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Chapter six

Early Days

The teachers were all talking together - discussing their holidays, the Sports Pavilion and the new girls. Then attention turned to the new teachers. Mademoiselle Blanche answered some polite questions about France, and Miss Springer began to talk about herself.

Miss Springer had a high opinion of herself. She talked loudly about how much she had been valued at other schools, and how her colleagues and head teachers had welcomed her advice. ‘Though of course some people were ungrateful and refused to face the truth,’ she said. ‘I’m not like that.

And I’m good at finding things out. Several times I’ve discovered a nasty scandal and told everyone about it. You shouldn’t teach in a school if you have something to hide.’ She laughed loudly. ‘You’d be surprised if I told you some of the things I’ve found out about people. But I was just doing my duty.’

Miss Springer laughed again. She didn’t notice that nobody else was amused.

Miss Bulstrode was trying not to smile as Miss Johnson complained about Shaista’s brassiere. ‘It’s not the ordinary kind,’ said Miss Johnson. ‘It - er - pushes her up.’

‘But I want to look bigger,’ explained Shaista helpfully. ‘I want to look like a woman.’

‘You’re only fifteen,’ said Miss Johnson.

‘Fifteen - that is a woman!’ said Shaista. ‘And I look like a woman, do I not?’

Miss Bulstrode nodded seriously. ‘I understand your point of view, Shaista,’ she said, ‘but I suggest that you wear your brassiere when you go to London or to a party, not every day.’

When Shaista had gone, Miss Bulstrode smiled at Miss Johnson. ‘It’s true - Shaista does look fully grown up. Physically she’s totally different to Julia Upjohn, for example. It’s good to have a school full of girls who are different.’

Miss Bulstrode went back to correcting homework, and thought about her school. She had worked hard and taken risks to make Meadowbank a success. And Miss Chadwick had always been there to help her.

Now Miss Bulstrode had decided to retire while she was still successful. She didn’t know what Miss Chadwick would do - perhaps she would prefer to carry on teaching.

Miss Bulstrode rang for Ann Shapland and began to dictate letters. Ann was a very good secretary, thought Miss Bulstrode. Better than the one before, who had left so suddenly.

When the letters were done, Miss Bulstrode sighed with relief. ‘Writing to parents is very dull,’ she said to Ann. ‘Tell me, why did you become a secretary?’

‘I don’t really know,’ said Ann. ‘It just happened. But I’ve had lots of interesting jobs. And I can’t stay in one job for very long because of my mother - I have to go and look after her at times. I like change - it’s never dull.’

‘My job - teaching - is never dull,’ said Miss Bulstrode. ‘I’ll miss it when I retire.’

‘Are you going to retire?’ asked Ann in surprise. ‘Why?’

‘Because I’ve done all I can for Meadowbank - it’s someone else’s turn.’

‘Miss Vansittart, I suppose?’ said Ann. ‘She’ll carry on your work.’

But is that what I want? thought Miss Bulstrode as Ann left the room to start typing. Do I want Eleanor Vansittart just to carry on my work? Or do I want someone with personality - like Eileen Rich - to bring new and fresh ideas to Meadowbank?

She looked up as Miss Chadwick came in. ‘What’s wrong, Chaddy?’

‘Nothing,’ said Miss Chadwick with a frown. ‘Nothing really. I just have a feeling that something isn’t quite right - but I don’t know why. And I don’t like Mademoiselle Blanche very much, or Miss Springer.’

‘Having new teachers is always upsetting,’ said Miss Bulstrode.

‘Yes,’ agreed Miss Chadwick. ‘That must be it. And we must keep an eye on that new gardener. It’s a pity he’s so young and good looking.’

Both women nodded. They knew what damage a good looking young man could do to the hearts of teenage girls.