Visitors for the Chalet School
Spoilers
In the meantime, daily life at the Chalet School goes on much as before.The Middles are up to their usual pranks, especially Evadne. She fakes a nosebleed to get out of a maths lesson and gains nothing by it, except six extra sums for prep! Later, she and Suzzanne are moved to start a duel, using instead of swords, their sewing needles! They are caught by Matron herself and reduced to flinders!
The Chalet wins the hockey match against the Grange School players, though they lose the netball by a very narrow margin. Grizel, as Sports Captain, is so enthused by this that she goes overboard in trying to improve the overall standard of games. Madge informs Grizel, who is not at all pleased with the news, that she is to be head girl next term when Bette leaves.
In the meantime, news arrives that Elisaveta's grandfather is critically ill and she must return to Belsornia immediately. There is a suggestion that if anything happens to the King, Elisaveta will be the Heir Apparent and may not be able to return to the Chalet School. As the princess has just recovered from a bronchitis attack, and the snow is falling thickly, she cannot walk down to the only place where a helicopter can land. Joey volunteers to accompany her on a sleigh ride and they have a narrow escape when a pine tree collapses in their path.
There are several amusing "Daniel in the lion's den" type of mistakes - for instance, when Joey says Matron sent her to bed because she (Joey) was a little hoarse, the Robin is puzzled and asks how she could be "a little horse for was that not a pony?"
Both the Chaletians and the Grange girls get up innovative entertainments for each other which are very much enjoyed.
A further meeting between Patricia and Joey can be read in Helen McClelland's sequel JOEY AND PATRICIA. This is available to members and non-members of the New Chalet Club, please follow the link for more information.
contributed by Sindhu Menon, India __ working from the HarperCollins edition