Bea Nevis was excited when she arrived at school on that bright sunny morning. Her mother was giving a tea party for Lord Belmore. He was the fifth earl to hold the title since it had been created in the eighteenth century. Bea’s mum was a special favourite of his because he was partial to redheads. He had long served on the board of the Girl’s Collegiate school. Bea had three invitations for her very best friends Jayne, Catherine and Peggy. All four girls had just turned fourteen.
At recess, the friends gathered together under the old oak tree and Bea passed out the invitations. She had expected cries of delight but all she got were looks of shock before her friends collapsed into helpless laughter.
Jayne was incredulous as she said, “I don’t believe that your mum can be throwing a tea party for that obese old man!”
Peggy chimed in, “I would feel like an idiot. I hear that he expects schoolgirls to sit on his lap and that he is into a bit of snuggling. Yuck!”
Catherine raised her eyebrows as she remarked, “Bea, your mum has to realise that this is a different generation. We are no longer prepared to be lap dogs for the local aristocrat. It is indecent!"
Bea frowned and shook her finger at her friends, as she launched into her speech. Bea’s best subject was history and she had all the facts at her fingertips:
“Okay, he was born in Australia where his dad was governor of New South Wales. He went to Winchester College in England. For your information, that was Winston Churchill’s school. He is a graduate of Oxford, was a barrister in London and in Ireland he has served as High Sherriff in two counties. Also, was a captain in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. How about that? And he lives at Castle Coole!”
The girls shrugged their shoulders and chorused, “So what?"
Bea stamped her foot and continued to press her case; by now, her face was flushed and her eyes were full of tears.
In shrill tones, she cried out,” Don’t you know Castle Coole is an eighteenth-century mansion? There is even a special bedroom where King George the Sixth slept.”
Catherine remarked,”Yeah, I have heard that his lordship lives there with his dotty old maid sisters and that he is not on speaking terms with any of them.”
Bea cried out in exasperation,”You girls have no respect for a true gentleman who has done so much for the people of Ireland. Haven’t you ever heard of noblesse oblige?”
Jayne retorted,”Sure have. The term means that the nobleman cares for the community. This doesn’t give him the right to fondle nubile schoolgirls.”
Peggy got the last word as she said, ‘I hear that he can wolf down a whole platter of sandwiches and can polish off an entire fruit cake while he does his bouncy-bounce. Sorry, Bea, tell your mum that we won’t be in attendance.”
The girls walked away, laughing loudly, as Bea retrieved the invitations from where they lay on the grass. She muttered to herself, “Mum will be furious. I know just what she will say. Something like, “this country is going to the dogs. What’s the matter with schoolgirls who have no respect for the traditions of the past?”
At recess, the friends gathered together under the old oak tree and Bea passed out the invitations. She had expected cries of delight but all she got were looks of shock before her friends collapsed into helpless laughter.
Jayne was incredulous as she said, “I don’t believe that your mum can be throwing a tea party for that obese old man!”
Peggy chimed in, “I would feel like an idiot. I hear that he expects schoolgirls to sit on his lap and that he is into a bit of snuggling. Yuck!”
Catherine raised her eyebrows as she remarked, “Bea, your mum has to realise that this is a different generation. We are no longer prepared to be lap dogs for the local aristocrat. It is indecent!"
Bea frowned and shook her finger at her friends, as she launched into her speech. Bea’s best subject was history and she had all the facts at her fingertips:
“Okay, he was born in Australia where his dad was governor of New South Wales. He went to Winchester College in England. For your information, that was Winston Churchill’s school. He is a graduate of Oxford, was a barrister in London and in Ireland he has served as High Sherriff in two counties. Also, was a captain in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. How about that? And he lives at Castle Coole!”
The girls shrugged their shoulders and chorused, “So what?"
Bea stamped her foot and continued to press her case; by now, her face was flushed and her eyes were full of tears.
In shrill tones, she cried out,” Don’t you know Castle Coole is an eighteenth-century mansion? There is even a special bedroom where King George the Sixth slept.”
Catherine remarked,”Yeah, I have heard that his lordship lives there with his dotty old maid sisters and that he is not on speaking terms with any of them.”
Bea cried out in exasperation,”You girls have no respect for a true gentleman who has done so much for the people of Ireland. Haven’t you ever heard of noblesse oblige?”
Jayne retorted,”Sure have. The term means that the nobleman cares for the community. This doesn’t give him the right to fondle nubile schoolgirls.”
Peggy got the last word as she said, ‘I hear that he can wolf down a whole platter of sandwiches and can polish off an entire fruit cake while he does his bouncy-bounce. Sorry, Bea, tell your mum that we won’t be in attendance.”
The girls walked away, laughing loudly, as Bea retrieved the invitations from where they lay on the grass. She muttered to herself, “Mum will be furious. I know just what she will say. Something like, “this country is going to the dogs. What’s the matter with schoolgirls who have no respect for the traditions of the past?”
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