To ask all Chaletians to get ready for Madame's birthday?

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

Pop to the splasheries my lambs and after you've brushed your hair till it shines we'll have a quick practice of 'I sing of Margaret so fair'.

Once we've finished casting the movie, that is....

Oh no need to worry about Matey. She's sitting on the lawn drinking elderflower cordial and singing 'What do you do with a drunken sailor'.

I've never seen her look so relaxed and happy. Everyone really is getting into the spirit, aren't they?

Actually talking of spirits, can someone give me directions to the summerhouse?

Thanks for the cordial, Vintage! Anyone seen anything of Miss Wilmot or Miss Ferrars? Or are they looking for bits of the tea set as well? They are so conscientious!

We're over here Daisy.

Actually Miss Ferrars and Miss Wilmot didn't come. They offered to stay behind and mind the school because the place will be completely empty o, not even any maids or gardeners about because they're all down here celebrating.

Very noble of them, I thought.

I have jugs of Karen's nectar aka pimms, mojitos and strawberry daiquiris. Would you like them in the summer house?

Ooh lovely Robin. There's quite a crowd of us in here now.

I've just made butterfly cakes for ds' school summer fair. What's more, I haven't left any vital ingredient out, nor put any unusual ones on the squashed beetles bottoms went out of date 2 years ago, so I used artifical ones instead

Do you think they'll all stand up and cheer me, or is that reserved for donating jam?

Okay, so there's a gang of us drinking gin elderflower and Karen's nectar in the summerhouse.
Miss Wilson and Miss Stewart are rummaging around in the bushes.
Matey is drinking and singing on the lawn.
Madame is in tears and Jem has packed his bags.
Oncle Reize is wearing a towel while his wife screeches at him in high pitched tones.
And Miss Wilmott and Miss Ferrars are alone in an empty building.

Gosh, it's nearly as much fun as last year.

Tbf, I think Dr Jem packing his bags is the best birthday present Madame could have asked for. Apart from being woken to the silver-and-golden sounds of our serenade, of course. Everything else is just the icing on the cake, which hopefully wasn't made by the irrepressible Middles in Dommy Sci.

Leaps irrepressibly out of seat and shouts "Three cheers for Mrs. DeWee!!"

Oh Joey's not looking too happy. I think we've all ignored her rhubarb jam.

But DeWee, you won't know you left anything out or added anything extra until they start eating them, and then you'll find you put in garlic butter rather than usual butter. You wait, it's a time honoured tradition, then we can talk about it for years to come with fond memories.

Is there room for me in the summer house? Sorry I'm so late but there's pandemonium in the village and we couldn't get through. Apparently Oncle Reize's house has been set on fire.

Oh, was that Joey's rhubarb jam? I'd assumed Anna had made it.

DeWee more importantly, why have you made cakes for a fair when you could have made a dolls' house instead? I don't think you've been paying enough attention to the most important aspects of a fair, my lamb. :(

Oh look, I think someone's ordered a stripogram. There's a gang of men dressed as policemen coming up the drive and asking for madam. Oh, this will be fun.

I hope you didn't ask for holy water when you were making squash for the 'brats' my child.

Well I thought those policemen were very rude. Ordering matey off the lawn like that and confiscating our booze cordial. And did they really need to chase Bill and Con out of the bushes like that?
And I don't know what you put in your cakes DeWee but they were looking at them very suspiciously. Those nice dogs they had with them seemed to be very excited about them though .

Holy Water!

Miss Annersley's just called a special assembly. Apparently she wants to talk to us about this morning's picnic. I expect it's just to congratulate us on putting up such a splendid show.

Miss Wilmott and Miss Ferrars looked very disappointed to see us back so early!

Men who aren't doctors? Men who... No, I'm sorry, I don't understand. Unless you mean men like Eigen and Gaudenz?

Gosh. Miss Annersley is just so on the spot, isn't she?

Ooh, it looks like the policemen are coming back with us. Did some of the junior mistresses marry them or something?

Damn, I missed most of the fun. I was sewing sheets sides-to-middle as a punishment for saying "damn".
Damn. Did it again.
But I have brought cakes... some are made of honey and nuts and cream, and some are flavoured with saffron. At least, I think it's saffron.

Well I wish they'd keep their dogs under control. I've just found one sniffing around my cubicle.