06 (11 page)

No one even wanted to! Enormous waves ran up the rocks to the pool. Even on a calm day, the blue water surged and heaved, and swept with great force over the oeks. Amanda, who loved the strength ol water, longed ;o battle with the tierce sea here. She was quite fearless n all physical things.

She had hardly seen Felicity's tennis, as she stood by court, idly following the bail wiib hei eyes. Should she take a chance, and go swimming out to sea some time? She didn't much care if she got into a row or not. She wasn't going to stay very long at Malory Towers, and the rules didn't frighten herl She suddenly made up her mind.

1 will go swimming out to sea, she decided. I've talked to Jack the fisherman, and he's told me what currents there are. If I went down to the edge of the rocks at low tide, I could dive off into deep water, and avoid the worst v urrents by swimming to the west, and then straight out. i should be all right.

The thing was - when could she do this unnoticed? Not that she minded getting into a row - but it was silly to do that if it could be avoided. Amanda turned the matter over in her mind.

Early morning would be best, she thought. Very early morning. Nobody would be about then. I could have about an hour and a hall's real swimming, it ' mid be heaven!

Having settled that, Amanda felt happy. She wished she could settle the June business as easily. But that didn't altogether rest with her! She wasn't going to give in to June's ideas as to how she should be coached, and if June chose to be rude and make things difficult, then there might be a serious row.

'I don't want one!' said Amanda to herself. 'But if June provokes one, perhaps it will clear the air, and let her know where she stands. I'm certainly not going to put up with any nonsense, and I think if it came to the point, June wouldn't be idiot enough to throw away her chance of being put in the second school teams.'

m

H^-term

Half-term came and went. It was brilliant weather and i he parents thoroughly enjoyed themselves wandering over the school grounds and down by the sea.

The enclosed garden, set in the hollow square in the middle of the four-towered building, was very popular. It was crammed with hundreds upon hundreds of rose- hushes, and the sight and scent of these filled the fathers and mothers with delight.

'I'm glad Malory Towers is at its very best my last half- term,' Darrell said to her mother, as she took her to see the roses. 'I shall always remember it like this. Oh, Mother, thank you a thousand times for choosing this school for me. I've been so happy here.'

Her mother squeezed her arm. 'You've done very well indeed at Malory Towers,' she said. 'All the mistresses have been telling me how much they will miss you, and what a help you've always been. They are glad you have a sister to follow in your footsteps!'

Gwen went by with her mother and Miss Winter. 'My last half-term!' she was saying. 'Fancy, my next half- term will be in Switzerland. I'm sure I shall be much happier there than I've ever been here.'

Gwen's father had not come. Gwen was glad. 'I was afraid he might come and spoil everything,' she said to her mother. 'He was so horrid to us last holidays, wasn't he?'

'He would have come,' said Miss Winter. 'But he's not well. He hasn't really been well for some time, Gwen. V>u should have written to him this term, you know. I

91

wm^M:-'

really do think you should.'

'It's not your business/ said Gwen, coldly. 'Honestly, you can't always tell whether Daddy isn't well, or is just bad-tempered, can you. Mother? Anyway, we shan't miss him today.'

'Where's Maureen?' asked Mrs Lacey. Maureen, so like Gwen, with her fluffy golden hair and big, pale-blue eyes, was quite a favourite with Mrs Lacey and the old governess. But Gwen wasn't going to have anything to do with Maureen that day! Maureen 'sucked up' to Gwen's people and they just loved it.

'Maureen's got her own people here today,' she said. 'Poor Maureen - I'm sorry tor her, Mother. She's not going to a finishing school, or even to college of any sort. She's just going to take a secretarial course, and go into somebody's office!'

.Jo's people came by, with Jo hanging on to her father's arm. The big, loud-voiced, vulgar man could, as usual, be heard all over the place.

'Not a bad little rose-garden this, Jo, eh?' he said. 'Course it's not a patch on ours. Let's see, Ma, how many roses have we got in our rose-garden?'

'Five thousand/ said Mrs Jones, in a low voice. She was always rather overawed by the other parents, and she was beginning to wish that her husband wasn't quite so loud and bumptious. She had caught sight of a few astonished glances, and a few sly smiles. She wondered if she had put on too much jewellery?

She had. She 'dripped with diamonds', as June said to Susan. 'I'm only surprised she doesn't have a diamond nose-ring, as well as all the rest,' said June. I've a good mind to suggest it to Jo. She could pass on the idea, perhaps.'

'No, don't,' said Susan, afraid ol June's unkind wit. 'She can't help having such parents. Oh, isn't her lather dreadlul this time?'

He really was. He had cornered Miss Parker, Jo's form mistress, and was blaring at her in his fog-horn voice.

'Well, Miss Parker - how's our Jo getting along? Naughtiest girl in the form as usual? Ah, well - they're always the most popular, aren't they? The things / used to do as a boy. My name's Charlie, so they called me Cheeky Charlie at school! The things I said to my icachers! Ha ha ha!'

Miss Parker made no reply. She merely looked disgusted. Jo felt frightened. She knew that face of Miss Parker's. She had a feeling that Miss Parker might say something that even Cheeky Charlie wouldn't like.

Her father went blundering on. 'Well, you haven't said a word about our Jo. She's a card, isn't she? Ha ha - 1 bet she calls you Nosey Parker!' And he actually gave Miss Parker a dig in the ribs!

'I have nothing to sa> about Jo except that she apparently takes after her father/ said Miss Parker, starlet with annoyance. She turned away to speak to Darrell's mother, who had come to her rescue. Everyone always hoped to be rescued from Mr Jones!

'Daddy! You shouldn't have said that/ said Jo, in great distress. 'That was awful. You made her angry. Please don't say things like that.'

'Well, 1 like thatV said Mr Jones, tipping his hat back on his head and scratching the top of his forehead. 'What did I say? Oh - I was being old Cheeky Charlie again, was I.1 Well, you do call her Nosey Parker, don't you? My word, there's your Head. I must have a word with herV

Jo tried to pull him back, and cast an agonized glance at her mother. Jo was beginning to realize that her father hadn't very good manners. Why why, why did he shout so, why did he always have such a bright red shiny face, why did he poke people in the ribs and tell silly jokes? Why did he barge in on people when they were talking 'ogether, and interrupt them?

He was doing that now. Jo hadn't been able to prevent him from going right up to the little group in which the Head Mistress stood, talking to three or four parents. Her mother was blushing red. She too knew that 'Cheeky Charlie' was not at his best.

'Hallo, hallo, hallo!' said Mr Jones, walking right into the middle of the group, and holding out a great red hand to Miss Grayling. 'You're like the Queen of England today, aren't you - holding court, with us poor parents as subjects! Ha ha ha!'

Mr Jones was so pleased with this brilliant remark that he was quite overcome, and beamed round, expecting much approval and admiration.

He got none. Miss Grayling shook hands politely and then dropped Mr Jones's great paw immediately. 'How do you do?' she murmured, and turned back to the parent she was speaking to. Not one of them looked at Mr Jones, but Cheeky Charlie had a very thick skin and didn't notice things like that.

'1 hope our Jo's a credit to her school,' he began again. 'Her pa wasn't! He was a naughty boy, he was - always at the bottom of the form, wasn't he, Ma? Well, the school's looking fine, Miss Grayling!'

'Thank you,' said Miss Grayling. 'I'm afraid I must ask you to excuse me for a few minutes, whilst 1 finish my talk to Dr and Mrs Leyton.'

Mrs Jones pulled at his arm. 'Come away, Charlie,' she begged, thinking that her husband must really have got a touch of sunstroke. He always did behave like this, ot course, and shout and boast - but somehow it didn't show so much at home, among his own friends. Here it suddenly seemed very vulgar and out of place.

Mr Jones was about to address a few hearty words to Dr Leyton, when he caught an extraordinarily icy look in that distinguished-looking gentleman's eye. It reminded rheekv Charlie ol one ol his old headmasters who had once toid him exactly what he thought ol him. Mr Jones

kicked away, mumbling something.

Miss Grayling sighed with relief. 'I'm sorry,' she said to the other parents. 'It was an experiment, taking Jo - I'Ut I'm alraid it's not an experiment that's going to work init well. We've had other experiments before, as you ..now - taking girls that don't really fit in, hoping they a ill, later. And so far they always have done, in a marvellous way. 1 think Jo would too, il only she got a little backing from her parents. But her father always undoes any good we do here for Jo!'

'Let's go to another part of the grounds,' said one of die other parents in the group. 'I feel it would be safer!'

Jo was relieved to see the Head going off in another direction. Oh dear - she really would have to take her lather in hand and tell him a few things. She looked rather downcast and her father squeezed her arm. what's up, old lady?' he said, in a kindly voice. 'Cheer up! I don't like to see my little Jo not smiling. Her old dad would do anything in the world for her!'

Jo cheered up at the love in his voice. Blow Miss Parker and Miss Grayling and everyone else! ft was half- term and nobody should spoil it. She pulled at her mother's arm.

'Mother! Can I ask Deirdre, my friend, to come and be with us today? Her father's at sea and she's got no mother. So she's alone today.'

Yes, you ask her,' said her lather in his booming voice, before her mother could answer. 'We'll give her a slap-up time. I'm glad you've got a friend at last, Jo! You never seemed to have one before.'

So Deirdre was asked to join the Jones's, and was pleased to have someone to go out with, though Mr · ones really scared her with his loud, booming voice and le.vial ways.

So you're my Jo's friend, are you?' he boomed at her.

Ji. you stick In my lo. she's worth ii, my Jo is. What's ·'· ·! name1 Deirdre' Well, we'll send you some stunning

ys

parcels, won't we, Ma? You stick by Jo, Deirdre!'

'Yes,' stammered Deirdre, almost deafened.

'What about that money Auntie sent you the other week?' enquired Mrs Jones, as soon as she could get a word in. 'We never heard it you got it. Have you got it safe?'

Jo hesitated. She was afraid to tell her mother that she had dropped it, and that Matron had it, and that she, Jo, hadn't dared to go and get it back. If her father knew that, he would go right up to Matron and demand the money then and there, for his precious Jo! That was simply unthinkable.

'It's quite safe/ muttered Jo, and racked her brains to think how to change the subject.

'Oh well - if you've got that money untouched, I won't give you any more at present,' said her mother. 'Twenty-five pounds is enough to keep in your drawer, or wherever you keep it. You can write if you want any more.'

Jo didn't know what to say. She had hoped her mother would give her more money - then she wouldn't need to go poking about in Matron's room for hers. Poor Jo hadn't screwed up her courage even to peep inside Matron's room yet. She had no money at all except for a few coins left from her week's pocket-money - handed out by Matron.

Half-term flashed by. The parents departed by car and train, except for Bill's father and mother, who came and went on horseback, much to Bill's delight and Clarissa's. Their half-term had been spent in riding over the cliffs, the horses enjoying the half-term as much as anyone!

'My last half-term gone,' mourned Darrell. 'Now I'm facing my very last few weeks!'

'Cheer up!' said Alicia. 'A lot can happen in a few weeks.' She was right. A lot did happen - and most of it was really very unexpected!

A rmv - find ft trick

The first thing that happened was the row between June and Amanda. Most people had thought the two would blow up sooner or later, and they did!

It was over quite a simple thing. Amanda was coach¬ing June at tennis, sending her fast serves to take - so fast and hard that June was half scared of some of them! But she slammed them back valiantly, pleased at being able to handle such terrific serves.

'June! Use your head!' shouted Amanda, stopping her serves for a minute. 'What's the good of returning these fast serves if you don't put the ball somewhere where I've got to run for it! Or even somewhere that ! can't reach! All you do is to put them back right at my feet.'

Jt's as much as I can do to take the serves, let alone pLhv the return ball/ answered June. 'Give me a chance! Also, the court is a bit bumpy this end, and the ball doesn't bounce true. It puts me off when that happens.'

'Don't make excuses,' said Amanda.

'I'm not!' yelled June, indignantly. But Amanda was already throwing the ball high in the air for her next serve.

r

If :

-Vxl?

SSisx

The ball flew like lightning over the net to June, Again it bounced on an uneven bit and swerved a little to- the right. June lashed at it wildly.

It flew straight up into the air, and then swerved right over the netting round the court, landing in the middle llf a watching group, who fell all over themselves trying 'n taich the ball, shrieking with laughter.

til ~ 111

#r

·is " VKtv..

'If you fool about, .lime, we'll stop,' said Amanda, honestly thinking that .June had hit the ball wildly on purpose. Something immediately went 'ping' inside June, as it always did when she lost her temper.

She didn't lose it outwardly at lirst. She merely collected up the balls round the court, and then sent them all flying over the surrounding netting into the watching girls, one after another.