In Response to the Guest Reviewer: I absolutely agree about not locking favourites in place! Having been in choirs with both types of attitudes ("Let's give it to only these three singers" annddd "Everyone ought to have a chance"), I can definitely say that the latter is far more enjoyable!
Moreover, Mary's certainly looking to be striking out these days when it comes to musical theatre. And, definitely, Charles undoubtedly wouldn't have avoided her if she'd been looking for him instead!
Though, speaking of auditions, it's great to hear you enjoyed Rose's! It was certainly a treat to write, and I certainly agree about Lily James.
And, that you love "This is the Moment"'s incorporation makes me indescribably happy! Watching that performance was my first real taste of barbershop and a cappella –– making it quite near and dear to my heart. And, because of that, I am so curious as to your candidate!
Author's Note: Oh, academic politics. I have not missed you in the slightest.
In other words, much like with Her Little Secret, His Little Dream, I simply had to post this earlier than anticipated! We're finally getting into the heart of the action when it comes to all of these schools, doing a bit of time-jump in the process! Which, keep an eye out for the second author's note! There's a proposition I have...
Disclaimer: Not only do I not own Downton Abbey, none of this is meant to resemble any real persons or events. Any such resemblance is purely coincidental and unintentional.
_._
Friday, the 24th of January, 2020
3:43 p.m.
"Can I just say how grateful I am that you've learned from your mistakes and did not call Daisy and Ivy back for the same parts again? Not that Daisy struck me as the '42nd Street' type, but nothing seems to be a guarantee these days."
Elsie rolled her eyes at this, now recalling all the complaints she'd received about that incident. Glancing at the callbacks list for the week, she decided to focus on studying the hallway itself so as to not lose her temper with her friend.
"Why would we make the same mistake twice?"
But Beryl looked to be beyond talking about that now, intently studying something of interest on the callback lists, "Oh, I am shocked –– Mary Crawley hasn't gotten a single solo in all this time?"
This brought a sense of irritation to the teacher, the Scot quite used to this conversation from a certain someone else, "She has a solo of her own, Beryl. She just hasn't met our expectations for any ensemble solos."
"Right. And the difference is––?"
"You know very well what the difference is: we can tailor a soloist's song to the singer. The singer has to tailor themselves to the ensemble piece –– something that Mary Crawley has yet to do."
"And he agrees with this opinion?"
"Mr. Carson has agreed that we need to make our decisions based off of the pieces themselves, not the students."
The band director chuckled at this, "I'm sure those weren't his exact words. But, I'll leave that well alone." For now, of course.
"Thank you for that." Because, knowing her dear, sweet friend, that wouldn't be the end of the conversation.
"Instead, I'm curious: who's pitched a fit about the callbacks so far?"
"Beryl––"
"It does look like a pretty calm list for this week, but it's always the ones that seem calm that you have to keep an eye out for. Matthew, William, Rose –– they've always struck me as good kids, though you never know. And, of course, I don't recognize any of these names"
"Beryl, there's no need for––"
"Mrs. Patmore," It seemed the choir director had heard them speaking all the way from his desk in 402, having cracked open the door to interrupt them. "If you could refrain from distracting Mrs. Hughes from her duties, I have something I need to discuss with her."
Scoffing at the man, "And what's that important, Mr. Carson?"
But, Elsie had a good idea why he was frustrated: "We finally got another response from Alice, didn't we?"
"Worse."
Beryl raised an eyebrow at this, keeping her thoughts to herself as she followed the two teachers back into the room. Nodding in the direction of Linda, having liked the teaching assistant from the first day she met her, the band director proceeded to look at what Charles wanted Elsie to focus: his email inbox.
What's so bad about––
That's when Beryl saw the three emails waiting in his inbox –– emails from three of the other schools in the area. Briefly skimming them as Charles showed them to Elsie, the woman shamelessly bent on finding out what was going on now, she found herself more and more irritated with Alice Neal with every second.
"I don't care what you two say, I still think she was going to do something like this with or without you missing that meeting." Beryl spoke with an innate certainty, one that the choir director wished he could agree with.
Said choir director continued to reread the emails from Strallan, Grey, and Midsomer he'd received over the course of the afternoon. Strallan seemed to be disappointed but understanding as to why Downton never reached out to collaborate with them. Grey looked to be offering some support for the showcase and a whole lot of curiosity for why Downton was acting in this unusual fashion –– having heard that Downton not only missed their meeting with The Center but also wanted to work solely with their rival, Carlisle Institute. And Midsomer was supportive but concerned that the choirs of Downton were walking down an isolating path by ignoring the other schools among other things.
In other words, something had happened within the last twenty-four hours involving each choir director.
Something Alice Neal was behind, no doubt.
"Be that as it may, Mrs. Patmore, I can't help but feel I'm to blame for this." Yes, none of the other schools seemed to be terribly upset with them. But, knowing each of the choir directors as well as he did, Charles recognized that they undoubtedly were. That they felt their own institutions were viewed as "unworthy" to work with in the eyes of Downton, that they felt slighted against in light of the collaboration with Carlisle.
Well, Dickie probably didn't think quite like that. He was probably the most understanding of the bunch. But, Charles was sure Anthony did. And he could see that Joyce had to feel a little offended by whatever she found out, if that was how she phrased her email.
"We did explain to Alice that there'd been an unexpected emergency, and we did so as soon as we could," Elsie interjected, rather unimpressed with everything. Had she realized that Alice would soon be meeting with these three, she might've tried to do things differently on Wednesday. But, in all honesty, she thought this unnecessarily dramatic of the woman, especially seeing as how Alice hadn't bothered to check in with them via email or text when they hadn't shown up.
"Don't know if she'd count being stuck in a closet all night as an 'emergency', Elsie." Beryl countered, not caring to be the bearer of bad news but not interested in sugar-coating the truth.
"Yes, well, I, for one, still can't believe that you, Miss Vance, had to discover us asleep in the closet with only forty minutes to spare. Worst still, that you had to drive us back to our flat and––"
"Linda hardly minded, Charles. She goes to uni –– she's seen her fair share of all-nighters, haven't you?" The teaching assistant nodded at this, having found the whole thing sweetly amusing more than anything else. Of course, that'd been then. Now she was berating herself for not being there when Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson needed her, especially considering the fall-out from the other schools.
"I really didn't mind, Mr. Carson. This sort of stuff happens all the time."
"Does it really, Miss Vance?" He did look a little horrified at the thought.
"Probably not like that though, eh? I mean, I doubt you find people passed out in a closet looking like––"
"Beryl, will you kindly hold your tongue?"
Mortified by where the conversation was going, Charles decided that it'd be more worthwhile to discuss the other thing on his mind: "I still can't believe Alice wrote back to us so cordially yesterday, as though she completely understood everything, and then proceeded to involve the others."
"We should have known she was up to something when she sent that response email, yes." Elsie chimed in, once again thoroughly unimpressed, "But we were greatly behind schedule and we've had to manage this week's callbacks."
"It's not as though this is all that big of a deal though, right?" Beryl continued to ask, still confused as to why everyone was getting so worked up. "I mean, all the band directors in the county just want to have a good time, none of this backstabbing business. If we get along just fine, why can't you? 'Sides, these other directors of yours don't seem too upset –– I'm sure a meeting to explain everything would patch it all up."
"Somehow I doubt that. Furthermore, there is an inherent difference between directing a band and directing a choir, Mrs. Patmore."
"Oh, is there now, Mr. Carson?"
"Before we proceed to get at each other's throats," Elsie sharply interrupted, having noticed that she was receiving a new text, "I think we've something more important to worry about."
I'm so sorry, Elsie but I think I just messed everything up. - PM
The Scot relayed Phoebe's message back to the rest of the crowd, hurriedly texting back in response the following:
I promise that, whatever happened, you didn't mess everything up. - EH
She got another text back almost instantaneously –– one that was not nearly as optimistic.
Really? Because I think Mr. Carson should check his email in a minute. - PM
Now what? The woman scoffed to herself in frustration, setting down the phone and wondering what had happened. She had no interest in blaming the Carlisle instructor for whatever happened today –– she only wanted to know what Alice was concocting.
"Charles, in a minute, you'll need to check your email––" That's when the classroom's only landline rang. Something that prompted the man, seeing as he was the closest to the phone, to pick it up. "Or not."
"Mrs. Crawley? Is everything all right? You meant to check in on our progress with the showcase today? Well, now that you mention it…"
"Of course this is the moment Violet Crawley decides to ring us up," Elsie muttered, her irritation coming back.
"Erm, how do you know that it's Violet Crawley, Mrs. Hughes? He only said 'Mrs.'?"
Beryl chuckled at this, explaining:
"Linda, there's only one 'Mrs. Crawley' that Charles would take the time to talk to when there's a choral crisis on the horizon. But," Walking over to the Scot, directing her to sit down as far away from Charles' computer as possible, "Enough about Alice Neal. I've been meaning to ask: have you finally narrowed down a venue? Because, as you know, we don't have a lot of time to sort that all out."
Linda watched as the choir teacher seemed to deflate at the change in topic, apparently uninterested in the subject of wedding venues.
Something that she thought was never a good sign.
"Well, with the budget we have–– with the budget we can afford," Which wasn't much, if the woman's tone was anything to go on, "The only two places we can afford are the banquet hall or the studio in Ripon."
"You mean, it's between the sad looking attempt at a banquet hall or that dodgy studio? What about that other place, the––"
"Too expensive." Elsie flatly responded, "For a late June wedding, even indoors and on a Sunday, it's too expensive."
"So, what does he think about it?" Beryl sharply questioned, knowing that Mr. Exacting Standards would have a thing or two to say about the matter.
"He's not thrilled, but he understands that these are our options. With the academic calendar the way it is, we can't avoid a summer wedding. And, while we could wait another year, why bother? Even if it's not the studio or the banquet hall, it'll never be Buckingham Palace –– not that I want to have the reception there or anywhere like it."
"And just where would you want it, Elsie?" The band director curiously put to her, "The school's courtyard?"
Once again, Linda felt as though she were missing something, especially once the choir teacher chortled at the thought –– lighting up immediately at the mentioning of the courtyard. The idea did seem to spark interest for the woman, but there was still clear hesitation.
"Although the courtyard is lovely, it's also," She paused, nearly biting her lip in the process from the hesitation, "It's too special for the reception."
"'Too special for the reception'? You'll have to explain that one to me."
"Well, the courtyard is where he asked me to stay at Downton, where he proposed."
"And that's a problem because––?"
"Because, and this has to be selfish, I know that, but I don't want to share it with just anyone. I want it to be..." She trailed off, an unusual amount of hesitance taking over her thoughts.
"You want it to be your special place. Your little sanctuary for the two of you."
Both Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes turned in surprise at the teaching assistant's words, the pair not realizing the younger woman had been discreetly listening in.
"That's exactly it." The Scot eventually confessed. And finally knowing how to explain it all, having not wanted to say anything before she was certain of herself, the woman began to elaborate:
"My wedding with Joe was wonderful, yes. But it was a ceremony for other people, not us. It was a sweet moment and I loved it dearly, but it always felt like more of a performance for our families than anything. And while it was a celebration of sorts, what I realized afterwards was that it wasn't a true celebration of us, not really."
"But, wouldn't you want the courtyard because it symbolizes you two?" Besides, we used it for the concert last year and it worked perfectly. Why's this any different?
But the woman was firm on this front, surprisingly so, "No, I would not. Even if we could get the courtyard, I know it would take on whatever will happen."
Okay then? "And that's not what happened with the concert?"
"Last year's concert was about the students and their struggles, not us. The reception would be only about us. So, if any part of that day wasn't what we really wanted, if something went terribly wrong with the ceremony or the reception, it wouldn't ruin the courtyard's nostalgia, exactly, but––"
"But it would taint all the memories from before." Beryl concluded, not necessarily agreeing with the reasoning but respecting her friend enough to let it be –– at least for now. Instead, she turned her thoughts into thinking about the logistics.
In other words, how they'd be cramming everyone in there.
Keeping the logistics in mind, even though the courtyard had made sense for a concert, it was looking to be less and less appealing for a wedding reception. With a concert, there only needed to be chairs scattered about and a space for the performing singers, and even then they were able to use the surrounding classrooms for additional seating. With a wedding, there'd have to be chairs and tables for a fair amount of people, a space for catering and the cake, a section for dancing, so on and so forth.
Put like that, Beryl didn't like the idea of asking the school for the courtyard. She could just imagine it: using the chairs in the classrooms for additional seating, keeping the wedding cake stuck inside near administration –– definitely not worth the tidbits of sentimentality.
"Right." Best to stop right there with that idea, especially since Elsie was already against the idea, "So, I'll ask again: where would you like this to be?"
"There's honestly no place I had in mind. Just," The woman gazed in the direction of her fiancé, the man continuing to be completely immersed in his phone conversation, "Somewhere nice. Grand enough for him, simple enough for me. I've done this before and I liked it well enough, but... I suppose, if anything, a place where it doesn't matter what everyone else expects because it's all swept away with the summer's breeze."
The choir teacher chuckled at herself, shaking her head and bringing her focus back to her friend, "In all honesty, there's too much going on to get caught up in that sort of sentimentality. We have to deal with whatever Alice's sending our way, we have to manage this showcase, and we have to make it through this semester with our sanity intact, and we have to keep to our budget. Which means we will take whatever we can get."
Linda frowned at this mentality, but knew better than to challenge the woman just yet. If she'd learned anything about the two choir teachers these last few weeks, it was that it'd be pretty near impossible to convince them of something when their minds were made up. Therefore, changing her tactics, "So, between the banquet hall or the studio, which would you prefer?"
"I suppose the banquet hall would suit us just fine." Though, the teaching assistant did notice that Mrs. Hughes didn't really believe that for one second, much as she may have wanted to pretend to.
However, before anything else could be said about the matter, "Elsie, Beryl, Lin–– Miss Vance, I think you ought to come back over here and see this."
Turning in surprise, not having realized Mr. Carson had finished with his telephone call, Linda found herself feeling uneasy about his near slip. She suspected he'd almost called her Linda not by choice but because of shock. Specifically, she had the funniest suspicion that slip had been entirely due to whatever email he'd just received.
The assistant cautiously stood up, observing Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Patmore walk over to Mr. Carson with a sense of wariness. Frankly, she didn't like any of it.
"So, that's why Phoebe texted me."
Linda hesitantly approached the computer's monitor after a moment, standing on her tiptoes to read the email without disturbing any of the three teachers. Craning her neck, her frown deepened the further she read the latest email.
It was a letter sent from the choir head of Carlisle Institute, Francesca Barnes, addressed to each of the schools in question –– The Center, Downton, Grey, Midsomer, and Strallan. It requested a meeting between all schools this weekend to discuss possible ways to include everyone on future collaborations, stating that Carlisle profusely apologized for not including the others school in the original collaboration, having not realized that this was something the others were interested in.
Although this had come from Carlisle Institute, this had The Center's tricks written all behind it. That was something Linda hardly needed any help figuring out, newbie status or not.
"See? Even Francesca knew a meeting would be the right thing to patch this all up."
Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson glared at Mrs. Patmore, knowing very well that this was not going to patch things up.
But, whatever misgivings they had about this, they'd undoubtedly be attending this meeting.
_._
Sunday, the 26th of January, 2020
6:47 a.m.
"Mum," Francesca Barnes looked at her daughter with a shocked smile, not having expected company at this early hour on a Sunday morning, "Are you sure you have to go to that stupid meeting?"
She couldn't help but chuckle at the blunt comment, knowing that Christina Barnes was certainly an exception to their family when it came to honesty. Most of the Barnes family prided themselves on remaining outwardly indifferent to the world, keeping their innermost thoughts under lock-and-key. Christina lived to do just the opposite, something that amused her mother to no end, especially on days like today.
"If I don't go to this meeting, then we'll have to keep dealing with the person who caused the meeting in the first place. Then I'd have to keep going to more and more meetings instead of being home with you and your father."
"Oh!" Realization dawned upon the eight-year old, "Oh, then, you should go now. And then, when you're done, you won't have to deal with that person ever again! And then, after that, you'll come back and we'll be able to finally bake cookies with dad! "
I don't think that's quite how the system works. But, "That we will."
Baking was another activity she was looking much more forward to in comparison to this "stupid" meeting. But, such was the life of a choir director, whether she wanted it to be or not.
At least she wasn't Charles Carson or Elsie Hughes. Those two individuals, as much as she found them to be capable and professional musicians, were undoubtedly going to have to handle a lot more than she would for the duration of this meeting - if only because they'd incurred the wrath of one Alice Neal.
But, if she worried about them before this meeting began, she wouldn't have the energy to defend them. Because Francesca Barnes had no doubt whatsoever that a diplomatic defense would be necessary today, knowing how tricky politics in academia could be.
"Now, give me a kiss so I can go get this meeting and then it'll be time for cookies!"
_._
6:51 a.m.
"It's a bit of a drive, but I'll be back in time for dinner," Joyce Barnaby reassured her husband and daughter, inwardly chuckling at the irony. For once, she was the one who would be leaving them alone for hours on end. "Now, you're sure you'll be all right?"
"Yeah, mum, we'll be fine," Cully was quick to reassure the older woman, smiling a little at the questions. "Now go and show them all what Midsomer has to offer!"
Nodding at the encouraging remark, knowing that she'd need her patience for this particular meeting, Joyce blew her daughter a kiss from the car - mentally preparing herself for the journey ahead of her. The drive itself wouldn't be the issue; she felt the real issue laid with whatever would occur at the meeting.
_._
6:58 a.m.
Charles Carson knew that his fiancée wouldn't be particularly pleased that he was letting her sleep in –– the woman having spent the night subtly fretting away to the point that she'd worn herself to exhaustion. He hadn't been much better himself, unable to care about any potential party favours for the wedding and finding himself repeatedly wondering what today would bring.
Luckily, Beryl had personally offered to drive them to Strallan so they wouldn't need to push their luck with the train. Which meant they could spend a few more minutes away from the world before they'd have to start getting ready. Besides, one of their alarms would be blaring away at them soon enough –– he could enjoy this little calm before whatever was next.
_._
9:31 a.m.
Alice Neal indifferently eyed The Strallan School of Arts as Charlie drove them down to the faculty parking lot. The school had never impressed her, not having been her first choice for a meeting point between the schools. Personally, The Center was far more suitable, even if SSA was the best thing they had for a supposed mid-point between the schools.
"And just what are you up to do today?" Her unwilling partner in crime asked, putting the car into park and taking this moment to stare the woman down. She'd been extraordinarily tight-lipped about why she inveigled Phoebe and Francesca into arranging this meeting, choosing to keep her cards close to the vest.
"We are going to help the others realize what fools we've all been played for by Downton and Carlisle." Alice finally felt deigned to give an answer, examining her appearance for any flaws as she did so.
"Oh, we are, are we?" He snorted, "I didn't think you considered yourself a fool."
"Funny," She snipped back, "Remind me, what were the highlights of your career? When exactly did you achieve fame?"
Grigg glared at her, turning off the car and not-so-gently exiting the vehicle –– slamming the door behind him, fully aware it was his own vehicle. She rolled her eyes at this, knowing who won that particular argument, shortly stepping out herself as she passed her self-examination in the mirror.
"Alice? Is that you?"
With more than mere traces of irritation at the unanticipated interruption, the woman in question schooled her smirk into a welcoming smile. Once that was handled, she swiftly pivoted around to catch sight of Dickie Merton and Joyce Barnaby, the respective heads of Grey and Midsomer, approach her.
"Dickie, Joyce, so great to see you again! I believe Charles, Anthony, and Francesca are already inside," Alice warmly spoke, readying herself for the nattering small-talk that would soon ensue. And when Charlie quietly snorted at the sudden change in her tone, she made sure to discreetly elbow her partner in the ribs - silencing any deviant sound within seconds.
_._
9:47 a.m.
"You mean they're all meeting right now to talk about whether or not we're going to be doing this?"
Abigail Hankins by no means cared for Penelope Carlisle. The two were never interested in friendship; they merely acknowledged each other's talent as a fellow musician. Needless to say, that acknowledgement is the only reason they were currently in the same room when it was not required of them on a Sunday morning.
Of course, it could've been Connor's influence.
Or the fact that David was in the room.
David always seemed to do something for Penelope's tolerance of others whereas Connor's friendship with Abigail made it easy for the young woman to refrain from strangling any prima donnas on the spot.
"I think that's what Abigail's been trying to say for the last five minutes." Connor pointed out, having been the one to tell his friend in the first place.
It was only a few days ago that the tenor had been loitering around the choir rooms when their beloved teachers had a discussion about how to best handle whatever was going on at The Center. He'd initially wanted to ask a few questions about the upcoming competitions, wanting to make sure he got the information right, and wound up eavesdropping on what had to have been a private conversation.
Which turned into him texting Abigail about having heard something about their teachers considering if they needed to "ask the octet to change". Which became a lengthy conversation that concluded along the lines of, "You mean, we've been dealing with Penelope and Mary at each other's throats for weeks just for it all to be over now because they're calling it quits?"
Of course, neither Connor nor Abigail were in the mood for this to be the case.
Which was why the Carlisle portion of the octet was currently having a meeting of their own.
And that was also why Abigail had half a mind to shoot a text off to Matthew. The tenor seemed to be the unofficial leader for the Downton group, whether he knew it or not. Certainly, Mary paid attention to him. And Thomas seemed indifferent but willing to listen to the tenor while Phyllis looked to openly support the teen.
So, if the tenor was half as popular as he seemed, he could be the lynchpin of the Downton group. Which in turn would help all eight musicians come together if they needed to. It was a little too idealistic for Abigail's tastes, but she wasn't about to sacrifice another chance to perform and get her name out because Penelope Carlisle had been too much of a brat for Miss Miller and Mrs. Hughes to handle.
Besides, she knew both women rather well after observing them for this time. Miss Miller, she already knew was an idealist –– having tried to convince her old friend, Mrs. Butte, into joining forces at Carlisle only because she wanted to give the old friend another chance. And Mrs. Hughes looked to be of a similar nature. Why else would the choir teacher have agreed to working with the octet in the first place?
"Right. So, what are we going to do?" David, always able to bring their focus back, calmly asked the group. The bass was possibly the only mellow one in the bunch, effortlessly chilling them all out just by speaking.
"Well, there is one thing we could consider," Abigail began to speak up, meeting everyone's inquisitive eyes. It looked like it was time to roll out her plan...
_._
10:35 a.m.
"I do have to confess, Charles, and I wouldn't dare to speak on behalf of everyone, but I was severely disappointed when I heard Downton was only planning on collaborating with Carlisle."
Alice Neal always did have a tendency for the melodramatic. Something that Dickie Merton rarely cared for, if he were to be quite honest. But, unfortunately, this was one of the few moments wherein he agreed with the woman. Once he'd heard of Downton's collaboration, he couldn't but feel like he'd missed out on something. He hadn't been half as upset but he'd certainly been confused.
"But, Alice," Elsie Hughes began to speak up. However, her interjection wasn't meant to last.
"Elsie," There was a hint of something in the tone, something Dickie didn't care for. "You haven't even begun to hear us out." The choir director watched as she turned to the three other choir directors that'd been left out of the original plan, "Don't you agree that it was disappointing?"
Judging from Ms. Hughes' stilling, this looked to be the ideal time to step in: "While I do hope we can all work together in the future, I realize now that Downton's and Carlisle's rehearsals for the spring have already started. All of our rehearsals for the spring have already started. And while I was initially disappointed when I found out what had occurred, it's far more important to avoid letting that disappointment ruin future potential for all of our schools.
He managed to keep the smile out of his eyes. Though, let it be known that he did slip a knowing and discreet wink in the vicinity of a certain Scot and her fiancé –– knowing that Alice had valid points, but she could step on toes and blow things out of proportion on occasion. It was something he never really liked about her. But, having seen that attitude repeatedly in his sons, he knew how to manage it. Honestly, it had been a necessity to learn how to manage it.
For, if raising his children had taught Dickie anything, it that was that that sort of attitude would never sustain any sort of long-term collaboration.
_._
10:48 a.m.
You can't be serious! You honestly expect me to spend my Sunday with Penelope Carlisle? - MC
Matthew sighed to himself, still unsure of how to respond. Phyllis and Thomas had been agreeable enough when he texted them, the two curious about what the Carlisle students wanted to share. He himself was intrigued, not knowing why Abigail had reached out, but knowing that it had to be important if she did.
His only problem was figuring out how to help Mary see that. Because, whatever it was the others had to share, the tenor knew the entire octet had to be there to make this work.
_._
11:21 a.m.
"Love," Albert Mason had been waiting for Beryl to step away from her phone for about three minutes now. They'd both driven the pair of choir teachers to Strallan together, having decided it'd be a nice excuse to get out of town and cruise around the area. "Love, you know she'll let you know what happens when she can. And we've got that dinner with them tonight, remember?"
"I know, I know," The redhead distractedly responded, eyes glued to the screen even in spite of the beautiful scenery. "But what if she sends something urgent while we're busy?"
We've not done anything in the last three hours, the man tiredly thought to himself, how could we possibly be busy?
_._
12:03 p.m
How they reached this point in the meeting, the quiet choir director couldn't honestly tell. How they'd all managed to keep talking for hours on end, seeming to go in circles, was also equally unknown.
At first it'd been about expressing everyone's disappointments and feelings –– something that didn't feel natural in the slightest, if he were being truthful. Then, it'd been about listening to Downton and Carlisle repeatedly insist that they were sorry about their mistake in not considering the other schools. Personally, he would've been fine with it all ending then and there, now feeling quite mollified by the proceedings, but for some reason it kept dragging out.
And, now they were discussing how Downton and Carlisle could make up for this mistake. Which he thought was laying on the guilt a little thick. But, if meant his school was also going to be officially asked to participate with the others, he couldn't really object.
Of course, that'd been when they were starting to brainstorm ideas.
Which translated into rejecting a lot of ideas.
Making a group festival this July was politely shot down by Charles, the man stating that their wedding would, understandably, conflict. The joint Christmas concert was effectively shut down by Alice, the woman stating that Christmas music was too specific a genre in the modern world they lived in. While Joyce had gone on to say that it could be a holiday concert instead of just Christmas, that idea was still eventually taken off the table. And Dickie's suggestion –– to select a dozen or so singers from each school to form a county choral group –– was currently in the process of being destroyed.
"But who would direct it? We can't have five directors on stage! And whoever it would be would have to be the director for the entire collaboration. Which is something I am perfectly fine with taking on, if I had to. But I would have to wonder if everyone else would feel truly included if it were only me on stage?"
"I'm sure we could figure out a way to manage the direction––" Oh, he did feel bad for Dickie.
"Well, wouldn't that be exclusive to the students who want to participate but weren't chosen? I've got a lot more than twelve students I work with!"
"Twelve was only the first number that came to mind, I'm sure we could make it far more inclusive––" Truly, the Grey choir director was looking a little, well, grey at the onslaught before him.
"While we all have more than enough experience to handle the direction of such an undertaking, I have to wonder if this is the smartest way to utilize our combined resources. Surely, there are other ways to collaborate?"
"Well, I haven't heard anything that we can all agree upon. So," And if Dickie Merton had nothing grand planned, nothing that the others could agree to, why would he bother wasting their time?
"Do you have any thoughts, Anthony?"
The choir director weakly smiled in the direction of Joyce Barnaby, appreciating Midsomer's choir director more than words could ever say –– though he really didn't care to be put in the spotlight. Still, everyone else was lost in the debate, having long since given into squabbling amongst each other.
"Well, why can't we form a group instead?"
Because that, obviously, wouldn't fall apart at the seams. Anthony Strallan had honestly been joking when he suggested that, needing an outlet for his growing frustration with the situation.
It was clear that Downton and Carlisle had already established a rapport among their eight singers –– a jaw-dropping implication in itself. And while Alice was right when she'd spoken of feeling disappointed, Anthony had long since resigned himself to the fact that others tended to look down upon his school. That, as talented as his singers were, they were frequently ignored, much like himself. He may have had a career a few decades ago, but he'd be a fool to say that it was a career still recognized today.
So, what's why he joked about forming a group. Because, by now, it was confirmed to be absurd. Maybe not for Alice or Dickie or Joyce, but no one would ever want to collaborate with him. Not only that, but this meeting was proving just how terrible a joke it'd be if they even bothered –– they probably wouldn't get past figuring out who'd be singing what.
Unfortunately for Anthony, Alice Neal wasn't in the mood for joking.
"That's a brilliant idea, Anthony!" He looked up in shock at the woman's sudden enthusiasm, "We could form a group and perform in Downton's showcase!"
_._
12:41 p.m
"You want to take limited rehearsal time to converse with Mrs. Hughes and Miss Miller tomorrow? Delay our time to refine when we don't even know if there's anything to seriously concern ourselves with?"
Penelope glared at the haughty tone of Mary Crawley, entirely displeased with the soprano's tone. The diva was carrying on much like normal, acting as though only her opinion mattered in the grand scheme!
"And what would you suggest then, hmm?"
"Anything but that!" Chuckling, amused by the apparent situation, "It'd be a waste of time when we don't have that much to begin with, and it's all based on supposition –– Connor only thinks that's what they were talking about, he's no proof of anything. Surely you don't agree with her, Matthew?"
"Actually, Mary,"
"You don't seriously think conversing about the subject is necessary?" She chuckled again, a little weaker this time, "Won't we be unnecessarily jumping to conclusions?""
"While I think it's true we shouldn't jump to conclusions,"
"See? I told you––"
"I do believe we need to reassure Mrs. Hughes and Miss Miller about our intentions to commit to this group."
"What?"
_._
1:42 p.m.
"So, in the interest of fairness, each school will choose at least one teacher to represent them and form this group." It was with more than a hint of fury that Elsie listened to Alice continue to boss them around, having hi-jacked Anthony's idea as though it were her own. "Since Downton's orchestrating the entire event with Carlisle's help, Charles and Francesca will undoubtedly be under too much stress to handle directing this. However, since this is a brilliant idea for collaboration, one that needs to be taken rather seriously, I am more than happy to take the lead."
Tired murmurs of vague agreement rang about the table –– everyone too exhausted to disagree. Anthony Strallan looked surprised that his idea had gotten this far, Charlie Grigg nodding along Alice whenever it seemed appropriate. Joyce Barnaby looked to be thinking the matter over, much like Dickie Merton. Phoebe appeared to be impartial to the suggestion, but Elsie suspected there was a firmer opinion resting underneath that mask. However, before she or Charles could speak up on their own behalf, someone else was already speaking up in defense of them.
"I'm afraid, Alice," Francesca Barnes coolly interjected from the other end of the table. "I have to disagree with the assessment that 'stress' is a factor to be considered in this matter. And, considering that it is Downton's concert we would be joining, I would also have to disagree with the belief that anyone other than Charles and Elsie should remain in charge."
At this regally delivered objection, Elsie looked over at the woman with more than a trace or two of relief. She wouldn't lie: any additional support when it came to the situation was greatly appreciated.
"Hear, hear," Anthony chimed in, a little enthusiastic for some sort of resolution.
"Besides, Alice, wouldn't any possible burden be lifted if we all shared it?" Joyce Barnaby was another person that Elsie had carried particular gratuity for. Not having had a chance to interact with the woman at the previous competitions, she was only beginning to get an understanding of her character now. And, she could easily confess she appreciated what she saw.
"I think Joyce's right," Dickie chimed in, smiling warmly at the Downton and Carlisle instructors. "And since it's Downton's show we'd be crashing, shouldn't Charles have the final say in the matter?"
"Indeed," Elsie inwardly smiled at her man's deep timbre finally making itself known in this conversation and commanding the table's presence at last. "And may I just say it would be an honour to direct this collaboration," Sharing a look with her, the pair making a silent decision within seconds, "And, if it helps to alleviate any concerns, my fiancée has already begun to form a singing group for faculty."
Elsie took up the mantle on this speaking point, inwardly praying that Beryl wouldn't blow a gasket upon hearing about this change in plan.
"A group that I'd be equally honoured to have you join." She was only referring to Francesca, Phoebe, Dickie, Joyce, and Anthony. But, The Center's participation was a small burden to carry if it meant that Alice Neal couldn't walk away complaining of how insensitive Downton was to everyone else. If it meant there'd be no more sowing seeds of discontent among the schools, no more behind-the-scenes manipulation to deal with, she would easily go so far as to give up her part as the lead in the quartet.
_._
2:23 p.m.
"Mum's still at that stupid meeting, isn't she?" Christina Barnes could only surf Youtube for only so long before she needed answers on where her mother is.
"Mum is still at that stupid meeting." Her father, Erza Barnes, confirmed –– amused by his daughter's word choice. "Shall we give her another hour?"
"Fine." The eight-year old was hardly pleased by this, "But if she's not back soon, we're just going to make cookies without her!"
_._
2:26 p.m.
"So," Phoebe tiredly brought the continued bickering to a halt, "We're in agreement then? Two songs, weekly Friday rehearsals –– not Tuesdays – that'll start in February. And, we'll set the time for 4:30pm so it's after all our schools are out for the day. Everyone will be voiced, to make sure the group really has the right formation of parts. And, we'll meet at Downton––"
"I really don't see why we can't alternate between the schools," Alice began to protest, essentially on-board for every aspect except that last one. "Besides, Downton isn't convenient––"
"Well, we need a consistent rehearsal space, Alice. And the show will be at Downton." Joyce Barnaby had been losing her patience with the woman and she had probably been the one with the most patience of the group.
"Which reminds me, do you have someone in mind for voicing everyone's new parts?" Anthony's question turned every head at the table in his direction, but he didn't back down from the sudden attention, frankly too tired to care. "Because I know someone who can do the job."
"Oh, I've got someone, too––"
"That'd be appreciated, Anthony." Somehow, Elsie got the impression that May Bird, who was her original choice when it came to voicing musicians, would be a little too biased to neutrally voice the new group. And as much as it'd be great to see Alice attempt to sing bass, because she wouldn't put it past May to deviantly suggest that, it wouldn't end well.
"Of course. I'll be sure to ask Lila if she'll be able to come to our first rehearsal."
"So, I am to take it that our meeting is adjourned?" Phoebe carefully put to the entire table, the woman beginning to lose her collected demeanour.
"I do believe so." "I'd say so." "Indeed."
"Well," Charlie Grigg spoke for what was possibly the first time during the entire meeting, his tone full of too much cheek for Elsie's liking, "This ought to be fun!"
She was not alone in subtly glaring at the man; Charles was already shooting the official head of The Center a certain look he saved for the most obnoxious of students. But, it wasn't that big of a deal: they survived the meeting with their dignity mostly in-tact, that was what was important.
If nothing else, they'd have a lovely dinner with just friends in just a few hours to forget all about this meeting from hell. And they could breathe a little more easily now that the meeting had taken place. For, as far as they knew, whatever Alice had been planning had been squashed right then and there.
Besides, if she became hell-bent on trying anything else, the presence of the other schools would certainly make a difference.
_._
2:43 p.m.
"So much for that," Charlie cackled as they got into the car, tickled with how it all went, "The supposed Lark of the Stage strikes again, except nothing happened and nobody cares!"
Alice snorted at this, rolling her eyes at the attempted barb, "Oh, that's right: you are funny on occasion."
Well, he hadn't expected her to act quite like that. They just went through what felt like thousands of hours of non-stop bickering, but none of her ideas had passed through and it all worked out –– why did she act as though she'd won?
"I'm always hilarious and you're not nearly as pissed as I thought you'd be."
Now this exclamation had her tittering with laughter, the woman shaking her head as though her colleague were a child learning Solfege Syllables for the first time, "Why should I be upset when everything worked out perfectly?"
"But it didn't work out perfectly! No one was made to look like a fool today," These words didn't change anything within the woman, her smirk only growing, "Hell, we've even got everyone working together for a change! I don't see how any part of today worked to your advantage."
"I can't believe you're being this obtuse, Charlie. But," She drew out a long-winded sigh, pretending to be disappointed despite the fact that her smirk was only spreading even further, "If you're unable to use your admittedly limited imagination, I suppose I can be pushed to draw out the picture for you."
He scowled at this, gesturing to her to continue explaining.
As though she needed his permission.
"The showcase's not till May 8th, right?" Alice hardly waited for him to nod before continuing, "That's what, fifteen weeks of working together? Fifteen rehearsals of wearing them down to the point where they'll be broken with only a month before their wedding? I knew someone was bound to suggest forming a faculty group, I just didn't think it'd take that long…"
_._
Author's Note: Suffice to say, Beryl was definitely right when she said that Alice would've planned to act like this whether or not they'd missed that first meeting.
Also, now that we've unveiled each of the main plot points for this story, it's time for that previously mentioned proposition!
Since I can't begin to describe how much all of your support has meant to me this last year, I would like to show that thanks through the story. So, what would you like to see more of?
And if you need any ideas, here are some possible options:
- More Wedding Planning (Looking back at things Chelsie would've already done, seeing what else is left to plan, etc.)
- More Musical Theatre happenings (rehearsals, student drama, focusing on specific students, learning more about the musicals themselves, etc.)
- More Carlisle Octet drama/bonding (Mary versus Penelope, how they could all get over that, etc.)
- More Faculty drama/bonding (Does it all work out, does Alice win in the end, etc.)
- Something else altogether
You can request one, you can request multiple –– the point is, I would really love to hear what you would like to see. Because this series and the depths its reached has definitely been thanks to you.
In any case, I hope you enjoyed getting some answers about Alice and that you have a lovely day!
