(no subject)
Carlotta stares at her French Prep, with the gloomy realisation that her family life has become dysfunctional, and everybody knows it.
"What's wrong old thing?" Pat asks her, coming up behind her. "Mam'zelle making you do it again?"
"No." Carlotta says, looking up. "She's written '9/20 - Bon'. A 9/20 is usually an Abominable isn't it? Mam'zelle feels sorry for me."
"Wish she'd feel sorry for me." Doris says. "I've never ever had a 'Bon', and even I got 12 today."
Just outside the window, the first former Beatrice overhears the snippet of conversation and sighs. She half wishes she'd never told Marigold about Mary being her ex stepmother; it seems to have caused an awful amount of trouble for Carlotta and her family. Not wanting to get caught overhearing, she hurries off unseen.
"Has your truant cousin arrived back yet?" Angela asks, in a smooth and irritating tone.
"Not yet." Carlotta says. "Miss Wilton caught up with her, but she persuaded her to let her finish trying out now she'd got so far. She'll be back tonight."
"Well she might as well, she's going to get expelled anyway." Angela says spitefully. "And good riddence too! She's a bad influence on the decent girls in this school."
Carlotta feels her temper rising, but Bobby nips in between them. As head girl for the term, and Carlotta's friend, she doesn't want this to end in a punchup.
"Angela, stop it! Your family is hardly a glowing example of how to behave."
Bobby's intervention is fortunate, since the next moment brings Miss Cornwallis into the room. She beckons Carlotta over.
"Your father and stepmother are here, you should come to Miss Theobald's room." she says, leading her out of the room.
"I don't want to see them." Carlotta says.
"Don't be ridiculous Carlotta, they've come all the way here and you can hardly avoid them forever."
"Would Miss Theobald let me stay here for the holidays?" Carlotta asks, following her form tutor. Miss Cornwallis turns around and looks at her with slightly more sympathy.
"Running away from your fears won't help." she says.
They head down the corridor, passing Beatrice, who overhears most of the conversation again. A determined look suddenly fills the little girl's face, and she races off back to her form.
Outside the office, Carlotta sits in the waiting room, opposite Mary, while her father talks with the head alone. Mary makes light fake conversation attempts, which Carlotta totally ignores.
After a few minutes, the head calls the two of them into her office too, and attempts to extract a confession as to who is being dishonest. Mary holds her ground, much to Carlotta's despair; though she's warmed when Miss Theobald backs her up.
No resolution occurs. Dispirited, Carlotta leaves the office, followed by her stepmother.
"You'll have to accept me sooner or later." Mary says, in her sweetness and light tone.
"Please, just leave me alone." Carlotta says, stepping aside as Beatrice comes racing around the corner, carrying a pot of ink, trips and sends the bottle flying towards Mary. The top comes off as it hits the wall next to her, showering her in blue ink. Mary stares at her clothes in fury, and recognising a trick, rounds on the first former.
"You did that on purpose, you little beast!" she shouts, hauling Beatrice up and pulling her by the ear. "You always were a naughty, silly little girl!"
Beatrice dramatically bursts into gushing sobs. Mary comes to her senses and looks into the stern face of Carlotta, her father, Miss Cornwallis and the head. She lets go of Beatrice's ear.
"Thought you said you'd never met Beatrice before half term?" Carlotta says, stepping between her stepmother and the sobbing girl. "In any case, it was only an accident, and she's only little!"
"That will do Carlotta." Miss Theobald says. "Perhaps you should take Beatrice to get cleaned up, and I'll call one of the maids to help with the mess. Mary, I'm sure we can lend you some clothes."
Carlotta's father goes out into the driveway, sighing deeply. And then stares at his car.
"I'm very sorry Mr Brown, I don't know how exactly the wheel of your car was removed, but I'm sure we can have it back on in no time." Miss Theobald says.
A gang of first formers with innocent expressions peep out from behind the bushes. The wheel was found placed in the garden, no harm done to it whatsoever, but attached to a note that read simply 'Carlotta Brown does not tell lies'.
The situation did at least give Carlotta a few minutes alone with her father.
"I'm sorry." he says, eventually. "I believe you."
Carlotta looks up at him.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then why didn't you say so sooner?"
"Because how could I justify still loving her if I accept it?"
Carlotta sighs.
"I was never going to stand in your way, I told you that." she says. "I just wanted you to know the truth about her before you went ahead. And maybe for you to lay boundries on what she can and can't do regarding me."
"I'll tell her she's not to hit you again." Her father says. "But you in turn are not to cheek her, clear."
"All right, but I reserve the right to tell you if she's doing something she shouldn't."
"All right, but do it respectfully. I want you to be my bridesmaid and I want to be proud of you that day too."
As his wheel is reattached by the school handyman, he gives her a brief if dignified sort of hug, followed by a handful of pocket money.
"There's a little extra there. For some chocolate for that first form gymnastics club you're running."
He gives her a quick kiss on the forehead, and they exchange a tiny amused smirk, before her father and stepmother set off home again.
"What's wrong old thing?" Pat asks her, coming up behind her. "Mam'zelle making you do it again?"
"No." Carlotta says, looking up. "She's written '9/20 - Bon'. A 9/20 is usually an Abominable isn't it? Mam'zelle feels sorry for me."
"Wish she'd feel sorry for me." Doris says. "I've never ever had a 'Bon', and even I got 12 today."
Just outside the window, the first former Beatrice overhears the snippet of conversation and sighs. She half wishes she'd never told Marigold about Mary being her ex stepmother; it seems to have caused an awful amount of trouble for Carlotta and her family. Not wanting to get caught overhearing, she hurries off unseen.
"Has your truant cousin arrived back yet?" Angela asks, in a smooth and irritating tone.
"Not yet." Carlotta says. "Miss Wilton caught up with her, but she persuaded her to let her finish trying out now she'd got so far. She'll be back tonight."
"Well she might as well, she's going to get expelled anyway." Angela says spitefully. "And good riddence too! She's a bad influence on the decent girls in this school."
Carlotta feels her temper rising, but Bobby nips in between them. As head girl for the term, and Carlotta's friend, she doesn't want this to end in a punchup.
"Angela, stop it! Your family is hardly a glowing example of how to behave."
Bobby's intervention is fortunate, since the next moment brings Miss Cornwallis into the room. She beckons Carlotta over.
"Your father and stepmother are here, you should come to Miss Theobald's room." she says, leading her out of the room.
"I don't want to see them." Carlotta says.
"Don't be ridiculous Carlotta, they've come all the way here and you can hardly avoid them forever."
"Would Miss Theobald let me stay here for the holidays?" Carlotta asks, following her form tutor. Miss Cornwallis turns around and looks at her with slightly more sympathy.
"Running away from your fears won't help." she says.
They head down the corridor, passing Beatrice, who overhears most of the conversation again. A determined look suddenly fills the little girl's face, and she races off back to her form.
Outside the office, Carlotta sits in the waiting room, opposite Mary, while her father talks with the head alone. Mary makes light fake conversation attempts, which Carlotta totally ignores.
After a few minutes, the head calls the two of them into her office too, and attempts to extract a confession as to who is being dishonest. Mary holds her ground, much to Carlotta's despair; though she's warmed when Miss Theobald backs her up.
No resolution occurs. Dispirited, Carlotta leaves the office, followed by her stepmother.
"You'll have to accept me sooner or later." Mary says, in her sweetness and light tone.
"Please, just leave me alone." Carlotta says, stepping aside as Beatrice comes racing around the corner, carrying a pot of ink, trips and sends the bottle flying towards Mary. The top comes off as it hits the wall next to her, showering her in blue ink. Mary stares at her clothes in fury, and recognising a trick, rounds on the first former.
"You did that on purpose, you little beast!" she shouts, hauling Beatrice up and pulling her by the ear. "You always were a naughty, silly little girl!"
Beatrice dramatically bursts into gushing sobs. Mary comes to her senses and looks into the stern face of Carlotta, her father, Miss Cornwallis and the head. She lets go of Beatrice's ear.
"Thought you said you'd never met Beatrice before half term?" Carlotta says, stepping between her stepmother and the sobbing girl. "In any case, it was only an accident, and she's only little!"
"That will do Carlotta." Miss Theobald says. "Perhaps you should take Beatrice to get cleaned up, and I'll call one of the maids to help with the mess. Mary, I'm sure we can lend you some clothes."
Carlotta's father goes out into the driveway, sighing deeply. And then stares at his car.
"I'm very sorry Mr Brown, I don't know how exactly the wheel of your car was removed, but I'm sure we can have it back on in no time." Miss Theobald says.
A gang of first formers with innocent expressions peep out from behind the bushes. The wheel was found placed in the garden, no harm done to it whatsoever, but attached to a note that read simply 'Carlotta Brown does not tell lies'.
The situation did at least give Carlotta a few minutes alone with her father.
"I'm sorry." he says, eventually. "I believe you."
Carlotta looks up at him.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then why didn't you say so sooner?"
"Because how could I justify still loving her if I accept it?"
Carlotta sighs.
"I was never going to stand in your way, I told you that." she says. "I just wanted you to know the truth about her before you went ahead. And maybe for you to lay boundries on what she can and can't do regarding me."
"I'll tell her she's not to hit you again." Her father says. "But you in turn are not to cheek her, clear."
"All right, but I reserve the right to tell you if she's doing something she shouldn't."
"All right, but do it respectfully. I want you to be my bridesmaid and I want to be proud of you that day too."
As his wheel is reattached by the school handyman, he gives her a brief if dignified sort of hug, followed by a handful of pocket money.
"There's a little extra there. For some chocolate for that first form gymnastics club you're running."
He gives her a quick kiss on the forehead, and they exchange a tiny amused smirk, before her father and stepmother set off home again.