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elen_nareTitle: Misinformation
Chapter: 2
Fandom: Chalet School series
Rating: T
Length: 1000 words
(See Chapter 1 for full header).
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Kathie sped up the stairs leading to the staff bedrooms, reaching the corridor just in time to see Nancy’s door slam shut. Without a second thought, she ran up to the door and tried the handle. It opened at once - clearly, Nancy had been too upset to even think of locking it. Walking in, Kathie’s breath hitched in her throat at the sight before her. Nancy was sitting on her bed, staring at the sheet of paper in her hands as if it were a poisonous snake. Her face was completely white, even the lips having lost their colour.
“Nancy! Nancy, what’s wrong?” Kathie cried out, shoving the door closed and hurrying towards the bed. Sitting next to Nancy, she wrapped her arms around her, feeling how she was shaking. “Tell me, darling. What is it?”
Wordlessly, Nancy held out the letter. Kathie took it in one hand, keeping the other arm tightly around her partner, and looked at the single sheet of paper. It was a brief note, clearly written in a hurry, and Kathie couldn’t make out the words at first. Then, managing to make sense of it, she gasped.
‘My dear woman, what on earth have you been doing? Dr Travers came to me first thing this morning ranting about how “a person of your unnatural, immoral inclinations had no place educating impressionable young girls”! I shut him up sharpish, and told him that wouldn’t be appreciated here. He’s in surgery all day so won’t be talking with anyone, but we need to sort this out - and fast. I can’t get to the school till evening, but ring me at the San as soon as you can!
Jack’
Kathie looked at Nancy in horror. “Oh, Nancy! it can’t be! How... how could he... know?”
“I don’t know!” Nancy cried out, and suddenly started sobbing, the last of her self-control breaking. “I’ve never even spoken to the man, I don’t understand it,” she said brokenly, and Kathie pulled her close, letting her cry on her shoulder, and feeling very near tears herself. She choked them back for Nancy’s sake, knowing she had to be the strong one right now, and murmured soothing words and love names to her.
Even as she tried to calm Nancy, Kathie’s quick mind was working feverishly, trying to understand how this man had guessed the truth. He must be very sure, to be making his accusations so publicly. Kathie shivered, almost hating Jack Maynard for reporting the cruel words so plainly. She knew the love she and Nancy had was right, and natural, and certainly not evil or immoral, but it still hurt bitterly to be reminded that so many people would describe them exactly as this Dr Travers had. She gave herself a mental shake. Dr Jack hadn’t meant to hurt, but to help them and warn them - or rather, to help and warn Nancy.
“There’s something very strange about this, Nance,” she said quietly. “Why does Jack only warn you? Surely if this - this man - has guessed about us, he’d accuse us both?”
Nancy pulled away a little so she could look at Kathie. She had stopped sobbing, though her pale face was tear-stained. “I have no idea, but I’m grateful you’re out of it, at least.”
“Out of it? How am I out of it? I’ll be right beside you, you know that. But it just doesn’t make sense! We’ve neither of us ever spoken to him, and if he’d seen something, or someone had said something, surely he’d know about both of us.”
Nancy shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know, Kath. I don’t understand it either, but it doesn’t change the fact that he knows - or guesses, at least - about me, and isn’t going to keep quiet about it.” Taking a deep breath, she picked up the letter from where Kathie had dropped it on the floor, returned it to its envelope, and rose to her feet. “I have to tell the Head about this.” At Kathie’s look of surprise, she continued, “If he’s going to - to make it public, she has the right to know, she needs to protect the school.”
Nancy’s voice shook as she spoke, and Kathie wanted to scream. It was so unfair! They’d always tried their hardest to be so careful, so discreet, to do nothing that could endanger the school. And now, because of someone they barely knew, everything they’d had was almost certainly lost. Kathie had known the risk from the moment they’d started their relationship, they both had, but she’d never realised how much it would hurt. Standing up, she clasped Nancy’s free hand in both her own.
“You’re right, the Head has to know. You’d better wash your face before we go to the office, though, in case we run into anyone.”
Nancy frowned. “We?”
“You don’t think I’m going to let you do this alone, do you?” Kathie asked. Nancy opened her mouth as if to contest the point, and Kathie placed her hand over it. “Don’t argue, my love. We’re in this together, you know we are. You wouldn’t let me go by myself if it was the other way round, would you?”
Nancy shook her head slowly. “No, I wouldn’t. But...”
“No buts. I’m coming with you, and that’s the end of it. Now let’s make ourselves presentable - and hurry! We’re both supposed to be teaching in less than an hour.” Kathie’s voice quivered on the last sentence, at the thought it was possible they wouldn’t be.
Nancy hugged her tightly. “Oh, darling. Let’s not expect the worst. And... even if it does come to that... it’s been worth it, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Kathie whispered, and pulled Nancy’s head down towards her.
The pair kissed fiercely, horribly aware that this might be the last time they did so in this room. Separating at last, they breathed in deeply and left it together, determined to get things over with.
Chapter: 2
Fandom: Chalet School series
Rating: T
Length: 1000 words
(See Chapter 1 for full header).
Previous | Next
Kathie sped up the stairs leading to the staff bedrooms, reaching the corridor just in time to see Nancy’s door slam shut. Without a second thought, she ran up to the door and tried the handle. It opened at once - clearly, Nancy had been too upset to even think of locking it. Walking in, Kathie’s breath hitched in her throat at the sight before her. Nancy was sitting on her bed, staring at the sheet of paper in her hands as if it were a poisonous snake. Her face was completely white, even the lips having lost their colour.
“Nancy! Nancy, what’s wrong?” Kathie cried out, shoving the door closed and hurrying towards the bed. Sitting next to Nancy, she wrapped her arms around her, feeling how she was shaking. “Tell me, darling. What is it?”
Wordlessly, Nancy held out the letter. Kathie took it in one hand, keeping the other arm tightly around her partner, and looked at the single sheet of paper. It was a brief note, clearly written in a hurry, and Kathie couldn’t make out the words at first. Then, managing to make sense of it, she gasped.
‘My dear woman, what on earth have you been doing? Dr Travers came to me first thing this morning ranting about how “a person of your unnatural, immoral inclinations had no place educating impressionable young girls”! I shut him up sharpish, and told him that wouldn’t be appreciated here. He’s in surgery all day so won’t be talking with anyone, but we need to sort this out - and fast. I can’t get to the school till evening, but ring me at the San as soon as you can!
Jack’
Kathie looked at Nancy in horror. “Oh, Nancy! it can’t be! How... how could he... know?”
“I don’t know!” Nancy cried out, and suddenly started sobbing, the last of her self-control breaking. “I’ve never even spoken to the man, I don’t understand it,” she said brokenly, and Kathie pulled her close, letting her cry on her shoulder, and feeling very near tears herself. She choked them back for Nancy’s sake, knowing she had to be the strong one right now, and murmured soothing words and love names to her.
Even as she tried to calm Nancy, Kathie’s quick mind was working feverishly, trying to understand how this man had guessed the truth. He must be very sure, to be making his accusations so publicly. Kathie shivered, almost hating Jack Maynard for reporting the cruel words so plainly. She knew the love she and Nancy had was right, and natural, and certainly not evil or immoral, but it still hurt bitterly to be reminded that so many people would describe them exactly as this Dr Travers had. She gave herself a mental shake. Dr Jack hadn’t meant to hurt, but to help them and warn them - or rather, to help and warn Nancy.
“There’s something very strange about this, Nance,” she said quietly. “Why does Jack only warn you? Surely if this - this man - has guessed about us, he’d accuse us both?”
Nancy pulled away a little so she could look at Kathie. She had stopped sobbing, though her pale face was tear-stained. “I have no idea, but I’m grateful you’re out of it, at least.”
“Out of it? How am I out of it? I’ll be right beside you, you know that. But it just doesn’t make sense! We’ve neither of us ever spoken to him, and if he’d seen something, or someone had said something, surely he’d know about both of us.”
Nancy shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know, Kath. I don’t understand it either, but it doesn’t change the fact that he knows - or guesses, at least - about me, and isn’t going to keep quiet about it.” Taking a deep breath, she picked up the letter from where Kathie had dropped it on the floor, returned it to its envelope, and rose to her feet. “I have to tell the Head about this.” At Kathie’s look of surprise, she continued, “If he’s going to - to make it public, she has the right to know, she needs to protect the school.”
Nancy’s voice shook as she spoke, and Kathie wanted to scream. It was so unfair! They’d always tried their hardest to be so careful, so discreet, to do nothing that could endanger the school. And now, because of someone they barely knew, everything they’d had was almost certainly lost. Kathie had known the risk from the moment they’d started their relationship, they both had, but she’d never realised how much it would hurt. Standing up, she clasped Nancy’s free hand in both her own.
“You’re right, the Head has to know. You’d better wash your face before we go to the office, though, in case we run into anyone.”
Nancy frowned. “We?”
“You don’t think I’m going to let you do this alone, do you?” Kathie asked. Nancy opened her mouth as if to contest the point, and Kathie placed her hand over it. “Don’t argue, my love. We’re in this together, you know we are. You wouldn’t let me go by myself if it was the other way round, would you?”
Nancy shook her head slowly. “No, I wouldn’t. But...”
“No buts. I’m coming with you, and that’s the end of it. Now let’s make ourselves presentable - and hurry! We’re both supposed to be teaching in less than an hour.” Kathie’s voice quivered on the last sentence, at the thought it was possible they wouldn’t be.
Nancy hugged her tightly. “Oh, darling. Let’s not expect the worst. And... even if it does come to that... it’s been worth it, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Kathie whispered, and pulled Nancy’s head down towards her.
The pair kissed fiercely, horribly aware that this might be the last time they did so in this room. Separating at last, they breathed in deeply and left it together, determined to get things over with.
