Chapter 23

The other Middles greeted Susan rapturously upon her return to St Clare's. Susan was able to give a good account of Stacie's progress. Everyone wanted to know what Stacie's reaction had been to all the notes and the presents.

"I think she was a bit overwhelmed actually," said Susan thoughtfully. "At first she was surprised at getting them at all and then she was really pleased. And the chocs were jolly nice," she added reminiscently. Howls of protest greeted this remark, but Susan merely grinned and said "well Stacie didn't want to be ill, so I jolly well had to help her eat them. Don't worry, she put away a good few on her own account!"

The other Middles giggled and no more was said about chocolates.

"We had a wonderful time at Die Rosen," said Susan. "Mrs Russell is so kind and those other two girls, Grizel and Juliet were really nice too."

"They were both pupils here, did you know?" said Joyce.

Susan nodded, "yes they told us that. They told us heaps of stories about you lot too. I seem to remember something about a clock!"

Evadne reddened and was heard to mutter something about "silly goops who couldn't forget about a simple mistake", while the rest of the Middles laughed.

"True enough," said Cornelia. "But none of us have had half the adventures and alarums that Joey has had. I suppose they told you all of those too?"

"Well no, actually," said Susan. "I don't think so."

Cornelia knitted her brows, for Susan's tone was distinctly funny as she said this, but just then Kitty Burnett, who had been tilting backwards and forwards on her chair, gave a loud squawk as she and her chair parted company. Kitty crashed backwards onto the ground and the chair shot to the opposite side of the room. In the rush to pick up a rather dazed Kitty and her belongings and restore the chair to its proper place, before a mistress came upon the scene to investigate, Cornelia forgot all about it, but she was to remember later on.

Lucy also found herself answering questions about her weekend with the Russells. Mrs Russell was held in great affection by the whole school, but especially by the Seniors, many of whom still remembered her as their first headmistress. Lucy told of the many happenings of the weekend, many rambles with Juliet, Grizel and Jack and of evenings spent in music and games.

"It sounds like you all had a marvellous time," said Anne enviously, when Lucy had finished.

"We did," said Lucy. "It felt like being part of a family again. I've missed that."

"Why what do you mean?" exclaimed Gillian curiously. "What's wrong with your family anyway?"

"Oh nothing," said Lucy in confusion. "That's not what I meant. Never mind."

Anne and Gillian eyed Lucy in wonder, for she was turning pinker and pinker, but the subject was dropped, much to Lucy's relief. She did not know how to explain that she had not seen her parents for some time, was not even sure where they were and when she would see them again.

Having adventures in Narnia and being sent somewhere else by Aslan was all very well, she thought. It certainly has its drawbacks though. Especially when Mademoiselle forbade me to speak of it to the others!

Lucy had gotten this far in her thinking when the door of the common room opened and Jo and the rest of the prefects entered.

"Such a row," announced Jo to the room at large. "Some of those asses of Middles have been messing around with the stationery cupboard – mixed up all the jars of ink and whatnot. How on earth they had the nerve to do it beats me. Bill has just discovered it – she sent Marie to fill the inkwells in one of the classrooms and she got red ink instead of blue. Bill went to investigate in the stationery cupboard and found that they had completely messed everything up – changed the labels around on all the bottles, you know. And all the chalks had been soaked in water and none of them are fit to write with! Bill is furious and they're all in punishment until the culprit owns up. Probably that awful Pevensie girl, I shouldn't wonder," she added somewhat viciously.

Lucy stiffened in indignation at this slur on her sister's character, but before she could say anything Anne had jumped into the breach on her behalf.

"Steady on Jo," she said sharply. "Besides, both Lucy and Susan have been visiting your sister for the whole weekend so Susan couldn't have done it. Besides, I doubt she even knows where the stationery cupboard is. Much more likely to have been Alixe and her crowd," she finished with decision.

Jo glared at Anne and at Lucy, whom she seemed to see for the first time. She seemed about to retort something, but thought better of it and turning, left the room abruptly, closing the door none too gently behind her. The rest of the Seniors sat in stunned silence. There had been no mistaking the look of open dislike that Jo had flashed at Lucy and none of them could account for it. Marie and Simone glanced uncomfortably at one another and came over to speak to Lucy.

"I am sorry Lucy," began Simone nervously. "I do not know why it is that Jo treats you this way. We three," she indicated Marie and Frieda "are her closest friends and she has not confided in us about it. I do not feel the same as she, however. I am sorry that I have not said so before. I know that you have been feeling uncomfortable."

Lucy did not know what to say. She was still angry about the way Jo had spoken of Susan and the incident was just one in a long line that she had experienced since she had come to the school. She also was unsure about what to do next, never having experienced this kind of conflict before. To make matters worse, she felt sure that she was about to cry and really did not want to do so in front of the whole of the Senior School, however sympathetic they might be.

Gillian came to her rescue. She had greatly admired Jo ever since her arrival at the Chalet School and events during the previous term had strengthened her loyalty, but Lucy had become a firm friend and she was indignant at the way in which Jo continued to treat her. She could see the bright tears shining in Lucy's eyes and knew that she would hate anyone to see them.

"I expect you want to hear the latest of your sister, Frieda," she broke in abruptly. Lucy and Susan have just been up there this weekend, you know."

"Oh yes, did you folk walk around to see Gisela?" said Anne, taking her cue from Gillian. Lucy collected herself with an effort, although her voice trembled a little.

"Oh yes, Grizel and Juliet took us there on Saturday afternoon. Baby Natalie is so sweet, isn't she?"

Frieda beamed happily at this and pulling up a chair, she sat down to hear of the doings at Das Pferd, her sister's home on the Sonnalpe. Simone hesitated and then joined them. Marie, with a whispered word in Frieda's ear, quietly sped from the room to find Jo. Someone, she decided, had to talk to Jo about this. It might as well be me, she reasoned. Jo may never speak to me again, but she is upsetting everyone by her behaviour. If friends may not speak honestly to one another then who can?