Arabella in the Upper School - Chapter 5
Arabella smiled at the Headmistress.
"Thank you, ma'am."
She remembered her mother's advice about politeness.
"That would be very pleasant."
The Headmistress smiled, thinly. Her eyes remained unamused.
Arabella looked around for a suitable chair to occupy for this little chat. The deep leather armchairs and sofa were too far from the desk. Miss Guthrie did not look as if she was about to abandon her position.
A single hard-backed chair stood to one side of the desk. It did not look very comfortable but it would have to do.
Arabella made to move towards the chair. Immediately, Nancy's hard fingers bit into her shoulders, pinning her in place.
"Remain where you are, Fiennes!"
The Headmistress's order left no room for confusion.
Arabella froze, then resumed her position, upright in front of the large desk. Maybe, she thought, for a fleeting moment, this won't be so pleasant after all.
"How are you settling in, Fiennes?"
Arabella didn't hesitate. Speak up, her mother had said. Speak clearly. Be positive.
"Very well, Ma'am. I am enjoying it very much, thank you."
Miss Guthrie looked down at the open file before her. Looked up again at her young pupil.
"Yes, I see. Enjoying it."
She paused.
"Very much."
Miss Guthrie removed the cap from her Parker fountain pen and made a note in the file. She sighed as she replaced the cap.
"Enjoying it. Yes."
She placed the pen on her desk beside the file.
"You have been with us ten days now, am I right, Fiennes?"
Arabella was a little less confident in her reply. A little less sure about the direction of the conversation.
"Yes, Ma'am. I came up at the beginning of the term."
Miss Guthrie turned a page in the file, read a little more.
Arabella became aware of how close the Head Girl was standing behind her. She could feel the heat of her long body against her back. She felt suddenly awkward. Not quite as bad as when cousin Charles had squeezed her breast, no. But still awkward.
"Ten days," the Headmistress mused.
Her quiet tone brought Arabella out of her reverie.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Allowing for the weekend, eight days of classroom lessons."
Arabella was puzzled by this concentration on the number of days.
"Yes, Ma'am, that's right."
"Eight days of lesson preparation, eight days of presentation by some of the finest teachers in England."
Miss Guthrie's voice rose.
"And yet not one report of you having learned anything in that time!"
Arabella tried instinctively to step back from this sudden verbal onslaught, only to find herself pressed even closer to the Head Girl.
Nancy Stewart absorbed the movement, held Arabella tighter. Allowed her thoughts to drift for a moment towards what was to come. She glanced at the upright chair, then across the study to the cabinet where she knew the Headmistress hung her canes.
"I have eight reports here, Fiennes," Miss Guthrie continued in her raised voice. "That is one for every day in the classroom!"
She laid out on her desk eight apparently identical pink forms.
"Eight reports from teachers saying that you are inattentive, easily distracted, uninterested in learning anything."
Arabella felt herself blushing and the irritation of a tear in the corner of her right eye. Could this be true? Could her teachers be so mean? She was trying, all the time. It wasn't her fault. She protested.
"Oh, ma'am! No! I am always trying to do my best! I do the work in every lesson!"
"Be quiet!"
The Headmistress spoke crossly.
"Eight teachers attest differently, Fiennes. Teachers whom I trust. I strongly suggest that you think before you say anything else."
Arabella bit her tongue. Shit! This was not going as she expected. She shook her head, trying to convey to Miss Gutherie that she would not speak again.
The Headmistress reached out her left arm, picked up the receiver from the telephone on her desk. With her right hand, she dialed a two digit number. Waited a moment for the call to be answered.
"Miss Brookes? Could you step into my office for a moment please?"
A pause.
"Yes, one of the new girls. A reminder."
Another pause.
Nancy felt a shiver of excitement run through her body. She pulled the younger girl even closer.
"And please bring the new punishment book for this year."
"Thank you, ma'am."
She remembered her mother's advice about politeness.
"That would be very pleasant."
The Headmistress smiled, thinly. Her eyes remained unamused.
Arabella looked around for a suitable chair to occupy for this little chat. The deep leather armchairs and sofa were too far from the desk. Miss Guthrie did not look as if she was about to abandon her position.
A single hard-backed chair stood to one side of the desk. It did not look very comfortable but it would have to do.
Arabella made to move towards the chair. Immediately, Nancy's hard fingers bit into her shoulders, pinning her in place.
"Remain where you are, Fiennes!"
The Headmistress's order left no room for confusion.
Arabella froze, then resumed her position, upright in front of the large desk. Maybe, she thought, for a fleeting moment, this won't be so pleasant after all.
"How are you settling in, Fiennes?"
Arabella didn't hesitate. Speak up, her mother had said. Speak clearly. Be positive.
"Very well, Ma'am. I am enjoying it very much, thank you."
Miss Guthrie looked down at the open file before her. Looked up again at her young pupil.
"Yes, I see. Enjoying it."
She paused.
"Very much."
Miss Guthrie removed the cap from her Parker fountain pen and made a note in the file. She sighed as she replaced the cap.
"Enjoying it. Yes."
She placed the pen on her desk beside the file.
"You have been with us ten days now, am I right, Fiennes?"
Arabella was a little less confident in her reply. A little less sure about the direction of the conversation.
"Yes, Ma'am. I came up at the beginning of the term."
Miss Guthrie turned a page in the file, read a little more.
Arabella became aware of how close the Head Girl was standing behind her. She could feel the heat of her long body against her back. She felt suddenly awkward. Not quite as bad as when cousin Charles had squeezed her breast, no. But still awkward.
"Ten days," the Headmistress mused.
Her quiet tone brought Arabella out of her reverie.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Allowing for the weekend, eight days of classroom lessons."
Arabella was puzzled by this concentration on the number of days.
"Yes, Ma'am, that's right."
"Eight days of lesson preparation, eight days of presentation by some of the finest teachers in England."
Miss Guthrie's voice rose.
"And yet not one report of you having learned anything in that time!"
Arabella tried instinctively to step back from this sudden verbal onslaught, only to find herself pressed even closer to the Head Girl.
Nancy Stewart absorbed the movement, held Arabella tighter. Allowed her thoughts to drift for a moment towards what was to come. She glanced at the upright chair, then across the study to the cabinet where she knew the Headmistress hung her canes.
"I have eight reports here, Fiennes," Miss Guthrie continued in her raised voice. "That is one for every day in the classroom!"
She laid out on her desk eight apparently identical pink forms.
"Eight reports from teachers saying that you are inattentive, easily distracted, uninterested in learning anything."
Arabella felt herself blushing and the irritation of a tear in the corner of her right eye. Could this be true? Could her teachers be so mean? She was trying, all the time. It wasn't her fault. She protested.
"Oh, ma'am! No! I am always trying to do my best! I do the work in every lesson!"
"Be quiet!"
The Headmistress spoke crossly.
"Eight teachers attest differently, Fiennes. Teachers whom I trust. I strongly suggest that you think before you say anything else."
Arabella bit her tongue. Shit! This was not going as she expected. She shook her head, trying to convey to Miss Gutherie that she would not speak again.
The Headmistress reached out her left arm, picked up the receiver from the telephone on her desk. With her right hand, she dialed a two digit number. Waited a moment for the call to be answered.
"Miss Brookes? Could you step into my office for a moment please?"
A pause.
"Yes, one of the new girls. A reminder."
Another pause.
Nancy felt a shiver of excitement run through her body. She pulled the younger girl even closer.
"And please bring the new punishment book for this year."
61-69, F
