The CBB :: View topic

#1: The Bath Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:10 pm

Madge heard her alarm clock ring and turned over in bed. She opened one eye and looked at the clock, 6:30 am. Hitting the alarm she stretched and hauled herself up on her pillows, enjoying the shaft of morning sun that was flooding through the gap in the curtains. She lay there for a few moments, savouring the moment, listening to the sound of birdsong and, in the distance water lapping at the shore of the lake. It was eventually the other sound, the one she recognised as Joey’s pillow hitting the flowerbed outside the window that recalled her to her responsibilities and with a sigh she finally rose. Madge pulled on her robe as she crossed to the window and pulling up the sash she put her head out just as her young sister was looking out of her window above to see the destination of her pillow. Wise in the ways of this particular young sinner, Madge had not looked down but was looking up and her eyes met Joey’s, Madge stifling a giggle as she saw Joey’s hopeful face cloud at the sight of her sister’s upturned face.

“Josephine as soon as you are bathed and dressed you will collect that pillow and take it the kitchens to dry. I will see you in the study after breakfast,” with this Madge withdrew, leaving Joey to return to her more lawful pursuits with a groan, “Lawks, why does Madge have to be so on the spot?”
“You should have known,” replied Margia, “It is the third time in the past fortnight you have sent your pillow flying out of the window. I think,” she mused, “that those margarites will never be quite the same again.”
“Blow the flowers,” murmured Miss Jo with a grimace, “It’s my skin I’m more worried about.”
“Go and have your bath and forget about it till after breakfast, too late to do anything about it now.” With this piece of advice Margia withdrew to finish dressing, knowing that she would only get a full hour at the piano if she hurried. Joey meanwhile collected her towel and her sponge bag and proceeded to the bathroom where she ran her usual deep warm bath and sank into it, feeling her muscles relax at the touch of the water. She lay there for a moment, and then leisurely reached for her sponge and soap. About fifteen minutes later she was standing at the side of the bath giving herself a vigorous rub with the towel as she finished drying, then feeling much more like her usual self went back to the dormy to dress, refreshed, relaxed and ready to face her sister with her customary insouciance.

Madge meanwhile had withdrawn from the window and sat at her dressing table with her hairbrush. She brushed her hair until her scalp tingled, then with a sudden impulse returned to the window. She loved this view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. She gazed at the still blueness of the lake and counted her blessings, this was a beautiful place to live, Joey’s health was improving in leaps and bounds with the mountain air, this morning’s actions showed that, even if they did have to be reined in. Then there was the school. Within a few weeks the school had doubled in size and Madge was optimistic about their future. It was with a wrench that she pulled herself away from the view and made her way to her own tiny bathroom.

Opening the door she turned the taps on and poured in a generous dollop of bubble bath. As the water ran she tied up her hair and cleaned her teeth, then turned off the taps, hung her robe on the back of the door and without delay swung herself into the bath. She was out again even quicker. The water was icy cold. She stood next to the bath shivering, the shock momentarily stunned her, then as she came to her senses and realised that she was covered in goosebumps she gave herself a rapid and energetic rub with the towel, restoring her blood flow and bringing a tingling to her arms and legs as she considered what had happened. Madge replaced her robe and ran the hot tap, the water that gushed out was plentiful, but it was as cold as the water from the cold tap that was drawn from the spring fed lake. Madge retired to her room to dress, her mind puzzling over her unexpected cold bath.

It was not until she went to the kitchen on her way down to breakfast to check that Joey had remembered to bring her pillow indoors that she found the solution to her problem. She had spoken to Marie, the cook and school housekeeper about the pillow and promised to ensure that Joey was sent to apologise to the maids for the extra work. It was just as she was leaving that she happened to say, “Oh, by the way could you send for a plumber to look at the taps on my bath, there appears to be a problem with my hot water.”
“Oh, no, Madame. That is not a problem. It is the boiler; it will not heat enough water for the young ladies. Mademoiselle had the same problem yesterday, and I have taken to rising early to ensure the hot water for my bath.”
“What about your maids?” asked Madge, curiously.
“They are young, the cold does not bother them, and it brings a glow to their cheeks. They are much quicker with a cold bath and do not linger in the bathroom,” replied Marie with a careless shrug.

It probably did not help matters that whilst Joey was on time for breakfast, not daring to be anything else with sins already to account for, others were not as prompt. Grizel arrived just as Madge was about to say grace and murmuring an apology to her head dropped to her seat as grace was finished, her head still showing signs of dampness about her curls as she had chosen that morning to wash her hair whilst in her bath, and as a result had been late with everything else after that. Even Grizel however was not as late as Simone who, being punctilious about her toilette always took her time and this morning had outdone them all. Joey seeing Madge’s brows crease in thought, felt her stomach lurch at the thought of what this boded for her forthcoming interview. Despite her relaxed state, she ate no more after this, sipping at her milky coffee and vowing vengeance on her friends if their tardiness had put her sister in a bad mood.

Joey approached the study and knocked on the door. Making a curtsey as she entered she stood before the desk demurely.
“This is unacceptable Josephine. Pillows are not meant to be flung about and the maids have enough work to do without drying your pillow to say nothing of all the extra slips you are getting through,” said Madge crisply, wishing to get the interview over with so she could turn her thoughts to the other matter.
Joey cautiously raised her eyes and muttered her apologies.
“That is not good enough, you must apologise to the maids as well, it is they who have to deal with the results of your babyish activities,”
That stung Jo and she coloured up as a result.
“Yes, babyish, and if it happens again you will keep to baby hours and baby boundaries for a week.” Madge had a distracted air as she pronounced this and Joey glad to escape with nothing worse than an apology to make and a promise of future good behaviour left the study as soon as she could, making her way to the kitchens where she had to face Marie’s wrath before she could make her apologies. However being good friends with that lady, and a favourite with the maids because of her hail-fellow-well-met attitude she could be seen leaving not long afterwards with an apple in her hand.

The final result of the morning’s horseplay however was yet to become apparent. The following morning the girls rose to find a notice pinned on each bathroom door setting forth what was to become normal practice at the Chalet. In future the girls must take their morning baths cold or chill off.

#2: Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:13 pm

Yay! A Tirol drabble! Thanks Carolyn, it's great!

#3: Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:13 pm

*grin*

Thank you for the glittering drabble auntie Carolyn Mr. Green

#4: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:14 pm

Now I understand. Does this mean staff can still have warm baths? ROFL

#5: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:20 pm

What else? You don't honestly expect the staff to suffer in the same way as the pupils, do you?

#6: Author: gigagal, Location: London

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:22 pm

Hehehe, v.well written Carolyn! Very Happy

#7: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:37 pm

Yay thank you Carolyn!!!!! ROFL

A very radient explanation! It was definitely worthwhile being CS staff!!!

#8: Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:43 pm

Thanks Carolyn, I love the drabbles, which explain customs from the school!

#9: Author: Donna, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:48 pm

a wonderful idea Carolyn, and so plausible! Thank you!

#10: Author: Lesley, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 10:51 pm

Thankyou Carolyn - as someone who would quite happily stay in a hot bath for ages I can see Madge's reasoning - still BRRRRRR!!!!! Laughing

#11: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:19 am

Thank you Carolyn, love story can just see it happening in the books themselves.

#12: Author: Vikki, Location: Possibly in hell! It's certainly hot enough.......

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:24 am

*giggling wildly*

Carolyn, that's brilliant!! Absolutely inspired!!!

#13: Author: Sarah_K, Location: St Albans

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:30 am

*giggle*
It sounded very EBDish to me, thanks Carolyn

#14: Author: pim, Location: the place where public transport doesn't work properly!

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:57 am

That was brilliant Carolyn.

#15: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 1:51 am

Thanks Carolyn - an excellent reason!

#16: Author: Rachel, Location: Plotting in my lair

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 9:22 am

Yay Carolyn!

A most splendacious and fantabulous story - glad you wrote it like this - although the alternative version would have been even funnier Wink

How about a sequel? Twisted Evil

#17: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 9:28 am

What alternative version, Rachel?

#18: Author: caz, Location: Cambridge

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 9:50 am

A brilliant drabble; thanks, Carolyn. Great to see one set in Tyrol. Very Happy

*also curious about the alternative version*

#19: Author: Rachel, Location: Plotting in my lair

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 10:01 am

That was unfair or me to have said anything - I was just showing off about having watched the creative process at work - sorry Carolyn.

I think this story is brilliant and works really really well as an explanation of why those poor girls had to have cold baths!

#20: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 10:20 am

The alternative was with Matey rather than Madge, and was the original idea that I flung past Rachel when chatting the other day. However when I looked cold baths were first mentioned in School At, and therefore before Matey's time.

#21: Author: keren,

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 10:52 am

but we still want to know what matey would have said!

Lovely story

#22: Author: Nicci, Location: UK

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 6:45 pm

Carolyn that was truly inspired. and very ebdish!

*looking forward to more of Carolyn's explanations of chaletian customs*

#23: Author: claire, Location: SOUTH WALES

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 7:54 pm

Excellent - I knew there must be a reason for cold baths

#24: Author: Catherine_B, Location: Oxford, UK

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 7:56 pm

Carolyn, I particularly enjoyed this drabble as my boiler has broken & I've been taking cold showers for the last three days! Mr. Green

#25: Author: Rachael,

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 4:57 pm

Only just got tound to this but love it, Carolyn!!

Fabulous explanation and I'm pleased that the staff continued to take hot baths!!

(Hope your boiler's working now, Cathy!)

#26: Author: Elisabeth,

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:37 pm

Loved this Carolyn!
I think I'll have a cold shower tomorrow - it's sounds fun Smile

#27: Author: Catherine_B, Location: Oxford, UK

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 12:14 am

Thank you Rachael, it is - but for three days I was surprisingly on time for work - no lingering in the shower!

#28: Author: Rosie, Location: Huntingdonshire

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 12:19 am

I have discovered the painful way that the coldest of the 'hot' settings on our shower is still way too hot. So in order to have a shower I have to constantly flick between boiling and freezing (once I get bored I stick with freezing!). As you say Catherine, amazing how much quicker you get. And none of the rest of my family seem to have any probs at all - they all have it in the middle of the hot settings!

The CBB -> Cookies & Drabbles

output generated using printer-friendly topic mod, All times are GMT + 1 Hour

Page 1 of 1