Lavender Laughs In The Chalet School (hardback)
Lavender Leigh at the Chalet School (paperback)
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Lavender Leigh has been taken to the doctor by her Auntie Sylvia because she is nervy and has little appetite. Miss Leigh (Auntie Sylvia) is soon to be called up into the Women's Services. Dr. Marilliar of Medbury (near Armiford) recommends that Lavender be sent to the Chalet School, which his own daughter and two of his nieces attend, as there she will be under careful medical supervision.
Until the outbreak of war, Miss Leigh and Lavender had travelled about the world, collecting material for a series of Geographical Readers ("Lavender Laughs In New Guinea", "Lavender Laughs In Libya"). This wandering lifestyle is at the root of Lavender's nervous problems, and Dr. Marilliar strongly advises Miss Leigh to give Lavender the settled routine of an ordinary schoolgirl.
Lavender, although almost fourteen, is placed with younger girls in Lower Third, to which Bride Bettany has just been promoted. Lady Russell asks her niece to look after Lavender, who has never been to school before. Lavender has had to come to school a week before term begins. Consequently, Bride starts her "sheep-dog" duties immediately on arrival, and Lavender, accustomed to being petted and indulged, finds it difficult to settle into school life.
At the customary new girls' party at Plas Gwyn, Jo talks to Lavender about coming to school for the first time. New to school ways, Lavender offends various people and quarrels arise among the Juniors, which contribute to an accident during a snow-fight.
Jo Maynard gives birth to her first son, Stephen John, but refuses to see any visitors for a week or two, because of a mishap at home about which she keeps very quiet (although Jack lets the Staff into the secret). A Kashmiri girl whose home has been bombed comes to the school unexpectedly, and Lavender shows that she is learning to think of others in the Chalet tradition.
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