Morcove’s Story Lines and Plots

By Sylvia Reed

Fallowfield School

SO 614-618, Polly Linton at Fallowfield School.  Not re-printed in The Schoolgirls’ Own Library.

Note:  Fallowfield House in italics represents the estate only, and not the school.

Fallowfield House, a couple of miles away from Morcove, was once the country seat of a nobleman.  This house has a Greek columned porch, and many outbuildings.  (Many of Phillips’ buildings, including Morcove, have a Greek columned porch).  Inside, there are magnificent reception rooms, a banqueting hall, and a ball room.  As with many mansions and country seats in Phillips’ Morcove country, Fallowfield House is a fine example.  Leonard Shields’ illustrations in this story are vivid, although not many are of the estate itself.  One is of the Morcove girls outside the front gates, which shows the heraldic influence of the estate.  From this and with Phillips’ detail of the estate, one can get a mental picture of the property.

Before the acquisition of Fallowfield House, Mrs Mortimer, and her daughter, Sylvia, ran their privately owned school in Sandcliffe.  (Sandcliffe seems to have a particular meaning for Horace Phillips because it is mentioned several times in the Morcove saga.  He also wrote an entirely unrelated story to Morcove featuring Sandcliffe, in the pseudonym of Joy Phillips, SGOL 690 Her Strange Task at Sandcliffe.) What their school is known as before the move, is unknown, but when the move is made it is known as Fallowfield School.  Mrs Mortimer wants to expand, and Fallowfield House is the place she thinks is best, to nurture her version of the future Society girl.   Oh, how quate!

Morcove learns of this new school, and whilst out riding one Winter’s afternoon, the Study 12 Coterie decide to go past Fallowfield House.  They are curious to see how things are shaping up.  Whilst they are looking around, Sylvia Mortimer comes over to them and enquires as to who they are.  Polly, of course, being Polly is outspoken, which doesn’t go down too well with Sylvia Mortimer.  Shortly afterward, Mrs Mortimer also makes an appearance.  She is gushingly ingratiating:

“Morcove girls?  How very pleased I am to see you!  You are only a couple of miles across the moor, aren’t you, and so – I am sure I hope that Fallowfield and Morcove will be great friends!”

 On the day of the arrival of the Fallowfield contingent, the Coterie decide to ride into Barncombe, to witness the event.  The arrival is by a special chartered Pullman train, travelling from Sandcliffe to Barncombe.  (Via Sandton Bay?)  No expense has been spared for the grand arrival.  Morcove are not impressed, but slightly amused by what they see:

“They reminded me, murmured Tess, looking very scornful, “of so many Coras -”

“And that’s about what they are!” nodded Biddy Loveland, merrily.  “Only more so!”

“Then where does Society, with a capital S, come in?” asked Betty.

“It doesn’t,” said Pam Willoughby serenely.  “There are no future Society girls amongst that lot.  I ought to know; I’ve met a few of the real thing.”

Also on the day of the arrival of the Fallowfield girls, and for reasons unbeknown to the reader at the time and to Polly, she is asked to return at once to Morcove.  There, she finds that her Father is with Miss Somerfield and Polly is told that she is to be a pupil at Fallowfield School, with no reason given.  Co-incidentally, Mr Minden visits Madge soon after the Coterie return back to Morcove.  Mr Minden frequently visits Madge as he lives in Barncombe, being being Lord Lundy’s agent.  When the two men meet at Morcove’s front entrance on their way out, Mr Linton snubs Mr Minden.  Madge is aghast, along with her Father.  Again, no reason is given to the reader.  But why?  (At this point in time, unbeknown to Polly, there is a feud between her Father and Mr Linton).  Polly also learns later on that Cora Grandways is also to be a pupil at Fallowfield.  Josiah Grandways obviously thinks Fallowfield will be a better place for Cora than Morcove, and Cora is delighted.  Polly of course, is totally devastated.  She goes, and finds that she cannot stand the place, and that Fallowfield doesn’t like her either.  Daphne Soames in particular, goes out of her way to make life difficult for Polly, although later on towards the end of the story it is Daphne who has cause for being grateful to Polly.

It is soon obvious that Mrs Mortimer has bitten off more than what she can chew.  She has overreached herself financially in the purchase of Fallowfield House and the associated expense of turning it into what she thinks is a school for the future Society girl.  Amongst the improvements are a golf course, set in the original park surrounding the house, along with heated pool and horse riding facilities.  Mrs Mortimer has also under estimated the exceedingly high reputation of Morcove School!  It is even whispered that she tried to enlist the support of Lundy of Barncombe Castle.  This of course didn’t eventuate, as Lady Lundy being such a staunch supporter of Morcove turned the request downright.  Mrs Mortimer’s daughter, Sylvia, is increasingly uneasy as well, and fears about the whole concept.  After Polly does something to annoys her:

Sylvia Mortimer repressed the inclination to administer a rebuke.  She had joked her mother about the intention to build up Fallowfield at the expense of Morcove; but at heart this nineteen year old daughter of the woman who had plunged was uneasy enough about the future.  If Fallowfield failed, then Sylvia herself would never know again the life that she had today.”

So, soon the wheeling and dealing begins in an effort to attract girls to Fallowfield.  Whether Mrs Mortimer approached Barncombe House and Stormwood School is unknown.

Cora arrives at Fallowfield, and is soon ingratiatingly making herself familiar with everything and everybody, but she does also see that the school is woefully underpatronised.  She is approached by Sylvia Mortimer, who outlines a proposed plan to poach girls from Morcove, if somehow a register of the girls could be illicitly be produced for Fallowfield’s use.  After all, Fallowfield is so tremendously superior to Morcove!  Cora enlists the help of Hetty Curzon with whom she is currently thick as thieves with and who is desperate to come to Fallowfield. (Although it is presumed that Judy’s Mother, Mrs Cardew is still responsible for Hetty’s financial support and Morcove and of course knows nothing about this!).  An amusing incident occurs when Daphne rides her horse to Morcove to deliver a note from Cora to Hetty. Horace Phillips, for all his seriousness, can be extremely droll in a tongue and cheek way.  This note marks the beginning of the conspiracy.  Daphne thinks she is so superior, but she cannot ride properly, and has absolutely no knowledge of horses.  When she arrives at Morcove, her horse is out of control, however she pretends that she has the upper hand and doesn’t want to lose face.  Of course, she does, and Pam is the one to come to the rescue, which she does in her quiet and capable way.  This infuriates Daphne, who continues to be ‘superior’ to the Study 12 Coterie.

Hetty visits Fallowfield and has the requested meeting with Cora, with the result that she does the deed, as she is given a kind of assurance from Cora that she will be accepted at Fallowfield on reduced fees. Hetty, with all her precocity loves the hothouse atmosphere of Fallowfield, but like Cora, she cannot see how such extravagance can be afforded.  Unfortunately, Miss Everard is blamed for carelessness with confidential information after it is discovered that information has been leaked out in the form of promotional material being sent to all of Morcove’s parents.  So, she is exceedingly hurt by Miss Somerfield’s attitude to her and she resigns from Morcove.  Later on in the story, it is rumoured that Miss Everard is to join Fallowfield, as she must have a position in order to pay for her ailing sister Florrie’s care, although this of course doesn’t come off in the end.

Meanwhile, Polly is having a traumatic time at Fallowfield, and cannot understand why she was transferred from Morcove, and why her Father has fallen out with Mr Minden.  Her only friend is Dixie, an ill treated, Clumber Spaniel which she has rescued and befriended.  (Incidentally, Horace Phillips names several dogs throughout the Morcove saga as Dixie.)

Madge, knowing how Polly is suffering at Fallowfield, decides to get herself transferred to Fallowfield, thus enabling Polly to return to Morcove.  Cora learns of this, and throws it in Polly’s face.

Daphne continues to give Polly a hard time and schemes to take away Dixie. Polly then decides to go home, to have things out with her Father, but of course on arrival, her parents are away and Polly is sternly ordered by her Uncle George who is looking after the place, to return to Fallowfield.  He also doesn’t enlighten Polly on the trouble between Mr Linton and Mr Minden.  Shortly after, Polly saves Daphne from serious injury when Daphne’s horse is again out of control, which results in Daphne beginning to see Polly in another light.  The two have an awkward conversation, and Daphne alludes to the fact that Cora was responsible in regard to Fallowfield’s proposed gain to Morcove’s loss and that Cora was also responsible for having caused the departure of Miss Everard.  This confidence enables Polly to go direct to Miss Somerfield about the whole business, which exposes the scheme and the innocence of Miss Everard.  On the day of the big meeting between prospective parents and Fallowfield, Polly has her say!  Mrs Mortimer’s scheme is exposed, she is angry, she threatens and commences revenge upon Polly until her brother Jack suddenly appears on the scene with the good news that the feud between Mr Linton and Mr Minden is over.  (Mr Minden, having financial savvy, advised Mr Linton to sell some shares which were going to lose out in a big way.  This he did, and he later learned that Mr Minden himself purchased them, at a colossal profit.  Of course, none of this was true and it was a clerical error that caused the whole shebang.  Naturally, the whole matter was satisfactorily resolved in the end!)

Fallowfield School does collapse.  Hetty remains at Morcove, her ambition not realised and she gradually goes on to expulsion.  It’s the end of school for Cora permanently.  Miss Everard returns to Morcove with open arms.  One wonders what becomes of Fallowfield House.  As with other estates, it doesn’t crop up again during the Morcove saga.  One also wonders how Sylvia Mortimer’s life shaped up after all!

Note:  Keith Bates has an excellent analysis of this very excellent story in his own Excel listing.