Decisions
Reg made his way back to Freudesheim feeling a little more positive about matters. After a hesitant start -- it had been a considerable while since his last conversation with someone who wasn't either family or a patient and he'd found it difficult initially but in the face of Miss Andrews' sunny personality, the difficulties had evaporated rapidly -- his conversation with Miss Andrews had been productive.
She had offered Maddy a provisional place in the third form, though whether it would be the a, b or c group would depend on how well she did in the language assessment that each new pupil did at the start of their tenure at the school. Those in the a stream were the ones who spoke a fair degree of French, German and English already; the b group was for those who knew two of the languages but needed support in the third; the c stream was for the remaining pupils who knew only one of the languages and who needed intensive coaching. It meant that those who knew all three languages weren't held up academically and those who knew little beyond their own language didn't fall too far behind academically -- the intensive coaching lasting for a term, then the following term, the b and c stream was intensively coached in the subjects they had missed so that by the summer terms all three streams were academically parallel.
It was a scheme that worked well, particularly combined with the school's abiding principle of English, French and German days. The thing that had surprised Reg was when he learned that the instigator of the scheme was Len.
"Miss Annersley asked Len to think about a way new girls could be eased into the languages," Miss Andrews had explained. "Len canvassed the rest of the staff as to what they would find useful and the end result is the scheme we use now."
Reg felt a flush of pride on behalf of his late wife at this, that she had left such an indelible mark on the school spoke volumes about her personality and her abilities as a teacher.
So that was Maddy arranged for -- provided Maddy agreed to the idea. Miss Andrews had suggested that, if Maddy liked -- and given it was customary -- she and Reg would be more than welcome to come over to the school later in the week and take a tour of the school, which would give Maddy a far better idea of what the school was like, and there would also be sundry staff around who would be able to answer any questions Maddy had. Reg suspected that the answer to that would be yes. Even if she decided she hated the place -- which Reg doubted would be the case -- he felt sure that she would want to see the school that her mother and her Auntie Nun had both attended.
"Daddy!"
Almost as if conjured by thought, Maddy appeared from the rose garden as Reg closed the connecting gate behind him. Reg smiled at her. "How has your morning been?"
"Fun," Maddy answered, a broad grin on her face, even as Joey appeared. "Grandma Jo has lots of photographs and funny stories."
Joey offered Reg a smile and a nod in greeting. "I was going through a box of old photos," she explained. "Maddy spotted the one of Cornelia with her saxophone," at that, Reg chuckled, "and wanted to know what it was about."
"Having seen that photograph," said Reg grinning, "small wonder."
"Then she told me about Auntie Nun and Uncle Stephen and the duck pond," Maddy continued. "And about dyeing herself green, and catching a 'convict'."
At that, Reg looked puzzled. "A convict?"
Joey chuckled. "My brother-in-law, Ralph Mackenzie. It's a long story," she added.
Reg still looked bemused. "I'll say," he murmured.
"I will say," Joey continued, "in my defence, I wasn't that much older than Maddy at the time, and no-one had seen fit to tell me anything." Changing the subject, she continued, "How was your meeting?"
Dismissing his confusion, Reg smiled. "It was...useful. Though I now need to speak to my daughter."
Joey nodded at that. "Of course -- I must take these," and she gestured to the box of photographs, "inside, and I think Anna wanted some help with lunch."
So saying, Joey departed into the house, leaving Reg and Maddy standing at entry to the rose garden.
"Daddy?" Maddy asked.
Reg looked down at his daughter. "Shall we go and sit down -- we have a lot to talk about."
"We do?" said Maddy, slightly bemused, as she led the way into the pretty rose garden and over to the seats.
"We do," Reg agreed, sitting down. "We've got some choices to make."
Maddy sat down beside her father and looked quizzically at him. "Is this about your job interview?"
"In part," Reg agreed. "Grandpa Jack has offered me the job. But I'm not sure, yet, whether I'm going to take it."
"Why?"
"I need to know that you're going to be happy with what I choose."
"Oh." Maddy was unsure of what else to say to that.
"I've just been over to the school," Reg continued, "and I've spoken to the head of the junior school there, Miss Andrews."
"Am I going there?" Maddy asked, trying not to sound nervous at the prospect.
"Not for definite," Reg answered. "There is a place, if you want it. Or, we can go back to England and you can go to the High School in Hereford -- but that will mean us moving house, probably to live in Hereford."
Maddy wrinkled her nose at that thought. "Not sure I like that idea much," she admitted. "No apple trees..."
"That you're not supposed to climb," Reg finished, a stern but somewhat amused look on his face. Maddy had the grace to blush. "No, there wouldn't be any apple trees -- there might not be any garden at all. But, on the other hand, I know that some of your friends are going to the High School, and there would be nothing to stop us from going for weekends and holidays to Plas Gwyn."
Maddy nodded. "Or I could go to school here."
"That's the choice," Reg agreed. "Miss Andrews has suggested we have a look around the school this week, so you don't need to decide just yet."
"OK." Maddy nodded. "Can we do that this afternoon?"
Reg blinked, not expecting that response. "I think so, yes -- Miss Andrews said to just come over."
"I want to see where mummy and Auntie Nun went to school," Maddy admitted frankly. "And...after hearing all the stories about the school, from Auntie Nun and from Auntie Cecil and from Grandma Jo, I don't think I'd mind going there...but I'd like to think about it."
Reg smiled and wrapped Maddy in a hug. "Of course. It's not an easy decision. Just let me know when you've made it."
Maddy smiled in return. "Of course."
