The CBB :: View topic - Redheads- The Aftermath (the lot)

#1: Redheads- The Aftermath (the lot) Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:16 pm

The TEM attacked the rest of this, so here you are... with a little new bit.

Hilda Annersley watched the slender figure of Len Maynard disappear down the corridor on her way to the Prefect's Room. Now that she was alone, there was no need to be dignified, or to consider the feelings of others, and she sagged against the wall in reaction to all that had happened.

It had been a hectic day, all told. Hilda had spent the morning catching up with her endless correspondence and equally endless marking in preparation for Inspector Letton's visit. She had been optimistic then, believing that Inspector Letton was visiting to tell her that all fear for her step daughter, Flavia, was at an end, and that that young lady could become simply one of the couple of hundred girls that the Head had in her care. Instead, the man announced as Inspector Letton had been a stranger with a gun. He'd threatened the Head with severe injury at least if she refused to hand over Flavia. Needless to say, she had refused, and things became decidedly unpleasant, to say the least. Hilda has finally been rescued by- to her dismay- Len Maynard and Flavia herself, together with the Maynard's huge St. Bernard, Bruno. All in all, Bruno had turned the scale, and the arrivals of variously the real Inspector Letton, the school's man of all work, Gaudenz, Hilda's secretary Rosalie, and Matron had put paid to the imposter's attempts at terrorism. Flavia and Rosalie had been injured in the melee, although Hilda and Len had escaped unscathed- physically, at least.

Jack Maynard had finished setting Flavia's collarbone and treating Rosalie Dene's bruised nose. In the process, he had got a good deal of the story of the day's events, and was mentally inclined to agree with Gaudenz's recommendation that the man responsible for all of this was best dumped over a cliff. Flavia was shocked and in pain. Rosalie Dene, who had come in later, was slightly less shocked, but suffering from an outsize in headaches as a result of her injured nose, which was rapidly swelling to mammoth proportions. His own Len and Miss Annersley he had been told remained uninjured, but as he left Rosalie he put his instincts as a father to one side and went to seek his old friend.

Hilda had closed her eyes, and did not open them until she felt a soft touch on her arm.
"Hilda?" Jack Maynard's voice was anxious. Hilda Annersley looked at least ten years older than her actual age, and he could not remember ever seeing her look so white- except perhaps after that traffic accident all those years ago.
The Head made a huge attempt to pull herself together.
"Jack. How are Flavia and Rosalie?" Her voice, usually deeply pitched and crystal clear, trembled a little, and was so quiet that Jack had to strain to hear her.
"They're both absolutely fine," he told her heartily. "Young Copper's had her collar bone fixed, and I've told Karen to send some ice up for poor Rosalie's nose. It looks like a tomato!"
The Head tried to smile at his feeble joke. "Have you seen Len yet?"
"No," he told her decidedly. "Len's a level headed girl. I'll see her later. Don't worry about her, Hilda! Now, are you going to come with me?"
He took her arm as he spoke and steered her down the corridor towards her own little salon. Then he made her sit down and went to rootle in a cupboard, before returning with a glass and a bottle of brandy. He poured a generous measure and handed it to Hilda, who had fallen back in her chair.
"Here, woman! Take this."
For once, Miss Annersley did not protest, despite her very real dislike for the taste of the liquor. He cocked an eye sharply at her, and went to use the phone.
"What are you doing?" the Head asked quietly.
"Getting Joey over here," he told her briefly. "Everyone else is up to the eyes, and you need help to get to bed. I'd ask Len, but it's not fair on her to do it. Jo'll do the trick nicely."
Jack stood and shifted uneasily. He had simply told Jo that Inspector Letton had turned up and everything was fine, and that the relief and reaction from the constant strain of that term had affected Hilda badly, and could she come? Joey, knowing that her husband had worried about the Head on and off all term, thought no more of it but came at once.

#2: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:18 pm

Even so, she was horrified at the sight of Miss Annersley. She looked quickly at her husband, but he gave her a warning shake of the head, and in any case. Jo could see for herself that Hilda was in no state for any kind of conversation. Therefore, she simply went to crouch at her side.
"Hilda?" Her golden voice throbbed with compassion, and Miss Annersley actually managed to smile at her.
Relieved, Joey stood up and pulled her friend to her feet.
"Come along then," she said briskly. "Jack's said you're going to bed, so that's exactly where you are going! I'll give you a hand."
Tenderly, she helped the older woman prepare for bed, and noticed that once Hilda was safely in her own room and in her own bed, she had started to shake uncontrollably. Joey said nothing beyond kissing her friend on the forehead.
"Don't go yet, Jo."
Joey knelt by the bed and took Hilda's hand. "I'll stay," she said gently. "But you need to sleep. You're all in! I'll sing to you, shall I? Or maybe I should ask Jack for something?"
she finished rather doubtfully.
"No. I'd like to hear you sing, though."
Jo settled herself more comfortably and sang, soflty and gently, until she saw Hilda's eyes close in sleep.
Then she rose quietly and left the room, frowning deeply.
"Jack!" Jack turned to face his wife, who had a rather dangerous glint in her eye.
"What's wrong with Hilda? And don't give me that mumbo-jumbo you spouted earlier, either. It's plain that something has happened here, and I mean to know what it is!"
Jack put his hands on Joey's shoulders. "I can't tell you now," he told her frankly. "But you'll get the whole story later. In an hour or so," he compromised as he took in the mutinous look on her face and the set of her chin.
Joey looked at him suspiciously. She had long experience of her husband's protectiveness, but she was determined that this incident, whatever it was, wasn't going to become another example of it.
"Is that a promise?" she demanded.
He smiled at her faintly. "It's a promise. Now go home, Jo. You'll get the rest later!"
With another glance at him, Joey did as she was told, and Jack went to deal with their eldest daughter, who was waiting in the Prefect's Room as instructed by the Head.

Len Maynard sat curled up in a ball on the window seat in the Prefect's Room, and tried to calm down. It was difficult. Len had known the full truth about Flavia- the only girl, apart from Flavia herself, who did- but now that it was all over, Len acknowledged to herself that she had not taken it as seriously as she should have done. If she had, she wouldn't have ignored the Head's command to stay at Freudesheim, and taken Copper (as Flavia was known to the girls) with her to the School to get Copper's scrapbooks to show Mrs Maynard.

Len stopped her thoughts there and shivered. And yet- if she had obeyed, what would have happened to Auntie Hilda? Len had pointed that out to the Head when that lady had rebuked her for acting as she had, and, being a girl of sensitivity and intelligence, she had not failed to see that Miss Annersley had whitened and that her response had been uncharacteristically shakey. And the man with a gun. His eyes had been cruel and hard, and Len herself had no doubt that he would quite happily have used his gun on the Head and herself- and possibly Flavia too, in order to get her away from the School to use as a hostage. Flavia would not have gone quietly, Len knew, and it was more than possible that her kidnapper would have found it necessary to injure her in some way.

It had been pure chance that Len had decided to take Bruno with them, and it was as well for all of them that she had. But if she hadn't- Len ran to the small cloakroom near the Prefect's Room and retched. It was by pure chance, she thought again as she rinsed her face in the basin, that she had not herself been indirectly responsible for the serious injury or deaths of several people.

Len had returned to the Prefect's Room and recovered from her bout of sickness sufficiently to avoid raising her father's suspicions when he finally came to her. Their conversation was brief and to the point, but the very matter of factness of it helped steady Len somewhat, and, as she told Jack, she felt less 'revved up' inside as she made her way back to Freudesheim.
"Len! Oh, there you are. What's the matter?" Jo looked quickly at the heavy eyes of her eldest daughter, and put two and two together on the spot. "Mary Helena Maynard, have you been at the school?"

#3: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:20 pm

Len gulped and nodded. Joey, mindful of Jack's promise to explain all said no more. Instead, she drew the tall girl into her arms for a moment, and Len's composure nearly gave way altogether. After a moment Joey pulled back and looked searchingly into Len's grey eyes.
"Listen, my honey bird. I'm not going to ask what's happened. Papa's coming back from school any moment now, and then he'll tell me everything. In the meantime, would you like a hot drink and bed?"
Len thought of bed and the dreams that could come, and shook her head vehemently.
"Very well," her mother continued, outwardly serene although she had not missed Len's reactions. "In that case, you can go upstairs and help with the babies for a few hours. Phil was looking for you earlier."
"OK." The look of strain on Len's face relaxed a little. "Where are Con and Margot?" she asked as she hesitated at the foot of the stairs.
"Biddy's carted them off. Said she and Hilary need all the nursemaids they can get with their crowd. I think they'll be staying there for the rest of half term."
"I see." Len continued on up the stairs, and Joey's black eyes followed her with a perplexed look on her face. What on earth had happened?

A short while later, Jack returned, and his wife met him in the hall.
“Not before time!” she hissed as she took his coat. “Come on into the salon. I’ll put the perc on and we can have some coffee while you spill the beans.”
Realising that Joey was not to be gainsaid this time, the doctor followed her meekly into the charming room they used as a living room, and made himself comfortable. Anna appeared with the desired coffee and some of her famous lemon biscuits, and once Jack’s appetite had been sated, Joey turned to him with the single word, “Give!”
Jack took a deep breath. “Now keep calm, Jo. You’re not going to like this. Any of it!” He took a gulp of his coffee, and then began. “The truth of the matter- as far as I can gather- is that this Flavia Ansell affair has turned into nothing more or less than a full blown thriller!”
Joey gasped. “How- what-? Jack, what do you mean?”
“A man pretending to be Letton turned up at the school. From what Rosalie, Matey, Flavia and Len say, he had a gun. He-“ Jack was unable to continue, for Jo gave a cry.
“Len? How was she involved?”
Jack grimaced at her. “I told you you wouldn’t like it. Now keep quiet and let me finish. This imposter seems to have been pointing a gun at Hilda, when Len and Flavia walked past. Needless to say, neither stopped to think and both dived in through the window to the rescue. Fortunately the girls took Bruno and Gaudenz was around. Between them, they saved the day.”
Joey collapsed back in her chair. “ ‘Thriller’ is right!” she observed at last. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Rosalie got a lovely whack on the nose, and Flavia’s collarbone is broken. Len is OK apart from sore shoulders- she was trying to restrain Bruno, and you know how much brute strength the beast has!”
“I’m glad to hear it!” returned Len’s mother with a sigh of relief. “And Hilda?”
The doctor looked grave. “She’s unharmed- physically. But the whole term has been a major strain on her, and she’s not as strong as Nell Wilson, for instance.”
“She never was,” Joey agreed. “Even before the bus smash up, but it’s always seemed to me that you’ve all fussed over her more since that.”
Jack looked surprised. “I suppose you’ve got a point there,” he admitted, “although I must confess I’d never made the connection myself. Anyway, Hilda has been strained and tense all term. I was hoping we’d get safely to the hols and then I was planning to tell her to take herself off to those relatives of hers, or failing that, go somewhere with Nell, but events have anticipated me. Jo, she’s exhausted, both physically and mentally, and this episode was the last thing I wanted for her. She’s now trying to handle shock on top of all that, and it remains to be seen how she’ll cope.”
Joey’s eyes softened. “She’ll cope,” she told him gently. “Hilda always does. You know, in all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her give way over anything. Even when Edgar Mordaunt died several years ago- even then her grief was controlled.”
To her surprise, Jack frowned. “I know that,” he said briefly. “That’s not always a good thing. Hilda’s a controlled woman, but sometimes control can do more harm than good in the long run. And it can fool others into thinking that she’s invincible, and she’s not. She’s really at the end of her tether, Jo, and I don’t want anyone to put more stress on her for the rest of the term or she’ll risk a serious illness.”
“What can we do?” Reassured that Len was unharmed, Joey was happy to give her mind over to considering ways and means of helping the Head.
Jack looked pensive. “Rest, quiet and no hassle of any kind for a few days. Don’t got to see her tomorrow, Jo, although you may go on Monday. It’ll probably do her good to have something to take her mind off recent events once she’s rested a bit. That goes for young Len too, by the way- keep her busy over the next couple of days, but let her sleep as much as she wants. I don’t want her brooding either.”
“Yes, I must have a chat with her,” Jo mused. “She’s very mature for her age, but this will have shocked her too, and you know how fond she is of Hilda.”
“You do that, and remember what I said about keeping her busy,” Jack ordered as he replaced his cup and got to his feet. He gave a long stretch. “I’d better get back to San. There’s a few bad cases up there at the moment and I want to be there.” So saying, he kissed his wife and sauntered out the door, thinking deeply about the day’s happenings.
As a result of Jack’s advice, Len and her mother had a quiet chat that evening. Len did not say much- much to Jo’s surprise. She had rather expected her eldest daughter to tell her all, but Len proved to be uncharacteristically taciturn, although she answered Jo’s queries politely enough.

#4: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:22 pm

Finally, Len yawned widely and Joey laughed and told her to go to bed, which she did gladly. Once there, however, she stared up at the cieling. She knew she’d have to talk about the day to someone, but for once in her life, she felt unable to talk to her mother. She couldn’t help feeling that Joey, despite her gift of empathy, would not really be able to get ‘into her skin’ this time.

On the Sunday, apart from Jack’s professional visits to the School to see his patients, there was no contact between the School and Freudesheim. Both Hilda and Len stayed in bed on Sunday morning- doctor’s orders- so they did not meet in church. Len passed a quietly busy day at home with the babies, and by that evening her parents were relieved to see that she looked more like herself.
The following day- the last day of the half term holiday- Jack Maynard was preparing to leave the house when the phone rang. With a muttered exclamation, he hastened to answer, and found himself talking to Rosalie Dene, who was now capable of talking normally as the swelling on her nose had reduced.
“Jack, you need to do something with Hilda,” she told him abruptly.
“What’s happened?” Jack demanded, aware of a sinking feeling inside. The Head had seemed almost her usual self the day before- very white and weary, certainly, but not much else.
“I was in the office sorting some lists,” the secretary explained, “and Hilda went into her study. I followed her in to tell her off, and she – well, she rather collapsed onto her sofa and started shaking badly. I got her out and back to her room and then came flying to the ‘phone.”
“Good for you, Rosalie!” the doctor commended, thinking furiously. He made up his mind. “Rosalie, is Hilda dressed OK?”
“Oh, yes!” Rosalie responded with a promptness that was almost funny.
“OK. I’m going to come over now and frogmarch her here for the day- or two, if need be. I think she needs to get away from school for a while. While she’s gone, will you do something for me?” Rosalie agreed eagerly, and the two spent some minutes discussing plans before Jack rang off.

Meanwhile, Len had decided to get up and dressed. Once she had done that, she picked up her coverlet and went to sit on the window seat. She was glad of this quiet time to think. Yesterday had been so busy that there had been no time to do anything of the kind, and while Len was grateful for it- unknown to her parents, she had suffered nightmares during the previous night- she was wise enough to know that she had to deal with her own feelings and thoughts before she could put what had happened behind her. In addition to that, she’d overheard comments made by both her mother and her father, and she was worried sick about her Miss Annersley. Len had begged to be allowed to go over to school the day before to see the Head, but Jack had squashed the idea so firmly she had not dared to even suggest it for today. Rather gloomily, she wondered what would happen at School if Auntie Hilda really was ill- everyone was due back from half term expeditions that night.
At this point, Len realised that she was thirsty, and decided to go downstairs to coax some coffee out of Anna. As she rose to replace the coverlet, she glanced carelessly out of her window and saw her father walking the Head over to Freudesheim. The coverlet slipped forgotten to the floor and Len raced out of her room and down the stairs, arriving almost at the foot of the stairs when the front door opened to admit Jack and Hilda.
The Head’s appearance rather shocked Len, who had not expected her to look so white. She stopped dead and stared until Hilda gave the girl a pale smile. Len cleared the rest of the stairs in a single jump- causing an exclamation from her father- and ran to throw her arms around her brevet aunt.
After a moment she drew back and smiled at the Head. “It’s so good to see you, Auntie Hilda! Are- are you OK?”
Jack glanced quickly at the Head and was surprised to see that for the first time in a couple of days, she was smiling properly and there was some colour in her cheeks. Len, he saw, had eyes that looked very bright- and he reproached himself with not checking on her wellbeing more conscientiously.
Miss Annersley put her hands on Len’s shoulders- very much as she had done a couple of days before, when they had last been together. “I’m recovering,” she said quietly. “And you?” Her blue-grey eyes scanned her brevet niece’s face, and Len met her gaze frankly. The Head’s own face clouded a little as she saw the faint shadow in Len’s eyes.
Len gulped and recovered herself. “I-I’m fine, Auntie Hilda,” she managed rather shakily, and Jack decided that, at this rate, coffee was a necessity. He stepped in firmly.
“Len, take Auntie Hilda into the salon, please, and I’ll get Anna to send something in to you. Joey’s not here,” he explained, turning to the Head. “There’s some sort of bother with the publishers for the latest book, and she had to go down to Interlaken. I don’t expect her to be long, though, and Len’ll look after you.”
Len nodded obediently and drew the Head into the salon, where she sat that lady down in the most comfortable chair, and then stood looking at her anxiously.
“Is there anything I can do?” she asked, almost in a whisper.
“Some coffee would be lovely,” Hilda told the girl, deliberately misunderstanding.
Len relaxed and grinned. “With a cream cake, maybe?” she asked solemnly.
“The very thing!” her brevet aunt told her with another, stronger smile, and Len departed for the kitchen feeling a little better.
She returned before very long, accompanied by her father and Anna, both of whom were well laden with trays and coffee paraphernalia. Jack set out the cups and nodded at Len to pour, before carrying a cup over to Hilda.
“There you are!” he said. “Anna’s even managed to get you your cream cakes.”
She looked up at him and took the coffee from him. “That’s very kind of her,” she said softly. “You too, Jack. Thank you.”

#5: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:26 pm

Jack grinned at her and gave her an almost imperceptible nod. “It’s my pleasure. Besides, it was in my own interests. As I said, Jo’s gone out, Con and Margot are at Biddy’s, and Rue’s on her trip. I couldn’t have Len falling on my neck later, wailing from loneliness!”
“As if I’d do such a thing!” Len retorted indignantly, and the Head laughed.
“Very well. One good turn deserves another. It looks like I’m babysitting you today, Len my child!”
Jack stood and watched them for a moment, noting how much more relaxed they seemed. He wondered if he had done right, the day before, in refusing to allow Len to visit her brevet aunt. Eventually, he thought they could help each other, but given the Head’s general condition, he did not think it wise for either to discuss their ordeal together as yet, so once the coffee was finished, he rose and told Len to help him carry the crockery back into the kitchen. “Hilda, you can simply sit here and pretend you’re a lady of leisure for the moment!”
Once the crocks had been returned to their rightful place, Jack turned to his daughter.
“Len, I’m going to ask you to do something you may find difficult.”
She looked up at him, a faint crease between her brows.
“Don’t talk to your aunt about what happened the other day. Even if she brings it up, try to sidetrack her. OK?”
“But what if she wants to talk about it?” Len protested. “If she insists, I can’t refuse.”
Jack acknowledged this was true. Hilda Annersley had a great deal of natural authority, and he knew that most people found it difficult to stand against her when she was determined. So he kissed his daughter and told her to do her best, before departing- at last!- for work.
Len finished putting the cups away as Anna was busy, and then went back to the Salon. She hesitated at the doorway and stood watching the Head, who had risen from her seat and was standing looking out at the magnificent view of the Jungfrau that the room afforded. Sensing eyes on her, Hilda turned and smiled.
“No matter how often I come here, I’m overawed by this view.”
Relieved, Len crossed the room to stand beside her.
“It’s always marvellous,” she agreed. “I can never decide what time I like it best it- she’s always so lovely.”
“Len, I need to thank you again,” the Head said abruptly. “You came to the rescue with great promptness the other day, and although it may not have seemed like it at the time, I’m thankful you appeared when you did.”
Len went scarlet. “Do you mean that?” she asked rather wistfully. “I know it was crazy. I-I should have stopped to think, like you said.”
“It wouldn’t have hurt,” Hilda told her drily, “but yes, I mean it.”
Len looked up at her quickly- despite Len’s own lengthy height, Miss Annersley still overtopped her slightly- and gathered her courage in both hands. “Auntie Hilda, can I ask you something?”
“You certainly can. The question is-“
“May you!” returned Len with a grin. “Sorry. May I ask you something?”
“Indeed, you may. I’ve told you before- you may say anything you like to me.”
“Thanks. It’s just- well, I was wondering. Could you have managed OK if we hadn’t showed up? I mean, did our coming make things worse?”
Startled at the question, Hilda turned to look at the girl, and saw that her eyes were very anxious, and, as always, the needs of one of her pupils came before her own. The Head put aside the feelings that had been roused by Len’s question, and turned her mind to considering it seriously. “I don’t know,” she said at last, with gentleness. “It didn’t happen, you see. You people”- she paused to smile at Len again- “did show up, so I’ve no way of knowing what would have happened if you hadn’t.”
“He-he wouldn’t have killed you, would he?”
Hilda swung back round to face her brevet niece. “I doubt it very much,” she said as firmly as she could. “Inspector Letton told me that the gun Manley- that was his name- was carrying was not a powerful one. In any case, as you know, he wanted Flavia and he presumably wanted to get her away with a minimum of fuss. Killing or seriously injuring me would have jeopardised his plans rather badly.”
“Do you think you could have talked him out of it?” Len asked baldly.
“Out of what? Trying to kidnap Flavia?”
Len nodded.
“I’m not sure. I did tell him we had no Flavia Letton registered, but he didn’t believe me. I think he would have tried to force the issue a little if you and Flavia hadn’t turned up- with Bruno of course,” she added as an afterthought.
Mentally, Hilda was rather surprised she was speaking so frankly. On the day, Len had asked, “if we hadn’t showed up- and with Bruno- what would have happened to you?” and the Head had decided then that Len was both too young and too sensitive to be told the full story. Now, realising that Len’s imagination had visualised the worst possible scenario, and that the girl’s sensitivity meant that her own attempt at disguising the truth had been a failure- Hilda determined to continue speaking freely and to give Len the honest answers she deserved.
“I’m sorry,” Len began, a little incoherently. “I shouldn’t be talking to you about this now. Papa said not to, but- but I had to know. You see,” she continued, steadying her voice with an effort, “you might have been able to talk him over. If I hadn’t have collected Bruno, we could all have been badly hurt, and- and it would have been my fault!” Len turned abruptly from her brevet aunt and went to stand by the fireplace. It was a cool day and she found the heat comforting.
“But it didn’t happen,” Hilda repeated. “My dear, there is no point in worrying about what-might-have been. That goes for me as well as you,” she added, with a rueful smile. “If you-we- allow ourselves to become so absorbed in the what ifs and possibilities and alternatives, we will be of no use to ourselves or anyone else- and that’s selfishness, isn’t it?”
“I suppose,” Len agreed, her head bowed.
Hilda crossed the room and forced the girl to look at her. “Len, what may have happened doesn’t matter. What did happen does. And the fact is that you and Flavia acted with courage and without thought of self in your concern for me. I won’t forget that, child.” Hilda gave Len and quick hug, and then stepped back and smiled as normally as she could. “And that’s all I’m going to say to you about it for now. I think that coffee is cold. Suppose you run along and refresh the pot?”

#6: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:27 pm

Len nodded and moved as if to obey. Her eyes met the Head’s, and Hilda saw that they were still anxious. She smiled once again, and gave a slight nod, and Len’s eyes cleared and her body straightened as she walked towards the kitchen and the coffee. By that evening, she was recovered enough to return to school, and the normal circle of life there did more than almost anything else to restore her to her usual self.

On Wednesday, Hilda was still at Freudesheim, although she had mentioned returning to her own quarters- a hint that Jack stolidly ignored. She was sitting in the salon alone apart from the three Maynard tinies- Cecil, Philippa and Geoffrey- as Jack had gone to the San and Joey was deep in her latest chapter. Phil and Geoff played together happily enough, but young Cecil was as active and curious as any other child her age, and after she was rescued from investigating the contents of the china cabinet, her brevet aunt suggested a story. Miss Cecil approved this idea, and with another watchful look towards the twins, Hilda settled down on the big sofa with the little girl, and began to read aloud.
Just as they had finished the first chapter, Anna appeared at the door.
“It is Fraulein Wilson to see you, meine Fraulein,” she announced.
“Auntie Nell?” Cecil asked, sliding off the sofa in a hurry.
“Auntie Nell it is,” Hilda told her briskly, smiling as her friend entered. “It’s good to see you, Nell.”
Nell Wilson stood before her co-head and her eyes scanned Hilda’s face. “You look rather washed out,” she said abruptly.
Hilda smiled faintly. “Thank you. Give me a moment, please.” She turned to Anna, and smiled at her apologetically. “Anna, I hate to ask, but could you take the children away for a short time? I’d like to speak to Miss Wilson alone, if I may.”
“I’ll be good!” pleaded Cecil.
Nell Wilson laughed and bent to kiss the little girl. “I’m sure you will be. Run along with Anna now, pet, and if you’re good I’ll show you another little experiment!”
Cecil’s face lit up. She loved going with ‘Auntie Nell’ to do simple ‘experiments’- usually the safe variety that produced fascinating whizzing, pops and colour changes. As a result, she trotted off happily enough, leaving the two friends alone.
Hilda almost managed another smile at her friend. Almost, but not quite. “I- it is good to see you, Nell,” she said again, before swinging round so that Nell could no longer see her face.
Nell Wilson watched her, an odd expression on her own face. “Have you been babysitting all morning?” she asked casually, her gaze taking in the infantile paraphernalia that was scattered across the polished floor.
“Yes. Joey was desperate to continue with her story, and Rosli had to go home. Her mother’s ill, I believe, so I volunteered.”
“What did Jack say to that?”
Hilda turned to look at her. “Nothing whatsoever!” she said, with a return to her usual crispness. “He wasn’t here to be asked!”
Nell grinned to herself. “I see. Nothing new there, then!”
“No.” Hilda paused for a moment. “Although- he was around last week. Thankfully.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Nell asked, with all the gentleness she could put into her voice.
Hilda sat down beside her with a rather restless movement. “I don’t know.”
“Has Joey said anything to you?” Nell queried curiously.
“No. Not really. She makes oblique references but seems to have no wish to say more.”
“That’s not like Jo!”
“No. It isn’t, is it? She’s always been our prize butter-in, as Rosalie says. I think I can understand it, though.”
“What do you mean?”
Hilda looked directly at her friend. “Len risked herself for me, Nell. If Len had-had been injured, or worse- how would her mother have felt then? I expect that’s why Jo has said so little. If you really want to know, I’m glad of it. It would be too difficult, given the circumstances, to talk to Jo about it.”
“I suppose it would be,” Nell agreed. “Having said that, are you not being a little unfair to Joey? Len only acted as Joey herself would have done- in fact, did do! Just think of Elisaveta!”
“Oh, I know. But that was a long time ago, Nell. Jo’s not the girl she was then. In any case, however she may have or may still act, that’s not the same thing as having her daughter- her eldest girl, her pride and joy- put herself into danger.”
“You’re rather good at getting under the skins of people yourself, aren’t you?” Nell asked with a grin, after a short pause.
The atmosphere in the room lightened a little as Hilda’s clear laugh rang out. “So are you, my dear, so are you! It’s a necessary quality in any headmistress- in any teacher, I’d even say.”
“How true! So, Hilda, having discussed the ins and outs of Jo’s feelings- how about you? How are you? And don’t try to fob me off!” Nell finished firmly, catching a familiar look in her friend’s face. As long as she had known her, Hilda Annersley had invariably put the needs of others before her own, and Nell Wilson was determined that this time she would not be able to.
Hilda gave a sigh. “I won’t try to. You know me too well, Nell! I’m fine. I think. If you really want to know, now that I’m no longer so tired, I don’t feel anything. I think I’m shocked- I can’t believe it actually happened! How could a gunman force his way into a girls’ school and confront the headmistress? It sounds so fantastic- so incredible, almost. Like something out of fiction!”

#7: Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:28 pm

Thanks for reposting - with the added bonus of extra story! It is really good.

#8: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:29 pm

“And the wilder variety of fiction at that!” put in Nell, deciding that Hilda would respond better to a little flippancy in her current mood than to deep seriousness.
“Exactly. It’s just impossible!”
“You could say that about a good many episodes connected with this school!” Nell said, rather caustically this time. “We’ve had more than our fair share of alarums and excursions!”
“We certainly have!” the Head agreed, with a smile. Her expression grew grave again almost at once, and Nell glanced quickly at her. She reached out and put her hand over Hilda’s.
“What are you thinking, my dear?” she asked, that unaccustomed gentleness back in her voice.
“I’m wondering if I’m to blame,” Hilda replied very softly, her face averted. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have accepted Flavia Ansell. But he made it sound so plausible, so safe! Only it wasn’t. Several of our girls have been in danger this term, Nell, because I accepted Flavia Ansell. Imagine if Val had been badly hurt, or even killed. I would have been held responsible- because ultimately, everything that does or does not happen at the School can be laid at my door!”
“Hilda, you were given the best of assurances that Flavia would attract no danger to either herself or the school. From all you’ve told me, you and the Staff have gone out of your way to ensure the safety of the girls in general- as you always do- and Flavia in particular. It’s also true, isn’t it, that young Val largely brought her troubles on herself? You cannot be blamed for that, and what’s more, her mother and that brother of hers would probably agree!”
Nell stopped and looked keenly at her friend. “Hilda, you are not to blame! You did all that you could be expected to do, and with the best of assurances and motives. Your job is to protect and guide the girls- and you do that splendidly, as you well know- or if you don’t, you’re either incredibly modest or incredibly stupid!”
Hilda relaxed at this tirade, and, encouraged, Miss Wilson continued. “Finally, as I’ve heard you say, you’re neither a prophetess nor the daughter of a prophetess, so if you can tell me how you could have foreseen all of this, I’ll be only too glad to agree to your culpability!”
“I hope you feel better now, having unburdened yourself of that!” was all Hilda said at first, and Nell sat and waited, with an exaggerated look of patience on her face that made her friend laugh in spite of herself. “Oh, very well! You’re absolutely right, of course! As well as that, there’s the very small matter of taking my own advice!”
Hilda stopped and smiled to herself, shaking her head when Nell looked at her questioningly.
“It’s nothing. And now,” Hilda continued, her voice sounding pretty much as usual, “ I received a piece of news when- the day it all happened. It has created a situation- not a new one, by any means, but I need to discuss the solution with you.”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to do any work?” Nell protested. “That’s what Jack said, anyhow!”
“Never mind him!” Hilda retorted firmly. “I’ll deal with him if he makes a fuss. Besides, I’ve a feeling that what I’m going to propose will please you- and it’s pleasant. How could anyone prevent me from considering something pleasant?”
Nell looked at the abnormally innocent expression on the Head’s face, and laughingly agreed, and the other subject was closed.

******************************

An awkward silence descended in Miss Annersley’s private salon. Inspector Letton had just finished explaining the whole story, and now that the unpleasant tale had been told and various sundry comments made, no-one knew quite what to say.
Even Joey Maynard’s usual loquacity was harnessed by the sight of the Head’s still white face. Against Jack’s strenuous objections, she had insisted on returning both to her own quarters and her work, in spite of his cautiously given advice that that she should give herself at least another week to recover.
“And do what?” Hilda had asked, rather trenchantly for her. “Sit around in Freudesheim all day with nothing else to do or think about? No thank you!”
He had agreed reluctantly, with the proviso that she take things as easily as she could for the next week or so. “What’s more,” he had finished, “since I can’t trust you to do what I tell you, I’m going to have a word with Gwynneth Lloyd. She can handle you, even if I can’t!”

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

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:34 pm

WOW! All in one go!

Thanks so much for posting it here in its entireity Lisa.

#10: Author: Sarah_L, Location: Redcar

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 11:29 pm

Thanks Lisa Smile

#11: Author: Chloë, Location: London: when away from home planet!

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 11:32 pm

*applauds*

Thank you Lisa

#12: Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:02 am

Thanks for that Lisa, I don't know why, but for some reason I thought it had finished earlier.
Those last bits are so good though, and add so much to the story, but what was the nes that Hilda had to tell Nell please?

#13: Author: Mandy, Location: Derry, N.Ireland

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:13 am

Great story Lisa, I really enjoyed it. I'll have to read some more of your work. The only other one I've read is Tara (which I thoroughly enjoyed).

#14: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:22 am

It's lovely to read this all in one go! Is there more to look forward to?

#15: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:36 am

Yes. One more loose end to tie off!

#16: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:54 am

Ooh goody!

#17: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:33 am

*only one mroe bit after this bit, but i haven't written it yet*

Seeing that no-one had anything to say, Inspector Letton rose to his feet. “Well, now that’s done, I’d better be going. Copper, I think it’s time you scarpered too, my child!”
Recognising this to be a command couched as a suggestion, Copper did as she was told. In any case, she was not inclined to argue with anything that would give her more time with her beloved stepfather.
Meanwhile, Rosalie had slipped out of the room after exchanging a conspiratorial glance with Jack, unnoticed by any of the others. She returned a moment later, behind Nell Wilson.
“What are you doing here?” was Joey’s inhospitable demand, relieved to see someone who was not immediately linked to the previous discussion.
“Always so polite!” murmured Nell, as she settled beside her co-Head, who turned questioning eyes on her.
Len rose to her feet. “Shall I go?” she asked uncertainly.
“No. Sit down. This concerns you!” Nell stopped and chuckled in a manner that made Hilda, Len and Joey look as if they were doubting her sanity.
Jack leaned back in his chair and extracted his pipe. “How long are you going to keep this going for, Nell?” he asked lazily, grinning at her.
“Don’t be so cocky, Jack Maynard. You don’t know as much as you think you do!” Nell chuckled again, and Joey began to consider a cushion meditatively.
“Rosalie, you may as well ring for more coffee,” Hilda said resignedly. “At this rate we’ll be kept here all evening! Nell, if you won’t tell her, I will, and so I warn you!”
Nell smirked at her friend. “Hilda, consider yourself told the same as Jack!”
“She’s lost the plot!” Joey declared loudly as Rosalie went to make the order for coffee. “Nell my love, unless you tell us in short order just what you’re blethering about, I’m going to make arrangements for you to be shipped off to the nearest lunatic asylum!”
“How nice!” Nell responded with provoking placidity. “Do be careful, Joey. If you talk to them in your normal manner they could be forgiven for thinking that you’re to be their next patient!” Joey gasped and glared at the Head of St. Mildred’s, while Jack sat and laughed as quietly as he could.
Catching Hilda’s eye, Nell decided to stop being annoying. “Oh, very well. I’ve had my fun. I have one piece of news, and Hilda has another. Which will you have first?”
Hilda looked startled at this, but Nell’s expression remained bland.
“Is it nice?” Len asked, eyeing both brevet aunts suspiciously.
Nell raised her black brows at her god-daughter. “My dear Len!” she protested. “What a thing to say. Naturally both pieces of news are pleasant. Do you really think that either Hilda or I would choose this time to scold you for some forgotten misdeed?”
“I wish I knew what was behind all this!” Joey muttered in an undertone to her husband, who grinned.
“Patience, my child, is a virtue!”
“Oh, you!”
At that point Miggi arrived with the coffee, and once everyone was comfortably settled, Len turned back to the Heads.
“Can I choose?” she asked.
“You mean, ‘may you’. Yes, you may.”
Len looked relieved and turned to Hilda. “Then may I have your news first, Auntie Hilda.”
The Head laughed. “Certainly you may! It’s this. Do you know that Rosamund is leaving at the end of this term?”
Len’s grey eyes widened. “No. She never said anything!”
“It wasn’t planned. Do you see where this is leading?” Hilda asked, giving the girl an amused look.
Len looked puzzled. “No. I mean- oh!” Her face crimsoned.
“I see you’ve guessed,” the Head said, amusement still in her voice. “Rosamund’s departure leaves us without a Head Girl. We’d like to ask you to take the position for the rest of your school life.”
“But-but that’s nearly two years!” protested Len. “This is still only the Christmas term, so there’s the rest of this year and all of next! At least, I suppose there is?” she ended, looking at her parents.
Joey, to whom this had not been a total shock, nodded. “Of course! You’ll stay at school until the June after you’re eighteen, so that’ll give you a whole year after this one.”
Len inclined her head at this, and looked at the Head again.
That lady smiled. “My dear, as I’ve said, Rosamund’s early departure is unexpected. We had anticipated that she would stay for the rest of this academic year, and then we would have asked you to take over next September, so it is really just hurrying things up a little.”
“But I’m almost the youngest in our form!” Len argued. “Ted, and Priscilla, and- oh, nearly everyone apart from Con and Margot are older than I.”
“That has nothing to do with it,” Nell intervened, watching her god-daughter closely. “Len, you’ve been a leader in your own form for years. You know it, and we know it, and it’s only false modesty to say otherwise. When you were in Va, and more recently as a prefect, you’ve shown that you can lead the younger ones, and lead them well. You’re liked and respected throughout the school, and you know our traditions inside out. Len, we couldn’t have found a better candidate if we tried!”
“Drat Jack Lambert!” was Len’s unexpected response to this, and the tension slacked as everyone laughed.
“Well, Len?” Miss Annersley asked when they had all sobered. “Will you do it?”
Len paused a moment before looking directly at her Head Mistress, her cheeks more flushed than usual. “Yes, please, Miss Annersley,” she said with shy formality. “I’d love to do it. I only hope I’ll be good enough!”
“Of course you will!” Nell told her firmly as a rather wet-eyed Joey came to embrace Len. Jack, too, left his pipe and congratulated his eldest daughter warmly.
“Now,” announced Nell, “you’ve all heard one piece of news, and pretty big it was too. Don’t you want to hear the other?”
“It couldn’t be as much as a shock as the first bit!” Len told her decidedly.
Nell gave her a wide smile. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that, Len! Jack, have you got those items we talked about?”

#18: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:39 am

Ooooh, what does Nell have to say? And that's a great way of bringing Len in as Head Girl, with that wonderful method of distraction!

#19: Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:56 am

What's the other bit of news? Please Lisa, get back here and tell us, quickly.
And I'm pleasedto see that Len is being a lot more sensible about being HG than her mother was.

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

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:44 pm

Oooh!! Thank you Lisa!!! But where's the next bit? Confused

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

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 10:41 pm

LISA????? Please post the next bit of this story!!!!!

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

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 11:16 pm

*seconds Lesley's plea!!!*

#23: Author: Chloë, Location: London: when away from home planet!

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 12:17 am

Yay thank you Lisa but may we have some more please Very Happy

#24: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 2:19 am

*last bit*

Jack chuckled and nodded. “Rosalie took care of it, not me,” he told the Heads with a cheerful lack of grammar.
Nell laughed. “Rosalie, then. Have you got them?”
Rosalie, her normally quiet eyes dancing, nodded, and produced a small bag which she handed to Nell.
“What is that?” Hilda demanded, giving her friend a long look.
“You’ll find out! Len, come here.”
Len, wide-eyed, seated herself next to the Head, and both turned puzzled faces to Miss Wilson, who looked as if she was about to explode.
“Nell, unless you want to end up in the San with a stroke or a heart attack, I suggest you cut the cackle and get on with it!” Jack advised.
Joey turned to face him. “So you know what’s going on?” she said accusingly.
Jack grinned. “’Course I do. It was my idea, although the amount of noise made by both Nell and Rosalie could have indicated otherwise.”
Nell rose and went to stand by the fire for a moment. When she turned, the laughter had left her face, and she was grave. “Several years ago,” she began, “the School started to give awards for bravery.” She paused and considered. “Come to think of it, I think it was actually the term before our Coming of Age, wasn’t it? Anyway, several of our girls have received it; Prunella Davidson, Josephine Scott, Mary-Lou, Hilary Bennet. I don’t think it has been awarded since. Now, we all thought- Jack, Rosalie, and I- that the two of you and Flavia deserved to get it too. Oh, yes you do!” she reiterated, as Len looked startled and Hilda tried to speak. Regardless of their attempts, Nell continued. “Flavia will get hers privately at the end of term. I know you don’t want to have this tale spread throughout the school otherwise I’d give her hers now, but she might have trouble explaining it, so we’ll leave it for the moment. Rosalie.”
Rosalie Dene rose and, grinning broadly, extracted the two boxes from the bag she had handed to Nell a moment before. She flipped it open to show the inscription, and handed it to Miss Wilson who glanced at it before turning to Hilda.
“Hilda, this is yours. I’m not going to say any more. You know all I would say.”
Silently, Hilda took the medal- it’s design had been produced by the school- and read the brief inscription. Then she rose, and with a show of affection rare in so reserved a woman, she embraced her friend before standing back to look at her.
“Thank you, Nell. Jack and Rosalie too.” She flashed a smile at the other two, before turning to Nell once more. “It’s for both of us,” she continued softly. “You’ve never been publicly acknowledged for the role you played in getting the girls out of the Tirol, all those years ago, have you?” Dumbstruck, Nell paused before shaking her head. Sometimes, that lack of recognition had hurt, over the years.
Hilda gave her a gentle smile before finishing. “I’m going to take this to the jewellers and have your name inscribed on the back beside mine, and why,” she said firmly. “Then, I’ll keep it here. Eventually, it’ll go to the School.”
Too surprised to argue, Nell nodded wordlessly, and Hilda, directing another smile at her friend, removed the second box from her and turned to Len.
“Len, my dear. Although the idea for this originated with your father and your Aunt Rosalie and Auntie Nell, I’m ashamed I didn’t think of it for myself. There is no doubt that you deserve it! So let me do my part, and award it to you formally.”
Len, almost as stunned as Nell had been a moment before, rose to her feet and faced the Head.
That lady placed the opened box in the girl’s hands, and closed them over it. “Here you are, Mary Helena Maynard,” she said quietly. “In recognition of your courage. I thank you.” The Head stopped, and then gave her brevet neice a quick hug. Then she drew back and smiled into the violet grey eyes.
“Now, promise me you won’t worry any more,” she said, so softly that no-one else could hear.
Len looked up at her, and gave her a radiant smile. “I won’t,” she returned in an undertone. “Will you promise the same?” she asked, giving her brevet aunt a grin and an unexpected wink.
Hilda Annersley stared at her future Head Girl for a long moment. Then she laughed. “Very well. What’s sauce for one goose is sauce for another, isn’t that right, Len?”
Len’s grin grew wider and she nodded.
The Head laughed again. “Very well,” she repeated. “I promise!” and to Len’s astonishment, she returned the wink.

***************

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

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 2:23 am

Lisa, that was wonderful!! Thank you!!
*sheds a little tear!*

#26: Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 2:46 am

Lisa, I loved that, especially what Hilda said about Nell's efforts in getting the girls out of the Tyrol. This was a wonderful ending to this story.
Thank you.

#27: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:00 am

That was a truly delightful ending! Thank you so much, Lisa!

#28: Author: Guest,

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 3:59 pm

Lisa you brought tears to my eyes - that was so wonderful of Nel, Jack and Rosalie - and so touching of Hilda to think of her friend.

Thank you. Very Happy

(Happy tears!)

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

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:01 pm

Anonymous wrote:

Lisa you brought tears to my eyes - that was so wonderful of Nel, Jack and Rosalie - and so touching of Hilda to think of her friend.

Thank you. Very Happy

(Happy tears!)

Oh **** guess who forgot to log in! Sorry Lisa - that was me!

#30: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:37 am

Aren't on 'always logged on' Lesley? Prevents little accidents like that Laughing

Thanks for your comments, folks. Should I send this to Liss for fiction?

#31: Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:47 am

Lisa_T wrote:

Aren't on 'always logged on' Lesley? Prevents little accidents like that Laughing

Thanks for your comments, folks. Should I send this to Liss for fiction?

I think so, yes. To me it's a wonderful story which fits perfectly into the CS tradition, and it would be lovely to see it have a permanent home.

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

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 1:13 am

Definitely send it to Liss Lisa!!

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

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 8:12 am

Lisa_T wrote:

Aren't on 'always logged on' Lesley? Prevents little accidents like that Laughing

Thanks for your comments, folks. Should I send this to Liss for fiction?

I am now - no idea why I wasn't in the first place! Yes Lisa - you should definitely send this to Liss for the fiction site!

#34: Author: catherine, Location: York

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 9:58 am

This was wonderful, Lisa! Please send it to Liss for the fiction site.

#35: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 11:51 am

Lesley wrote:

I am now - no idea why I wasn't in the first place! Yes Lisa - you should definitely send this to Liss for the fiction site!

Probably a problem with the board, not you, Lesley.

#36: Author: Chloë, Location: London: when away from home planet!

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:23 pm

*applauds*

Thank you lisa this was wonderful Very Happy

#37: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:33 pm

Shall we chant?

#38: Author: PatMac, Location: Yorkshire England

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 4:06 pm

What a lovely story. It fits in at the end of the original so well and how lovely that Nell Wilson got recognised for the flight from Tyrol as well.

Definitely one to have a permanent home. Thank you Lisa.

#39: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:03 am

Thank you Lisa that was a really lovely story. Had a good weep over it. Yes please send it to Liss.

#40: Author: Mandy, Location: Derry, N.Ireland

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 12:18 am

Lisa you've had nearly 3 full days - where's the next bit?

(ps its brilliant so far)

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

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 2:56 am

Mandy, I don't think there IS a next bit! *points to the start of Lisa's last post!*

#42: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 2:57 am

No, the rest is really in the books!

#43: Author: Nicci, Location: UK

Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 7:15 pm

Lisa, I've just read the last post of this. It was wonderful all the way through, but I was particularly moved by the scene with the awards. Bravo to Hilda for been so considerate to Nell. And I loved the exchange of winks between Len and Hilda!!

#44: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 11:11 pm

Oh, thank you Nicci. I spent some time polishing this up last night. Would you- or anyone else- like it in doc form? If so email me- don't PM cos then I'll forget/ never get round to it. Email addy is townsend_lisa@hotmail.com

#45: Author: Nicci, Location: UK

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:56 pm

oh yes please! am e-mailing as I speak (well not quite but soon!)

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