The Pi Sisters at Malory Towers

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: MUMMY IS CALLED IN

Doris was given a wild reception when she came into the common room.

'Where on earth did you go?'

'Why did you want to escape, do you hate us that much?'

'You twit, trying to ride to your house on a donkey'

Pamela, a girl who could do clever impersonations, started mimicking Doris howling in agony at her 'broken rib'. This was accompanied by a great roar of laughter.

Doris blinked away the angry tears in her eyes, and then recovered her composure. 'If you must know,' she lied. 'Fanny and I happened to have the same dream the night before – we were nuns in the Chelmsford Abbey. We thought it was an omen, and we simply had to escape to the Abbey to do our duty.'

'What tosh!' exclaimed Alicia. 'I heard Miss Grayling telling your mum that you were going to your auntie's house!'

Doris shot her a potent glare, and then flounced out of the room. 'Staying in that ditch for my entire life would have been better than this!' she thought melodramatically.

Meanwhile, Miss Grayling was having a serious thinking session and had called all of the Pi Sisters' teachers for their input.

'Now, everyone. Do you think that those Berger girls have some hope of fitting in and becoming nice, ordinary English girls? Tell me honestly,' she asked the assembled teachers.

'Ahh these girls are very bad! They do not have the Eenglish sense of honour!' exclaimed Mam'zelle passionately.

'Mam'zelle is right,' sighed Miss Potts. 'They'll never fit in here! They are going to have to resign their places, or be expelled.'

Miss Grayling sighed. It was as she feared. She was going to have to call the girls' parents in for a meeting, and how hard it was going to be to tell them that their girls had to leave!

The next morning, on the way to breakfast, Doris was surprised and pleased to see her Mummy entering the school.

'Hello, my dear,' Mrs Berger said in her usual stiff way. 'Miss Grayling called me in, to brag about one of your achievements I suppose! I better go see what it's about.'

But when Mrs Berger entered the Head's office, the air in the room felt grim rather than celebratory.

'Please sit, Mrs Berger,' gestured Miss Grayling. 'Would you like some tea?'

'I don't mind a cup. But I want only Lapsang Souchong, and if there's even a drop of Earl Grey I shall sue!' Mrs Berger replied.

Miss Grayling was rather taken aback by this spoilt outburst, but expected no better. Like mother like daughter.

When the tea was poured, Miss Grayling was relieved. She could finally get down to the matter at hand. Again, however, Mrs Berger proved most hard to please.

'I can detect a hint of Earl Grey!' she almost shrieked after taking a small sip. 'I think you and I used the same spoon to stir the tea with! Dreadfully disgusting, I must say!'

After she was pacified, Miss Grayling started again. 'Mrs Berger, I'm afraid your daughters are finding it most difficult to adjust to life at Malory Towers.'

'I can still taste some Earl Grey, but I suppose I shall just brave it out,' sulked Mrs Berger.

Miss Grayling blinked. Had Mrs Berger really not heard a word she said? She tried again.

'Mrs Berger, Doris and Fanny simply must leave the school,' she said firmly.

'About time, too,' said Mrs Berger approvingly. 'Horrid school this is, I must say. I expect the girls are just too bright for it? Consistently at the top of the form?'

At this point, Miss Grayling was too tired to argue. 'Yes,' she agreed weakly. 'Top of the form.'

'Excellent girls,' Mrs Berger nodded. 'As a special treat, I think I shall ask their Daddy to drop them to their Aunt Nigella's place when he comes to pick them up. I think they deserve it, don't you think?'

'Yes,' said Miss Grayling faintly. 'Yes, indeed.'