scarlett faces consequences
A scandal brews at the Parker Institute for Young Women. There have been accusations of a ring of students stealing and selling content and test answers. This is the kind of scandal that can give the Institute a black eye, or even worse, bring it all crashing down -- despite its impeccable track record of producing young women ready to take on the world successfully.
Headmistress Viola Parker, seeking to stem the situation before there is even a hint of scandal, brings madame Penelope, her protege and the head of the Institute's Standards, Code, and Discipline Department, in to participate in the investigation and interrogation of the six young women identified as having participated. Headmistress needs this handled ruthlessly and efficiently and simply cannot do all the work herself. This is a very serious situation that threatens her life's work.
And there was a reason that she made madame Penelope the head of this secretive department; the madame has a fearsome reputation amongst the students at the Institute, what with her dressing in severe black almost exclusively, her formal demeanor, her mysterious origins, and the reports of the discipline meted out. Few, if any, who are called to the Headmistress's office when madame is present, leave unscathed. Some of the older students refer to madame Penelope in different, less charitable ways, in hushed tones of course.
scarlett, arriving just in the nick of time, having lost track of the day as she played in the woods on campus, encounters a scary sight -- Headmistress Viola Parker, regal, formal, clearly upset at the situation, and standing next to her the madame.
scarlett nearly melts right there, with both the Headmistress, whom she adores, and the madame, who she is deathly afraid of, staring at her. She barely has time to take a breath when the Headmistress speaks. Followed by the madame, the two of them put her on edge immediately and she knows that she is in deep trouble, not only has she been identified in the conspiracy, she once again has failed to follow the uniform code. She can feel the resistance breaking down, but remains determined not to confess. She feigns not knowing why she is there or what is going on, or any involvement in the situation. But she can tell neither of her superiors is buying her protest.
madame Penelope refers to a thick file, sitting right next to her, invading her space, s is confused and upset and looks to the Headmistress for help, but none is coming. Things turn more serious when Headmistress directs her to the bench, which every student knows is used for corrective action.
Standing, nervously shifting, scarlett tries to remain calm and collected as Headmistress Viola and madame Penelope lob question after question at her, as they talk to one another and generally express disappointment in her and disbelief in her story.
Headmistress Viola strikes first. She exposes scarlett then delivers a paddling that nearly launches s into a tizzy. And then it is the madame's turn, she strikes hard and relentlessly. Each blow landing on scarlett's backside, sending a stinging feeling through her. What is even worse is when madame Penelope gets close and questions her or comments on her predicament; it is like she is looking directly into her soul.
Trying to hold back, s finds it harder and harder to do so. The combination of the Headmistress and the madame is nearly overwhelming. They tell scarlett that already three girls have confessed and that she will not be protected by any of them. They know that scarlett has a special affection for a certain classmate and yearns to please her. They immediately connect the dots and lay it all out for her, while at the same time delivering more punishment; it all becomes too much, especially when scarlett learns she may be expelled from the one school where she feels she can be herself.
Buckling, scarlett is given an opportunity for repentance, but nearly loses it when she is caught lying again. The punishment her bottom receives is vicious, both the Headmistress and the madame deliver a paddling that brings her nearly to tears. Headmistress determines that she can repent, but it will come at a price -- scarlett will become an informant, and will wear a collar signifying that she is on probation. She has seen other girls with the same collar and has been thankful that it is not her, again, girls talk and gossip and some of the rumors she has heard are hard to believe.
But now she will find out for herself...
