The Burling School Introduction Read online

  The Burling School

  An Introduction

  By Elizabeth Lennox

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  Copyright 2020

  ISBN13: 9781950451210

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited, unless you have the direct consent of the author.

  Table of Contents

  Whitney’s Arrival

  Tamara’s Arrival

  Lana’s Arrival

  Ella’s Arrival

  Willow’s Arrival

  Naya’s Arrival

  Cassy’s Arrival

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  A bit of insight into the ladies you’re about to get to know:

  A Note from Elizabeth:

  Dear reader – this novella has been updated so many times over the past several months and I keep adding new scenes to the story. Right now, it’s about 45 pages long – but it has not gone through my normal editing steps. For now, this story is free for everyone to read and enjoy – and I apologize for the typos. Once this series is over, I’ll polish this novella and release it to the retail sites, still for free, with all of the extra scenes included.

  For now, this novella is to introduce you to the six ladies that attended The Burling School (I wish I’d named it something else – I really dislike ‘Burling’ now).

  Enjoy – and please forgive the errors! I wasn’t intending to write this novella, but as usual, as I wrote the six full romance stories, this novella evolved in my mind.

  Whitney’s Arrival

  “You’re late, Ms. Dunworthy!” Ms. Hendricks announced, but without much heat. Her sharp eyes looked approvingly at the newest member of the teaching staff’s conservative, well-kept appearance as she hurried down the steps of the administrative building.

  “I apologize, Ms. Hendricks,” Whitney Dunworthy replied as she rushed down the stone steps with as much dignity as her tardiness would allow, smoothing her conservative tweed skirt down over her hips before straightening once again. Glancing at the other teachers standing at attention, Whitney imitated their proud stance and eliminated all emotions from her features. This was her first year here as a teacher and she wanted to make a good impression, wanting to impress both the headmistress as well as the other faculty members. Obviously, arriving late wasn’t a good start but she’d make up for her tardiness by being the best teacher the school had ever hired!

  “At least you are dressed appropriately,” Ms. Hendricks commented with approval. After a quick glance down the rest of the row of teachers and staff members, she moved away, walking to the front of the line where all of the faculty members were still standing stiff at attention. It was so similar to a drill Sargent’s efforts, Whitney had to smother her amusement.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Ms. Hendricks called out, her eyes moving over each of the staff members and Whitney would have sworn that everyone stiffened even more at the headmistress’ sharp tone, “in a few moments, the first of our young charges will arrive. We have two hundred young ladies attending our school this year. Included in that number are two princesses, several daughters of aristocrats and many more daughters of corporate leaders.”

  Ms. Hendricks paused, her wrinkled hand smoothing over her steel-grey hair that was pulled back so severely from her face that it actually pulled at the strict woman’s skin. “In a moment of inspiration, I even approved the application of a country music star’s daughter to attend. Every one of these girls is precious and talented and valuable. And every one of them will have some concerns about being away from home,” she continued. Ms. Hendricks only appeared to be hard and intimidating, but underneath all of her bluster, Whitney knew that the headmistress was a gentle, kind soul. “In addition, we have the mandated ten percent scholarship students.” This time, the woman glared at the teachers and staff, daring any of them to inquire as to the identities of the scholarship girls. “I’m not revealing identities, but giving you this information so that you know to treat all students equally. We do not educate based on a student’s parentage. We educate based on skill and talent. These young ladies are coming to us from all over the world and we will teach them all with vigor and an absolute dedication to our craft. Do I make myself clear?”

  Whitney nodded her head just as vigorously as the others, wondering why they were even having this pep talk. The teachers hired at this school were the best and the brightest and Whitney felt honored to be among the elite teaching here. But since she was still on probation as a teacher, she kept her silence. No rocking the boat, so to speak.

  Ms. Hendricks lifted her arm, pushing back the stiff, brown tweed cuff of her suit, glancing at the time. Whitney noticed that the woman wore a very non-descript watch. Nothing fancy was allowed, she knew. The students would be wearing hundred thousand dollar watches with the same deference to the timepiece’s value as other people wore a Walmart watch. The “demure” sparkly studs in their earlobes would be genuine diamonds of the finest quality. Their clothes would be from the designer’s showrooms and their hair trimmed and dyed by stylists charging more than Whitney earned in a month.

  She knew all of this, but she also knew that many of these young students were…unhappy. While the headmistress droned on about responsibility and decorum, Whitney thought about her own experience here at the Burling School. Whitney hadn’t been one of the daughters of a wealthy billionaire. Nor had she been a secret princess or any other sort of aristocrat. She’d been a scholarship student. The lowest of the low. While the faculty pretended that the girls’ identities were secret and the scholarship students anonymous, the reality was vastly and cruelly different. But she’d learned a great deal from this school and had created strong friendships. Whitney hadn’t had the money to spend a thousand dollars on a pair of shoes, but she was still good friends with several women who did. Because when it came right down to the nitty gritty, The Burling School rewarded grades and achievement.

  Hence, her application to teach at this school. She loved it! She loved the old stone buildings and the cramped dormitories, all of which created a level playing field for the students, rich and poor. She loved the energy created by so many young ladies walking around the campus. She’d gained so much from her four years at this school. Now she wanted to give back, to return the sense of happiness and stability she’d found within these ancient walls. Ms. Hendricks’s stodgy traditionalism aside, she knew that this school nurtured the students’ hearts and souls, not just their minds. Life here could be miserable for so many reasons. Whitney was determined to make it a happy time period for as many students as she could!

  “Ms. Dunworthy!” the headmistress snapped. Whitney jerked back to attention.

  “Yes, Ms. Hendricks?” she immediately replied, hearing the muted snickers of her co-workers. Obviously, a response had been required but, in Whitney’s meandering mind, she’d missed the moment.

  “Do you understand?” Ms. Hendricks asked again.

  “Absolutely!” Whitney replie
d, feeling as if she should curtsy or bow…or something. Instead, she stood stiffly straight, looking towards the stables in the distance.

  “Good,” Ms. Hendricks huffed with a sharp nod. “Then we are ready.”

  At that very moment, the first limousine drove through the gates of the school and Whitney almost clapped at yet another demonstration of Ms. Hendricks’ superior skills at anticipating…everything! Nothing got by that woman’s eagle eye! Whitney had no idea how the headmistress knew that the first student was arriving at that precise moment, but it was nothing short of amazing.

  The limousine came to a stop and the driver rushed around to the passenger door, opening it to a young girl, no more than thirteen, who stepped out and looked around. The girl had dark hair and dark eyes, already showing signs of the exotic, stunningly beautiful woman that she would become as she aged.

  “Good morning, Ms. El Hamid,” Ms. Hendricks called out to the girl, moving forward. “It is a pleasure to have you here.” Turning, the headmistress waved Whitney over. Whitney hurried forward, understanding her role at this point. “This is Ms. Dunworthy. She will be in charge of your dormitory and will take you to your room.”

  The girl blinked, her features completely devoid of any expression. Most girls her age showed various emotions ranging from fear to anger, with varying degrees of those emotions playing out over the first few hours or days as the girls settled into the school’s routines. But this girl, Whitney noted, didn’t show any emotion. None. Her dark, brown eyes turned to look up at Whitney but again, there was nothing in those eyes. Not anger, fear, nervousness or even interest.

  “Good morning, Ms. El Hamid,” Whitney greeted the girl. Nothing. No anxiety, no eagerness, fury or resentment at being sent so far away from her home. Not even a flicker of interest in her new home. “I’ll show you the way,” Whitney said to the girl. “If you could just grab your suitcases, we can be on our way.”

  This was the part of the greeting that all students initially complained about. The girls at the Burling School were taught to be independent and strong, both physically and mentally, right from the beginning so there was no confusion. For these girls, some of whom didn’t even pick their clothes up off of the floor and many who didn’t know where the laundry facilities were in their houses, carrying their own suitcases was a foreign concept.

  The girl simply stared back at Whitney, still with no expression.

  The driver hurried around the vehicle. “I’ll carry them, Your Highness,” he said quickly.

  Whitney knew that the headmistress was watching and this was a test. “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t allow titles, and the girls need to carry their own personal items. We teach all the ladies to be fiercely independent.”

  The driver looked up from the suitcases, startled by those words. He looked at Ms. El Hamid, then back up at Whitney. “Surely, I could just do it this one time,” he argued.

  Whitney could feel Ms. Hendricks’s eyes on her back. “I’m sorry, sir, but Ms. El Hamid is a strong, powerful woman. I have complete confidence that she can carry her own cases to her room.” Whitney tried to be strong in the face of this first test, but memories of her own first foray across the lawns of the stately school flashed into her mind. The other girls had all grumbled as they lugged their heavy cases across the grassy quad. The lucky ones had wheels on their cases, making it easier for the girls to simply roll them along the pathways. The freshmen who didn’t have an older sister who had attended the school, or those who hadn’t read through the introduction information which clearly stated that the girls would be required to bring their suitcases to their dorm rooms themselves and roller cases were recommended, usually lugged the heavy bags across the quad in stages, taking three or four trips depending on how much they’d brought.

  The driver still hesitated, not sure what to do but obviously horrified that his charge would be required to exert herself. “I could just…?”

  Whitney once again shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir. But she is very strong. Very capable.” Although, Whitney was starting to wonder if the girl spoke English. There still was no expression on her lovely features.

  But at the same moment that the thought crossed her mind, Ms. El Hamid walked over to the largest suitcase and took it in her hand. She grabbed several others, trying to carry all six cases at the same time.

  “You may come back, Ms. El Hamid,” Whitney offered. “There’s no need to make just one trip and no one will bother your cases here.”

  For a brief moment, the girl looked up at Whitney and there was a flash of…anger? Resentment? It was so fast, Whitney wasn’t sure she could accurately define it. But the girl carried several of her suitcases over to a small patch of grass, then took the largest in her hands. Without a word, she turned and looked at Whitney over her shoulder, silently commanding, “I’m ready. Please proceed!”

  Whitney nodded because she wasn’t sure what else to do. The girl was…gloriously disdainful! Whitney took note of the girl’s expression, wishing to emulate that look. But Whitney didn’t have the background that this girl apparently had. Ms. Hamid was obviously one of the two princesses arriving for the school year and had most likely been taught these expressions of disdain from the moment of her birth.

  “Excellent,” Whitney replied, “This way.” And she headed towards the dormitory area. “Only freshman arrive today,” she explained. “So you won’t need to deal with the older students that are already familiar with the campus. The sophomores through seniors arrive next week. By that point, you will be familiar with the campus and will have made friends,” Whitney explained. Nothing. Not a word in reply.

  She continued towards the stone building. “All freshman are scheduled to arrive over the next few hours. There will be twelve girls on the third floor of our dormitory. There are four bedrooms, with three to a room.” That last part was probably unnecessary since the girl was most likely fully capable of doing the math. Still, the girl lugged her heavy suitcase in silence.

  “I read your entrance essay,” Whitney started off on a new topic since the layout of the school didn’t seem to be very interesting to this girl. “I thought it was brilliant.” Actually, Whitney suspected that someone else had written the essay. It was a bit…too brilliant, she’d thought. If this girl had gotten someone else to write that entrance essay, she was in for a rude surprise here. There was no one here to write her papers for her so she’d have to learn fast or the beautiful girl would be sent home.

  Still…nothing. No reaction.

  Taking a different approach, she talked about the social aspect of the school. “I know that this is a girls’ boarding school, but never fear,” she smiled, “there is a boys’ school several miles away and we organize many social activities throughout the year.” They’d reached the dormitory and Whitney opened the door for the girl, allowing her to enter first. “Go to the right and head on up the stairs,” Whitney explained, then looked back to make sure that they were still alone. Following the girl inside, Whitney took pity on the girl and grabbed the other side of the suitcase. “The stairs are very difficult,” she explained and, finally, there was a bit of a reaction from the girl. Surprise? “We’re on the third floor,” Whitney said and hefted the end of the heavy suitcase higher. “It’s an advantage most of the time, but not on move-in day.”

  The girl’s eyes shuttered once again as they carried the heavy case up the three flights of stairs. “You’re in the room to the right,” Whitney directed and the girl headed there without question. “Choose any of the beds, since you’re the first one here.” The girl headed directly towards the bed in the corner. The darkest corner. There were two windows on one side with a bed under each, then another bed on the other side of the room. Each bed had a night stand with a lamp on one side, a desk with a bookshelf at the end of the bed, and a tall wardrobe on the other side of the bed. At the moment, the walls were stark white, but in a few weeks, maybe even days, the walls would be covered with posters and postcards fr
om home, pictures and personal items.

  “There you go,” Whitney sighed and helped the girl lift the suitcase onto the bed. “Now,” dusting off her hands, “let’s head back and you can get the other suitcases and, maybe, another one of your roommates will have arrived as well.”

  The girl looked around, her face blank. It wasn’t a small room, but there wasn’t a great deal of extra space. Whitney’s heart went out to the girl. She was in a strange world, a new country and had just carried a heavy piece of luggage awkwardly across a strange campus. She knew no one and had no idea what to expect. Whitney understood what was going through this girl’s mind and wished that there was some way to ease her fears that were well hidden behind that blank facial expression. But Whitney knew that it would just take a bit of time for everyone to settle in.

  “Okay, so…I sleep in this room,” Whitney explained as they headed towards the stairway again. “I live here full time but I also teach grammar and several different genres of literature. I hope that you’ll sign up for some of my classes, but as your dormitory monitor, I know that we’ll get to know each other very well over the next four years.”

  “Four?” the girl finally asked.

  Whitney smiled gently. “Of course. You’ll most likely be in this dormitory for the next four years and I’ll help you through all of the challenges that you’ll face.”

  The girl’s face flashed with another emotion for a very brief moment, but once again, Whitney couldn’t translate the look before it disappeared.

  “So these boys I mentioned,” she started off. “They are…”

  They’d reached the stack of suitcases by the long driveway again, waiting to be brought up to the dorms and the girl turned to face Whitney. “I’ve been engaged since birth, Ms. Dunworthy,” Tamara el Hamid said politely but with a stiffness to her voice that sounded strange. “I’m not allowed to associate with boys.” With that statement hanging in the air, Ms. El Hamid lifted four more suitcases into her arms and started back towards the dormitory once more.