Winter Term at Malory Towers Read Free Page B

won’tbother trying to make conversation with her again.’
    Felicity, angry on her friend’s behalf, glared at Olive. But the girl kept her head down as she concentrated on her unpacking, and didn’t even notice.
    â€˜I’ve a jolly good mind to go and tell her what I think of her!’ said Felicity, her cheeks glowing red.
    But Susan said, ‘Don’t let’s bother about her, Felicity. I’m certainly not going to let her spoil our first day back at school. Besides, at least I managed to get four words out of her, instead of just one!’
    Felicity laughed at this, but she still felt sore with the new girl, sitting as far away from her as possible at the tea table later.
    The girls rubbed their hands together happily as they went into the dining-room, Nora sniffing the air appreciatively. ‘Sausages and mash, with gravy, unless I’m much mistaken,’ she said. ‘And treacle sponge for pudding. Yummy!’
    Mam’zelle Dupont, the plump little French mistress, was already at the head of the fourth-form table when the girls seated themselves, and she smiled round, delighted to see everyone again, crying, ‘ Bonjour, mes enfants! ’
    The fourth formers were very fond of Mam’zelle, and smiled back. But they didn’t have a chance to return her greeting, for, once again, Sylvia pushed herself forward, saying brightly, ‘ Bonjour , Mam’zelle! I’m Sylvia Chalmers, and we met earlier.’
    â€˜Ah yes,’ began Mam’zelle. ‘I remember. Miss Potts—’
    â€˜Miss Potts introduced us,’ interrupted Sylvia. ‘And youand I had a lovely, long chat about France, for I spent my summer holiday there, and I was telling you all about it.’
    Mam’zelle’s smile began to slide a little, and she murmured, ‘ Oui —it was a very, very long chat indeed.’
    â€˜I simply must show you the photographs I took, Mam’zelle,’ Sylvia chattered on. Then she looked round the table, and said, ‘I’m sure that you would all find them most interesting, girls. You see, we stayed in the most beautiful chateau, and…’
    Then, to Sylvia’s astonishment, the fourth formers all began to talk to one another, very loudly and very pointedly. Even Mam’zelle turned away and began to talk rapidly to Nora, taking care not to meet Sylvia’s eye again.
    As for Sylvia herself, she began to eat her sausages and mashed potato, feeling puzzled and a little hurt. She wanted so badly to fit in here, and really had gone out of her way to be friendly. Poor Sylvia! She simply couldn’t see that she was trying just a little too hard.
    It was a strange meal, thought Felicity. Normally the fourth formers would have pointed out all the mistresses to the new girls, telling them which ones to beware of, and which ones were easy to get round, or good to play tricks on. But Olive didn’t seem in the slightest bit interested, while Sylvia seemed to know all there was to know already!
    Just then, June glanced towards the first-form table, and noticed that there was a new mistress sitting there, beside Miss Potts, the head of North Tower.
    â€˜I wonder who that is, with Miss Potts?’ she said, andthe others turned to look. The mistress looked very young, and had tightly curled blonde hair, which looked very striking with her dark brows and brown eyes.
    â€˜Do you know who she is, Sylvia?’ asked June.
    â€˜Of course not,’ said Sylvia, rather defensively. ‘Why should I?’
    â€˜Well, you seem to know everything else,’ said June.
    â€˜She looks awfully young,’ said Nora. ‘I wonder what she is going to teach?’
    â€˜Ah, I know who this new mistress must be!’ cried Mam’zelle, who had been listening, and surveying the new teacher with great interest. ‘Perhaps you do not know, mes filles , but our good Miss Hibbert was taken ill during the holidays,