by Linda Finlay
Thinking a good walk would calm the girl’s high spirits and clear her own head, Sarah decided to return to the school via the seafront. What an afternoon, she thought. Whilst she’d wanted to see Edith settled into her new job, she’d spent the time mentally running through all the tasks awaiting her return. The inspection was only six or seven weeks away and she had so much to do beforehand. Thank heavens Miss O’Reilly had offered to work longer hours. Sarah glanced at Edith swanning regally down the road in her fur stole and smiled.
‘I take it you enjoyed your time at the theatre today, Edith?’
‘Not ’alf, miss. I just loves Sylvie Spangles,’ she sighed. ‘She’s so glamorous. I’m going to wear clothes and sparkly dangles just like ’er when I leave Red Cliffs and becomes a costumier. I had a good idea, an’ all. From now on everyone can call me Eedie Ermine.’
Sarah hid a smile. She could just imagine what Master Higgins would have to say about that.
‘Look, miss, there’s Master Higgins with Miss O’Reilly,’ Edith cried, pointing towards the park. Sarah look up and sure enough the pair were emerging from the tree-lined walk ahead. They were deep in conversation and walking very close together. Then, as Miss O’Reilly looked up, laughing at something he said, Sarah saw him lean forward and kiss her gently on the lips. A feeling she couldn’t describe seared through her body and, taking Edith by the arm, she ushered the girl away.
Having spent a restless night, Harry made his way to work earlier than usual the next morning. He’d lain in bed, reliving the events of the previous afternoon and the feel of Sheena’s velvety lips on his. How relieved he was to find out the reason for her grandmother’s frosty reception of him. Where Bess had got the idea that he and Sarah still had an understanding or arrangement was beyond him. He was just drifting off to sleep when a thought struck him. Did Sarah think the same?
He’d gone back over the relationship they’d had since Sarah had taken over Red Cliffs. First there had been animosity between them, then as they’d began working together, friendship, then deeper feelings had developed. For a while recently he’d hoped to rekindle their thwarted romance, and he couldn’t deny there had been occasions when he’d felt she’d expected something more again. But then she’d become so remote lately, making it clear that her priorities were Red Cliffs and furthering the cause of that women’s movement she supported. It seemed there was no room for him in her life as anything more than a good colleague. Women – they sure took some working out. Still, at least he had a better understanding of himself now. Whilst he admired Sarah’s selfless devotion to both causes, he wanted a wife who shared his desire for a home and family. When he finally fell asleep, it was Miss O’Reilly who’d filled his dreams. But she was running away from him and, no matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t catch up with her.
‘Morning, sir,’ Pip called, swinging the gate open for him. ‘Cor, you looks like you lost sixpence and found a farthing. Miss Sullivan wants to see you as soon as you arrive. She’s looking miserable, an’ all.’
‘Thank you, Pip,’ he replied, his heart sinking. After his musings of the night before, he had wanted to check Sarah saw their relationship the same way as he did, but if she was in a mood it was hardly the time to clear the air between them. Seeing Pip waiting to close the gate behind him, he forced himself back to the present. ‘If I’m still busy when the children have had their breakfast, can you get them planting out the rest of the seeds? We need to have our produce in the ground so that when we get the all clear from the farm, we can tend to Bess’s crops.’
‘Heard someone tipped off that burglar and ’e’s done a runner,’ Pip sighed.
‘How on earth do you know that?’ Harry asked, but Pip just grinned and tapped the side of his nose. ‘Word on the street.’
Shaking his head, Harry made his way towards the office where Sarah greeted him by thrusting a letter under his nose.
‘I cannot believe this,’ she cried.
He stared at her dishevelled hair and clothes that looked like she’d slept in them, and frowned. ‘Whatever’s happened?’
‘Well, they’ve given us notice of their intention this time, but really, is it our fault Whitsun falls at the end of May?’
‘Sorry?’
‘Sorry? Is that all you can say. The Bank Holiday means the inspection will be earlier than expected. Not only does this give us less time to prepare, they’ve given us a long list of things they want to check on. It will mean searching through all those,’ she cried, gesturing towards the boxes that still lined the wall. ‘As if I haven’t got enough to do.’
Harry opened his mouth to ask what Sarah was on about but she was like a dragon breathing fire.
‘Not only that, when I arrived back yesterday, the girls were babbling on about Miss O’Reilly’s latest bright idea. She’s only gone and promised they could make cottage quilts for their dormitories instead of the plain bedding I stipulated. As if we have time or the extra material that will entail. I mean, just think of the added expense. Oh, it’s all just too much,’ she cried, throwing the letter down on the desk and sinking her head in her hands.
Having tried hard to follow her disjointed diatribe, Harry snatched up the letter and scanned the pages.
‘We knew the inspection was looming,’ he reasoned.
‘Yes, but we thought we had until the end of next month,’ Sarah cried.
‘It’s only a week earlier, though,’ Harry said, checking the date.
‘But have you read all the things they intend looking at? So much still needs doing, there’s no way we’ll be ready in time,’ she groaned.
31
Thinking Sarah was overreacting, Harry sat and read through the letter, item by item. By the time he’d finished his spirits had sunk lower than the school funds. She was right, they had an almost impossible task ahead of them.
‘Well, faint heart never won fair lady,’ he cried, endeavouring to cheer Sarah up.
‘Or a red-headed one, I suppose,’ she muttered.
He stared at her in surprise. Choosing to ignore her remark, he snatched up pencil and paper from the desk. ‘Right, let’s draw up a plan of action.’
‘Hey, that’s my role,’ Sarah smiled, rallying at last. She took back the letter and read down the list. ‘Let’s prioritize. Item one. “Inspection of Roof”. None of those heavy showers we had penetrated the wriggly tin, or anywhere else, so that should be all right. But we need Pip to whitewash the areas in the rooms where the rain came in.’
‘Good idea, disguise the evidence and all that,’ Harry said.
‘Item two is your province,’ Sarah said. ‘ “Application for New Skills Funding. A request has been made for funding for tuition in additional skills, principally woodturning and metalwork. Before this can be granted the inspectors will require sight of the new facilities and witness the demonstration of a typical lesson.” ’
‘Although the tool shed is nearly completed externally, there’s a heck of a lot that needs doing inside before that can happen,’ he groaned.
‘What happened to faint heart, etc.?’ she reminded him, staring sternly over the top of the letter. ‘Item three. “Licence. The Local Authority wishes to see sight of the original documentation granting Red Cliffs a licence to run the premises as a school. Normally this is displayed in a prominent place but at the last inspection it was noted that this document was not in evidence,” ’ Sarah read. ‘I don’t remember that being mentioned before. Do you know where this licence is, Harry?’
‘No. Never seen such a thing myself.’
‘I’ll have to make a search, then,’ she replied, staring dismally at the row of boxes. ‘Maybe Mr Fothergill will have it,’ she added hopefully.
‘You could ask him,’ Harry agreed.
‘Item four. “Tuition”. This is also your area, but doesn’t need any attention. “Demonstrate typical lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic.” ’
‘That’s easy enough,’ Harry nodded. ‘As long as I t
ell the children what to do and not involve them in discussion, like I did last time,’ he added ruefully, remembering the inspector’s previous comments.
‘Item five. “Health and Wellbeing”. Mrs Daws will get everyone giving the house an extra-special clean and I’ll ask April to pay particular attention to the dormitories. As there’s a lot to do in such a short space of time, perhaps we can get Mrs Laver to help when she has finished her laundry duties. I will also speak to Miss O’Reilly about concentrating the girls’ efforts on making the simple bedding only, and she will have to demonstrate the girls’ skills for that as well.’
‘That shouldn’t be a problem,’ he replied, trying to ignore the way his heart skipped at the mention of the mistress’s name.
‘And the last item, the “Audited Accounts”,’ Sarah groaned. ‘I will get on with sorting those out before anything else.’
‘That’s divided the tasks up,’ Harry said, ticking off his list. ‘Pip the painting, Mrs Daws the house, Miss O’Reilly the bedding, you the paperwork and me getting the tool shed up and running. Though how I’m going to learn enough about toolmaking in a few short weeks, goodness only knows,’ he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
‘I’m sure Solomon could help you there,’ Sarah pointed out.
‘You’re right. Phew, that’s a relief,’ he cried, wiping his brow with his hand theatrically. Then he saw Sarah was frowning again.
‘What’s wrong now?’
‘I’m just surprised about my friend, Josephine Harmon – you remember her?’
Harry nodded. ‘The inspector. Nice woman, from what I recall.’
‘Precisely, so why didn’t she tell me the inspection was being brought forward?’
‘Perhaps she didn’t know,’ Harry shrugged. ‘Anyway, if she’s one of the inspectors we’re halfway there, aren’t we?’
‘That makes me feel better,’ Sarah told him, putting down the letter and relaxing back in her chair.
‘No time for slacking, Miss Sullivan,’ Harry said, jumping to his feet. ‘Sooner we start and all that …’ The rest of his sentence was drowned by the gong being sounded for breakfast. ‘I suppose we couldn’t send the children somewhere for the next few weeks so we can concentrate on our tasks? Just think how much easier it would be to get things done if the school was empty.’
‘Now you know you’d miss them, Master Higgins,’ Sarah smiled.
‘Like a hole in the head,’ he muttered. ‘And talking of empty, my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut. Let’s go and get some sustenance before we begin.’
Sheena arrived at the school on Wednesday afternoon, her bag heavy with the material she’d spent the past day cutting into strips. Humming happily to herself, she divided them into piles then set out the cotton fabric and sewing things the girls would need to make their cottage quilts. She’d only just finished when they came swarming into the room, their faces lighting up when they saw the coloured material they’d selected, ready and waiting.
‘Why, my angels,’ Sheena beamed at them, ‘it’s grand to see you so keen.’
‘We wants to sew the pretty stuff you was getting ready for us,’ Monday cried.
‘Yeah, we want thomefink nice to thow Edif,’ June lisped.
‘She’s been prancing around with a fur thing round ’er neck saying we gotta call ’er Eedie Ermine now,’ Maggie scoffed. ‘She’s gone right la-de-da since she went to that Gaiety place.’
‘Well now, Edith’s been given a marvellous opportunity so we should be pleased for her, my angels,’ Sheena told them. ‘Settle down and I’ll show you the strips I have prepared for you to attach to the sheeting,’ she added, ushering them to their chairs.
‘Can we have a dory later,’ June lisped.
‘No, you may not have a story,’ Miss Sullivan snapped, striding into the room.
‘Is everything all right, Miss Sullivan?’ Sheena asked, guessing from the woman’s stony face that it was not.
‘Girls, I want you to begin stitching your sheets while I have a word with Miss O’Reilly,’ Sarah told them.
‘But miss was just going to show us how to use our pretty stuff for quilts,’ Ellen cried.
‘Do as I say, please, Ellen,’ Sarah said brusquely. The girls stared at her in astonishment but did as she said. ‘Perhaps you would step outside,’ Sarah said to Sheena.
‘Of course, Miss Sullivan,’ she replied, following her from the room. ‘Be good for me, my angels,’ she called.
‘Did I or did I not give clear instruction as to what the girls should be making for their dormitories, Miss O’Reilly?’ Sarah asked once they were standing on the path away from the class.
‘To be sure you did, Miss Sullivan, and they are.’
‘So what is this I hear about cottage quilts?’
‘After the pretty material the girls used for their dresses, they found the cotton plain and, well … boring, so I thought if they chose some of the more colourful fabric from the donations box, I could cut it into strips for them to add to the sheeting,’ Sheena explained.
‘Once again, Miss O’Reilly, you presumed to take something upon yourself without authority from me.’
‘I’m sorry, but you weren’t here to ask and …’ Sheena began but Sarah cut her off mid-sentence.
‘Miss O’Reilly, I set this task specifically so that the dormitories are fitted with new bedding for the inspection, no small feat when this was scheduled for the end of next month. However, owing to Whitsun falling then, the inspection has been brought forward. Now, Miss O’Reilly, you are required to have all bedding finished by the seventeenth of next month so that I may check it beforehand.’
‘Oh, I see,’ Sheena gulped.
‘What’s more, with April busy helping Mrs Daws prepare the house and Edith working at the theatre, you will be short-handed. There will be no time for frills and furbelows so whatever promises you have made those girls will have to be unmade, Miss O’Reilly. Do I make myself clear?’ Seeing the woman’s resolute expression, Sheena knew it would be futile to argue.
‘Yes, Miss Sullivan,’ she replied.
‘Good. I take it you will manage to have the bedding completed in time?’ The woman waited, staring challengingly.
So, she was throwing down the gauntlet, was she, Sheena thought. Summoning all her self-control, she smiled sweetly back.
‘Of course, Miss Sullivan. Even if I have to take sewing home with me like last time.’ Sheena saw that this had hit home.
‘Yes, well, I look forward to seeing the finished results next month. Obviously, there will be no time to waste on stupid storytelling,’ Sarah added, before stalking back to the house. ‘Oh, and Master Higgins is going to be extremely busy, too,’ she threw over her shoulder.
Feeling her hackles rise and wanting to make her own feelings known, Sheena called to the woman, ‘We all are, Miss Sullivan, and in any case, I wish to make it clear that I take my duties as schoolmistress very seriously.’
Slowly the woman retraced her steps and Sheena wondered if she’d overstepped the mark.
‘And I take my duties as proprietress of Red Cliffs seriously, too, Miss O’Reilly. It is my responsibility to ensure the school passes the inspection in order to stay open.’ Then she forced a smile. ‘Shall we work together to make that happen?’
‘To be sure, that would be in the children’s best interest,’ Sheena agreed. ‘Would you object to my promising the girls they can add strips of coloured material to the plain sheeting after the inspection, Miss Sullivan?’
‘No, Miss O’Reilly, I would not,’ Sarah replied, her voice softer now. ‘I quite see that it would make their bedding brighter as well as being warmer; it was just the time constraints,’ she conceded. ‘Oh, and one more thing. If you could encourage them to pronounce their hs and say “is not” instead of “ain’t”, I would be most grateful. They did it for a while but then …’ She shrugged then walked away. As Sheena watched her go, a voice behind her made her jump.
&n
bsp; ‘Mutiny in the camp?’ Harry asked.
‘Jeez, Harry, sorry, I mean Master Higgins, you fair startled me. Miss Sullivan sets such high standards.’
‘You mean she’s a perfectionist?’ he asked.
‘I was thinking more an obscurantist,’ she grinned.
‘Miss O’Reilly, I do believe you’ve swallowed my dictionary,’ he teased.
‘To be sure that’d give me indigestion, but it does make for compulsive reading.’
‘Perhaps you would permit me to escort you home after school? I could carry your books and we can discuss this further, Miss O’Reilly.’
‘That would be grand. Although with the extra sewing I need to do, it will be my bag of bedding you’ll be carrying.’
‘Then a packhorse I’ll be,’ he grinned.
‘Well, no peace for the wicked so back to the grind.’ Smiling to herself she made her way back into the classroom.
‘Coo, I fort you’d be cryin’,’ June lisped.
‘Yeah, Miss Sullivan looked in a right old strop,’ Maggie said. ‘Was you in trouble?’
‘No, my angels, Miss Sullivan just wants everything to be grand for the school inspection. Now who would like to help make that happen?’
As their hands shot up, Sheena smiled.
‘How can we be of help, Miss O’Reilly?’ Sally asked, in her well-modulated voice.
‘Now this jolly old inspection is to take place earlier than planned, so we won’t have time to sew all these strips onto our new bedding beforehand.’
The girls groaned.
‘Don’t sound jolly to me, miss,’ Ellen said.
‘But all is not lost, my angels,’ Sheena told them, ‘for I’m going to put them in the cupboard, ready for afterwards. I know you’re disappointed but sometimes in life we have to accept these things as part of growing up.’
‘Has you had to cept fings you ain’t wanted, miss?’ June lisped.
‘Oh, yes, I most certainly have,’ Sheena cried, thinking back to her job in Ireland. ‘However, do you know what?’ She paused and stared at each of them in turn. They shook their heads. ‘Everything turned out better than it would have done, so is that not the most wonderful thing?’