Room 2D

Story from Blushes 4 On that first occasion, Sandra’s mother had been most indignant! ‘What was I to say, Mr Petty? A phone call telling me my daughter was a thief! I mean, I couldn’t even tell him to sod off, could I — begging your pardon, Mr Petty — I have known the man for years! Friends, you might say, and him good enough to give my daughter a job — and now this! You’ll have to do something with her, Mr Petty, you really will! What with her father at sea most of the time she’s really got quite out of hand, she has. I have told her — “Mr Petty will have a thing or two to say about this my girl,” I said. “Just you see if he don’t! What you need is your backside tanned!” I told her.’ Mrs Collins had sat on the edge of a chair in Mr Petty’s study and her frustration had continued to simmer just below the surface as she’d waited for her patient listener to confirm her in her view that the girl needed ‘something going with her!’

From New Blushes Uniform Girls 2.04 Mr Ardley came round to see Sharon’s parents one evening at the end of her last year in the Lower Sixth. He had arranged the visit by phone and Sharon had a pretty good idea what it was about and would have very much preferred to be out. But Mr Ardley had specifically instructed that she be present. Howard Ardley was Deputy Head at Mountfield School. Philip and Anne Smithfield had met him once or twice at school functions: a big, heavily built man in his forties with thick dark hair and glasses. He could be charming to parents — but apparently could put the frighteners on Mountfield pupils when necessary. A number of girls were really scared of him. They hadn’t necessarily been on the receiving end of anything but they would have heard whispers. Were those whispers true? Sharon was afraid she was about to find out. She hadn’t had a very good year at school. She knew she should have given her