. I returned with 8 (7 bought there & each read twice during the fortnight) I can sympathise with Joey here :D
Thanks Eilidh.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ 26 Jun 2009, 17:39 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 26 Jun)
Poor Joey! Doesn't Madge understand that she needs to read those books! Imagine being asked to choose only six CS's to take...

Thankyou, this is brilliant.
Author:  Abi [ 26 Jun 2009, 20:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 26 Jun)
I can so understand Joey there! I used to take 50-60 books with me every term to uni - can't imagine not having lots. I tend to take at least 10 even on a week's holiday :oops: .
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 28 Jun 2009, 07:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 26 Jun)
Thanks, can relate to taking a lot of books with you when travelling as I'm exactly the same
Author:  Lesley [ 28 Jun 2009, 08:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 26 Jun)
Can completely relate to Joey - six books for an entire term????? :shock:

Feel very sorry for Simone though - she changes so much and when she finally does find a 'best friend' she's treated as a waterspout because she is so unhappy. :cry:


Thanks Eilidh
Author:  Eilidh [ 02 Jul 2009, 14:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 26 Jun)
We see so much of Joey at the start of School At that there wasn't a lot left to write - so she only gets a short chapter.

Joey drummed her heels on the floor in time with the rhythm of the train. The boring visit was over, they were going now and now - she hugged herself with glee - the adventures would start. Madge was frowning at her accounts. Sometimes, Joey thought, Madge didn't like arithmetic any more than she did.

"Joey, keep your feet still."

Mr Cochrane was bringing Grizel to London to meet them, Madge had told her. Grizel could have come with them if they hadn't had to go to the Aunts. It was so awful being fussed. She couldn't help being ill, could she? And she wasn't ill just now. Why wouldn't the train go faster? Didn't it know she had an adventure to go on? Without realising, Joey began to tap her feet again. Should she read, maybe? She was too excited to read.

"Joey, feet!"

Joey put her feet flat on the floor and concentrated on keeping them there. Madge sounded annoyed. Maybe her sums weren't working out properly, or maybe she wasn't looking forward to the long train journey. Joey thought that the train journey sounded like a wonderful start to the adventure. It was so long since she'd been in Paris and Innsbruck. She hoped Madge would find time to take them to see Napoleon, and it would be wonderful to practice her French again.

"Oh!" Joey exclaimed. Madge looked up. "London!" Joey explained, leaning forward to see out the window properly. Madge regarded her with amused eyes.

"You've seen it all before, Joey-baba."

Joey ignored this. She was going to a new school, she was going to be with Madge! It was going to be such an adventure!

End of Chapter 3
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ 02 Jul 2009, 14:34 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 02 Jul)
It's nice to see Joey being so happy :D Sadly, with Joey adventures aren't always that fun...
Author:  shazwales [ 02 Jul 2009, 20:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 02 Jul)
This is fun,looking forward to seeing the next chapter. :?:
Author:  Abi [ 02 Jul 2009, 23:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 02 Jul)
Aw, Joey's so cute! Wonder who's going to be next?!
Author:  Lesley [ 03 Jul 2009, 07:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 02 Jul)
Joey's a typical 12 year old there - and it's nice to see that Madge had some worry about the finances! :lol:

Thanks Eilidh
Author:  jmc [ 03 Jul 2009, 08:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 02 Jul)
It's nice to see Joey so excited about starting school. I would also be packing heaps of books. After all they wouldn't be able to get them easily over there.

Thanks
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 04 Jul 2009, 13:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 02 Jul)
Thanks. Can't wait to see the other's point of view
Author:  Eilidh [ 09 Jul 2009, 08:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 02 Jul)
Four - Gisela and Bette

Gisela worked her way calmly through the arithmetic, not paying particular attention to any of it. In the next room, she could hear her sister struggling with reading aloud in English and Maria's halting attempts were distracting her from the work she had been set. She sat back with a sigh.

"Better be careful." her cousin, sitting opposite her warned. "Mama will be here soon with the lastest applicant to replace Mamselle. She won't like it if she catches you doing nothing." Gisela sighed.

"It's so hard to sit here and work at arithmetic or French when its so sunny outside. I wish the Mensch's would come up from Innsbruck already."

"They won't." Bette predicted. "Now that Bernhilda and Frieda are at school there, they will stay there until the summer holiday."

"It's so boring!" Gisela complained. "I don't know why Mama and Papa decided to move back to Tiernsee. We were so happy in Wien, and I was at school there with friends and plenty to do."

"You know there was no choice when the bank transferred Onkle Florian to Innsbruck." Bette had heard this many timesbefore and was ready to give her usual consolation. "And it's wonderful to have you back, it really is - Anita and Giovanna are so young, and Bernhilda is in Innsbruck so there is only really Gertrud here with me. And she goes to school at Tiernkirche, and that's too far for me to go every day from Buchau."

"I wish someone would start a real school here." Gisela grumbled.

"At Tiernsee?" Bette laughed. "Who on Earth would start a school at Tiernsee? Anyway, come on, if you've finished that arithmetic. We can go out for a walk, and I want to walk round to Briesau and find out what's going on at the old Chalet - I saw the Brauns going in and out yeserday and this morning."

"Nosey." Gisela commented, however Bette's enthusiasm was infectious and she felt her spirits lift slightly as she hurried downstairs after her younger cousin. After all, she hadn't had nearly so much freedon when they lived in Wien!
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 09 Jul 2009, 09:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
This is lovely. Thank you and so nice to see the Austrian girls point of view
Author:  JS [ 09 Jul 2009, 09:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
Ah Gisela, your dreams are about to come true!
Author:  jmc [ 09 Jul 2009, 12:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
It's lovely to see Gisela and Bette's point of view before they start at the CS as we really don't know much about their school life before the CS. Thanks
Author:  leahbelle [ 09 Jul 2009, 13:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
Lovely to see things from Gisela's and Bette's point of view.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ 09 Jul 2009, 16:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
That isn't often a point of view that we get to see, so nice to. Thankyou!
Author:  shazwales [ 09 Jul 2009, 18:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
Thank you this is a good twist on the original'
Looking forward to seeing more of this.
Author:  Abi [ 09 Jul 2009, 21:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
Love seeing the perspective of the Austrian girls - it's not something I've thought about often. Thanks, Eilidh.
Author:  Lesley [ 09 Jul 2009, 21:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: A New School (updated 09 Jul)
They come across far more 'real' than in the original! :lol:


Thanks Eilidh
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