Upper Fourth at Malory Towers Read Free Page A

Irene's usual irresponsibility, and thankfully took the certificate before Irene could possibly lose it again.
    “Did Darrell find her young sister?” she asked Irene,
    But Irene didn't know. “I'll go and find out,” she said, and wandered off again.
    Darrell had found Felicity. She had found her in the dormy of the first-form, with June and several others. June was talking away to everyone as if she was a third-termer, and Felicity was standing by shyly, listening,
    “Felicity!” said Darrell, going up to her. “Why didn't you wait for me? Whatever made you go and find Matron by yourself? You knew I was going!”
    “Oh, I took her,” said June. “I thought she might as well come with me. We're both new. I knew Alicia wouldn't bother herself with me and I didn't think you'd want to bother yourself with Felicity. We've given in our certificates but you've got to give in Felicity's money.”
    “I know that,” said Darrell, very much on her dignity. What cheek of this new first-former to talk to her like that! She turned to Felicity.
    “I do think you might have waited,” she said. “I wanted to show you your dormy and everything.”

The first evening
    Darrell went back to her own dormy to unpack her night-things, feeling puzzled and cross. She had so much looked forward to taking Felicity round and showing her her dormy, her bed and every single thing. How could her young sister have gone off with June and not waited for her?
    “Did you find Felicity?” asked Alicia.
    “Yes,” said Darrell, shortly. “She'd gone off with that cousin of yours—what's her name—June. It struck me as rather extraordinary. You'd think these youngsters would, wait for us to take them round a bit I know I'd have been glad to have a sister or a cousin here, the first term I came.”
    “Oh, June can stand on her own feet very well,” said Alicia. “She's a hard and determined little monkey. She'll always find things out for herself—and as for taking her under my wing, I wouldn't dream of putting anyone so prickly and uncomfortable there! Wait till you hear her argue! She can talk the hind leg off a donkey.”
    “I don't like the sound of her much,” said Darrell, hoping that June wouldn't take Felicity under her wing. Surely Felicity wouldn't like anyone like June!
    “No. She's a bit brazen,” said Alicia. “We all are! Fault of my family, you know.”
    Darrell looked at Alicia. She didn't sound as if she minded it being a fault—in fact she spoke rather as if she were proud of it. Certainly Alicia was sharp-tongued and hard, though her years at Malory Towers had done a great deal to soften her. The trouble was that Alicia's brains and health were too good! She could always beat anyone else if she wanted to, without any effort at all—and Darrell didn't think she had ever had even a chilblain or a headache in her life. So she was always very scornful of illness or weakness in any form as well as contemptuous of stupidity.
    Darrell determined to see as much of Felicity as she could. She wasn't going to have her taken in tow by any brazen cousin of Alicia's. Felicity was young and shy, and more easily led than Darrell. Darrell felt quite fiercely protective towards her, as she thought of the cheeky, determined young June.
    They all unpacked their night-cases and set out their things for the night. Their trunks, most of them sent on in advance, would not be unpacked till the next day. Darrell looked round her dormy, glad to be back.
    It was a nice dormy, with a lovely view of the sea, which was as deep blue as a delphinium that evening. Far away the girls could hear the faint plash-plash of waves on the rocks. Darrell thought joyfully of the lovely swimming-pool, and her heart lifted in delight at the thought of the summer term stretching before her—nicest term in the year!
    The beds stood in a row along the dormy, each with its own coloured eiderdown. At the ends of the dormy were hot and cold water taps and