AIBU To Think That The Chalet School Matron Would Be In Prison Nowadays

[TheShellBeach]

..........................for giving unprescribed sedatives to the girls so frequently.

(lighthearted) (in case a million people tell me that IABU)

The Chalet School Matron was forever doling out sedatives to the girls, without even asking Jack Maynard to prescribe them first.
Shocking stuff. Nowadays, she would be jailed and struck off the NMC Register.

oh I get the silvery voice although I wouldn't describe it like that. I know a woman who speaks barely above a whisper and will not raise her voice no matter the situation. we see her at a craft group (a rather noisy craft) and she fully expects everyone in the group to down tools whenever she speaks to people can hear her. it's rather infuriating. that I think is a silvery voice.

‘Soft, gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman’?

Exactly so that all those manly doctors have to lean in to hear you, and then when they lean closer someone catches them, jumps to the wrong conclusion and they are honour bound to marry you. It's a fool proof plan

EBD was rather obsessed with voices though

EBD was rather obsessed with voices though

And hair.
And doctors.
And idiotic rescues from snowdrifts.

The war stuff is pretty good and surprisingly realistic, given some of her other choices.

Her description of what happened to Herr Marani (sent to a concentration camp, relatives received a box of ashes) is accurate (as far as I remember from the displays) to what happened to people who died at Dachau concentration camp in the 1930s.

And, although the former King of Belsornia ending up on sheep farm in Australia might sound farfetched, there were Russian royals who ended up farming in Canada after the revolution.

You can always tell a bad character because their voice is ‘harsh’ (Miss Browne of the Saints), ‘grating’ (Miss Bubb) or too loud (evil Tiernsee -era Matron who locks Robin up and confiscates Joey’s bedside book).

Was she Matron Beasley? Besley? (Did EBD also dislike the letter B, apart from the Bettanys?)

Yeah, I used to threaten my DSDs (jokingly!) that I was going to make them write that out 400 times when they screeched at me. Miss Annersley wouldn't have stood for it.

I'd love to read this! Can you remember the title or location?

Yes, Matron Besly.

She was the one who locked the Robin in a room and caused her to cry hysterically ("in all her life the Baby had always received love, and could not understand this cruel treatment")

Well, the Bettanys start with a "B" as you point out, but all the baddies seem to start with a "B", too.

It might be this one. archiveofourown.org/series/148830 It's called "pieces" by constantlearner

Well, the Bettanys start with a "B" as you point out, but all the baddies seem to start with a "B", too.
Betty Wynne Davis- one of only two girls to be expelled

Just read that one. Not sure how she didn't get arrested to be honest. She seemed to get off quite lightly for treason, really!

Jo to the Rescue was boring. I just flicked through most of it.

THAT was it. Thanks!!

Quite.
She should have been arrested at the very least and sent to prison.
Some (most) traitors were hanged, actually, but BWD just ends up going to stay with some friends of her late parents (or something) and we hear (in a later book) that she'd become a thoroughly nice girl.

I bet EBD didn't think that it would be suitable for a CS girl to be hanged.

But it has burglars and everything!

There's a follow-up book (46 chapters) as well. Roger and the Marlows.archiveofourown.org/works/3584580

Oh yay, thanks! That's the holiday reading sorted ...

Not to mention a short, ugly doctor who perves on his patient in direct contravention of the BMA regs. Oh, and it contains the psychotic Zephyr Burthill who is made nice by associating with the Robin.

For me what sticks isn’t the cello-burgling and Rufus-poisoning, it’s all that demented level of detail about domesticity — about half the word count is taken up with who feeds or bathes whose babies, and where they all sleep and take naps, and who carries in the dainty trays. And bits of it crack me up, like EBD always insisting someone puts the babies and toddlers into dressing gowns after they get undressed and before they get into their ‘sleeping-suits’, in case the idea of an unclad baby blows anyone’s mind.

Brilliant.

it’s all that demented level of detail about domesticity
I don't mind that. My favourite non chalet EBD's are the two Lorna books, and I also like the La Rochelle's.

Loving that the last time Empress and I were together IRL we were talking about the Chalet School and now here we both are on this thread!

Not to mention a short, ugly doctor who perves on his patient in direct contravention of the BMA regs. Oh, and it contains the psychotic Zephyr Burthill who is made nice by associating with the Robin.
You say that as if they are bad things

No, no. It was just because PP said the book was boring.