Chapter 5

Tuesday I spent in the boys’ wing. The teaching pattern repeated itself, though I made sure I made it back to the girls’ wing to give myself and Teresa a treat before dinner. Also, during the break, I saw enough of Carol’s remedial work with a private maths tutor to offer her a place on the Saturday advanced course.

After dinner though I put on my best suit and drove out to pick Jennifer up from the cottage. She looked enchanting and I thanked my lucky stars that Rupert was the way he was as his wife was simply lovely. As I pulled up there was no sign of Rupert when she came out, nor was I going to ask, I simply trusted her to give me directions, not information.

I kept the top up for the journey despite the sunshine so as not to muss up Jennifer’s hair as I was pretty sure she wouldn’t want to fix it up once we were there. Nor did I take any liberties with her, as yet, though we both knew that was going to happen later, once we had been given our rooms.

“So, tell me about the Sargissons?” I enquired.

“They’re the school’s biggest charitable contributor and the source of the annuity, though it’s been some years now since it’s been topped up,” she replied. “I get the feeling they don’t care for the direction the school is going in, though as the secretary, they wouldn’t discuss that with me.”

“So my job as the new maths tutor is to convince them the school’s turned over a new leaf?” I asked.

“Pretty much it, Howard,” she nodded. “You should recognise Reginald Sargisson from the recruitment panel though.”

“Any idea who else will be there?” I asked.

“The Sargisson family, a few other board trustees and no doubt a few selected guests to try and interest them in the school, or rather contributing to it,” she replied.

“So why not Mrs Goodfried?” I asked, feeling a little puzzled.

“They prefer to talk to teaching staff and Rupert was the only one who could be persuaded to go,” she replied. “Besides, I don’t think they care too much for old prune face, or her nephew come to that, found them to be a bit uncouth.”

“So no peeing in the potted plants then?” I chuckled, making her giggle too.

“Most certainly not, Howard,” she tried to reply primly, but failed as the giggles kept coming.

Other than that, we just chatted about our lives and the school; found we had a couple of things in common and rather a lot that weren’t, yet still we forged a friendship that would last until her death from cancer nearly 40 years later in 2001.

It took nearly an hour to reach Sargisson Manor and it truly was a stately home set in pristine grounds in the foothills of the Chilterns. I felt my car was definitely out of place amongst the various Rolls Royces and Daimlers, but a lot less out of place than Rupert’s Morris Minor would have been.

“Ah, Jennifer, you’ve arrived,” Jennifer was greeted at the door by an elderly if spry man and not the butler I’d expected.

“Thank you, Peter. This is Howard, the new maths tutor from St Winifred’s,” she replied.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr Sargisson,” I added, holding out my hand.

“It’s Peter tonight, Howard. No rank in the mess as the saying goes,” he chuckled, shaking my hand.

I started to guess why Rupert would have taken a dislike to Peter and vice versa. Peter was clearly military and no doubt would have found Rupert’s ways to be somewhat offensive to his sensibilities and would have been unwilling to disguise it. Still, it was obvious he liked Jennifer and so I hoped that might put me in good stead once the interrogation began, even if it was in the form of polite questioning.

“No butler?” I asked Jennifer as Peter led the way.

“No, they have staff, but are pretty down to earth, always open their front door for guests if they hear the bell, or see them coming,” she replied. “Not sure why they like a working-class girl like me, but they do.”

“You’re probably the reason Rupert keeps getting an invite back,” I chuckled.

“Probably,” she giggled and shrugged as we entered a lounge where a good few people were standing around drinking.

I was swiftly introduced to the rest of the Sargisson family, who struck me as being rather down to earth, as well as few other guests. Jennifer and I were then introduced to the ones she didn’t know, although I had met Ted and Freda Mallory who greeted me politely.

“So, you’re the last gasp attempt to turn the school around?” Betty Sargisson, Peter’s wife, asked me.

“Possibly, though it wasn’t the school’s idea at all,” I confirmed.

“True enough,” Reginald confirmed. “Only got through because May Goodfried was ill that day and couldn’t use her veto.”

“Question is though, can you do it?” Betty asked.

“Given a chance, I believe so, yes,” I nodded slowly.

“And what chance would this be?” Peter asked as I noticed the others in the room listening in.

“Well, Mrs Goodfried has already indicated she may want me out at the end of term, however Jennifer here is running interference for me there. Also, her husband is putting in a good word for me, simply for taking his place tonight,” I answered.

“Awful little man ... sorry Jennifer, but I can’t abide the way he treats you,” Peter commented.

“Think nothing of it, Peter. I can assure you he likes you as much as you like him,” Jennifer replied demurely. “As for Howard, he’s dipping into his own pockets to pay for some re-sits for the girls, as Mrs Goodfried, I’m afraid, most certainly will not.”

“Really?” Reginald asked me.

“All part of a cunning plan to let her claim the glory and to keep my place in the school,” I chuckled humourlessly.

“Well, if the results show a vast improvement let me know, Jennifer, and I’ll reimburse you, Howard,” Peter stated.

“I thought it was Mr Howard,” Freda Mallory tentatively asked.

“A mix up in the appointment records by the receptionist,” Jennifer sighed. “As Mrs Goodfried was none too keen on Howard being employed he chose discretion over valour in not correcting the mistake in front of her.”

“Oh my,” Freda giggled. “Forgive me for giving you such a hard time on Sunday, Howard. Elaine phoned me from the school payphone and told me she’d convinced you to let her attend the advanced classes.”

“She showed a good grasp of the basics, enough to convince me that she’ll do very well in a re-sit and probably get a high grade at A-level,” I replied, pleasing Freda no end.

“I told you she was a prodigy,” Freda replied.

“That remains to be seen,” I replied carefully. “There’s a lot of ... poor workmanship to undo first. But, yes, definitely promising.”

The last part seemed to mollify her and I saw Peter give me a nod and a wink of approval. The rest of the conversation swirled around my past and my current methodology, which I tended to be making up on the fly to fit the circumstances I found myself in.

“The school is pressing for more funding to top up the annuity to keep pace with rising costs. Any thoughts on that, Howard?” Peter asked.

“At the moment I suspect you’d just be throwing good money after bad. You probably need to tell Mrs Goodfried that additional funding will only come with a commensurate increase in grades,” I answered thoughtfully. “Although, as it will help my position, it’s not exactly an unbiased answer, I’m afraid,” I finished with a chuckle.

“An honest one though,” Ted Mallory added with a nod.

“Yes,” Reginald agreed. “Pretty much matches what the family thinks as well.”

At that point dinner was announced and we all went through to the dining room and sat whilst hors d’oeuvres were served to us. We were sat alternating men and women, with the equivalent partner sitting opposite to us and conversation moved from the school to the lives of the trustees, mostly involving families and holidays. I joined in politely and enquired of the various places they went to, but explained I’d never been abroad.

“Do you intend to?” Freda, who was sitting next to me, asked.

“I do indeed, I’m making mental notes even as we speak,” I chuckled. “I’m the first in my family to get to university, the first to raise my head above the parapet and look at the whole world, not just the view from the factory floor.”

“Good for you,” she acknowledged. “I’m sure they’re proud of you.”

“Mum was fit to burst,” I replied with a smile.

“I’ll be exactly the same if Elaine gets a degree too,” Freda chuckled.

“I’ll do all in my power to assist,” I replied and just managed to stop from starting as she squeezed my leg.

The following courses were then served and my thoughts wondered just what kind of situation I was now in. Freda, other than the one squeeze, kept her hands in view at all times and I was beginning to think that it had merely been a ‘friendly’ moment.

After the meal though, individual conversations were struck up as guests and family spread out over several rooms and Freda buttonholed me in a small room adjacent to the lounge.

“Howard,” she purred. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not about to interfere with your assignation with Jennifer, the poor dear could probably do with some decent male entertainment.”

“That’s a relief,” I nodded. “Now, how can I be of assistance?”

“I’d like you to call on me Thursday evening to discuss Elaine’s career options,” she replied handing me a note, presumably with her address. “Ted will be at a Masonic meeting until late, so we can have a nice cosy chat without interruptions,” she added with a hungry look in her eyes.

“Well, there are a number of options available,” I flirted back to a blatant hint.

“I’d like you to cover them all, though that may not be possible in just one evening,” she replied with a slight smile.

“It would definitely be easier to fill you in over a period of time,” I said straight-faced.

“That’s what I hoped. Now don’t let Jennifer wear you out,” she giggled, then wandered away to talk to others as I admired the view of her retreating body.

“Didn’t take her long to get her claws into you,” came a chuckle from Betty who had been standing unnoticed to us in the adjacent hallway.

“Well, she’s a good looking, if married, woman. Plus she could make my life awkward if I refused,” I replied.

“Yes, you were wise to accept, though she won’t be the last to ask,” Betty replied,

“I thought not,” I nodded, looking Betty over, a slim, striking woman in her sixties, but still with a certain je ne sais quoi about her.

“Naughty boy,” she chuckled when she caught my look. “But you do my heart the world of good when you look at me like that.”

“What man wouldn’t look?” I asked rhetorically. “Apart from Rupert, naturally.”

“Why, Howard. Are you hinting?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

“If I weren’t already spoken for tonight, then definitely yes,” I replied.

“There will be other nights,” she said thoughtfully. “We also own a small holiday cottage near the school.”

“Well, if you were visiting...” I hinted.

“It will need a look at soon,” she replied with a smile. “Perhaps you’d care to take a look too?”

“I’d love to see more of you, Betty,” I said with a smile as she patted my cheek and went her way.

The evening wore down pleasantly after that and soon enough Jennifer and I were shown to our adjoining rooms. Within a few seconds of the doors closing Jennifer was in my arms, kissing me passionately, having mussed up her bedding for appearances’ sake, though for the life of me I couldn’t think who she was kidding.

“Oh, it’s so good to be with you again, Howard,” she gasped after our lips parted, both our passions rising to the occasion.

“You too, Jennifer,” I replied as we kissed again and I lifted her up to carry her to the bed.