A warm, comfortable living room. Mum reads her novel on the armchair. Dad sits studying papers on the sofa; his daughter leans against him as she revises for the following day’s test.
The gentleman glances at the clock, and places a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Time to be getting ready for bed, my dear.” They both haul themselves to their feet, the girl going over to kiss her mother.
The father continues, “I’ll come in and say goodnight once you’re in bed: I just have to pop over to my office to deal with something first.”
“Do you have to?” she pleads, scanning his face for hints that he might stay.
He took his girl by the shoulders, holding her tight. Understanding. “I’m afraid I do.”
And so the Housemaster unlocks the door that leads from his family’s living quarters to the school proper.
And the girl heads to bed, to contemplate her best friend’s imminent fate.
How fortunate we are that there are housemasters who do not wilt in the face of such an arduous, but necessary task. My ‘housemaster”s only regret is that he didn’t instigate corrective and remedial education of my recalcitrant behaviour some time ago.
What a lovely best friend she has! Giving her some lovely images to take to bed and think about, hope Daddy doesn’t find her ‘thinking’ too hard when he comes up to say goodnight!