It
has been suggested that Audrey Blain is perhaps the most evil female character
of The Amalgamated Press. Listed below are several stories in which she
appeared.
SO 70-75 Audrey Blain, New Girl (SGOL 127 Morcove’s Reckless Two).
SO 103-106 Audrey Blain’s Captaincy Bid (SGOL 163 The Hundred-Guinea Prize)
SO 107-110 Cruising With Tess’ Uncle (SGOL 169 Morcove on the Sea)
SO 126-130 Morcove in London (SGOL 192 Morcove in London).
SO 140-146 Morcove’s Gipsy Girl (SGOL 219 Morcove’s Gipsy Schoolgirl)
SO 147-150 Morcove at Stormwood (SGOL 220 When Morcove Came to Stormwood)
SO 280-284 Return of Audrey Blain as Servant (SGOL 507 The Mystery Servant of Morcove)
Your Editor’s Chat in SO 70 gives a glimpse of what Audrey Blain has in store for Morcove: But now a new element of discord in the person of Audrey Blain has appeared at the old school. You will remember that I said in speaking of her last week, that she was more dangerous than Cora because she was more subtle…..
SO 70-75 Audrey Blain, New Girl (SGOL 127 Morcove’s Reckless Two).
SO 70: “Have you seen her, Betty?”
“Seen whom?” She is simply beautiful!”
“That is no answer to my question,” laughed Betty Barton. “Have I seen whom?” “The new girl!” Polly Linton explained exuberantly. “Hair like the colour of ripe corn; eyes – oh, they are wonderful eyes! And she’s fifteen, Betty, and has the air of a queen!”
And so comes Audrey to Morcove, this breathtakingly beautiful girl, with violet eyes and an absolutely brilliant brain, clever and talented at everything she puts her hand to, but chooses not to use this brilliancy to the right effect due to her immoral, almost bordering on insane character. She is also the consummate actress. Hell bent on having a good time, no matter what obstacles cross her path. In her sixteenth year, and still in the Fourth. She must have caused her parents some concern as they send her from school to school, although her parents are also shady characters, as is learnt later on. Horace Phillips loved to cloak his evil Morcove ladies behind a veil of extreme beauty, and Audrey is to the forefront here. Everyone is struck by Audrey’s breathtaking beauty, however Betty is shrewd, after coming in for some cool and disdainful treatment by Audrey when she offers to assist with Audrey’s luggage. SO 70: Betty’s misgivings - She had come in contact with the new girl, and she had been quick to detect certain qualities in Audrey Blain that made her a far graver menace to the welfare of the Form than Cora had ever been. Cora’s mischief making had been crude, openly malicious. She had offended the very girls whom she had tried to woo. But this Audrey Blain – there was going to be nothing like that about her, Betty felt. Instead of fawning, she was going to fascinate. Instead of courting friends, she was going to let them court her! A lover of the limelight, shallow and as poisonous as a rattlesnake is Audrey; far more lethal than Cora Grandways, Ursula Wade, Hetty Curzon, Fay and Edna Denver ever were. Audrey, when challenged by authority is super cool, nerveless and polite almost to the point of insolence, but not quite, so nothing can be pinned on her. Audrey’s silky smooth demeanour enabled her to deceive Miss Somerfield on many an occasion, and although Miss Somerfield had her suspicions at times, could never pin anything on Audrey.
Audrey I believe, is the first girl to have a motor bike at school, soon followed by Cora’s ‘famous outfit’. Motor bikes of course were allowed during the 1920’s, and people of all ages apparently were allowed to use them. Tearing through the countryside at 20 – 30mph!!!!
When Audrey is introduced to Cora and Judith Grandways she is strangely interested, but says nothing, although she immediately strikes up an acquaintance with Cora. Nothing is said of the reasons why, until later on in the story. Being a lover of the limelight, Audrey also wants to be in control, and have the world at her feet. Secretly, she despises most of the girls she is introduced to with the exception of Madge, Paula and Tess, in whom she can see that they have that ‘something a little extra’. Her beauty and ‘winning ways’ soon take most of the girls by storm, with the exception of Betty, Polly and Judith Grandways. Judy, her reformation being detailed in SO 66-69 Tuckshop (SGOL 121 The Morcove Tuckshop-Keepers), finds her life torn apart by Audrey. When Cora lets Judy know that she isn’t about to try and become a better person and that she is already infatuated by Audrey within an hour or so of Audrey’s arrival, Judy is quite distressed by Cora’s actions and words - SO 70: “To be with Audrey Blain for a few minutes is to have a lesson in the art of kicking over the traces. She’s going to be a handful, Judy! Talk about you and me – I guess we have been mere babies compared with Audrey Blain!” Again in SO 70, when Cora and Audrey go to Morcove Road to pick up Audrey’s motor bike and side car, and Judy is inveigled to get into the side car because she is under the belief that they are all to go straight back to the school: Audrey was ready to start. She came round to help Judith make herself comfortable in the forepeak of the roomy side-car. Her white, soft hand closed about Judith’s arm, and somehow the touch of that hand sent a thrill through Judith. She realised that any bold recklessness in this girl’s nature was blended with a very subtle dignity and grace. She was no tomboy. And that was just where the danger lay! Extremely sensual is Audrey, with touches like this interspersed throughout this story. This is the first action where Judy is unwittingly involved with Audrey, and it gradually sets the Form against Judy. Audrey takes them on a spree and they break down, which results in them getting back to Morcove really late. Judy is desperate with worry, and even Cora is uneasy, but Audrey is completely unaffected. The next morning, after being summoned to to Miss Somerfield, the three girls come into class. Here is where Audrey reveals what she is capable of, as in the meantime Miss Somerfield has had a word with Betty about Audrey, and suggests that Betty try to befriend her, in a move to try and bring out the best in her. Judy is shattered with what happened, and innuendo begins that Judy’s reformation is a sham, with only Betty suspecting that Judy has been used by Audrey and Cora. Audrey decides to show a false side of herself to the Form, and a lot of the girls, including Polly, are won over by her. Her plan is to win over the Fourth, and then gradually drop those friends who have served their purpose and whom she has no further use for. Betty goes to see Audrey, and comes away with a glad heart, as Audrey shows contrition for her actions and asks Betty and the Form to tea. Thus, even Betty is lulled into a false sense of security SO 70: Then, when the Form captain had departed, feeling so glad that this new girl was to be no stormy petrel after all, Audrey threw herself negligently into a chair, and laughed softly to herself. “Ha, ha, ha! Oh, dear, what an easy game it is to play!” Audrey tells Cora that she will have the Form at her feet and that she has no use for Betty Barton, although she will have a sham friendship with her (Audrey’s ultimate aim is to get the Form captaincy and also destroy Betty in the process). Judy overhears this conversation and she is horrified to hear confirmation of her suspicions about Audrey’s motives and tries in vain to warn Cora. Cora doesn’t listen naturally, as she is so taken with Audrey, so threatens Judy to keep quiet or she will definitely not try and become and better person, and that she will make it so hot for her that she will get her expelled. Incidentally this is also the beginning of Cora’s dreadful treatment of Judy, until Judy’s true parentage is revealed in SO 564 566 Judith Grandways and Dave Lawder. SO 70: It was the same puzzling smile that she had tried to hide yesterday evenening, when Cora had been talking about Mr. And Mrs. Grandways up yonder in Ribbleton. “Judy will save you, will she?” Audrey Blain murmured to herself. “Judy will save neither you nor her own precious self, if I can help it! I can do with Madge Minden for a friend; Paula, too, and Tess, and others with something attractive about them! Those are the girls I want for my little set! As for you, Cora Grandways –“ She got up with a shrug of disdain. “The sooner you really are expelled, along with your precious sister, the better I shall like it!”
Morcove is invited to Lord and Lady’s fete at Barncombe Castle, one of many they host during the year. Audrey gets permission to go along in the motor bike, and Judy goes along with them due to the threats made against her by Cora. But, during an illicit spree in the Barncombe Creamery before going onto the Castle, Audrey is shaken for the first time when Judy makes some remarks about her duplicity. At the fair, Audrey makes her first move in trying to break up Betty & Co by entrancing Madge. Madge naturally, is wondering how she could have ever doubted Audrey when she is so appealing, especially with her interest in music. Judy, when asked by Betty why she is avoiding them, won’t give the reasons why, and Betty is puzzled. It really starts to set the Form against Judy especially due to Audrey’s artfulness in getting the Grandways sisters marooned back at Barncombe Castle on the pretext that her motor bike had broken down. In fact, she had promised another spree after the fete for the girls, and told Cora to go and hide somewhere until after the bus had gone back to Morcove, and she would pretend her motor bike had broken down. Audrey goes back to Morcove on the bus with the others, she is prettily confused as to what happened to Cora and Judy, and is secretly elated when the conversation veers around the Grandways girls and that Judy isn’t the new girl they think she is. Cora and Judy duly arrive back at Morcove, having been caught by a Police officer in a private part of Barncombe Castle, and when questioned by Miss Somerfield, Audrey denies any part in the Grandways sisters being left behind. This is the first time that Cora witnesses Audrey’s duplicity, and though she is mollified by Audrey’s slick explanations, she is rather shocked. Judy is given a really bad time by the Fourth, and the only person who can see further than anyone else regarding Judy is Betty. Soon after the Barncombe Castle fete affair, Betty is called back home because her sister Doris is ill. She has been watching Audrey, and her shrewd suspicions of Audrey’s character are increasing. Betty also tries to have a word with Judy, but Judy isn’t talking.
On the platform at Morcove Road, Betty manages to get a quick word with Polly alone, asking her to watch Audrey Blain. Polly is quite puzzled by this request. In SO 73, which includes a delightful description by Horace Phillips of Paula’s way of taking but which is edited out in SGOL 121, Polly has cause to remember what Betty said, when she comes up against Audrey Blain. Audrey has successfully palled up with Madge, and Cora’s nose is so put out that her detestable personality comes to the fore, and Audrey being finicky, doesn’t like what she sees and tells Cora so. Cora decides to make herself more amiable to the girls. Madge is becoming so involved with Audrey, that she comes to blows with Polly after Polly finds out Audrey’s deception about a game of cricket with Barncombe House School. Incidentally, this story is where Miriam Haste of Barncombe House makes her first appearance. The plan was to have an afternoon picnic at Whiteacres field on the way to Barncombe, followed by a cricket match with Barncombe House that Morcove had been invited to take part in. Audrey manages to secretly send off a telegram saying Morcove cannot play this game. When Polly finds out that the telegram was a hoax, she at once is suspicious of Audrey as Audrey and Cora had gone into Barncombe on the motorbike to get provisions for the picnic. Polly makes the accusation to Audrey, which results in all the girls turned against Polly onto Audrey’s mock self-aggrieved side. For once, Cora is entirely innocent. Polly lashes out at Judy, blaming her for all the mayhem that Audrey has caused, and Madge, being so deep and intense, is falling even deeper for Audrey’s honey gilded trap. Miss Somerfield advises the Fourth that Betty is to be away longer than expected, so Polly is duly given responsibility of the Deputy Captaincy. Barncombe House invite Morcove to a tennis tournament, and Polly, seeing this as a way to mend any possible ‘broken fences’ with Barncombe House, eagerly accepts. The only problem is that it conflicts with Audrey’s proposed upmarket picnic,. to which she has gone to a lot of trouble to prepare in order to celebrate her Father’s birthday. This is also an opportunity she sees where she can influence the Fourth with how she can show them a good time therefore wean the ones she wants away from Betty. Morcove duly win the tennis tournament but a lot of girls are unhappy with what they see as Polly’s heavy handedness at management. Cora quickly arranges a meeting of the Fourth, seeing a way to ingratiate her way back into Audrey’s good books. After the tennis tournament and after the girls – especially Madge, have had time to think and they realise they could have been too hasty in their judgement of Polly, and so they boycott the meeting, but of course doesn’t show it and is sweet as honey with everyone. Audrey realises this and she is angry. Betty also arrives at the school well ahead of schedule as her sister has made good progress.. Audrey sees this early arrival of Betty as a way of pretending to ingratiate herself with Betty and goes alone to Morcove Road to meet Betty, where she puts on her sham act of friendship and repentance for ‘things she did wrong’ whilst Betty was away. Betty naturally sees through this. Audrey also realises that the bond is so strong between the Study 12 Coterie that even with small tiffs or temporary disagreements, nothing on earth can really break it up.
In this story, Jack Linton makes an appearance along with Jack Somerfield, Miss Somerfield’s brother. Jack Linton here, is described as a boy who has not long left school. Of course, Horace Phillips must have realised that he has a lot more use for Jack, and so his age is altered and he becomes a pupil at Grangemoor. Discussion takes place of a proposed holiday to Turania, to which Audrey eavesdrops, and she wants desperately to go. So her scheming begins afresh when she sees Jack go out onto the moors and does some practice rock climbing. Audrey sees a way for her to go to Turania and so she ’saves’ Jack from peril on a big tor, but her scheme is checked when her ‘saving’ of Jack – by removing his grapple and rope while he is in a perilous position high up, and not being able to see Audrey but can hear her, and then conveniently replacing it. Unknown to Audrey, her actions are witnessed by Betty & Co more than a mile away on a ramble, through Betty’s binoculars. So, Audrey is exposed to the Fourth, even Corey sees her for what she is and that Judy was right all along. Audrey reveals her secret to Cora about Mrs Grandways being responsible for Mrs Blain’s expulsion from school, and also notifies the Form that she has no intention of conforming and will be out to make trouble in the future. All this of course, unknown to Miss Somerfield!
In between Audrey’s arrival at Morcove and the next story featuring Audrey as the chief character, the Study 12 Coterie go on that holiday to Turania, along with Jack Somerfield, Jack Linton, Miss Somerfield and Miss Redgrave.
When they come back from Turania, there is the problem of Paula Creel’s cousin, and then Morcove moves to the Old Priory, when part of Morcove catches on fire. They are still at the Old Priory when the next story starts, SO 94-98 Madge Minden’s Search (SGOL 151 Madge Minden’s Secret). Audrey plays a background role in this story, so we shall move on to SO 103-106 Audrey Blain’s Captaincy Bid (SGOL 163 The Hundred Guinea Prize).
In this story, Audrey manages to secure the Captaincy with the aid of Cora Grandways. By this time Audrey’s almost friendless state has passed, the girls have more or less forgotten her previous actions, and she has decided that it is to her advantage to be super friendly with Cora. When Betty is implicated along with her Father in the affair of the fire at Josiah Grandways’ Mill in Ribbleton, Audrey plays on this incident for all she is worth. Of course, Mr Barton is innocent, but the case goes to Court and Betty is treated harshly along with Mr Barton, by Grandways' lawyers. Due to this trouble, Betty wisely decides to temporarily resign the Captaincy and of course Audrey is made Captain. Eventually of course Betty’s Father is acquitted, and Betty comes back to Morcove. Many of the girls are slightly fed up with the way Audrey handles the Captaincy, and think she should do the right thing and hand the reins back to Betty. But she doesn’t. Cora and Judy are sent home after it is found that Josiah Grandways is the guilty party, and thus Audrey is left without her chief ally. During SO 107-110 Cruising With Tess’ Uncle (SGOL 169 Morcove on the Sea) Audrey’s popularity hits rock bottom and Miss Somerfield has noticed this. Audrey also manages to get herself involved in the affair of the stolen jewels belonging to Tess Trelawney’s Aunt May. These jewels have been stolen from their yacht by a disgruntled crewman and his wife. Polly gets wind of Audrey’s involvement with the nefarious couple and threatens to reveal these circumstances to authority unless Audrey resigns the Captaincy. She does, and Betty regains the Captaincy. Audrey of course is bitter and sore, and she also has no Cora to fall back on.
When Stella Munro comes to Morcove in SO 121-126 From Council School to Morcove (SGOL 191 From Council School to Morcove) Audrey is delighted, and is actually sharing a study with the wealthy newcomer. Stella is the daughter of a wealthy businessman who is hard headed but quite fair, and her Mother is a social butterfly, all to ready to indulge Stella. Stella is immediately enmeshed by Audrey’s beauty and recklessness, and Audrey sees a girl whom she could have some fun with. Stella becomes a pawn in Audrey’s game, being weak and ineffectual. When Stella’s distant relation Jess Lingard, a local Barncombe girl, wins a scholarship to attend Morcove, Stella is quite shocked and also ashamed of the relationship. There hadn’t been much contact between the two families of recent years. Of course, when Audrey discovers their relationship she vows to destroy any friendship that may lead to reconciliation between the Munros and the Lingards, so she begins her venomous web weaving between Stella and Jess. Stella is weak, easily led, and totally infatuated with Audrey. Jess, the daughter of a widower, comes from an honest, hard working and poor background. Jess, being of strong upright character similar to Betty, at once sees the type of girl Audrey is, and tries to warn Stella, all to no avail. Audrey is very friendly with the Callowby girls, whom she has learnt are staying in the area, their parents, having rented a huge country house for the summer. Vanessa and Muriel Callowby – a little older than Audrey and recently expelled from their school, are shallow, racy and pleasure seeking.
Audrey revels in their company, and so does Stella, although Stella is a little cowardly. They are absolutely forbidden to have anything to do with the Callowby girls, but this is nothing to Audrey, who flaunts the friendship in front of Betty & Co. Having been caught out in an illicit visit to the Callowbys, Betty gets Stella and Audrey to sign a statement saying they will having nothing more to do with the Callowby girls, otherwise all will be revealed to Miss Somerfield. Audrey has no intention to keeping to this promise, and whilst Betty & Co are in Barncombe, she searches Betty’s study drawer and destroys the statement. SO 125: “There was something about Audrey so charming, so fascinating. Being with Audrey was not like being with any other girl in the school. That was because Audrey was a law unto herself, her one object in life to get as free as possible from the “bore” of school and its discipline.” Audrey is known as ‘Her Majesty’ or ‘The Queen of the Form’ due to her superciliousness.
Stella is more and more enmeshed in Audrey’s web, but at the same time she is desperately worried about Jess due to things going wrong at the shop and the Lingards are nearly evicted. About twelve months previously, the Munro family profited by a Will that should have gone to the Lingards, but the letter revealing the Will was mislaid by Mrs Lingard and never opened. Whilst Stella was at the shop on the pretext of aiding Jess immediate departure to London following Mrs Lingard’s accident in London, Stella offers to hold the fort and do some general tidying up, and she comes across the unopened letter. She is horrified to read of the contents, and destroys the letter. Enter Audrey, and they are off to the Callowby place once again. Stella, by this time, learns that Audrey has destroyed the statement, and is horrified. And even more horrified at her own actions in destroying the letter regarding the Will, which have profited her parents. Audrey of course, doesn’t know about this Will destroyed by Stella. Stella is starting to unravel, although her besottal of Audrey overrules all other conscious acts.
SO 126-130 Morcove in London (SGOL 192 Morcove in London) is where Audrey’s character is finally revealed to Miss Somerfield and she is subsequently expelled from Morcove. Undoubtedly, she swears revenge on Betty. SO 130: “My last word, and pay heed to it!” the expelled girl hissed. “If ever I get the chance, I’ll be even with you yet! If it is ten years hence, it will make no difference with me! As long as you and I are in the world together – I will do all the harm I can!”
Going back to the beginning of this story, a contingent of Morcove girls are sent to London to take part in a Choral competition. Lady Lundy is the donor of the prize, a silver shield. Audrey, of course being musically talented, is part of the contingent, along with Stella. Mrs Munro has kindly let the Morcove girls and Miss Redgrave stay at their town house in the West End of London. Even Audrey is impressed by the grandeur of this town house, of course purchased with the proceeds of the Will that should have gone in part to the Lingards. Stella is just as enamoured, even more, by Audrey. Jess is staying with the Munro’s whilst in London for her Mother’s recovery, and when Audrey comes across Jess, her treatment of her borders on almost insanity.
SO 126:
“What have they been doing to you up here in London, Jess?” Audrey asked with false sweetness. “Did a policeman take you up for being without visible means of subsistence, before you found quarters here?”
“Everybody was very kind,” Jess answered simply. She detected the mocking tone in Audrey’s voice, but was not going to fall out with her, since they were both guests at the same house.
“Plenty of newspaper reporters calling to interview you, no doubt?” Audrey teased on. “Whole columns in the evening papers about your mother’s accident? Your poor, dear mother! Getting knocked down by that cab was most unfortunate.” Jess went very white in the face, but still held her indignation in check.
“And then that sad business about the shop in Barncombe,” pursued Audrey. “It is quite true, is it, that even the turnover in shag and liquorice sticks has resulted in a heavy loss?”
“I will tell you the exact position,” Jess said in a steely tone, “and then you will see just what a huge joke it is. The shop and our little home are to be sold up. My mother got into the hands of moneylenders. Very funny, isn’t it? Why don’t you laugh outright? I am sure you want to!”
“No, I am very sorry,” Audrey said, suddenly putting on a mock-sympathetic air. “Very sad, when people like your mother go raising money that they can never hope to pay back!”
“My mother raised money from what she thought was on honest firm, and in an honest way, at a time when poor father was on his deathbed,” Jess allowed herself to say quietly. “The illness had run away with every penny. If you think it was a criminal thing to do, I don’t, and neither do others who know the circumstances!”
Stella’s conscience is really getting to her with the destruction of the Will letter, and she asks her Father, Harvey Munro to aid Mrs Lingard and Jess. In the meantime, she has told Jess about getting her admitted as a boarder, and Jess is over the moon. Mr Munro of course knows nothing about this Will letter, and the Munro family have profited enormously by the illegally gained proceeds, whilst in ignorance of it until now. Mr Munro decides he can aid Jess, and also set up Mrs Lingard with a new shop. Stella tells Audrey of her plans to get Jess admitted to Morcove as a boarder, and Audrey, with all her hatred of what she perceives as lower class humanity, immediately threatens Stella she will finish with her for ever if Jess came as a boarder. Stella is heartbroken, but still her love for Audrey will be uppermost. Stella as we know is weak, and Audrey plays upon this for all she is worth. A bully through and through. Stella really wants to do her best for Jess, but all along it is Audrey whose attention and friendship she craves no matter what the cost. So Stella tells Jess that she has changed her mind after all. This news gets back to Betty & Co, so they arrange amongst themselves for Jess’ fees. Morcove do win the silver shield in the choral competition, and it is arranged that Jess bring back the shield to Morcove due to engraving being delayed and the Morcove contingent cannot take it back. Audrey and Stella meanwhile, crave to stay an extra day and night in London, so they miss the train. Jess also stays on in London at the Munros, until her Mother has turned the corner. The three girls catch the train together, and Jess has the shield with her. Audrey, seeing a way to cause trouble, throws the shield out of the train window whilst it is negotiating a large tunnel., Stella and Jess have gone on to lunch.
Jess duly comes back to Morcove and is put in with Stella and Audrey, as Miss Somerfield decides it is best that she is in with a relative. Audrey does her best to make life almost unbearable for Jess, and when Stella and Audrey go for a picnic and set fire to Mr Garley’s hayrick, Jess is asked to forward some money for compensation to the farmer for the damage. This money is the proceeds of an auction held by Tess Trelawney, and as Jess is asked to be the clerk of the auction, it is her responsibility to care for the money. Originally, Tess, more or less tongue in cheek, announces that she is broke and that she is going to hold an auction to raise some funds. The Fourth immediately take her up on this, as it is a wet and windy halfer. Quite a bit of money is raised and of course the proceeds are offered back to the buyers, including a brilliant caricature Tess has done of ‘Her Majesty’ (Audrey). In an amusing skit, Paula bids against Audrey for this work, and Paula shows a steely side to her character and outbids Audrey, much to Audrey’s chagrin. When the damage is done to the hayrick, Jess is first upon the scene and witnesses the farmer’s ire against Stella and Audrey, who of course don’t want the offence reported to Miss Somerfield. Audrey is quick on the uptake and asks Jess if she can forward the money immediately and that she will pay her back later on at school. Jess does this, and naturally the money is not forthcoming. Jess then falls foul of the Fourth as inbetweentimes Betty & Co decide to aid the farmer with the proceeds, so she is asked for the money. The news has spread around Morcove like wildfire, and Betty has her suspicions that it could be Audrey as some chocolate wrappings were found at the scene. Well, Jess cannot produce this money and cannot offer an explanation for its disappearance. Polly immediately flies off the handle (Like she always does) and the damage is done. Here, Audrey does irrepairable damage to Jess, and Stella, although frightened of Audrey’s despicable actions, cannot tear herself away from Audrey. Both Stella and Audrey write to their parents, asking for funds. These funds are of course, to pay back Jess. Audrey receives more than what she needs, but Stella gets nothing, but is told that her Mother will be coming to visit her at Morcove. Audrey goes to Betty and flaunts the money, which arouses Betty’s suspicions, so she asks Audrey why didn’t she give the money direct to Jess. Audrey is her usual nasty self and throws the money at Betty. Stella gets a telegram advising that her Mother has met with an accident near Exeter, whilst on her way to Morcove, and that she is to come at once to the hospital. Stella then realises all of the dreadful fear that Jess earlier experienced when Mrs Lingard met with her accident in London. She is unable to leave immediately due to the train timetables, so Audrey, hearing of the misfortune, decides to transport Stella herself to Exeter on her motorbike and talks Miss Somerfield into approving this venture. Audrey of course, couldn’t care less about Mrs Munro’s accident, and sees it as an opportunity to have a spree and live it up in Exeter. This she does, and her callous treatment of Stella and Mrs Munro finally opens Stella’s eyes to the person that Audrey really is. Stella, although finding that her Mother isn’t too seriously hurt, begins to question her friendship with Audrey, what she has done to Jess and her conscience finally hits home, so she decides to own up. Stella makes her own way back to Morcove after having a row with Audrey, and when she arrives back she finds that her good intentions are thrown out of the window as Betty & Co have found out what happened to the missing money, as they visited Mr Garley and offered him recompense for the damage to the hayrick, and Mr Garley tells them that he has already been compensated. So, everything is finally right for Jess, but Stella is dreadfully upset still, and she writes to her Father owning up to what she had done with the Will letter she found at the Lingards shop, and she at the same time tells Audrey what she is going to do. Audrey is aghast and tries to stop Stella sending the letter, as she realises that Stella is the only person she can have her illicit binges with. Stella won’t be moved however, so Audrey vents all of her vitriol upon Stella. Next, Stella and Jess are called to London to the Munros, and Audrey is left at Morcove without a friend, and full of venom. An invitation through the post is sent to Betty by Lord and Lady Lundy, inviting her and a friend to attend a garden party, which also had a write up in the Barncombe Weekly Express (Later known as the Barncombe Herald). Audrey purloins this invitation before Betty gets it, and decides it is a big chance for her to meet the ‘right people’ and have some fun, despite the last time she was at Barncombe Castle, and the havoc she created there. Meanwhile, the affair of the disappearance of the silver shield is not forgotten, and Betty learns that there has been a happy reunion between Stella and Jess, and that Jess’ Mother has come in for her deserved fortune. Audrey, in her audacity, manages to get to the garden party. SO 130: Never for a moment was Audrey forgetting that this was a private affair. None of your charitable functions, such as Lady Lundy sometimes held, when anybody could come in for a shilling – sixpence after five o’clock! All these hundreds of people – ladies and gentlemen and their sons and daughters – some from the great country houses round about the district, others from far and wide, in their swagger cars – they were invited guests, their high station in life vouched for by the fact that they were on Lady Lundy’s “list”. Audrey even flattered herself that she had little about her suggesting membership of a Fourth Form at boarding-school. She had put on her best summer frock, her best hat, gloves, stockings, and shoes; and there was one very special feature of her dress – a costly silk scarf. Back to the garden party that Audrey gatecrashes.
Audrey, whilst spending her final night at Morcove in the detention room, comes as close to sorrow she ever does with what she has done. But at the same time her hatred of Betty and Co intensifies. SO 130: The old malicious hatred against the girl she had been unable to strike down was raging fiercer than ever in Audrey’s heart. Then, in front of the whole school, she is publicly expelled, and Audrey nearly breaks down, but not quite…..
From Morcove we learn Audrey is at Stormwood School, in SO 140-146 Arrival of Zonia Moore (SGOL 219 Morcove’s Gipsy Schoolgirl). SO 143 mentions Stormwood’s Fourth Form Captain, Anna Blair. What we don’t know until later on in the story, Anna is actually Audrey Blain in disguise! Anna has come to Stormwood and managed to get herself Fourth Form Captain prior to Morcove’s governance. Of course, why Stormwood is chosen by the Blains in its run down state is unexplained but necessary to the continuance of the character! Anna, receives an unpleasant shock when the matter of Morcove taking over Stormwood is aired,and naturally has to make some explanation of her past.
SO 145:
Anna to Maude Langley – Anna Blair, the captain of the Fourth Form at Stormwood School, sat alone in her pretty study, eating expensive chocolates. Suddenly the door opened and a girl came in who was one of the most fawning, toadying admirers that Anna Blair had around her at Stormwood.
”Anna – “Hallo, dear!” Anna tossed her book aside. “Have a choc, Maude?”
“My word, some girls do have pocket-money!” was Maude Langley’s fawning comment, as she crossed over to where the half-guinea box of chocolates rested on a chair beside the settee. “And how much did you give for the stockings, Anna? They are – swagger!”
“Don’t say that!!” protested Anna; but she was pleased. “You ought to know I hate wearing anything that attracts attention. I only dress to please myself.”
“As you do most other things, eh, dear?” grinned Maude. “And how lucky for you that you came to Stormwood at a time when one can do almost anything one
likes!”
“Oh, I have had a nice time, yes,” the handsome girl assented.
“A better time than you had, I take it, at the other school?” Maude suggested softly. “The one that you – I suppose I may say it, Anna? You yourself mentioned the fact the other day. The school that you were – expelled from!” “Ha, ha! Yes. I said it of course, just to let you all know that it will be nothing new to me if I get expelled from this school in the end!".
In SO 147-150 Morcove at Stormwood (SGOL 220 When Morcove Came to Stormwood) we see the Fourth Form contingent plus Miss Redgrave come to Stormwood as part of the take over as detailed further below.
Stormwood is a small school a few miles inland from Morcove. A fairly good school, however struggling badly and with its share of undesirable girls. In SO 130 it is mentioned that Morcove’s Governors are considering purchasing a struggling school, and it is later revealed that it is Stormwood. Morcove’s Governors decide that Stormwood has possibilities so they take steps to govern the school and help set it upon its feet and it is recommended that part of Morcove, which is full, actually come to Stormwood. Miss Redgrave and several girls from the Fourth are the first contingent, with other Forms following. Miss Somerfield is to be Headmistress following the resignation of the previous Head, Miss Taggart.
Zonia Moore, the gipsy girl who was adopted by Betty Barton’s parents, is at Stormwood as Morcove was full at the time of her arrival. It was considered safe to send her to Stormwood due it coming under the governance of Morcove. She arrives about two to three weeks before Morcove come over, and unfortunately, she comes up against the unruly girls of the Fourth, and especially Anna Blair. When Audrey (Anna) discovers that Zonia’s relationship to the Bartons, she plans to make life as uncomfortable as she can for Zonia, and tries to get her expelled. Betty is desperately worried about what is happening to Zonia but she can’t do much, and of course she doesn’t know that Stormwood’s bogus Captain, Audrey is behind the majority of the troubles!. Audrey had actually almost achieved this aim of expulsion, but Miss Taggart, the retiring Stormwood headmistress, decided to hold over Zonia’s fate to Morcove. Miss Somerfield keeps her on. Audrey has another unpleasant shock when she learns that some of the Morcove contingent are actually coming to Stormwood instead of being run remotely. She knows that her deception will be discovered by Morcove when they arrive. Previously to this, she has managed to elude the Morcove girls each time they come over, so they have heard of her but never seen her, to which Polly actually voices this fact. Betty & Co greet Zonia on arrival at Stormwood.
SO 147: Zonia nodded, looking more composed now. “I was forced to share that study with her (Maude Langley), although I wanted to be alone,” she said. “The day I got here, their Form captain made it an order.”
“Their Form captain!” Polly exclaimed, with eyes agleam. “We want to meet this wonderful Form captain! She must be a beauty!”
“A sort of Audrey Blain, judging from what we have heard about her,” Madge said tensely. “You never knew Audrey Blain, Zonia?” She was a Morcove scholar, who got herself expelled in the end, after making any amount of trouble in the Fourth Form”.
“This Anna Blair,” Zonia said with great scorn, “she seems to have got the whole Stormwood Form under her thumb. She is as fond of queening it over them all as she is of hurting anybody who makes a stand against her. I was not going to kow-tow to her, and that was why she encouraged her toadies to lead me such a life.”
Betty & Co get the shock of their lives when introduced to the Fourth Form Captain by Zonia, and Audrey stands there, full of audacity, has a few words to say and then disappears. Miss Redgrave is the next person to receive a shock when she espies Audrey, and the first thing she does to demote ‘Anna’ - Audrey - from the Captaincy. Audrey of course swears revenge. When Audrey learns that Miss Redgrave is going to make a quick visit to Miss Somerfield to discuss the Captaincy and of course Audrey Blain being at Stormwood (On bicycle, that 10 mile ride to Morcove!) she schemes the first of many ruses to hit out at Betty. The first one went against her, as when Miss Somerfield comes over to Stormwood, she installs Betty as Captain of the Fourth, although circumstantial evidence is against Betty due to Audrey’s more or less unsuccessful first scheme. And of course Miss Somerfield has a private word with Audrey, of which we don’t know the details, but Audrey is shaken by her.
Betty’s first task is to organise a hockey match against Morcove, and interestingly, Dolly Delane is Morcove’s Fourth Form Captain whilst Betty is at Stormwood. This hockey match goes ahead, although Audrey and her cronies deliberately foul the ball when it is in their hands. Ultimately, the match is drawn after Betty & Co play their own game and ignore the antics of Audrey. A close ally of Audrey’s though - Monica Munro discovers that she can and does enjoy the game, and she decides that she wants to follow the right path. After the match, there are two victory teas given. One by Betty & Co, and the other, a most sumptuous one by Audrey Blain. Audrey’s study catches on fire after she carelessly leaves a spirit lamp going; there are against the rules of course. Monica notices the danger first, Audrey’s cowardice in panicking and running away from it, so she rushes to warn Betty & Co. This is the first of the actions that really takes her over to the Morcove right side, and Audrey absolutely hates her for it, and her hatred of Betty is intensified. A few weeks after this event, the majority of Stormwood girls realise that there is a ‘right game to play’ and so Stormwood starts to pull along quite well, much to the delight of Miss Somerfield, Miss Redgrave and Ethel Courtway has a lot of encouraging remarks to make to Betty.
Stormwood lies in quite high country, with the highest point aptly named High Moor. From here it is possible to follow a rough cart track along to a better pathway which ends up in Barncombe. Audrey plans another of her illicit sprees and manages to persuade Miss Redgrave that she, Gertie, Maude, Joyce and Cissy that they want to go for an innocent ramble, and could they take some sandwiches to keep them going. Miss Redgrave, knowing Audrey’s character, grudgingly gives permission as she can’t prove any ulterior motive behind this request, until a while later, she is looking through binoculars at the grand scenery surrounding Stormwood. She sees Audrey and cronies heading towards High Moor. This is a dangerous place to be in, especially in early December with the threat of sudden fog enveloping the countryside, so she sends for Betty and asks her to go out after Audrey and bring them back. Betty & Co do so, and come across satchels of sandwiches abandoned by Audrey and Betty suspects that Audrey may have gone into Barncombe without permission. Unfortunately and conveniently of course, one of these fogs rolls in, enveloping the countryside. Audrey and cronies are in a lighter fog than Betty & Co, although the Coterie don’t realise it at the time.
SO 149:
“What about Audrey and the others?” Madge broke out anxiously. “Have they been caught, too?”
“Perhaps she is to get a lesson at last!” was Tess’s grim rejoinder, as she stared into the blinding fog.
Audrey manages to come across a rough cart track, and she sighs relief, knowing that if they stick to this, they will eventually come down from the Moor and end up in Barncombe. Which they did, had their high spree and arrive back at Stormwood late in the evening by hired car. Audrey is quite fed up with her hangers on. SO 149: At Stormwood, as at Morcove, her proud, self-important nature had demanded that she should have her own little coterie of admirers. And at Stormwood, as at Morcove, she had been reduced in the end to “palling” with a mere pack of graceless girls. Whilst Betty –“ Miss Redgrave is terribly anxious, and lashes out at Audrey, who is completely unfazed, along with her besotted admirer, Maude. Gertie and Joyce however, have been given a fright so at long last they are starting to think that their actions haven’t been too good. Cissy is a bit upset but still would rather hanker for Audrey under any circumstances. Gertie and Joyce, seeing Miss Redgrave’s strung up state, decide to go out and see if they can search for Betty & Co, and come across the brilliant idea that if they leave a paper trail behind them, they won’t come to harm. This they do, they eventually come across Betty & Co who are by now very cold, quite hungry and resigned to spending an uncomfortable night on the fog bound moorland. This rescue endears them to Betty & Co, with the result that now Audrey only has Maude and Cissy to fall back upon. Audrey won’t show it, but she is quite devastated about how her plans and scheming have come to ‘nowt’ as Betty would say, and she breaks down completely in the privacy of her study, away from even the detested cronies.
The next scene and Audrey’s impending expulsion from Stormwood, is when she along with Maude, fakes a rescue from the lake which is in Stormwood’s grounds. Audrey discusses this with Maude, who agrees to ‘fall into the lake’ from a rickety bridge that Audrey has tampered with. Unfortunately for Audrey though, Maude cannot swim, and Maude doesn’t let on this most vital information. So they stage the fall in in by Maude, the ‘rescuing’ by Audrey, but...Maude cannot swim, is weighed down by her heavy clothing (Must have been almost frozen, being December), Audrey herself is in difficulties due to an icy spring bubbling up from the lake’s bottom. Monica, who was nearby, heard the shouting for help from Audrey who has realized she cannot aid Maude who is almost senseless, dives into the cold water and ultimately saves both Audrey and Maude. By this time the Morcove girls had come over and were also doing their bit. After the rescue, Monica and Audrey recover quite quickly, but the same cannot be said of Maude. After a full enquiry regarding the incident and from Morcove’s point of view, they think that Audrey should be given some credit due to her role in the rescue, not knowing the whole story! Audrey receives their thanks and well wishing quite rudely and says to Betty that they will never ever be friends. Maude is in the sanatorium, and that night becomes delirious and is rambling incoherently. The nurse is quite alarmed and sends for Miss Redgrave.
Again in SO 149:
“Audrey, why – why did you get me to do it?”
Miss Redgrave recoiled a step, staring in an astounded way at the grave nurse. “Get her to do it! What can she be meaning, nurse? Is it mere nonsense –“ “I don’t think so,” was the impressive answer. “It is something on her mind. She keeps on saying that. Listen again!”
“Why did you get me to do it, Audrey,?” come in a whimpering tone from Maude Langley. “It was too risky! Help, help! We’ll be drowned, and all because you got me to fall in on purpose!”
And so the whole story comes out. Monica Munro is the first girl Audrey comes across next morning, and she is puzzled when Monica cuts her dead, after yesterday’s actions, when she receives an approval rating by everyone. She is quite relaxed during breakfast. Later on that day, Miss Somerfield comes over and sends for Audrey and Monica. Miss Somerfield isn’t quite happy with yesterday’s enquiry and is asking for fuller detail on what Maude was shouting out before she was ‘rescued’ by Audrey and really rescued by Monica. Miss Somerfield’s interrogation gets sterner, and because Monica is silent, Audrey realises that Monica is shielding her and that Miss Somerfield can see right through the whole affair.
SO 149: “There is to be no more shielding you Audrey. You stand condemned by the very girl who was your confederate over a very despicable plot!”
Audrey tried to speak, but could not. Her delicate hands were suddenly plucking the sides of her skirt nervously.
“In the night,” Miss Somerfield went on sternly, “Maude Langley was light-headed. She talked of things that we were never meant to know. From that girl’s own lips, Audrey Blain, we have learned that you persuaded her to fall in the lake on purpose, so that you could figure as her heroic rescuer.”
Audrey is beaten and broken. Nothing she can say can exonerate her from all her dreadful deeds, words and behaviour and she knows that she herself is responsible. Exposed for being a fraud at Stormwood, as she was at Morcove. Her worst feeling comes when Monica silently treats her with utter contempt. She even ignores Betty’s hand of friendship just prior to her expulsion. So she is expelled from Stormwood, and this time she is in real fear of what her Mother will do with her.
Note: My copy of the SO (Only have 283 and 284) set for this story is incomplete, so some quotations from the SGOL version are used here.
What Audrey’s movements are after she is expelled from Stormwood until she comes back disguised as Florrie Blair in SO 280-284 Return of Audrey Blain as Servant (SGOL 507 The Mystery Servant of Morcove) is unknown. During that time though, the Blains have come right down in the world and are almost penniless. Like Audrey, they are utterly reckless and will stop at nothing. Their knowledge of the Morcove coastline must have been quite good, as after setting up their silk smuggling racket, they relocate to the Morcove area, along with a vehicle, a boat, and an adopted daughter, Norma. (It must have been fairly easy to adopt in those days!) They have also changed their surname to Halden. They take up the lease on Old Grange, one of Horace Phillips' huge mansions available, partly furnished for rental during the season. The Old Grange is in a desirable location, with a cavern at the foot of the cliffs not far from the mansion, with room for a boat. This cavern has a deep fresh water stream running through it, just like several others in the area, like the one that flowed right under Watermoor Grange. It is also strategically almost opposite Gull Island. Mrs Blain – described by Phillips as “A lady of singular beauty and dignity. She certainly was not more than forty years of age, and, with her fair hair, the colour of ripe corn, and extreme slimness, she might have been much younger”. She was elegantly dressed by Leonard Shields, seems to be the 'boss' of the entire operations, aided and abetted by her old retainer Hannah, from their closed up elegant town house in the West End of London. Hannah is about the only person who can handle Mrs Blain, and she also has a sneaking regard for Audrey. It must have been an absolute catastrophe for Audrey, when she realises that she has to assist her parents, but the recklessness in her adapts well to such an audacious role, right under the noses of the girls whom she detests so much. BUT...she hasn’t reckoned upon Cora and Judy being back at Morcove!
Perhaps Horace Phillips had already worked out Audrey’s destiny early on as described in SO 125:
“I am just off,” Stella said in a flustered way, standing by the door she had closed behind her.
“Only, before I go –“ “I’m glad you did look in,” Audrey interrupted, letting the book sink to her lap whilst she lolled back. “I’ve just been thinking; you might ask Jess which department of the shop pays best, the confectionery or the chandlery department!”
“Oh, Audrey, how you do poke fun at –“ “I’m quite serious,” was the bland announcement. “I wish to know, because someday I may have to turn out and get my living. And I should think it must be a nice career, selling ha’penny sticks of liquorice! So fascinating, getting the gummy things out of their boxes, and taking sticky pennies in return!”
The Study 12 Coterie are on Gull Island for a picnic, and Polly reminisces about previous adventures on Gull Island, and even about Audrey Blain and how despicable she was. Polly also has a bit of her fun, and pretends she is in the midst of a silk smuggling racket operating from Gull Island. If only she had known! The Coterie also realise that they are not alone on the Island, as Polly then sees a woman furtively threading herself through some undergrowth some distance away. Just after this picnic, the girls come back to Morcove, and find there is a new tweenie maid just starting her first day at Morcove, and she introduces herself to them, with the name of Florence Blair, but known as Florrie. (At Stormwood, she was known as Anna Blair). More or less at the same time, Cora is out for a spin on her motor bike and comes across a girl walking along the road towards the Old Grange. Her name is Norma and she explains to Cora that she has been recently adopted by a family named Halden, and that they are living in the Old Grange for the Summer. At this stage Norma is completely in the dark of the Halden's racket, and has no idea at all of Audrey's existence. (It must have been quite easy to adopt a young teenage girl in those days!). The day after Norma comes along to Morcove because Cora left some belongings of hers at the house, and she is introduced to Betty & Co, whom she likes very much. The Study 12 Coterie also take to Norma, and they can see the loneliness that is within the girl. When Norma goes back to the Old Grange, she is bewildered by Mrs Halden's refusal to let her associate with her new made Morcove friends. A few nights after the Gull Island picnic, and Cora's encounter with Norma, Cora breaks down with her motor bike, and the girls are asked via Florrie that they are to help search for Cora.
SGOL 507 The Mystery Servant of Morcove:
“Bother that Cora Grandways for being out late and upsetting the school!” she suddenly seethed to herself. “It's keeping a lot of them up, and to-night is one of the nights that mother and dad hoped to make good use of. No moon!”
Cora is the first to tumble to Audrey’s disguise – SGOL 507:
“You can shut the door,” Cora said, starting a smile that must have taken the other girl back. “It is something quite private that I have to say to you, Audrey Blain!”.
Audrey is in total shock, and Cora threatens to reveal her identity to Betty & Co. which of course she doesn't, as she realises that she has the upper hand. SGOL 507:
“My parents have met with misfortune, and are come down in the world,” Audrey whispered miserably. “and I have had to turn to and help them.”
What an admission to Cora of all people, that Audrey is forced into. She buys Cora's silence with some costly silks and designer dresses that are part of the contraband, which satisfies Cora because she knows that even she could not afford couture such as these. Cora also realises that she can have some sprees with Audrey. Strangely enough, when Audrey lets her Mother know that her disguise is blown but that she can handle it, she doesn't mention Cora's name to Mrs. Blain. Earlier in this article, it is written of the enmity between Mrs Blain and Cora's Mother when they were girls at school. Whilst observing Florrie going about her duties at Morcove, certain mannerisms of hers idly set the Study 12 Coterie wondering, and they start to wonder about these mannerisms and where they have seen them before. Betty is the first to put two and two together, and when they visit the Old Grange to try and see Norma, they – especially Betty, in speaking to 'Mrs Halden' that she reminds them of someone they have seen before. So they check the school official photos and come to the astonishing conclusion that Mrs Halden could be Mrs Blain, and that Florrie could in fact, be Audrey! In fact, the woman on the island seemed distantly familiar and could in fact be Mrs Halden herself. Mrs Halden refuses to allow any contact between Norma and the Morcove girls, and this strange scenario also puzzles the Coterie.
Meanwhile, Norma has tumbled to the fact that the Haldens are up to something illegal, and she is alarmed, which rouses Mrs Halden's suspicions. Mrs Halden secretes Norma away to a disused attic right at the top of the huge Old Grange. is getting rather alarmed at Norma's manner and behaviour, and so she hides her away at the top of the mansion. When Morcove again visit, Mrs Halden treats them with the height of rudeness and tells them that Norma was called away due to a sick relative, and that they are also to blame for unsettling Norma. The Coterie are not satisfied with this, however go away saying nothing.
After a special celebration with Stormwood, Morcove are on their way back to Morcove one dark and cold night, and the bus breaks down. Whilst trying to move the bus off the road, they notice a vehicle come tearing towards them. SO 283: On came the car, at certainly fifteen miles an hour, until it was within a hundred yards of the stranded 'bus and its passengers. Then, to the utter amazement of those standing about in the road, the driver of the car, seeming to see a chance of steering past the derelict quite easily, put on speed. With a sudden rush, the large motor-car raced by, so swiftly that there were those who had no time to see much of the driver, especially as he was huddling down as if to avoid being noticed. But Betty and her chums, they saw!
It was Mr Halden (Blain), leaving the Old Grange to dispose of a load of the smuggled goods. The Morcove contingent have no option but to tramp it back to the school, and on the way past the Old Grange, the Coterie call out to Norma. She hears them shouting and is buoyed up by the event. Unfortunately, Mrs Halden also hears them and goes up to check on Norma, who feigns sleep. This unnerves Mrs Halden who believes that there is trouble ahead.
This 'tearing through the countryside at such an unbelievable speed' makes for riveting reading, but however is rather charming, considering that the story was published in July, 1926.
One stormy day, Cora goes on an unplanned visit to the Old Grange, where Audrey is alone, due to the Haldens and Hannah being out. Audrey boasts to Cora that Norma hasn't gone away as generally believed, but is locked away at the top of the house. They go upstairs and start to torment Norma, who with a sudden show of strength, manages to burst her way past the tormentors and escapes outside. On that same stormy day, the Coterie are out and about , and also want to visit Norma as they are by now really concerned as to why they haven't heard from her..Whilst Audrey and Cora are still upstairs and reeling from the shock of Norma actually escaping their clutches, Betty & Co arrive at the Old Grange. No answer to their knock, so they go round the back. Audrey and Cora see them, so quick witted Audrey locks Cora in the attic that Norma has escaped from and goes and hides herself. Betty & Co see the back door open, so they shout to see if anyone is there, and they don't enter the house proper, even though Polly, with all her impetuousity is tempted to! Audrey, in her panic, desperate to get hold of Norma, and desperate in case Morcove catch sight of her, sees a way of escape, which she does, and as luck would have it, she eventually comes across an exhausted Norma who is heading for the main road which leads past Morcove. and as even more luck would have it, Mrs Blain and Hannah loom up out of the misty rainstorm and so Norma's fate of remaining free is eluded. Audrey quick wittedly explains the situation to her Mother in not so many words, and says its best not to go back to the Old Grange due to the Morcove contingent being in the vicinity. So they seek shelter in a cattle byre nearby, with Hannah having to carry Norma because she has collapsed. Meanwhile, Betty & Co realise that nothing is doing at the Old Grange, so they, and on the way back to Morcove, seek shelter at the self same cattle byre. Here, they are surprised to see Mrs Halden, who says she is sheltering from the rain. In betweentimes, poor Norma has run almost right into the arms of Audrey, who, after
Note: The SGOL version of an earlier serial in the SO is usually heavily edited. In this case, a full description of Betty & Co running into Mrs Halden sheltering in the same byre is omitted in the SO, and it makes for interesting reading as it gives a great description of Mrs Halden's quick wittedness in a desperate situation, and the Morcove girls seeking shelter and conversing with Mrs Halden, whilst Audrey, and Hannah carrying Norma make their escape. Mrs Halden makes a small slip of the tongue which instantly the girls pick up upon.
Eventually the 'seething, silver sheet of rain' (One of Horace Phillips' superb descriptions) eases off and so the girls have no choice but to make it back to Morcove, where they feel they haven't accomplished anything in their quest to see if Florrie is Audrey and Mrs Halden is Mrs Blain. Cora arrives back after them, sodden and sorry for herself.
Actually, it is Paula who comes up with the brilliant suggestion of the thumbprint solution, and naturally there is a lot of ribaldry directed at her for coming up with the obvious solution, especially from Polly. But at the end of the day, that is what they do. Madge finds a sheet of music in the old Morcove archives that Audrey used, and conveniently it has an inky thumbprint on it. They contrive to see ways of getting another thumbprint from Audrey, but Cora in one of her eavesdropping moments, warns Audrey that her cover is blown and so their original plan of getting a thumbprint from the specially treated Study 12 door comes to naught. Audrey in her audacity, treats the Coterie with shades of her earlier maliciousness when asked to come to Study 12, and later on goes out in the evening to the Old Grange to let her parents know the latest developments. Mrs Halden, when told that it is Cora who has warned Audrey, seems content. There is again no mention of what happened earlier as a girl, with Cora's Mother. Whilst they are talking, they hear a strange scratching sound from somewhere in the nightbound house, and go and thinking it may be Norma, hidden up in the attics, but she seems to be asleep. Mrs Halden thinks there could be rodents around the place, and satisfies herself with this. But, it is Norma, slowly and methodically trying to work out an escape from her little prison! Polly eventually hits upon another solution and comes up with a thumbprint taken from Audrey's hairbrush using the special treatment, whilst 'Florist' was busy serving the girls their lunch. They compare the thumbprints and their suspicions are confirmed! Whilst they are comparing thumbprints, Audrey goes up to her room and discovers that her hairbrush is missing. She falls apart. Reeling from the shock, also comes with the realisation that she has been beaten after all by her enemies, the Study 12 Coterie, especially Betty. All of her high flung ideals of revenge to get 'one' over Betty have not come to fruition, and never will, so she has lost out all along.
SO 284: "My thumbprint! They have been trying to get one from me! That's what they were after last evening, and now - Oh," she moaned to herself, as if driven crazy with fear, "they have got it at last! My thumbprint!'
She flees Morcove over to the Old Grange -
Sobbing for breath, she laboured on, and at last her eager steps carried the terrified girl up the gloomy avenue to the old stone porch of the lonely country house.
Urgently she pealed at the bell. It might have been a fire-alarm, such was the violent clangour of the bell that disturbed the deep silence.
No wonder the door was unchained in a few moments, unlocked, and drawn wide. Mrs. Blain herself stood revealed, her handsome face already as white as death with alarm.
Audrey, totally unravelled, breathlessly tells her Mother that their cover is finally blown, and it is only a matter of time before the Coterie go to Miss Somerfield with their sensational findings. They realise they have to go as there is no Mr Blain to turn to, as he is away with the car - unloading another cache do doubt. The only solution Mrs Blain says, to get to Gull Island in their boat and wait there, as there is to be a drop off at the Island that night. They will have to take Norma with them as well, and if they can gain this boat, they can go abroad and be safe from conviction. So they go upstairs to where Norma is imprisoned and find her....GONE! They look out of the window in their consternation, and find Norma running hard for Morcove, and that Morcove is running for the Old Grange.
SO 284: Norma had escaped! Girls of Morcove School were even now racing towards this lonely country house that had been nothing else than a smugglers' lair, and so, in utter panic, the mother and daughter, with old Hannah, fled as for their lives!
In desperation the trio come down the steep descent from the top of the cliff adjacent to the Old Grange and gain access to their boat that will take them to safety, as they think. They land on Gull Island, and are just beginning to relax as Mrs Blain thinks the last place to be searched will be Gull Island. Audrey looks towards the mainland, AND sees Morcove in pursuit.
So, they get back on their boat and head for the open sea, and the last we see and read of Audrey is in their motor boat, along with Mrs Blain and Hannah. Reeling from desperation they flee, from Gull Island, heading for the open sea, leaving their contraband behind, and hoping that the expected foreign vessel will eventually see them floundering around in the sea and will come to their aid. Mr Blain has of course, flown the coop earlier with a load of contraband, hoping to dispose of it.
By the time Betty & Co reach Gull Island, they are secretly glad that the Blains have gone, as the humiliation to be suffered by the Blains if they were captured in front of them would be too much to bear. It isn't long before the Police and Revenue arrive, and so Gull Island reveals the several hiding places dotted around where the costly silks are hidden. Betty & Co are in for a huge reward due to their part in smashing the smuggling racket, and they donate all of this to Norma for her future. What happens to Norma is unknown, however she is free of the Blains. As for the Blains themselves, no one knows either.
SO 284: What paths the one-time smugglers are treading now, who can tell? Betty & Co often wonder. And just as often they wonder whether some day, somewhere, Audrey herself will turn up again!
“Well, you never know!” says Polly. “She may!”
And perhaps, indeed she will!
But, she didn’t.
In SO 449 – Morcove Magazine, there is a feature on former characters at Morcove. This particular issue features Audrey Blain, written by Tess Trelawney.
It is attached here. Who actually wrote the article had the wrong information, as it was Stormwood that Audrey went to, and not Rivermere as mentioned. As far as known, Rivermere is not mentioned at all during the Morcove saga.
