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Mar. 9th, 2009 03:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiery_ringCarlotta's father slams the newspaper down on the table in front of the headmistress of Ringmere.
"Why was this allowed to happen?" He asks, his voice angry and raised. "I gave no permission for my daughter to enter any tournaments, let alone have our lives broadcast for the whole county to see. Imagine how I felt finding out that I 'hadn't turned out to support' her through a newspaper?"
"Mr Brown." The headmistress purses her lips. "We have a bigger problem to address. Is what this article says true? Is Carlotta a former circus girl?"
Mr Brown hesitates, then sits down, deflating.
"Yes."
The head opens the file on her desk, and presents him with the application form he filled in and signed when getting Carlotta in for the term.
"So her mother was not, as you told us, a woman of the Spanish nobility?"
"No." Beat. "She was Spanish though." He's flailing now, rather than angry. "Look, it was only for one term..."
"Do you know why Ringmere is an exclusive school? It's not because I believe that girls should be judged by their parenting, but because that is what other parents believe. A school is a school, but it is also a business, and it relies upon reputation. As such, you understood when you signed the application form that fraudulent information would break the contract and result in the loss of your daughter's place in the school. The board of governers has contacted me this morning to tell me that they voted unanimously that Carlotta be removed from the school."
Mr Brown's expression is agonised. But the headmistress continues.
"But I am not going to enforce it. Because I don't see why the child should be punished for your mistakes."
"Nobody need have known." Mr Brown protests. "If she had just behaved more sensibly..."
"Carlotta is one of the most sensible girls this school has ever had." The head says. "But she is not a lady, and she never will be, though she may learn more ladylike ways. If you had wanted a lady for a daughter, Mr Brown, you should have married a lady. If you cage a tiger, you can teach it to be docile, teach it tricks, feed it cat food, but it will always be a tiger."
"She promised to try things my way." Mr Brown says. "To trust me to take care of what was best for her until she turns eighteen."
"Then today, you have two years left." The head replies, shutting the files and putting them away. "Because if you continue as you are, you're going to lose her."
***
Outside, Carlotta sits in a tree and tries to see into the head's window. This is turning out to be a very nervewracking birthday.
Angela approaches the bottom of the tree, and looks up at her.
"Carlotta? It wasn't me who talked to the reporter. But I know."
"I expect the whole school knows by now then." Carlotta says, glaring at her.
"No, actually, nobody in here reads the papers." Angela says. "Except maybe the staff, and you seem fairly chummy with them so I don't think they'll tell on you."
"What do you want?"
Angela takes a deep breath.
"I want to make a deal."
"Blackmail? How elegant." Carlotta snorts. "Tell them, see if I care."
"No." Angela sighs. "You're the only one I can ask this because you're leaving this term, and I simply can't let my reputation suffer. But Daddy wrote to me and said he's convinced that Ringmere is making me too high and mighty, and that I ought to go to a sensible school. He wants to send me to St Clare's."
Carlotta makes a face. Angela continues.
"I don't want to go, and I don't expect you want me there either. Daddy says he'll reconsider if I get pass marks in all of my end of term exams and, well, you're cleverer than me. If you help me in Spanish and Maths, I'll make sure you get a passing grade in Etiquette, and you won't have to see me again after this term."
Carlotta thinks about it, then nods.
"All right. But on one condition. This is an official ceasefire of hostilities. You've jolly well got to be civil to me, and I'll be civil to you, and if we do meet again, the scores for this round are settled."
She jumps down from the tree and offers Angela a hand. "Deal?"
"Deal. Meet me in the music rooms after prep."
Angela walks away. Carlotta looks back up at the window, wondering whether she will even get the chance to act on the deal, then glances at the gate and notices the ribbon.
She checks nobody is around, and goes to see if Charlie and Teja are there.
"Why was this allowed to happen?" He asks, his voice angry and raised. "I gave no permission for my daughter to enter any tournaments, let alone have our lives broadcast for the whole county to see. Imagine how I felt finding out that I 'hadn't turned out to support' her through a newspaper?"
"Mr Brown." The headmistress purses her lips. "We have a bigger problem to address. Is what this article says true? Is Carlotta a former circus girl?"
Mr Brown hesitates, then sits down, deflating.
"Yes."
The head opens the file on her desk, and presents him with the application form he filled in and signed when getting Carlotta in for the term.
"So her mother was not, as you told us, a woman of the Spanish nobility?"
"No." Beat. "She was Spanish though." He's flailing now, rather than angry. "Look, it was only for one term..."
"Do you know why Ringmere is an exclusive school? It's not because I believe that girls should be judged by their parenting, but because that is what other parents believe. A school is a school, but it is also a business, and it relies upon reputation. As such, you understood when you signed the application form that fraudulent information would break the contract and result in the loss of your daughter's place in the school. The board of governers has contacted me this morning to tell me that they voted unanimously that Carlotta be removed from the school."
Mr Brown's expression is agonised. But the headmistress continues.
"But I am not going to enforce it. Because I don't see why the child should be punished for your mistakes."
"Nobody need have known." Mr Brown protests. "If she had just behaved more sensibly..."
"Carlotta is one of the most sensible girls this school has ever had." The head says. "But she is not a lady, and she never will be, though she may learn more ladylike ways. If you had wanted a lady for a daughter, Mr Brown, you should have married a lady. If you cage a tiger, you can teach it to be docile, teach it tricks, feed it cat food, but it will always be a tiger."
"She promised to try things my way." Mr Brown says. "To trust me to take care of what was best for her until she turns eighteen."
"Then today, you have two years left." The head replies, shutting the files and putting them away. "Because if you continue as you are, you're going to lose her."
***
Outside, Carlotta sits in a tree and tries to see into the head's window. This is turning out to be a very nervewracking birthday.
Angela approaches the bottom of the tree, and looks up at her.
"Carlotta? It wasn't me who talked to the reporter. But I know."
"I expect the whole school knows by now then." Carlotta says, glaring at her.
"No, actually, nobody in here reads the papers." Angela says. "Except maybe the staff, and you seem fairly chummy with them so I don't think they'll tell on you."
"What do you want?"
Angela takes a deep breath.
"I want to make a deal."
"Blackmail? How elegant." Carlotta snorts. "Tell them, see if I care."
"No." Angela sighs. "You're the only one I can ask this because you're leaving this term, and I simply can't let my reputation suffer. But Daddy wrote to me and said he's convinced that Ringmere is making me too high and mighty, and that I ought to go to a sensible school. He wants to send me to St Clare's."
Carlotta makes a face. Angela continues.
"I don't want to go, and I don't expect you want me there either. Daddy says he'll reconsider if I get pass marks in all of my end of term exams and, well, you're cleverer than me. If you help me in Spanish and Maths, I'll make sure you get a passing grade in Etiquette, and you won't have to see me again after this term."
Carlotta thinks about it, then nods.
"All right. But on one condition. This is an official ceasefire of hostilities. You've jolly well got to be civil to me, and I'll be civil to you, and if we do meet again, the scores for this round are settled."
She jumps down from the tree and offers Angela a hand. "Deal?"
"Deal. Meet me in the music rooms after prep."
Angela walks away. Carlotta looks back up at the window, wondering whether she will even get the chance to act on the deal, then glances at the gate and notices the ribbon.
She checks nobody is around, and goes to see if Charlie and Teja are there.
