A Genius at the Chalet School (3 page)

   "I'll try to remember," Nina promised.
   "It must be more than that. The first time I find you have let the fire out, I shall lock the room again and what practise you do will have to be on the schoolroom piano. And there's another thing. You must keep this room dusted yourself. Wood fires make a lot of dust and Carson has no time for more work that she already has. I'll give you a set of dusters and you can borrow a brush and dustpan from the housemaid's cupboard. Once a week you may use the Hoover. Now is that thoroughly understood?"
   Nina nodded. "Oh, yes. I can clear the grate and light the fire, too, if you like," she added. "I don't want to be a nuisance."
   "We'll see about that." Lady Rutherford was inwardly surprised. She knew well enough that even Alix would have kicked at this extra housework for the same of piano practice; and Alix was considered to be really musical.
   "I shouldn't mind in the least," Nina said. "I've often had to light the stove - and clear it when - when I was - with Dad," she added unevenly.
   Lady Rutherford stooped - she was a tall woman and Nina was small and slight for her age - and kissed her. "You may do as you like about it, Nina. And child, remember that it is well with your father. He died a hero's death, trying to save a life, so you may be very proud of him. And don't feel alone in the world, Nina. Your home is here - at Brettingham. Perhaps we can't quite understand what music means to you; but we'll do our best to give you music. Now run along to your dear piano and work. I'll send someone to call you for cocoa at half past ten and mind you come at once."
   She left the room on that and Nina, dropping her music on a nearby table, went to swing off the baize cover and open the lid before she sat down with a little shiver of sheer joy and began on her exercises.
   Anthea tiptoed down the corridor shortly before half past ten, and stood listening as her cousin played through a Chopin study with such a rippling of notes as made her own to herself that even though Alix was the star music pupil at St. Cecelia's, she really
couldn't
play like this! She listened for a minute or two. Then the study ended and she went in to find Nina frowning over some fingering. The fire was low by this time and Anthea's first care was to toss some blocks of wood on it before she said, "Come along, Nina! Cocoa! And then Father wants to see you in the study. The fire's all right. I've built it up again for you."
   Nina sighed as she rose, but she was too grateful for Cousin Yvonne's kindness to delay. She had her cocoa and then was sent to the study where Sir Guy was sitting at his desk, writing a letter. He looked up as she came in and laid down his pen.
   "Come away, Nina! Quite warm? You look a bit different from the misery I brought home three weeks ago! Well, I sent for you to tell you that your school's all fixed up and I hope you'll be happy there and all that. They'll see you get all the practice you want and take you to concerts and so on. The Head assures me of that."
   He stopped there and Nina, coming closer, looked up at him with eager dark eyes. "Oh, thank you, Cousin Guy! But please, where am I going?"
   "Didn't I tell you at first? Bless my soul, I must be wandering! Where are you going? Why, the school I hope you'll like. The school you've met already when we were travelling back - remember? You're going to the Chalet School."

CHAPTER 4

"Well, here we are at last! Thank goodness for that! Oh,
look
, you folk! There's Mary-Lou! Oh, and they must have cut her hair! Oh, why don't that lot in front buck up and get out? I'm dying to see her and get all the hanes!" And Hilary gave such a mad wriggle, that if Nina, who was sitting next her, had not been holding on to the back of the seat in front, she would have shot out into the aisle.
   "Keep calm - keep calm!" Vi Lucy behind remarked sweetly. "Don't have a fit over it! That's the last of them climbing down and off she goes! It's our turn now - Hilary, you ass! Wait your turn! D'you
want
to start the term with a row? Don't let her push, Nina."
   Nina, who had been brought to London by Sir Guy and handed over by him to Hilary, Vi, Barbara and Lesley, what time he sought out one of the escort mistresses and explained matters, laughed and clung to her hold while Hilary, recalled to her sense by Vi's warning, sat still, though she turned round to make a horrible face at Vi.
   However, they were sitting not far from the front of the coach and in a minute more, she was flying up to the tall fair girl whose head was covered by a short fuzz of hair that looked as if it might curl when it had grown a little longer. Her possessions lay where they were, for in her excitement, she ignored them completely. She was so excited, that the others, still getting out of the coach with due decorum, heard her shriek, "Oh, Mary-Lou! How marvellous to see you again! You look just like your old self - except for your hair! Are you
really
all right now?"
   "Just like Hilary!" Vi remarked. "Grab her nightcase, Barbara, and I'll see to her oddments. Nina, you might look after her rug. No sense in getting into a row first go off! Though I expect she'd think it well worth while to have first skim at Mary-Lou," she added, laughing.
   Nina had heard all about Mary-Lou Trelawney who seemed to be the leader among her new friends. She had also heard about the Gang to which they all belonged, though Lesley, who was a thoughtful girl, observed that it looked rather as though the Gang would have to break up now since its various members would be in three forms and one of them was a Middle School form which might make it difficult for them to mix as they had done. The other three exclaimed in horror at this, but Lesley stuck to her opinion and even said she had heard Mary-Lou say something of the kind at the end of the previous term when they had been told that she, Lesley, Vi and Hilary were to be moved up to Va next term.
   Nina was curious to see this girl of whom they all seemed to think so much. She hurriedly folded up the rug Hilary had tossed aside and followed the others from the coach, but by the time they reached the door, Mary-Lou had vanished.
   "Gone in out of the cold," Vi observed. "I expect she'll have to take care for a while yet. You'd expect nothing else after an accident like hers last term. Brr! How bitter it is! Come on, Nina. I'll show you where to go. There'll be no getting sense out of the others until they've seen Mary-Lou and had a good natter with her. She and I are in the same dormy, though, and I can wait. There'll be plenty of time later. This way, Nina. Leave your case, though, and Barbara'll see it put on the truck. Here comes Gaudenz. You'll get our traps upstairs quickly, won't you Gaudenz?" she added, speaking in German, since Gaudenz declined to speak anything but his own tongue.
   He nodded and seized the nightcases which were all the luggage the girls brought with them, all the rest being sent on in advance. Vi touched Nina's arm and then drew her away across the hall where groups were scattered everywhere, all chattering eagerly to each other and the mistresses.
   They left the hall and went down a long passage at the end of which Vi tapped at a door. "This is the study," she said. "They moved it last term. I'll leave you with the Head and when she's done with you, she'll send for someone to show you where your dormy is. I'll be around presently."
   Anything further she might have had to say had to wait, for a deep, sweet voice called, "Come in!" and Vi opened the door, passed round a screen across it with a muffled exclamation of surprise and then paused to curtsy before she announced," Good evening, Miss Annersley. I've brought the new girl, Nina Rutherford, to report to you."
   "Good evening, Vi," said the musical voice while Nina, overcome with sudden shyness, remained behind the screen. "Shut the door and bring her along. Did you have a good holidays?"
   "Oh, marvellous! Though we missed Auntie and Uncle and the rest of the Ozannes. The boys flew out to spend Christmas with them, so we didn't even have Bill with us. Oh, and Auntie Nan had her fifth baby on Christmas Day - a little girl at last. She's to be called Christine Natalie - because of being a Christmas baby, you know - and the boys are thrilled to bits about her."
   Miss Annersley smiled, even as she held out her hand to Nina. She knew Commander and Mrs Willoughby well, and the four boys whose ages ranged from eleven to four into the bargain. "What a lovely Christmas gift!"
   "Isn't it? Auntie Nan said I was to tell you to book her a place here as soon as she is old enough."
   "Thank you, Vi. I'll write to her as soon as I get a moment to myself. And now I want to talk to Nina, so you can run along. You know that Mary-Lou is back at school again, don't you? I expect you'd like a short time to discuss this term's changes and see for yourself that she is all in one piece again."
   Vi laughed, curtsied and went off, leaving Nina alone with the first Head she had ever met as
her
Head Mistress.
   Miss Annersley smiled again at her. "Come and sit down, Nina. I'm very glad to welcome you to school and I hope you'll be very happy with us. I'm sure it won't be the fault of the girls if you are not, nor of the staff. Now to business! Your cousin told me that you would need extra time for your practice so we're going to try you in Va with Vi and the others. I hope you'll find you can manage the work there because it will be easier to give you the time than in the b division. And then, of course, there will be your extra lessons in all the theory."
   She had guessed that Nina was feeling anxious about her music. Not for nothing had she had to deal with Margia Stevens and Jacynth Hardy, as well as a number of other girls who were musical if not so highly gifted as those two. She saw that she had been right in dealing with the question at once for the faintly worried expression on the girl's face vanished and her eyes and cheeks glowed as she said, "Oh, thank you so much, Miss Annersley! The girls
said
that in this school you were allowed extra time to make music your career. I do so want to go ahead - "
   "I know. You shall have all the practice time you need. Miss Dene will see you to-morrow to discuss your timetable with you. Mr Denny, our singing master, will take you for all the theory. Do you know any of his compositions - Tristan Denny? Have you heard of him?"
   "Is that the Tristan Denny that wrote those three lovely sets of Elizabethan Songs?" Nina asked breathlessly. "Do you mean that
he
will teach me?"
   "Yes; he has agreed to take you in harmony, counterpoint and all the rest. Now I'm going to make an appeal to you. In return for all this, I want you to do your honest best with the ordinary lessons you
must
take. Believe me, child, the more you learn apart from your music, the more you will have to give others through it. Your cousin tells me that you speak three languages besides your own, so I think we may cut out some of the work there, as well as most maths and all science and art, too, unless you are keen."
   "Not very," Nina replied. "And though I speak and write French and German as easily as English, my Italian isn't so good. We lived a good deal in France and Germany, but we'd only been eight months in Italy when - when - "
   "When God called your father to Him? Yes, dear; I know it's very hard on you, but think how much worse it would have been if you hadn't your cousins. And your father died a hero's death. You must have a talk with Mary-Lou Trelawney some day. Her father, too, died, trying to save life. You may be very proud just as she is. And Nina; I know life seems sad to you now, but it won't always be so. After a time, the pain will go out of your loss and the love and pride will remain to comfort you. And there's another thing. What you have suffered and are suffering now will give more to your music. You will be a finer interpreter or great music
because
of your present pain."
   "Oh, Vi and the rest were right when they said you would understand!" Nina cried. "You do! Thank you, Miss Annersley. I'll do my best with other lessons I promise you. And - and - I'll try to - remember what you've said just now when - when things - get - difficult," she added unevenly.
   "Good! Then this sorrow won't hurt you, but help you as it ought to do. Now, dear, I have heaps of other people to see, so I'll send for someone to take you to your dormitory. Your cousin, Sir Guy, asked it if would be possible for you to be with the girls you already knew, so we've made one or two changes and put you into Cornflower with Vi and Barbara and the others. Mary-Lou is dormitory prefect. Now let me see." She produced some long typed lists and glanced over them. Then she touched the bell on her desk. "Maeve Bettany came up this morning and is all unpacked. She can see to you. Oh, Miss Dene," as a fair, pretty woman in the thirties came through the curtained doorway at the other side of the room, "would you find someone to send Maeve Bettany to me, please? And when she has found Maeve, ask her to tell someone in VIa that I'm ready for people to report to me now."
   "Maeve is in the office now," Miss Dene said with a smile. "She came to see if she could help, Matron having whisked off her own particular crew to their dormitories. The rest are milling around in the hall, all talking at the tops of their voices."
   "Bless them!" Miss Annersley exclaimed. "Well, they'll have to get rid of their steam somehow, I suppose. Tell Maeve to come in, my dear."
   Miss Dene nodded and disappeared and Miss Annersley turned back to Nina to describe the winter sports the girls always enjoyed this term, She had only time for a sentence or two when a tap came on the outer door and was followed by the appearance of a girl of Nina's own age or a little younger.
   "There you are, Maeve," the Head said. "This is Nina Rutherford who will be in Cornflower. Take her up there and show her what to do and where to go, please. When she is ready, you can take her to the Commonroom and leave her there. I expect some of the people she will be with will have turned up by that time."
   "Yes, Miss Annersley," Maeve said very properly. She turned to Nina. "Will you come with me, Nina?"
   She led the way to the door where she stopped to bob the curtsy that Nina had already marvelled at in Vi. She had had no idea that it could be part of any English school. Later, she was to find out that when Lady Russell, then Miss Bettany, had started the Chalet School in Tirol, she had incorporated certain of the customs of that lovely land in the school's un-written laws and this particular one had persisted, even during the years spent in England.
   Maeve led Nina along the passage, through another running at right angles to it and up the uncarpeted stairs that ran up from the further end to a broad corridor where several girls of all ages were hurrying about. All of them greeted Maeve, who returned the greetings, even as she piloted the new girl along to a room at the far end.
   "Here we are!" she said, opening the door. "This is Cornflower. Come on in and we'll find your cubey."
   Nina followed her and found herself in a long, narrow room, brilliantly lighted by four drop-lights from the centre of the ceiling. One side formed an alley and on the other were the cubicles. They were curtained off by curtains of white, cornflower-besprayed cretonne and there was one at the far end with a light directly over it. Maeve nodded towards it.
   "That's Mary-Lou's. They've been changing the dormies round during the hols so she gets the end window to herself - lucky blighter! Now let's see which is yours. The names are all pinned on to the curtains." She moved down the aisle and stopped before one midway. "Here we are!" She swept back the screening curtain and Nina followed her and looked round delightedly.
   It really was very pretty, for the cretonne was reversible. A curtain of the same was drawn across the half of a window which she knew already she shared with Vi Lucy, having seen that young lady's name pinned to the curtains as they passed. The little bed with its fat plumeau had a counterpane of the rich cornflower blue over it and at the side of the bed was a washable rug with a cornflower design. A kind of table-bureau faced the bed and in the opposite corner was a wicker chair with cushions covered with cretonne matching the curtains.
   Maeve went to the bureau and lifted up one end to show that the inside of the lid was a mirror and beneath was a neat cavity for toilet articles. The rest of the bureau was divided into two short drawers and two long ones, one very deep.
   "There's a cupboard on the landing where you hang your frocks," she explained. "These are for undies and blouses and hankies and so on. You can use the top for your photos and vases and any books you've brought from home. Oh, and before I forget, you've got to hand your books in to Miss Derwent to be vetted. These shelves below the mirror are for best slippers and bedroom slippers. You hang your dressing-gown on this hook here - awfully handy if you have to get up in a hurry! You keep all outdoor shoes and boots in the splashery - oh, and your beret and coat, too. Your Sunday hat goes in the cupboard and your Sunday coat. This other peg here is for your gym tunic. You'll have to wear that for gym and games. You hang your school skirt on it as well. Which form are you in or don't you know yet?"
   "Miss Annersley said I was to try Va," Nina replied.
   Maeve looked at her with respect. "I say! You
must
be a brain!"
   "Oh, it isn't that so much," Nina said honestly. "Music is my chief subject and Miss Annersley says it's easier to arrange for all the extra work in that that I
must
have, than in another form. I shan't be taking a lot of ordinary lessons, you see."
   Maeve's eyes danced wickedly. "Then you and I cancel each other out. I love to listen and I like singing, but I'd loathe to go in for it. I want to do P.T. - Physical Training," she added, as Nina looked mystified. "The worst of it is I've got to have Matric if I want to go to a decent college and goodness knows I'm no brain. Bride and the boys got most of the brains that were going in our family. However, I s'pose I'll just have to dig in, worse luck! Got your nightcase? Oh, hasn't Gaudenz brought the trolley up yet? Well, you can't do anything about it, then. I'll lend you my soap if you'll hang on till I get it and you can wash."