A Problem for the Chalet School Quiz

Answer: Tom Gay

Rosamund has reservations about the scholarship as she worries the other girls will look down on her, and she is nervous about travelling far away from home, but her teacher Miss Keatinge encourages her to go. Joan accuses Rosamund of being a snob and sucking up to the vicar's wife. Mrs Gay comes to visit the Lilleys and explains why Rosamund was chosen for the scholarship, and that it will cover things like uniform and transport as well as fees.

She also takes Rosamund aside and explains that the Gays wanted to give the scholarship as a sign of gratitude, after Canon Gay got a new job, and that she hopes Rosamund will do her best.

Answer: Housemaid

Joan repeatedly throws Rosamund's background in her face, reminding her that her mother was a servant, while Mrs Baker was 'a young lady in a shop', which does not help Rosamund's class anxiety. It is implied that Rosamund's good manners are the result of her mother learning 'proper' ways of behaviour from her old employer.

As Mrs Lilley later says in her letter to Rosamund, she named her after her old employer, who told her that 'anyone could be a lady'. Mr Lilley is a market gardener and also grows roses in his spare time, and Rosamund herself is interested in flowers and knows quite a bit about them, which later helps to break the ice with some of her classmates.

Answer: 9

Joey gave birth to Cecil, her ninth child, in 'A Genius at the Chalet School', and Cecil is a baby in this book. She has black hair like her mum and Con. The Maynard triplets are thirteen, and Margot is in a lower form than Len and Con. Rosamund is going to be in Len's form, so Joey asks Len to look after her while she settles in.

While they're still at home, the triplets all take it in turns to look in on Cecil. Margot is sewing a nightdress for a poor child in Austria, and Joey encourages her to see it as a gift to Jesus. Len is somewhat bemused by Rosamund's speech, but the two soon become friends and Rosamund turns out to be a fan of Joey's books, and is delighted to hear that she is also Len's mother.

Answer: Her father won the pools.

Rosamund's family tell her in their letters that the Bakers have had a big win on the pools and are moving house, and Mr Baker wants to transfer Joan and her younger sister Pam to a better school. Her older sister Edna has dumped her fiancé and quit her job, and Joan herself has abandoned her old friends. Miss Annersley receives a letter from Herbert Baker asking if his granddaughter can start at the Chalet School and mentioning that she knows one of the new girls, which the teachers figure out must be Rosamund. Miss Annersley is reluctant to take her as she knows little about her, and asks Miss Dene to send a prospectus.

A few days later, Rosamund is summoned to Miss Annersley's study and is shocked to find that Joan is now a Chalet School pupil. Joan gloats that Miss Annersley didn't want to take her, but had to accept in the end, and that if Rosamund doesn't look after her, Joan will tell everyone about her background.

Answer: Big hoop earrings

The Sixth Forms organise progressive games for the younger girls as part of their Saturday night fun, such as word games and picking peas up with knitting needles. The girls change into dresses and Joan shocks the others when she turns up wearing a short red and black dress that is far too old for her, red beads, a large cameo brooch, and lots of make-up (which is banned for girls under sixteen).

She also has a perm. Joan sneers at the games and complains that they are boring and not much fun without boys, embarrassing Rosamund.

At Prayers, Joan is surprised to see Rosamund joining in, and that the girls are expected to have a wash and say their prayers before bedtime.

Answer: Old Frozen Limit

Joan has problems fitting in as she cannot speak French or German, which makes French day very difficult when Elinor Pennell, her dormitory prefect, insists on speaking to her in French. She also gets told off by Matron - who she calls 'Old Frozen Limit' - for wearing make-up and is ordered to remove it, and to get rid of several dresses which are considered to be inappropriate.

She has to settle for wearing a blue dress that her grandfather picked. When the girls are on a walk, Rosamund mentions that she has been invited over to Freudesheim and Joan tries to invite herself, and accuses Rosamund of being a snob when Rosamund begs her not to ask the triplets for an invite.

Answer: Maria Marani

Rosamund goes to Freudesheim and meets Maria Marani, who has replaced Beth Chester (who is getting married) and is helping look after Joey's younger children. Maria is shocked to see that the triplets are teenagers now, and Joey reminds her of the time in 'The Chalet School and Jo' when Maria got her head stuck in the back of a chair. Joey shows Rosamund her rose garden, knowing that her father is a gardener and wanting to see how Rosamund will react. Sure enough, Rosamund talks enthusiastically about her father's job and ends up telling Joey what Joan has said about the other girls looking down on her. Joey reassures her that none of the Chalet School girls will ever think less of her because she is working-class, and that it is her personality that really matters.

Answer: Tennis

Things are going from bad to worse with Joan. Not only are her languages non-existent, but she also gets into trouble for talking to younger girls about boys and interrupting prep sessions, and gets a Head's Report after Betsy Lucy, the Head Girl, kicks Joan out of prep and Joan is rude to her.

The other girls in her form are angry with her for disrupting their prep and Miss O'Ryan overhears Joan swearing at Alicia Leonard and forbids her from speaking for the rest of the day. She is frequently rude to prefects and Mary-Lou worries that Joan is going to be expelled if she carries on.

After a talk with Jack Maynard, she reluctantly decides to help coach Joan in tennis, as Joan likes tennis and Jack suggests Mary-Lou find something to bond with her over.

While the other girls go on various trips, Joan is invited to spend the half-term at Mary-Lou and Verity-Ann Carey's home. Katharine Gordon also joins them, as her aunt is away in the Tyrol.

Answer: Simone de Bersac

Half-term is a week earlier than usual, and as a result, many of the girls have to rearrange their plans, with some staying at the school. Miss Annersley and Miss Dene organise excursions for various groups, with prefects and mistresses assigned to look after them. Andre de Bersac, Simone's husband, phones Freudesheim to say that Simone has given birth to their second son, named Jean-Marie-José - Miss Dene has to take the call as Joey is in Montreux, Jack is at work and Anna, the Maynards' maid, barely speaks French - and Miss Annersley announces the news to the school. Andre is sending over baskets of apricots and strawberries as a present, and Simone asks if the girls can have an extra day added to their half-term, which Miss Annersley agrees, especially as the older girls have exams coming up and need a break.

Answer: She heard Katharine and Mary-Lou talking about her.

Rosamund is recovering from a tooth removal and is very tired, so Hilary looks after her and they have a quiet day together while the other girls are sightseeing. Rosamund sees Joan and runs across a busy road to her, angering Hilary. Joan tells them that she has run away from the Careys' house and is planning on going back to England, but refuses to elaborate why, and lashes out at both girls. Hilary and Rosamund take Joan back to the boarding house where they are staying after Rosamund lets the school know Joan is with them. Miss Wilmot, who is in charge of the group, tries to talk to Joan but gets nothing out of her, so she takes Joan to Frieda von Ahlen's house and then to Miss Annersley, who is in Montreux, while Miss O'Ryan gives up her holiday with Frieda to take over supervision of the group. Joan eventually breaks down in front of Miss Annersley and reveals that she eavesdropped on Katharine and Mary-Lou saying that they were going to carry on being decent to her until she was as decent as any other Chalet School girl, and was so upset that she left the Careys' house immediately. Joan later goes to Freudesheim and confesses to Joey, who invites Mary-Lou and Katharine over so she can apologise and own up to them. Both girls forgive her, though Katharine tells her not to forget in case she slips up again.