Pixabay Denham Hall Blog
Phaedra, that’s Phaedra Gascoigne, butted in and said “what about Dakota Pugsley from the fourth? She’s a trouble maker and so is Madeline Brown. There are your pair of protagonists straight away”.
Tamsin pointed out “there is a love aspect Bridgette, like Nathan the leader of the folk group ‘The Sheriff’s Men’. He’s in love with that girl from the St Joan of Arc Roman Catholic School in Rickmansworth. What’s her name, Elizabeth O'Flaherty or something?”
She continued “Oh, then there was ‘A Love Made in Heaven’, the story within a story. Remember that one Bridgette where Graham gets killed but he gets to meet his Miss Angel…….in heaven?”
Candice said “well just say you are writing about the day to day events, the trials and tribulations of young girls and stuff at Denham Hall Young Ladies College and just leave it at that”.
As an afterthought she enthused “Tell you what Bridgette, tell them about the Ginger Thingy - that disgusting creature that roams the dorm corridors after dark”.
I replied “for heaven’s sake Candice that was Tamsin’s story and it was not true. She made that up anyways”.
“Well, what about Mr Crisis the science teacher?”
“That’s also stupid Candice; so what about him? He is an interstellar visitor No one is going to believe that story anyway”.
“How about the ‘Hobgoblins and Foul Fiends’ ”? suggested Candice.
Ignoring Candice I said “we have to tell the publishers something, like what the book is about, not just about a list of stories and stuff”.
Phaedra inquired “why, is it that important then?”
Tamsin said “I tell you what, tell them about the squirrels your mother found in the roof of Inveraray Castle”.
Sarcastically I pointed out “Yeah that is really going to draw the readers in, isn’t it Tamsin? It’s going to be the ‘killer hook’ that grabs, squirrels for heaven’s sake; that is really going to excite the publishers, but I tell you what, we can always tell our gentle readers about Miss Pringle’s nuptials”.
“I know what” said Phaedra excitedly “what about ‘Tamsin’s Dream’ or ‘The Hallucinating Bunny’?”
Pulling a terrible face Candice said “Er yuk, they were weird but not as disgusting as the Horror at Christmas”.
Smiling, Phaedra added “but also not as weird as Nathan in his ‘Keep the Falklands British’ tee shirt”.
Phaedra said hurriedly “Bridgette, publishers like to keep the word count on the synopsis at around 400 to 500 words. It cannot be much longer than that and we are over 400 now”.
Tamsin said “just write ‘THE END’ and leave it at that, if that’s all you’re that worried about”.
That comment seemed to tie up the loose ends.
Miss Taylor the new English teacher stopped me in the corridor and said “Bridgette I have heard you are thinking of sending a manuscript to a publisher”.
“Yes Miss, I would like to publish my Denham Hall blog”.
“Your blog indeed, come to my office this afternoon and we will discuss it”.
I was very excited. I was going to going to be a famous author after all.
Today, Friday, is the last day before the six weeks Christmas recess. It was tradition for Miss Sefton the headmistress to give her Christmas message to the girls the following day so numbers were fielded for those staying in the college which would dictate how many kitchen staff would be required.
Today was really a clean-up day. There were no lessons as such so in the afternoon I went round to Miss Taylor’s office.
The door was open. She was expecting me. “Come in and sit down Miss Campbell”.
As I sat down she asked “So now then, what has our famous author written?”
“It’s my Denham Hall blog Miss; it is not a novel but an anthology of 66 short stories”.
“66; that’s a lot of stories. That must have taken you a long time to write. I don’t know if the college has ever spawned an author before. Congratulations.” adding “have you written the synopsis of the book?”
“Well sort of” I replied.
“It is most important you get that right. It might determine if it ever gets published. Let me check it first”.
“Bridgette leave your blog with me and I will edit it for spelling and grammar as best as I can and you can come and collect it when college starts again in the New Year.”
“Are you going to self-publish or go the traditional way?”
“Miss, I thought I would find a literary agent rather than a publisher”.
“Good move Bridgette”.
“Right, off you go and see me when college resumes in the New Year. By the way, what is the book going to be called?”
“Bridgette’s Diary” I replied.
“Oh I like that” said Miss Taylor with a smile.
…………and I like Miss Taylor.
It was a week before Christmas. The traditional Christmas speech by our headmistress Miss Sefton due this afternoon was only for the boarders not the day students. It was not to be delivered on Christmas day as by then a number of the boarders would have already returned home.
I was heading home the day after her Christmas speech accompanied by Tamsin who would then travel to her home, the ’Grange’, the ex-presbytery at Loch Awe later in the day.
Only 30 or so boarders were at the concert hall for the speech. Also there was Miss Frenzi the Assistant Headmistress, Miss Taylor our English and History Teacher, Miss Green the Maths teacher. Miss Franklin the Music teacher and the Matron, Nurse Mayo.
Miss Sefton the headmistress again reiterated briefly that Denham Hall would remain a Young Ladies College in perpetuity as George the Second intended it to be and for which our founder gave its charter, to keep our heads down in the New Year studying and wished us all a very happy Christmas.
It was the Christmas recess 4 weeks; it was like a lifetime. Tamsin and I were back at Inveraray Castle just in time for dinner. Tamsin would be leaving for home in a couple of days. Mother and father were waiting for us, as was Mrs Dalrymple.
Mother had even invited Andrew…what’s his name the stable lad for dinner. I am not sure what her motive was or is. We were expecting the Carter-Browns over the following day. During dinner I found out father wanted Andrew to take myself and Tamsin to Loch Awe to Tamsin’s place.
At least bicycles and fitbits were not going to be surprises this year; not that a bicycle wrapped up in Christmas paper was going to be disguised like last year. As it was I had shed a few pounds since last Christmas.
Mother bought Mrs Dalrymple a lovely picture book of 17th-century Woodcuts. I would have thought a book of After-Dinner Spells would have been much more practical.
After dinner we took Tamsin home. On arrival at ‘The Grange‘ Mrs Lacey invited us in for tea and Christmas cake. On the way back to Inveraray Andrew asked me if I wanted to go out with him. I always thought he had the hots for Tamsin; those hots must have been transferred to me.
I was caught totally unawares, even surprised. I thought I would play for time. I said “leave it with me Andrew and let me think about it and I will get back to you on that one”. Mustn’t rush into these things. Anyways I don’t know if these hots had actually been officially transferred from Tamsin to me or not. I know what, I will ask Tamsin, first in best dressed. Oh, we must get the
piano tuned.
Welcome gentle readers to the festive season.
