Watching. Jeff Edwards
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You have already made it perfectly obvious that you are incapable of making rational decisions on behalf of our family, so henceforth I will make them all. Is that understood?’
John had glumly nodded in agreement, and retreated to his office.
Jade’s gloomy impressions of England were not relieved as they disembarked at Southampton on a cold, bleak day in March. Grey, overcast skies, and misting rain greeted the travellers.
In contrast, the welcome of her grandparents — Captain Aubrey Taylor, currently home on leave, and June Taylor — was both warm and loving.
They had never met their granddaughter, and, other than the occasional photograph and their daughter’s letters, knew nothing about her. Jade too, was curious as to what sort of people her grandparents would be. She thought they would be somewhat cold and distant, like her mother, but older. However, the jovial Captain Aubrey, and the fussing June, were nothing like her mother. They tickled, cooed, and hugged Jade, making her feel quite overcome with emotion. She had never had so much love lavished on her in her entire life. It was all quite breathtaking.
They were taken to her grandparents’ home overlooking the sea, and she was tucked into bed that evening, with another round of hugs and kisses. The following morning, Jade’s cases were repacked into the boot of the Captain’s car, and he drove them into the country.
He took a variety of narrow roads, until they came to the village of Wilton, where, on a hill overlooking the town stood the once stately manor of Staunton Hall. This hall was now the Staunton College for Young Ladies.
The last lord of the hall, Sir Frederick Staunton had squandered the family’s fortunes at the gambling tables, and then taken the easy way out of his financial dilemma, by committing suicide, leaving his grieving widow to fend off the creditors as best she could. The creation of the school had been Lady Emily Staunton’s means of doing just that.
Lady Staunton’s eminent position in society had ensured the school’s early success, and the subsequent headmistresses had maintained the high status of the institute, by turning out generations of very ‘marriageable’ young women. Now, in the more ‘enlightened’ times of the post-Great War era, the school, and many of its sister institutions, were beginning to become somewhat of an anachronism. Feminism’s early flowering was beginning to erode upon the concepts upon which the school was based. However, the school still maintained its vital place in society, and its demise, in the present form, was still some decades away.
Jade looked with wonder at the school, as they drove up the stately drive to the impressive double front doors. Its age, and the continuing wet, cold weather, made the place look totally uninviting, and brought to Jade’s mind those decrepit piles as described in Dickens’ novels.
They stopped in the front forecourt, where one of the groundsmen unloaded Jade’s small amount of luggage and took it inside, whilst Jade and the adults were ushered into the office of the headmistress, Mrs McLean.
Jade stood looking around at the book-filled room, her hands clasped before her, while her mother and grandparents were seated in front of Mrs McLean’s desk. Mrs McLean entered a few minutes later, apologising profusely for not being on hand to greet them at the door.
Dressed conservatively in a long black skirt and crisp white blouse, her greying hair pulled back tightly in a bun, Judith McLean glowed with health and vitality. Smiling broadly, she welcomed back the two former students, in the form of June Taylor, and her daughter Ann Green, and then turned to the next generation ... Jade.
‘And you must be Janice,’ she beamed. ‘It’s so good to meet you. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.’ She turned back to Jade’s mother. ‘We’re fortunate that we have been able to accommodate Janice at this time of the year. We don’t often have enrolments mid-term.’
‘It was necessary to remove Janice from China at short notice, I’m afraid,’ apologised Ann Green. ‘We intended to do so at the start of the school year, but, due to unforeseen circumstances, were unable to.’
‘And what arrangements have you made for Janice’s holidays?’ asked Judith McLean.
The Captain responded, ‘For the shorter holidays, Janice will stay with us, and we shall see that she is escorted home, to China, for the long break.’
Jade was shocked. She had not even considered what would happen outside of school. She would now only get to see her father for six weeks a year. Less really, as she had long sea trips either way to make. A cold pain of desolation gripped her stomach. She wished she had the nerve to say something, but her mother seemed determined to abandon her only child.
Mrs McLean answered a knock at the door, and admitted an elderly woman, also dressed in black, and so thin that she reminded Jade of a Praying Mantis.
‘This is Miss Wright, who will be looking after the house that Janice will be representing while she is boarding with us. She will take Janice with her now and settle her into her room. Meanwhile, we’ll make the necessary arrangements for her enrolment. When we’re finished here, you may visit Janice in her room, and say your goodbyes.’
Jade followed the tall figure of Miss Wright, as she strode along silent, carpeted corridors.
They passed several classrooms where Jade could hear the slight murmur of voices coming from within. Jade’s previous school had been a raucous, animated place, full of young voices and activity, where the sounds echoed through tall rooms. This building was more like a museum, or an art gallery, than a school, with large portraits of forbidding looking men and women lining the walls.
Jade nearly had to run to keep up with the long striding Miss Wright, and was almost out of breath when they finally entered a distant wing of the house, and stopped outside a door.
Miss Wright turned to Jade. ‘You are now in Scanlon House, and this will be your room. You will find it already occupied by Miss Rani Smith from India. If you do not like your companion, you must realise that you have arrived almost unannounced, and mid-term. You will have to make do until next term, when some other girl may wish to swap places with you. However, I doubt that anyone will step forward.’
Jade found the room unoccupied, with her cases stacked neatly in the centre of the floor.
Miss Wright waved to one side of the room. ‘That will be your area, and you will be responsible for keeping it clean at all times. There will be points deducted from your House’s total for untidiness, and there will be special duties for those who are continually not up to standard. Your roommate, Miss Smith, will teach you the rules of the house. I suggest you learn them quickly. We have no time here for young ladies who cannot learn to abide by the rules. You may start now, by unpacking your clothes. See that they are all hung up correctly. I will leave you now. Make sure you are fully settled in by the time the supper bell rings. Miss Smith will be finished with her classes shortly.’
Without a word of welcome, Miss Wright turned, and left, closing the door quietly, leaving Jade standing beside her cases, and trying very hard not to cry.
Jade stared into space.
What would become of her?
She had no idea what her future held, but decided that she would do her best to make her father proud. If he was proud of her, she might be able to convince him to let her stay at home when she was, at last, able to talk to him.
Taking a deep breath, she accepted her fate, and began to unpack.
Her mother and her grandparents arrived soon after, giving the room a cursory nod of acceptance. ‘Quite adequate,’ said her mother.
They said their goodbyes, with a frosty hug from her mother, and a warm one from each of her grandparents, and then Jade was left alone again.
As she looked at the closing door, taking her family out of her life, Jade realised that she would not miss her mother. She did not know her grandparents at all, so would not miss them either, despite their initial friendliness. It would only be her father that she missed, and Yee-Ling of course.
When she had