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Home! Sara was finally home after so long! Becky ran in shortly after her mistress, carrying both their bags. "W-wait for me, Miss!"
"Sara, can I talk with you a minute in my study?" Mr. Carrisford spoke as he came out of the carriage. Sara nodded, "Yes, Uncle Tom," and ran to his study, waiting patiently as Boris put his head on her knee as he always did. After a few minutes, Mr. Carrisford came in, now without a hat, coat, and cane, sitting down at his desk as Sara settled across from him.
"Now, Sara, I want to talk about your education. I know you promised that wo-... Miss Minchin that you would return to her school..." Mr. Carrisford struggled to hold in his anger, which had only flashed itself once in front of Sara, terrifying the girl. He managed to calm himself before he continued, "But I believe a governess would be better for you, given the circumstances."
"Oh, Uncle Tom, it's not as if I shall live there anymore, my home is here. I'll only be a day pupil, and come back in time for afternoon tea." Sara didn't exactly argue, she was much too polite for that, but she didn't like to go back on her promises. He continued, "I'm glad you think so, but considering the way you and Becky were treated there, I cannot send you there in good conscience. Of course, I will not ban any of the girls from the school from coming over if you invite them, but for your sake, I do not want you to step foot in that school, even as a day pupil. Is that understood?"
For a moment, Sara remained silent. She must admit, he did have good points. Very good points. What's to say Miss Minchin won't treat her cruelly as a student? And there's no way she would accept Becky as a student. "Alright, Uncle Tom. But what will I tell her when I'm not there?"
"You need not worry, little missus. I'll write a letter explaining my decision." He patted her head, "now, go up and unpack your things, and I'll call you and Becky when supper is ready." She nodded and went up to her room, as the man prepared to write a letter.
Upstairs, Sara told Becky that she was no longer to be a student at Miss Minchin's school.
"Oh, thank God!" Becky exclaimed in relief. "I'm glad you won't have to go back." Yes, as supportive that Becky tried to be, she could not understand why Sara even wanted to go back to a place with a cruel owner, such heartless dragons for staff, and, in her eyes, even crueler students.
"Oh, you too, Becky?"
"Well... I don't understand why you promised you'd return when you came back here. She accused you of arson and threw you out!"
Sara sat down on her bed, "I don't understand why myself. I thought perhaps... she could use the money... but, Emrengarde still says she's cruel. Amelia does stop her much more often, but..." Sara sighed out, "I really thought she would have changed for the better."
"Oh, Miss..." Becky sat down next to her, "sometimes you can't be kind to everyone. Pastor Jonathan, he's a pastor in Ashfield, said something like that in a sermon before I came here... 'When you're kind to everyone, you're cruel to those that need help the most'... Or something like that. He said it much more eloquently..."
"Oh, but I'd never be cruel! At least... I never meant to be..."
"I know you wouldn't Miss... Still, I... I don't think I can ever forgive her for all she did to you! I just...I just don't understand how you can forgive someone like her!" With this statement, Sara started to tremble as if she felt a sudden chill rush up her back, somehow feeling hollow yet as if a brick was sinking into her stomach, unsure what to think or do as her feelings swirled about her in a dark cloud that took over her body. Sara sunk to the floor, crying herself into hysterics.
"Sara! Sara!" Becky tried to bring Sara back to her senses, shaking her, but just couldn't bring her back, frantically calling out "Mr. Carrisford! Mr. Carrisford!" A maid just so happened to hear and reported it to the master of the house, while Ram Dass applied smelling salts, calming Sara significantly until her crying was barely above a whisper and eventually fell asleep. While Becky and Ram Dass put Sara to bed with a cold compress, this reaction alone made Mr. Carrisford double down on his decision. He turned to Becky, ordering her gently, "Keep an eye on her, and let me know when she wakes up. I'll have some weak tea and broth sent up." Becky nodded, determined to care for her mistress.
Now alone in his office, Thomas Carrisford sat at his desk, indignant and furious, "She hides so much in her heart..." Then, took out a picture of his old friend Ralph Crewe, along with his wife and Sara, no more than three in the photo, taken shortly before the woman's illness. "Don't worry, old boy, I'm taking care of your little princess, and I will keep her safe."
The note arrived at Miss Minchin's desk the next morning, shortly before lessons were to start. Amelia was the one who answered the door, and took the letter to her sister in her office.
"Amelia, what is the meaning of this?" Miss Minchin was a little irritable that morning. Perhaps she'd gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Amelia presented the note to her sister, "Well, it's addressed to you, from the man next door."
"Ah, Mr. Carrisford's returned from India! That means Sara should be back any time now," She was somewhat in good spirits at that news, but those good spirits were fleeting as she actually read the curt, formal note:
To the Headmistress of Miss Minchin's School,
Due to certain circumstances, I cannot allow my charge, Sara Francoise Crewe, to return to your academic institution, though I hesitate to call it an academic institution, considering the situation. She shall remain at home with me, and I shall procure a governess for her. You need not worry or be anxious about her education or well being, I'm sure I can find some one more qualified to fill the job than what I believe your school can provide.
From,
Thomas Carrisford.
The letter had Miss Minchin fuming. "She's... she's not coming back?!" After yelling several expletives that need not be repeated, Amelia tried to calm down her sister, but was interrupted, "That little slattern! Spreading lies about my school!" She went to get her coat and hat. "Maria! What about classes?!"
"You're not entirely stupid! Think of something yourself!" The door opened quite suddenly as Jessie, Gertrude, and Jennifer were eavesdropping. Too sour in a mood to reprimand them, she brushed them aside as if she didn't see them at all, determined to make her way next door.
Meanwhile, Mr. Carrisford had just ordered Sara to rest today. She was clearly tired from traveling, and that outburst... Becky made herself content to keep Sara entertained, helping her dress Emily, reading to her, and telling stories as Sara recovered her senses.
Shortly after nine-thirty, there was a knock at the door, and Ram Dass had opened it, giving a slight, polite salaam to Miss Minchin, who demanded, "Where is your master? I have important maters to discus with him."
"Ah, yes, he is expecting you. Follow me." The man led her to his master's office. "I will alert him of your presence," and went in. Almost as quickly, he came out, "Mister Carrisford shall speak to you now." Bowing slightly as the headmistress entered, and closing the door behind her.
Miss Minchin spoke first, "What is the meaning of this letter?!" she demanded. Mr. Carrisford, however, remained composed as he began, "Only that I have changed my plans regarding Sara Crewe's education. I do not feel she will receive adequate education or care at your institution."
"Pardon me for asking, as it's none of my business, but what is the meaning of this change? As I remember last year, you were more than willing to let Sara remain student at my school."
"Yes, but as you surely understand, plans can and do change," he sighed out in exacerbation, the man's patience was thin enough as it is as she continued, "Yes, I'm aware of that, but certain parties... Well, they expect Sara's attendance, and, the last time the Lady Mayoress visited, she gave a significant donation-"
"So, it's just about money with you... Isn't One Hundred Thousand pounds a hefty amount of money for a school with only three instructors and two members of staff?" Mr. Carrisford grew suspicious.
"Well, yes..."
"One Hundred Thousand Pounds is, I believe, five times the worth of your school, as well as covers Miss Crewe's debt three times over. Is it really only about money with you?"
Miss Minchin grew nervous... Why couldn't it have been an eccentric uncle taking care of Sara from afar, and not... this?!
"She refuses to speak an ill word of you, but I know for a fact she was not treated well there. When I first called for a doctor for her on the boat to India to dress a sprained ankle, he said she was quite too thin for her age, bordering on frail. That's not even getting into the amount of work she was forced to do, all quite arduous tasks for a child of thirteen, and Sara was nine." As she was about to interject, Mr. Carrisford continued, "There's also the facts you allowed her to work herself to the point of illness, in her time of illness you hired some drunkard instead of a proper doctor, forced her to sleep in the stable just after her recovery, and threw her out onto the street on false charges."
"She's spreading lies about me!"
"Sara did not speak these things, Becky and Ram Dass told me. Becky was worried that you were trying to kill Sara."
"Of course not! I cared for Sara! I was, perhaps, too strict at times, I don't deny that, but Sara is neither a truthful or grateful child at all!" Miss Minchin had no real defense for her actions, instead, attacking Sara's character as she did before.
"Discipline is not all that's needed to teach a child. They need love, nurturing, and understanding, three qualities which you lack, my good woman."
"I am not unfeeling! I care for all my pupils! Sara Crewe was the most difficult pupil I've had in my twenty, no, thirty years of teaching, and-"
"I will not let you attack her any more than you already have. You are an incredibly lucky woman, Miss Minchin. I doubt that had Sara not be as forgiving as she is, you would be in prison based on just one of those charges, but I will not press any charges, for her sake. You are an utter disgrace to the institution of education!"
"She is the disgrace, not me!"
He slammed his hands on the desk and she flinched, "ENOUGH! If you're just here to attack me or Sara instead of actual business, than this meeting is over. It's none of my concern whether or not you lose certain benefactors. And, may I point out, quite frankly, it speaks quite ill of your character to nurse such a petty grudge against a child. Now, if you have no other business, I bid you good day." Defeated, the headmistress took her things, and left, her indignation and rage clear enough as she slammed the door behind her. Thomas sighed out as he sunk back into his chair.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Sara and Becky heard the argument, holding each other close as they trembled in fear, listening to the loud voices downstairs, while not really hearing any of the words, they could both make out Miss Minchin's squawky, acidic voice.
"It's okay, Sara, I'll keep you safe..." Becky consoled Sara, still quite weak from yesterday's hysterics, but tried to get her mind off of things and asked, "Perhaps, if I do get a governess... would it be alright if you joined me?"
Becky was shocked at this suggestion. To learn things alongside Sara! "I... I don't know.. I'm not clever like you..."
"Why don't you think so?"
"Well, I'm... I'm just not... smart at all. I didn't learn how to read until last year, math still confuses me, I don't know any French, and there's so much about the world I don't know..."
"Becky, I wish you wouldn't think of yourself like that. Even if you were horrifically stupid, which you are not, that doesn't mean anything unless you have a good heart, which I know for a fact you have one." Sara nuzzled into Becky's arms, making her loyal companion blush bright crimson.
The door opened quite suddenly, causing both girls to flinch. It was Mr. Carrisford. He saw the look of fear in their eyes, but soon that fear went away as he explained himself. Becky gave out a sigh of relief. "It's good Sara won't go back." Mr. Carrisford nodded, but Sara said nothing, staying still as big, fat tears welled up in her eyes.
"Sara, are you alright?" Mr. Carrisford asked, genuinely concerned for his young charge.
"I'm not brave... I'm not brave at all..." Sara started to cry freely, "I promised Papa I'd be a brave soldier... But I'm not brave at all..." Thomas took Sara in his arms,cradling the girl, comforting her and let her cry, feeling it was the best thing for her. Sara cried herself out, until it seemed her tears had dried up.
Then looked up at her guardian, "I really am scared of her, Uncle Tom, I'm glad I need not go back. I was afraid the whole time..."
"I know. Sara, that you've had to be brave for so long. You're more brave than I think I could ever be." He kept holding the girl, "But this bad feeling will go away, and someday it'll seem like nothing more than a bad dream."
"A-are you sure, Uncle Tom?" Sara sniffled a little as Becky dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, while Mr. Carrisford continued, "I speak from experience, Sara. But I will admit some days, even now, I still think back to bad times. But... you will be okay. I won't let anything like that happen again," and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. Sara couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you, Uncle Tom." He put her back under the blankets, gently ordering she have a good rest for the rest of the day. Before he left, Sara asked, "About the governess... Becky and I talked, and I'd like it if this governess could teach Becky too." He agreed.
After several weeks of searching, Thomas finally procured a suitable governess for Sara and Becky, a girl fresh out of college named Isadora Wentworth, or Miss Izzy, as she prefered to be called.Tutoring Becky, Miss Izzy was quite a bit more patient than perhaps an older governess or tutor would have been with someone who was two years behind in terms of skill, gently making corrections and never scolding for mistakes. In a pleasant contrast, she also didn't find Sara's relatively advanced intellect an insult, as some other governesses undoubtedly would, though she did find it a challenge to find things Sara didn't know. Still, Miss Izzy found it a joy to teach her new charges, and was eagerly welcomed every time she came, becoming an honorary part of the family by the end of the year.
Back at Miss Minchin's, the lack of Sara's return was quite obvious to the students, as fall gave way to early winter. One day, as Miss Minchin was picking up her books at the end of class after everyone had left, she overheard the older girls whispering amongst themselves in groups, as they usually did after class was over. But picked up some interesting bits of conversation.
"I heard Sara's gotten a governess." "Maybe we're too common for the princess now?" "I heard she and Mr. Carrisford had a fight about it." "Well, she did come back the other day all red in the face..." "Maybe she lost that fight like the one with Miss Amelia."
Unfortunately for them, Miss Minchin was in a temper, and overheard, slamming the books against the wall, "If I hear one more word of gossip, no one is getting supper tonight." and retreated up to her office, sulking "The girls talk... I know they will... I'll be ruined." Amelia, however, was unsympathetic and di not take to her elder sister's self-pity, "If you'd been less of a tyrant, you wouldn't worry about being ruined or not."
"I did nothng wrong!"
"Oh, shut up!" Amelia finally had enough of this stupid self-serving pity-party. "All of this is on you, Maria! Your stupid pride will be the death of us both! Just accept the fact Sara will not come back, and move on! It's honestly quite pathetic of you to go about like this." Maria wanted to say something, but she realized her foolish sister was indeed correct, and said nothing, preferring to sulk. Oh, she longed for the days when Amelia could be cotowed by a simple glance, but those days were over. Long over now. Now, her little sister was becoming bolder, refusing to keep quiet, and pointing out inconvenient truths.
Maria loathed when Amelia was right.