‘So, future plans? Reason for leaving?’
Wow! Sylvie was beginning to get antsy and could feel her red hair starting to kick in but somehow she was still answering this woman’s questions.
‘Recurring injury. The ballet world does seem terribly glamorous, and it can be. It can also be cruel and I knew that I wasn’t going to progress much further with recurring shin splints. Each time I was having to take more and more time off to recover, so when I found I was pregnant I wanted to come home, and soon afterwards Mum had her diagnosis and that’s it really. I love Penmenna and can’t ever see me leaving, or certainly not whilst Sam is still a child.’
‘Good, good.’ The woman was virtually rubbing her hands together. What had brought on this turn of events?
‘And you’re running classes here in the school. My husband is chair of the governors and I take on his role in his absence – I was so pleased to approve your request on his behalf. Itwas my idea to waive the hire cost – after all, having a prima ballerina offering lessons in the school does rather increase our cachet. I’ve been meaning to hunt you down for a chat but life, well, you know, and then half-term. I’ve just got a new puppy which is taking far more of my time than I imagined possible. A Weimaraner, very now. My Richard knows I like to stay on trend…’tinkle tinkle, ‘…but I’m getting side-tracked. I wanted to say how very lucky we are to have you, dear. I was thinking of enrolling my boys.’
Sylvie prayed her gulp wasn’t visible. She decided not to correct Marion’s misuse of the terminology regarding her position in the company. And as to Marion’s boys, she liked them all. They were sparky, quirky and smart – individually. Together, despite all of Sylvie’s skills, they had the potential to turn the entire class feral. ‘Oh, that would be wonderful, but you wouldn’t believe how quickly places have filled up. I’d be more than happy to pop them on the waiting list and let you know as soon as there are vacancies.’ Luckily this was entirely true, she had already filled every class for the Saturday.
‘Ah, I see. That’s a shame.’ Marion smiled and cocked her head to one side, and Sylvie’s spider senses tingled. She guessed what was coming and decided to head it off.
‘Obviously, Mrs Marksharp, I would love to be able to bump you up the list, but I know how seriously you take fairness and I would hate to cause any ripples. Caesar’s wife and all.’
‘Absolutely, dear, I couldn’t possibly ask for any special favours, that would set tongues wagging in the playground.’ She managed to mask the vinegary look that had flitted across her face and replace it with concerned interest again. ‘Especially as I know we’re going to become such dear friends, with you being… ahem… so close to Alex McKenzie.’
Aha, Marion was up to mischief and it wasn’t so her boys could perfect an arabesque. Presumably the revelationthat Sylvie was a ballet dancer and not a stripper suddenly catapulted her into Marion’s ‘acceptable’ category, and hence Sylvie was now part of her plan to keep Alex local. Sylvie was not sure she liked the turn that might take. She had not been working extremely hard to keep her crush at bay, in the name of not rocking the boat and maintaining the friendship, to have Marion come in and explode it now. For goodness’ sake! This woman should come with a health warning. She’d have to get in first and reassure Alex that she really wasn’t after anything other than friendship before Marion scared him off completely! She realized she hadn’t answered and Marion was still standing waiting for a response as Sarah hurtled into the staffroom and breathlessly apologized.
‘Marion, I’m so sorry. Dear Jonny has come down with mumps and the childminder was being most unreasonable. I’ve left him with a neighbour but I will have to get back… if that’s OK… after assembly. The neighbour is a little absent-minded. I’ll have your coffee ready in an instant and then I’ll go and set up for assembly.’
‘Of course, dear, no hurry. I’ll see you in the hall shortly.’ Marion addressed her friend with more than a hint of steel before beaming again at Sylvie. ‘See you later, dear, so glad we’re chums.’ And swished out of the staffroom towards the hall.
Chapter Twenty-six
Sylvie headed to class before the kids came streaming through, but was still a bit shell-shocked by the staffroom. Marion had thought she was a stripper? Although actually, so what if she was? It would be her choice how she earned her money and bugger all to do with anyone else. Presumably a possible career in exotic dancing meant she wasn’t ‘good enough’ for Alex in Marion’s book.
She didn’t know why she was getting so riled up over such a stupid conversation. Marion was obviously Marion, there were lots of things Sylvie wasn’t too keen on about her as well. Why was she letting this particular interaction get to her?
As she crossed the hall she had heard Alice, Class Four’s teaching assistant, discussing the upcoming Bonfire Night assembly with Pippa from Class One and how she didn’t understand why Rosy didn’t just outright banheras well after last year. Sylvie was itching to join in and get the details; she could only guess at theherbut it was a fairly secure one, plus she knew Pippa didn’t have any problem holding back and was great fun to get into conversation with, especially when she was riled. But Sylviedidhold back and knew her own barely simmering fury with Marion this morning could mean she would be way too venomous, and venomous was never a great look in a new workplace.
After the register was taken and the children had marched into the hall, Sylvie plopped herself on the floor with Jade. She felt sorry for the girl and had noticed she often tended to fidgetbadly in assembly, leading to Mrs Adams dragging her out and the whole day spiralling downward from there. With Sylvie next to her she managed to hold it together for a little bit longer, thus avoiding the wrath of her class teacher and having a much better day overall.
The eldest sat down first and watched as the young ones trooped through. The school held a Bonfire Night celebration and fireworks display every year and today’s assembly was the last one before the event later that night. Rosy stood at the front smiling her gentle head teacher’s smile as the children filtered through and took their places. As soon as all were settled she raised her hands for silence and began to talk about how exciting it was to have Fireworks Night come around again, as Marion jigged around from one foot to another, hair perfectly set, beaming out at the children and waiting for her bit.
Oh God! Watching her there, all jittery in her mustard dress with magpies on it and matching espadrilles, was making Sylvie’s temperature soar. With all of this ‘… so close to Alex’ nonsense, Marion was going to screw everything up. As soon as Sylvie had got herself some measure of happiness and security outside of Lovage Farm, Marion bloody-mustard-magpie Marksharp was going to screw it all up!
‘Now, Mrs Marksharp – and I know you all know her and have seen her around the school – is going to quickly talk to you about her plans for tonight. Marion.’
Sylvie watched as Rosy shot the head of the PTA a Very Stern Look.
‘Right, my darlings. It’s a very exciting day today and I have asked all the teachers to collect the best work you have done to celebrate Fireworks Day and the fifth of November, whether that be the beautiful paintings from Class One, or the interesting historical discourse from you older ones.’
‘The what?’ Jade turned to Sylvie.
‘Your history work,’ Sylvie whispered back.
‘Well, why doesn’t she say that then?’ Jade muttered under her breath. Oh, she normally has no problem saying what she means, flitted through Sylvie’s head and the panic set in again. She would make sure she was out on time today and get to Alex first. Surely if she had a whole firework display to micro-manage and parent helpers to terrorize, she wouldn’t have time to put a grenade in Sylvie’s first decent adult friendship in years? Not until teatime at least.
‘So, I’ll be coming around your classrooms to choose the best of the work on offer. No scribbles and I want lovely joined-up writing from you older ones. We will be showcasing Penmenna at its best. We want winners at Penmenna, none of this taking-part-is-all-that-counts nonsense, eh?’
Sylvie’s eyebrows went through the roof and she felt vindicated as Rosy glowered at Marion and interrupted, ‘As you know, Mrs Marksharp, we celebrate everyone who tries their hardest here.’
‘Well, of course we do.’ Marion beamed at Rosy and then, where the head teacher couldn’t see, turned around and mouthed, ‘Joined up,’ at the children and gave them a jolly thumbs-up as she nodded to reinforce her point.
‘Now, Mrs Adams used to deliver the safety advice for Fireworks Night but I think we all remember last year,’ Rosy said as she avoided making eye contact with the rest of the staff, who all suddenly became very interested in their shoes.
‘She was terrifying,’ Jade whispered. ‘Three of the little ones cried. She told us all we’d burn our fingers off and not be able to hold a pen or use a computer ever again if we didn’t all wear gloves. Lara only had mittens so she refused to come and said her mum got really cross and rang the school to complain.’
