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elen_nareTitle: Misinformation
Chapter: 10
Fandom: Chalet School series
Rating: T
Length: 1361 words
(See Chapter 1 for full header).
Previous | Next
Two days later
Hilda looked up as the door to her study opened, smiling as she saw who it was.
“Nell! This is an unexpected pleasure.”
Nell smiled fondly back. “You can show how pleased you are by putting your work away and listening to me. It’s much too late to be working, anyway!”
“You’re hardly the right person to scold me for working late, my dear!” Hilda replied, raising an eyebrow at her. Gathering her papers together, she continued, “You do have a point, though, and I can see you have something important to tell me. Let me put everything away, and we’ll go to the sitting room.”
Once they were comfortably settled, Hilda turned to Nell. “Now, what is it? You’re practically dancing with impatience!”
Nell grinned cheerfully at Hilda’s teasing. “That’s a dreadful exaggeration, but I’ll forgive it this once.” Her grin faded away, and Hilda realised with a sudden stab of anxiety that she looked rather grave. “I got a letter this morning, from Dr Travers,” she said.
“The letter of apology he told Jack he was going to send?” Hilda asked, and her partner nodded.
“Here, you can read it. I thought at first of keeping it to read together - I was a bit afraid I might get carried away with the reply if he was really infuriating! But I was too curious to see what he said.” Pulling an envelope from her pocket, Nell handed it over.
Hilda took it but didn’t read the letter immediately, looking at Nell affectionately. “You really are the elephant’s child - or, no, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi suits you better. ‘Eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity’ describes you perfectly!”
Nell laughed at that. “If I’m Rikki-Tikki, is the poison-tongued Dr Travers Nag? Somehow, I think people would be rather shocked if I jumped on him and broke his back.”
“There is such a thing as carrying an analogy too far,” replied Hilda, very much the English mistress.
“Never mind analogies, read the letter!” Nell urged, pulling a face at Hilda for her lecturing.
Extracting the sheet from its envelope, Hilda did as she asked.
Dear Miss Wilson,
I hope this finds you as well as it leaves me.
As you are aware, through a most unfortunate mistake, I formed an erroneous opinion about you. Since you know what it was, I think it best not to repeat it here. I am sure you understand that, while under such a misconception, I felt it my duty to inform Dr Maynard of what I believed to be the truth about you. Fortunately, he was able to correct me.
That being so, I must beg your pardon for accidentally slandering you. I apologise for any distress this episode may have caused you, and I hope that now matters have been cleared up, I may venture to resume our previous friendship.
Yours sincerely,
Dr E. Travers
By the time she finished the letter, Hilda was furious. How dared he? This... this... letter... could hardly be called an apology at all, it was so hedged with explanations and extenuating circumstances. As for the last line, the presumption in it was staggering. She looked at her partner apprehensively, realising that if she was so angry, Nell with her sharper temper must have been raging. “What did you reply?”
“I thought you didn’t want to censor my mail?” Nell asked lightly, straight faced.
“Nell! What did you write?” Hilda demanded, truly worried now, and Nell laughed.
“Don’t look so frightened! I wrote a reply, but I haven’t posted it yet. Here you are.”
Hilda practically snatched it from her hand and scanned it anxiously. It was short and to the point.
Dr Travers,
I appreciate your apology, but I find myself unable to either forgive or forget the way you jumped to absurd conclusions, or your willingness to publicly destroy my career and submerge my School in scandal.
Given this, I do not consider it possible to resume our previous acquaintance. I think it best if we do not meet again.
Yours sincerely,
Helena Wilson
Hilda sighed in relief as she reached the end, and Nell looked at her through narrowed eyes.
“Good heavens, woman! What kind of an opinion do you have of me?” she snapped.
“I’m sorry, Nell, I was just worried...” she began apologetically. “I know you speak before you think sometimes when you’re angry - you wretch, you’re not really offended at all, are you?” she demanded indignantly as Nell suddenly grinned.
“I was just teasing you, my love. Of course I’m not really offended! Would you care to see the first draft of my reply?” without waiting for an answer, she held out another piece of paper.
This missive was much longer, and Hilda raised her eyebrows as she took in some of the language. “I had no idea you had such an extensive vocabulary,” she remarked. “How you manage to keep a straight face when scolding the girls for using slang is more than I can tell!”
“Oh, it’s easy,” Nell said, laughing cheerfully. “I simply take care not to use my extensive vocabulary, as you describe it, in front of them. I take it you approve of my decision not to send that, then?”
“Please tell me you weren’t seriously contemplating sending this!’ Hilda exclaimed in horror, thinking of some of the phrases she had just read. She knew Nell wouldn’t do anything of the kind when she was thinking rationally, but she was also aware of just how irrational this beloved woman could be when she was truly incensed.
“Not really,” Nell answered, much to her relief. “By the time I’d finished writing it, I’d worked off the worst of my anger, and was thinking clearly enough to see it would only make things worse. And I did promise Jack I wouldn’t send anything too explosive! So I set it aside and wrote the other letter instead. Do you like that one better?”
“Just a little!” Hilda said, with deep understatement. “Seal the envelope, and you can put it with the mail to be sent tomorrow.” Teasingly, she continued, “I’ll keep the other one for the time being, so you don’t give in to the temptation of sending it!”
Nell chuckled. “You meant that for a joke, but deep down I think you’re worried I might. Keep it, my dear!” Taking the letter that was to be sent, she quickly sealed the envelope and stood up. “I’ll leave the reply with the rest of your mail, and we can forget about the whole thing. Since you seem to have completely forgotten your duties as hostess, I suppose I’ll have to invite myself to coffee.”
“Coffee! Oh, no!” Hilda exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
“I’ll take tea if you’ve suddenly developed a violent hatred for coffee, though I don’t know how you’re going to manage with Kaffee und Kuchen if you have - or Frühstück, come to that,” Nell replied, looking at her in astonishment.
“No, nothing like that! I just remembered the Staff had invited me to join them this evening, and I said I would as soon as I finished work. It had completely slipped my mind,” Hilda explained.
“If that’s all, you needn’t look so distressed,” Nell said drily. “You’re still in plenty of time to join them, and I don’t suppose they’ll mind too badly if I come too.”
“They’ll be delighted to see you,as you very well know,” Hilda replied, slipping an arm through her friend’s and leading her towards the office. “I suppose you’re expecting me to put you up for the night?” she asked airily, knowing Nell would understand that ‘Will you stay, please?’ was what she really meant.
Placing her letter with the rest of the outgoing mail on Rosalie’s desk, Nell turned to her. Her eyes were very soft as they met Hilda’s, though her reply was in the same light tone. “I most certainly am. It’s the least you can do after criticising my vocabulary and neglecting to offer me a drink!”
Hilda squeezed her arm gently in thanks, smiling, and Nell smiled back at her before they left the office together.
Chapter: 10
Fandom: Chalet School series
Rating: T
Length: 1361 words
(See Chapter 1 for full header).
Previous | Next
Two days later
Hilda looked up as the door to her study opened, smiling as she saw who it was.
“Nell! This is an unexpected pleasure.”
Nell smiled fondly back. “You can show how pleased you are by putting your work away and listening to me. It’s much too late to be working, anyway!”
“You’re hardly the right person to scold me for working late, my dear!” Hilda replied, raising an eyebrow at her. Gathering her papers together, she continued, “You do have a point, though, and I can see you have something important to tell me. Let me put everything away, and we’ll go to the sitting room.”
Once they were comfortably settled, Hilda turned to Nell. “Now, what is it? You’re practically dancing with impatience!”
Nell grinned cheerfully at Hilda’s teasing. “That’s a dreadful exaggeration, but I’ll forgive it this once.” Her grin faded away, and Hilda realised with a sudden stab of anxiety that she looked rather grave. “I got a letter this morning, from Dr Travers,” she said.
“The letter of apology he told Jack he was going to send?” Hilda asked, and her partner nodded.
“Here, you can read it. I thought at first of keeping it to read together - I was a bit afraid I might get carried away with the reply if he was really infuriating! But I was too curious to see what he said.” Pulling an envelope from her pocket, Nell handed it over.
Hilda took it but didn’t read the letter immediately, looking at Nell affectionately. “You really are the elephant’s child - or, no, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi suits you better. ‘Eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity’ describes you perfectly!”
Nell laughed at that. “If I’m Rikki-Tikki, is the poison-tongued Dr Travers Nag? Somehow, I think people would be rather shocked if I jumped on him and broke his back.”
“There is such a thing as carrying an analogy too far,” replied Hilda, very much the English mistress.
“Never mind analogies, read the letter!” Nell urged, pulling a face at Hilda for her lecturing.
Extracting the sheet from its envelope, Hilda did as she asked.
Dear Miss Wilson,
I hope this finds you as well as it leaves me.
As you are aware, through a most unfortunate mistake, I formed an erroneous opinion about you. Since you know what it was, I think it best not to repeat it here. I am sure you understand that, while under such a misconception, I felt it my duty to inform Dr Maynard of what I believed to be the truth about you. Fortunately, he was able to correct me.
That being so, I must beg your pardon for accidentally slandering you. I apologise for any distress this episode may have caused you, and I hope that now matters have been cleared up, I may venture to resume our previous friendship.
Yours sincerely,
Dr E. Travers
By the time she finished the letter, Hilda was furious. How dared he? This... this... letter... could hardly be called an apology at all, it was so hedged with explanations and extenuating circumstances. As for the last line, the presumption in it was staggering. She looked at her partner apprehensively, realising that if she was so angry, Nell with her sharper temper must have been raging. “What did you reply?”
“I thought you didn’t want to censor my mail?” Nell asked lightly, straight faced.
“Nell! What did you write?” Hilda demanded, truly worried now, and Nell laughed.
“Don’t look so frightened! I wrote a reply, but I haven’t posted it yet. Here you are.”
Hilda practically snatched it from her hand and scanned it anxiously. It was short and to the point.
Dr Travers,
I appreciate your apology, but I find myself unable to either forgive or forget the way you jumped to absurd conclusions, or your willingness to publicly destroy my career and submerge my School in scandal.
Given this, I do not consider it possible to resume our previous acquaintance. I think it best if we do not meet again.
Yours sincerely,
Helena Wilson
Hilda sighed in relief as she reached the end, and Nell looked at her through narrowed eyes.
“Good heavens, woman! What kind of an opinion do you have of me?” she snapped.
“I’m sorry, Nell, I was just worried...” she began apologetically. “I know you speak before you think sometimes when you’re angry - you wretch, you’re not really offended at all, are you?” she demanded indignantly as Nell suddenly grinned.
“I was just teasing you, my love. Of course I’m not really offended! Would you care to see the first draft of my reply?” without waiting for an answer, she held out another piece of paper.
This missive was much longer, and Hilda raised her eyebrows as she took in some of the language. “I had no idea you had such an extensive vocabulary,” she remarked. “How you manage to keep a straight face when scolding the girls for using slang is more than I can tell!”
“Oh, it’s easy,” Nell said, laughing cheerfully. “I simply take care not to use my extensive vocabulary, as you describe it, in front of them. I take it you approve of my decision not to send that, then?”
“Please tell me you weren’t seriously contemplating sending this!’ Hilda exclaimed in horror, thinking of some of the phrases she had just read. She knew Nell wouldn’t do anything of the kind when she was thinking rationally, but she was also aware of just how irrational this beloved woman could be when she was truly incensed.
“Not really,” Nell answered, much to her relief. “By the time I’d finished writing it, I’d worked off the worst of my anger, and was thinking clearly enough to see it would only make things worse. And I did promise Jack I wouldn’t send anything too explosive! So I set it aside and wrote the other letter instead. Do you like that one better?”
“Just a little!” Hilda said, with deep understatement. “Seal the envelope, and you can put it with the mail to be sent tomorrow.” Teasingly, she continued, “I’ll keep the other one for the time being, so you don’t give in to the temptation of sending it!”
Nell chuckled. “You meant that for a joke, but deep down I think you’re worried I might. Keep it, my dear!” Taking the letter that was to be sent, she quickly sealed the envelope and stood up. “I’ll leave the reply with the rest of your mail, and we can forget about the whole thing. Since you seem to have completely forgotten your duties as hostess, I suppose I’ll have to invite myself to coffee.”
“Coffee! Oh, no!” Hilda exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
“I’ll take tea if you’ve suddenly developed a violent hatred for coffee, though I don’t know how you’re going to manage with Kaffee und Kuchen if you have - or Frühstück, come to that,” Nell replied, looking at her in astonishment.
“No, nothing like that! I just remembered the Staff had invited me to join them this evening, and I said I would as soon as I finished work. It had completely slipped my mind,” Hilda explained.
“If that’s all, you needn’t look so distressed,” Nell said drily. “You’re still in plenty of time to join them, and I don’t suppose they’ll mind too badly if I come too.”
“They’ll be delighted to see you,as you very well know,” Hilda replied, slipping an arm through her friend’s and leading her towards the office. “I suppose you’re expecting me to put you up for the night?” she asked airily, knowing Nell would understand that ‘Will you stay, please?’ was what she really meant.
Placing her letter with the rest of the outgoing mail on Rosalie’s desk, Nell turned to her. Her eyes were very soft as they met Hilda’s, though her reply was in the same light tone. “I most certainly am. It’s the least you can do after criticising my vocabulary and neglecting to offer me a drink!”
Hilda squeezed her arm gently in thanks, smiling, and Nell smiled back at her before they left the office together.
