Winter Term at Malory Towers (5 page)

‘Sort of like a spy in the enemy camp, you mean?' said Felicity.

‘Exactly!' said Bonnie.

‘I think that's a very good idea,' said Freddie, who had been listening thoughtfully. ‘I really do. And Bonnie is certainly the right person to carry it off.'

The others murmured their agreement. With her charming manner, innocent air and sweet smile, Bonnie found it quite easy to get people to confide in her. Often far more than they intended to!

‘We had better keep this a secret from Olive,' said Felicity. ‘I don't trust her, and she might go running to Miss Tallant and tell her the plan, just to stir up trouble for Bonnie.'

‘Perhaps we had better not let Sylvia in on it either,' Julie said. ‘She
seems
decent enough, but we don't really know her very well.'

‘We know that she can't keep her mouth shut!' said Amy, with a haughty toss of her head. ‘I don't know which of the two new girls I dislike more—Olive, or that awful Sylvia.'

‘Oh, come off your high horse, Amy,' said Lucy. ‘Sylvia might be annoying in a lot of ways, but I don't think she's a bad sort.'

‘Neither do I, but perhaps we had better not tell her any secrets just yet, just to be on the safe side,' said Susan. ‘She's such a chatterbox that she might let something slip out without meaning to.'

The others agreed, and just then the door opened. Nora came into the cloakroom, a very woebegone expression on her face.

‘Fifty lines!' she groaned, sinking down on to one of the wooden benches. ‘Just for laughing! Honestly, girls, I'm beginning to think that I'm jinxed this term! First Olive takes a dislike to me, and now Miss Tallant. Am I really so horrible?'

The fourth formers crowded round Nora at once, anxious to reassure her.

‘It certainly isn't you who is at fault!' cried Julie. ‘Miss Tallant is quite the most unpleasant grown-up that I have ever met, while Olive seems to dislike
everyone
! Though, I must say, you and Bonnie do seem to get under her skin more than the rest of us. I can't think why!'

‘I told you—it's because she's jealous,' put in Amy. ‘She's so unattractive herself that anyone who is pretty simply makes her
green
with envy.'

June gave a crow of laughter. ‘Olive-green!' she cried. ‘That's a jolly good nickname for her. Next time she makes one of her spiteful remarks about Nora, or Bonnie, or anyone else for that matter, that's what we'll call her!'

The others approved wholeheartedly of this, and even Nora managed a smile. She cheered up even more when the girls told her about Bonnie's plan to suck up to the new mistress.

‘I just hope that it pays off,' she said.

‘Well, one thing I am absolutely determined about is that we shan't be asking Miss Tallant to help us with our play, or give us any advice at all,' said Susan firmly. ‘I don't want her taking any of the credit for our hard work—we shall do it all by ourselves, and we shan't tell her anything about it at all!'

‘Hear, hear!' cried the others, and Lucy asked, ‘When are we going to have our next meeting, Susan? We're all simply dying to get started.'

‘Well, I've looked at a few scripts, and there is one in particular that I think might be just right for us,' said Susan. ‘Let's meet in the common-room on Saturday afternoon, and we can make a decision.'

‘Good idea,' said Felicity. ‘Now, come along, everyone, let's go out and get some fresh air, or our break will be over.'

‘I'm looking forward to starting rehearsals for our play,
aren't you?' said June to Freddie, as the two of them followed the others outside.

‘Yes, and that's not all I'm looking forward to,' said June, a wicked expression on her face.

Freddie knew that expression well, and, with a grin, she asked, ‘What mischief are you plotting now?'

‘Well, Freddie, I was just thinking that this is the last term where we will really be able to let ourselves go and have fun at Malory Towers,' answered June. ‘Next term we will all have to knuckle down and study for School Cert. And, once we go up into the fifth form, things like tricks and midnight feasts will be out of the question. We shall have to go all serious and dignified, and set a good example to the lower forms.'

‘Golly, so we shall!' said Freddie, much struck.

‘And that is why I intend to have as much fun as possible
this
term,' said June. ‘Are you with me, Freddie?'

‘I should say!' said Freddie, her eyes alight with laughter. ‘June, it's your birthday in November, isn't it? Wouldn't it be marvellous to celebrate it with a midnight feast?' Then she frowned. ‘As long as Susan agrees to it, of course.'

‘She will,' said June, confidently. ‘Susan might be a bit goody-goody at times, but she's a sport.'

‘And just think of the tricks that we can play on Mam'zelle Dupont!' breathed Freddie, looking quite ecstatic.

June laughed, and said, ‘Oh, I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve. And Mam'zelle isn't the only one who is going
to be on the receiving end! I think that both of our new girls need taking down a peg or two. And as for that beastly Miss Tallant—well, she had better be jolly careful. We're going to have to think up something very special for her.'

‘We will,' vowed Freddie. ‘She's going to be really sorry that she was so mean to Nora. The Malory Towers mischief makers are out for revenge!'

Of course, it wasn't long before Miss Tallant discovered that June's dramatic performance in her class had been a joke—and she felt extremely angry about it. It was Miss Potts, the stern head of North Tower, who set the new mistress straight. The two were in the mistresses' common-room together when Mam'zelle Rougier walked in and cried, ‘Miss Tallant! Was there a man in your class this morning?'

‘A man?' repeated Miss Tallant, puzzled. ‘Of course not, Mam'zelle Rougier. I was taking the fourth form for drama this morning, and there was certainly no man present.'

‘But yes, I heard him,' said Mam'zelle Rougier. ‘His voice, it was deep and booming, and he talked, and talked, and…'

‘Ah, that was June,' said Miss Tallant, her brow clearing. ‘She was reading the part of the hero, in the play that we are learning. She gave a most extraordinary performance, flinging herself around all over the place and over-acting like nobody's business! It's quite obvious that she considers herself a very talented actress, but I am afraid that she is nothing of the kind! Why, even her friends were laughing at her! June didn't seem to notice, though, and
just kept on going. She didn't strike me as terribly bright, I must say!'

Miss Potts looked up sharply from the work she was marking, and said drily, ‘I am afraid that you have been taken in. June is very bright indeed, but unfortunately she chooses to use her good brains to amuse the others, rather than on her work. Watch out for her, Miss Tallant, for now that June has succeeded in duping you once, she will certainly try to do so again.'

‘Ah yes, she is a bad girl, that June,' said Mam'zelle Rougier, shaking her head. ‘A
very
bad girl. When I think of the tricks that she has played on poor, foolish Mam'zelle Dupont! Of course,
I
am not so easy to fool, and June knows that she would be punished most harshly if she tried any of her tricks on me! But you, Miss Tallant, you are young, and not so experienced in the ways of girls as Miss Potts and myself. Be on your guard, for if June thinks that you are weak, she will certainly take advantage of you, and try to make you look stupid—just as she does with Mam'zelle Dupont!'

The new mistress turned scarlet with humiliation. So, that wretched June had duped her! Well, she would very soon come to regret it! As for Mam'zelle Rougier—how dare she couple her, Miss Tallant, with the weak and silly Mam'zelle Dupont?

‘I can assure you that June won't find it so easy to take me in again,' said the mistress rather stiffly. ‘Nor will any of the others. I fully intend to nip such silliness in the bud.'

Fortunately, the fourth formers were quite unaware of
Miss Tallant's plans as they gathered in the common-room on Saturday to discuss their contribution to the Christmas concert. Once again, Susan was in charge of the meeting, and she sat at the table in the common-room, with a small pile of scripts in front of her.

The fourth formers from the other towers were there too, as it was to be a joint effort, and the common-room seemed very crowded indeed, with girls perched on top of cabinets and on the arms of chairs. Susan began, ‘There are several good plays here, but this is the one that I think would be the best, for it is very short and gives us plenty of scope to add a few touches of our own. Felicity has read it as well, and she agrees with me. The play is called
The Christmas Tree Fairy
, and I'd like to read it out to you all now, and see what you think.'

And, in her low, clear voice, Susan began to read the play. The story was quite a simple one, about a fairy doll who has been abandoned in a dusty attic, along with lots of other old toys, and is rescued by a lonely little girl.

‘I like it,' said Pam decidedly, as Susan finished her reading. ‘It really captures the spirit of Christmas somehow.'

‘And I love it when the toys come to life, when there's no one around!' squeaked Bonnie excitedly.

‘We won't have to worry about shifting scenery either,' said Felicity. ‘For the whole thing takes place in the attic.'

‘Yes, but it's far too short,' complained Mary from South Tower. ‘It certainly won't fill half an hour.'

‘It will by the time we've finished with it,' said Susan.
‘We can add a few jokes, and perhaps a song and dance routine. I think it'll be super.'

‘Good idea,' said Mary. ‘But who is going to write the song?'

‘How about you, Mary?' suggested Felicity. ‘You're excellent at music.'

‘Good idea!' said Susan. ‘That's settled, Mary. You are our official songwriter.'

‘Oh, my word!' cried Mary, a comical expression of dismay on her face. ‘What
have
I let myself in for?'

The others laughed, and Mary's friend Doreen clapped her on the shoulder, crying, ‘Don't make a song and dance about it, old girl! I'll help you out.'

‘June and Freddie, I have a job for you two as well,' said Susan.

‘Us?' chorused the two girls, looking very surprised. ‘What do you want us to do, Susan?'

‘I want you to take the script away and add a few jokes here and there,' said Susan. ‘It's quite a sentimental play, and I think it needs a touch of humour. And who better than the two form jokers to add one!'

Everyone cheered at this, and June and Freddie grinned, both of them absolutely delighted with the task they had been given.

‘I'm going to produce the play, with Felicity as my assistant,' said Susan. ‘And, of course we will—'

But Susan got no further, for Sylvia called out, ‘Susan! If you need anyone else to help produce the play, I am only too keen to help. As you know, I've done this kind of thing
before, and you know what they say about many hands making light work.'

‘Yes, and I know what they say about too many cooks spoiling the broth,' muttered Susan under her breath to Felicity.

But Felicity was rather touched by the earnest, eager-to-please expression on Sylvia's round, rosy face and she said in a low voice, ‘It seems a shame to discourage her when she's so willing. And, who knows, she might prove very useful indeed. Perhaps we should give Sylvia a chance to show what she can do.'

Susan didn't look entirely convinced, but she said, ‘Perhaps you're right. But if she becomes too bossy I simply won't stand for it!' Then she raised her voice and said, ‘Thank you, Sylvia. A third producer might come in very handy. Now, everyone, I'm going to ask if we can use the big hall for our next meeting, for it really is dreadfully cramped in here. Then we will cast the parts, and decide who is going to help backstage and so on. Any questions?'

There were no questions, but, after the girls from the other three towers had left, there was a good deal of excited chatter. Nora was hoping that she would be considered for the role of the fairy, and said to Pam, ‘I do hope that Susan will let me try out for it.'

‘Of course she will,' said the loyal Pam, at once. ‘You're a marvellous actress, and you can dance beautifully. In fact, I can't think of anyone who could play the fairy as well as you could.'

But someone else was quite certain that
she
was destined to play the role of the fairy—and that someone was Bonnie. ‘I have a fairy costume at home that I wore to a fancy-dress party once,' she told Amy, breathlessly. ‘I must ask Mother to send it to me.'

‘You would certainly make a lovely fairy,' said Amy, looking the pretty, dainty girl over with approval. ‘I don't think any other girl in the form would fit the role as perfectly as you.'

Bonnie beamed with pleasure and said, ‘Will you be trying out for any of the parts, Amy?'

‘No, I don't want to push myself forward,' answered Amy rather piously. ‘Let the others have a chance.'

The truth was that Amy wasn't particularly good at drama, dancing or singing, and she was well aware that she didn't stand a chance of getting one of the lead parts. And as she wasn't going to be centre stage, the girl would have preferred not to be involved in the project at all. But this was a vain hope, for Susan wanted everyone to play a part in the success of the form's play, however small.

‘Though I can't imagine what we are going to find for Olive to do,' she said to Felicity, as the fourth formers got ready for bed that evening. ‘The only talent she seems to have is for rubbing people up the wrong way!'

Felicity laughed and said, ‘Well, if all she's going to do is stir things up and cause ill feeling, perhaps it would be best just to leave her out altogether.'

But Susan wouldn't hear of this, and she said stubbornly, ‘No, Olive is a member of our form, whether
she likes it or not. And she is jolly well going to take part in our play!'

‘I wonder why she is so bad-tempered and angry all the time?' said Felicity, with a frown. ‘I do hope that she settles down and cheers up a bit, for the sight of her miserable, scowling face puts a damper on everything!'

But, as Pam remarked a few days later, Olive only seemed happy if someone else was getting into trouble.

‘She's so spiteful and mean-spirited,' said Pam, with distaste, as the fourth formers got changed after lacrosse practice. ‘Did you see the smirk on her face when Miss Maxwell ticked Amy off for not trying hard enough?'

‘And she nearly laughed herself sick when June got Mam'zelle Dupont to use that trick pencil in French this morning,' said Nora.

‘Well, we
all
laughed at that,' pointed out Julie. ‘That was the whole idea, after all!'

‘Yes, but Olive wasn't laughing at the joke,' said Nora. ‘She was gloating over the tremendous scolding that June got from Mam'zelle afterwards.'

‘Good!' said Bonnie, with satisfaction. Then, as the others turned to look at her in surprise, she went on, ‘Because June will have it in for Olive, and will get her own back on her. And I, for one, am looking forward to it!'

As Bonnie flounced off with Amy, Susan gave a sigh and said, ‘I do so hate all this spite and bad feeling that seems to be brewing.'

‘Horrible, isn't it?' agreed Felicity. ‘Though I must say, Olive has rather brought it on herself. Petty spite is one of
the hardest faults to forgive, and it always stirs up more spite in return.'

‘Yes, you're quite right,' said Susan. ‘And I think that Bonnie was right, too, when she said that June will try to get her own back on Olive. I say, where
is
June?'

‘She and Freddie got changed in a trice, and dashed off somewhere,' said Lucy. ‘I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they're plotting revenge on Olive right this very minute.'

‘You know, Susan, as head of the form, I really think that it's your duty to speak to Olive about her behaviour,' said Sylvia, an earnest expression on her face.

Susan was rather taken aback, and not at all pleased at this unwanted piece of advice from the new girl. Felicity, too, felt annoyed, and she said, ‘Really, Sylvia, I don't think that it's your place—'

But Sylvia didn't even realise that Felicity was speaking, and went on, in her rather loud voice, ‘We had a girl just like Olive at my old school. Of course, as head-girl, I had to reprimand her pretty severely. It did the trick, though, if I do say so myself.' She smiled at Susan and said sympathetically, ‘There is such a lot to learn when one first becomes head-girl, isn't there? Especially if one has never held a position of responsibility before. But I am always on hand to give help and advice, Susan.'

And, leaving the fourth formers staring after her, open-mouthed, Sylvia put on her coat and went out of the changing room.

Felicity made an explosive little sound of irritation as the door closed behind the new girl, while Susan scoffed,
‘As if I would ask Sylvia for advice about anything! If I needed anyone to help me, I would ask you, Felicity, or Pam. You have both had a turn as head-girl, and I'll bet you both made a better job of it than Say-So Sylvia!'

A shout of laughter went up at this, and Nora cried, ‘What a marvellous nickname—Say-So Sylvia!'

‘I suppose it
is
rather a good nickname,' said Susan, with a pleased grin, and the others chorused, ‘IF YOU DO SAY SO YOURSELF!'

June and Freddie, meanwhile, were indeed plotting revenge on Olive. They were up in the dormitory, looking through June's box of tricks, the pair of them chuckling as they recalled jokes that they had played in the past.

‘Do you remember the time that Mam'zelle used that soap, which made her face look as if it was streaked with dirt?' laughed Freddie. ‘I say! I don't suppose you have any more of it, do you June? That would be a super trick to play on Olive.'

‘No, I lent it to my brother, Peter, in the holidays,' answered June, before lapsing into a thoughtful silence. Olive's unpleasant habit of gloating over those who got into trouble rankled with her. Perhaps the girl would think twice about doing it again if
she
was on the receiving end of a scold from one of the mistresses!

June said as much to Freddie, who agreed heartily. ‘It would certainly serve her right,' she said. ‘I say, can't we think of something to do in Miss Tallant's class tomorrow?
There must be a way that we can get her to lose her temper with Olive.'

June clicked her fingers suddenly. ‘I think that there is,' she said, grinning. ‘Have you noticed how frightened Olive is of the mice in the biology room?'

‘I know that she always sits as far away from their cage as possible,' said Freddie. ‘And she jumps every time one of them moves. What have you got in mind, June?'

‘Well,' said June, her eyes glinting wickedly. ‘Just suppose that one of those mice found its way into Olive's desk. My word, wouldn't she squeal!'

‘June!' gasped Freddie. ‘It would be a marvellous trick to play, but dare we?'

June, who was bold enough for anything, said at once, ‘Of course we dare. Miss Tallant's lesson is right after break, so we can slip along to the biology room at break-time, get one of the mice out and put it into Olive's desk.'