by Enid Blyton
A third former told Amy that she had just seen Daisy making her way up to the dormitories with a pile of clean linen, and the girl quickly caught up with her.
‘Daisy!’ she said. ‘I must speak with you at once.’
‘Why, whatever is the matter, Miss Amy?’ asked Daisy, startled.
‘Come in here, where we shan’t be overheard,’ said Amy, taking the maid’s arm and pulling her into the sixth-form dormitory.
Quickly she told Daisy of what had happened. The maid’s eyes were big and scared as she said, ‘And now Miss Potts wants to question me?’
‘That’s right,’ said Amy. ‘But all you have to do is tell her that the room was neat and tidy when I locked the door, which is perfectly true.’
‘Yes,’ said Daisy hesitantly. ‘But what if it comes out that a first former was in there with you?’
‘Daisy!’ gasped Amy, shocked. ‘You promised that you wouldn’t tell.’
‘I won’t,’ said Daisy. ‘Well, not on purpose, anyway. The thing is, you see, that Miss Potts frightens the life out of me, with her stern voice, and her cold eyes, and that way she has of looking at you over the top of her glasses. She gets me that flustered, there’s no knowing what I might say!’
Daisy had moved across to the little cabinet that stood beside Amy’s bed as she spoke, and she picked up a bottle of perfume that stood there, taking out the stopper and sniffing at it. ‘My, this is lovely,’ she said. ‘No wonder you always smell so nice, Miss Amy. How I wish that I could afford expensive perfume, but there’s not much chance of that on the wages I earn.’
‘Look here, Daisy,’ said Amy. ‘If you promise to keep your nerve when Miss Potts questions you, and not to mention Violet, I shall give you the perfume to keep.’
Daisy’s eyes lit up, and she said eagerly, ‘Do you mean that, Miss Amy?’
‘Yes,’ said Amy. ‘But you must keep your part of the bargain, see, otherwise I shall take the perfume back.’
‘Oh, I won’t sneak, no fear of that,’ said Daisy, slipping the perfume bottle into the big pocket of her starched, white apron. ‘I shall run along to see Miss Potts this very minute.’
The maid almost skipped from the room, and Amy watched her go, a frown coming over her face. She regretted having to give her lovely perfume away, but that wasn’t what was troubling her. It seemed to Amy that there had been rather a sly look on Daisy’s face when she picked up the perfume. Had that been the maid’s intention all along – to get an expensive present from Amy, in return for her silence?
9
A bad time for Gwen
Word of the damage that had been done to Miss Lacey’s classroom soon spread around the school, and the North Tower sixth formers, in particular, felt very dismayed when they heard the news.
‘I know it’s silly, but I feel as if that room belongs to us more than any of the others, because it is in our tower,’ said Nora.
‘I wonder who can have done it?’ said Pam with a frown.
‘Someone with a very mean, spiteful streak, obviously,’ said Susan scornfully. ‘I hope that whoever it was feels thoroughly ashamed of herself.’
The girls were sitting on the grass outside, enjoying the brilliant sunshine, and Freddie, who had been lying on her back, shielding her eyes with her hand, suddenly sat up and, lowering her voice, said, ‘Of course, you know that Miss Lacey suspected Amy, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I had heard a rumour,’ said Felicity. ‘But Daisy was able to clear her name, fortunately.’
‘I can’t say that Amy has ever been my favourite person,’ said June. ‘But I don’t think that she would stoop to that kind of low trick.’
‘Nor do I,’ said Felicity. ‘It’s rather horrible to think that it must have been a sixth former, though.’
‘What makes you say that?’ said Alice, startled.
‘Well, obviously someone has a grudge against Miss Lacey,’ said Felicity. ‘And as we are the only form that she teaches, that rather rules out the lower forms, for none of them know her well enough to have taken a dislike to her.’
‘That’s very true,’ said Susan. ‘I wonder if it could have been someone from another tower?’
‘Well, I know that Jane from West Tower doesn’t like Gwen,’ said June, who steadfastly refused to refer to the new mistress as Miss Lacey. ‘And that South Tower girl, Elspeth, dislikes her heartily.’
‘And let’s not forget that you aren’t too keen on her either, are you, June?’ said Lizzie with a little laugh. ‘I don’t suppose it could have been you, could it?’
It was said lightly, but everyone knew of the animosity between Lizzie and June. Felicity braced herself to intervene, as they all waited with bated breath for June’s withering retort. But, to the surprise of the sixth formers, the girl merely laughed, and said, ‘Actually it could easily have been me. Or you, Lizzie, or Felicity, or Susan – or any one of us.’
‘Don’t!’ said Nora with a shudder. ‘It’s horrible to think that we are all under suspicion.’
‘Well, we are,’ said June bluntly. ‘For the key to Gwen’s class-room hangs on a hook in the housekeeper’s room. It would have been an easy matter for anyone to slip in while she was out and take it. Why, even one of the mistresses could have done it.’
Freddie gave a laugh, and said, ‘Who do you suspect, June? Mam’zelle Dupont, perhaps?’
The others laughed too, as they pictured the plump little French mistress sneaking into Gwen’s class-room and wreaking havoc. Then June said, ‘Probably not, for she never saw through Gwen and I believe that she is quite fond of her. But there is no denying that she wasn’t popular with most of the mistresses when she was a pupil here.’
‘Oh, I simply can’t believe that any of the mistresses would do such a thing!’ exclaimed Felicity. ‘Why, most of them have been here for years!’
‘Miss Nicholson hasn’t,’ said Alice thoughtfully.
‘No, but she and Miss Lacey seem to be good friends,’ said Susan.
‘Yes,’ said June. ‘But perhaps that is Miss Nicholson’s way of trying to avoid coming under suspicion.’
‘I refuse to listen to any more!’ cried Nora, clapping her hands over her ears. ‘It’s simply horrible to think that someone as downright and jolly as Miss Nicholson could play mean tricks on someone who is supposed to be her friend.’
‘Of course it is!’ said Felicity. ‘We shall probably never find out who was responsible, so let’s just hope that whoever wanted to get her own back on Miss Lacey will think that she has done enough and won’t take things any further.’
But Miss Lacey began to go through a most annoying time over the following week. A photograph of her mother, which she kept on the desk in her study, was removed from its frame and torn into tiny little pieces. Then someone cut the flower off her favourite hat when she left it on a bench in the courtyard one day. And worse was to come.
Going into her bedroom one Saturday afternoon, Gwen was horrified to discover that her chest of drawers had been ransacked, the contents strewn about the bed and the floor. She gave a little cry of horror, the tears that had always come so readily when she had been a schoolgirl starting to her blue eyes. But Gwen blinked them back resolutely, gritting her teeth as she began picking up stockings and handkerchiefs, and putting them away tidily again. Someone obviously had it in for her, and was trying to make her time at Malory Towers as miserable as possible – perhaps they even meant to drive her away. But they would not succeed. Gwen could not let them succeed, for she needed this job and the money it brought in, and so did her family. Then as Gwen put her scattered things away, she made an unpleasant discovery. A pair of cufflinks that she had bought her father for his birthday, and hidden in one of the drawers, was missing. A lump rose to her throat, for she had badly wanted to buy her father something special, and had been putting a little money aside each week, picturing his surprise and delight when he opened her gift. As she fought to control her tears, a cheerful whistling came from outside, and
Gwen, recognising it, pulled open her bedroom door and said, ‘Miss Nicholson! Come here a moment, would you?’
Miss Nicholson entered the bedroom, frowning as she saw her friend’s distressed expression.
Quickly, Gwen explained what had happened, her voice breaking slightly as she told the other mistress about the missing cufflinks.
‘This is quite dreadful!’ exclaimed Miss Nicholson, sounding most concerned. ‘The other things that have happened to you – as horrible as they are – can be dismissed as mere spite, but this is theft. You must report it to Miss Potts, or even to Miss Grayling, at once.’
But Gwen was strangely reluctant to do this, and, when pushed by Miss Nicholson, she admitted, ‘If I tell Miss Grayling about the cufflinks, all the other things will come out too.’
‘Well, that’s a good thing, if you ask me,’ said Miss Nicholson stoutly. ‘It’s about time that the person who is playing these beastly tricks knew that we are taking it seriously, for it might make her think twice before playing the next one.’
‘Yes, but don’t you see?’ said Gwen, a bleak look on her face. ‘If all of this comes out, Miss Grayling might decide that it is too much trouble to keep me on here as a teacher. Oh, I know that the girls play tricks on the staff sometimes, just as they did when I was a pupil here. But it is all done in good humour, and this is quite different, for there is so much spite in it! Whoever heard of a teacher who was so unpopular that someone hates her enough to steal from her, and spoil her things?’
‘Well, if you refuse to report it, we shall just have to do our utmost to thwart whoever is doing this ourselves,’ said Miss Nicholson, a very determined expression on her round face. ‘You must make sure that you lock your bedroom door from now on, every time you leave it.’
‘That’s just it, though, I thought that I had locked it,’ said Gwen with a puzzled look. ‘But I suppose I must have been in such a hurry that I forgot. I saved so hard for those cufflinks too.’
‘Look here,’ said Miss Nicholson gruffly, laying a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. ‘I can lend you the money if you want to buy another pair, and you can pay me back a little at a time.’
Gwen flushed, deeply touched by her friend’s offer. But she had been brought up not to borrow or lend money, and she said, ‘It’s awfully kind of you, but I simply couldn’t. I’m afraid that Father will have to be content with a set of handkerchiefs.’
‘Just as you like,’ said Miss Nicholson. ‘But the offer stands if you change your mind. Now, let’s put the rest of your things away and go down to tea. And this time, make sure that you lock the door behind you!’
Lizzie, meanwhile, had been pleasantly surprised when her young sister had agreed to take a stroll with her.
‘I went along the cliffs with Alice the other day,’ she said. ‘And the views are simply marvellous. Do let’s, Edith! It seems such a long time since we spent some time together.’
Edith had looked a little doubtful, and, seeing her expression, Lizzie had laughed, and said, ‘I will promise not to mention the swimming gala, or June, or your friendship with Daffy.’
‘All right,’ Edith had said with a grin. ‘I shall hold you to that.’
And the two sisters had talked and laughed together as they strolled, making it seem quite like old times.
‘How the weeks have flown,’ said Lizzie, as the two stood looking out to sea. ‘Next weekend it will be half-term.’
‘How I wish that Mother could come,’ said Edith, rather wistfully.
‘So do I,’ said Lizzie, squeezing her sister’s arm. ‘Still, it won’t be so very bad. At least we will have one another, so we shan’t be quite alone.’
Edith bit her lip, and cast a sidelong look at Lizzie.
‘Actually,’ she began, rather hesitantly. ‘Actually, Lizzie, Daffy has asked me to go out with her and her people. And I – I said yes.’
‘Oh!’ said Lizzie blankly. She had pictured herself spending the day with Edith, trying to make up to her for their mother’s absence. And now it seemed that the girl didn’t need her after all!
‘I’m sorry,’ said Edith, hanging her head. ‘I was so thrilled to be asked that it never even occurred to me that you would be alone too. Of course, I shall tell Daffy that I can’t go with her.’
But Lizzie, looking down at her sister, took a sudden, noble resolve, and said, ‘You’ll do nothing of the sort!’
Edith looked up in surprise, and Lizzie went on, ‘As if I would ask you to give up such a treat! Of course you must go with Daffy. Don’t worry about me, for I will be quite all right.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Edith, her brow clearing. ‘Oh, of course you will be all right! One of the sixth formers is sure to ask you out. In fact, I thought that you would probably have had one or two invitations already.’
‘Oh, I have,’ said Lizzie airily. ‘I turned them down because I didn’t want to leave you on your own, Edith, but now that I know you are going out with Daffy I shall be able to accept one of them. It looks as though we are both going to have a marvellous half-term.’
Lizzie spoke cheerfully, for she didn’t want to dampen her sister’s spirits, but actually no one had asked her to go out with them at half-term. In fact, Alice was the only one who knew that Lizzie’s mother wasn’t coming, and she had assumed that the girl would not want to leave Edith on her own, so had not bothered to invite her out.
Normally, the thought of an extra day to herself, to pore over her books, would have been a very welcome one, but it would be hard to think of studying when the others were all having a happy time with their families. Suddenly Lizzie began to feel very lonely, and to realise that the others had a point when they said that there was more to school life than studying. If only she hadn’t cut herself off from the others quite so much, she might have more friends, and wouldn’t be facing the bleak prospect of a lonely half-term.
This thought was on Lizzie’s mind when she went into tea and, seeing her miserable expression, Alice said in a friendly way, ‘Is something the matter, Lizzie?’
‘No, nothing at all,’ said Lizzie, forcing herself to smile, for she was far too proud to admit to Alice that Edith had been asked out at half-term.
‘Well, you look as if you have all the cares of the world on your shoulders,’ said Susan. ‘For goodness’ sake, cheer up! There’s only a week to go until half-term.’
‘Perhaps that is what’s upsetting Lizzie,’ said June smoothly. ‘We all know how she hates to tear herself away from her books. And heaven forbid that she should actually have some fun!’
Lizzie couldn’t even bring herself to retort to this, but Alice said rather sharply, ‘Oh, do be quiet, June. I’m sure that Lizzie is looking forward to spending the day with her sister just as much as the rest of us will enjoy being with our families.’
Felicity threw Alice an approving look, and said, ‘Oh, isn’t your mother coming, Lizzie?’
‘No, she can’t get away,’ said Lizzie, trying her hardest not to sound too mournful.
‘What a shame,’ said Pam. ‘But it’s a good thing that you will have Edith to keep you company.’
Lizzie could have told the others then that Edith was spending half-term with Daffy, but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Alice, or one of the others, might feel sorry for her, and feel obliged to invite her to go with them. And Lizzie didn’t want anyone’s pity. So she merely nodded, and said, ‘Yes, it should be a pleasant break.’
But Alice, who knew the girl a little better than any of the others did, was puzzled. Something was definitely bothering Lizzie. And Alice found out what it was quite by accident.
She was in the changing-room after tennis practice one afternoon when Daffy and Katie came in. Neither of them saw the sixth former, for she was seated behind a row of lockers.
‘I’m so excited about half-term!’ said Katie. ‘Father said that my older brother may be coming as well, and I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to seeing him again.’
‘I don’t think that Mrs Mannering is terribly well off,’ said Katie. ‘For Edith told me that she can’t afford the train fare to Malory Towers. Still, I’m sure that she will have a marvellous half-term with you.’
‘I suppose anything is preferable to being with that miserable, domineering Lizzie,’ said Daffy. ‘Although I must say, she seems to have taken the news that Edith won’t be able to spend half-term with her jolly well. I think that several of the sixth formers have invited her to go out with them.’
The two first formers chattered for a few more minutes as they changed, then they left, their voices fading away.
Alice, who knew very well that no one had invited Lizzie to go with them, sat deep in thought. So, Lizzie had pretended to her sister that she had plans of her own, so that Edith could go off and enjoy herself without feeling guilty. Well, that was all very fine and noble, but why on earth couldn’t Lizzie just come out and admit that she felt upset about spending half-term on her own? If Alice had known that Edith was going with Daffy, she would have asked Lizzie to join her people. And, no doubt, a few others would have extended invitations too, for the sixth formers were a good-hearted lot, on the whole. Lizzie must have known that.
She did know it, thought Alice, suddenly realising what was preventing Lizzie from telling the others that she would be on her own. It was foolish pride, pure and simple. Alice remembered the way that Lizzie had suddenly seemed to close up when she had been talking about her uncle paying her school fees, and Edith’s. The girl didn’t like to think that she was at Malory Towers because of someone else’s charity, and she didn’t want the others to know it either. And what had Katie said? Mrs Mannering couldn’t afford the train fare to the school. Yet Lizzie had told Alice that her mother couldn’t come because she was too busy – her pride again. And she didn’t want the others pitying her, and feeling that they had to ask her to join them, that was why she hadn’t told anyone that Edith would be going out with Daffy and her people at half-term. Alice gave a sigh. It was very good to have pride, of course – pride in one’s school, one’s family and one’s self. But the kind of pride that Lizzie had was just foolish, and was going to make her very unhappy in the long run. Alice was quite determined that Lizzie wasn’t going to spend half-term alone, but she knew that she would have to approach the girl very carefully. How was she to go about it, though?
