01x10 - The Dress

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O-B-L-I-Q-U-E. Oblique.
Spot on. Obstinate.

O-B-S-T-I-N-A-T-E.

Obstinate.

Correct! Morning, Mary Lou.
What are you two up to?

Practising Gwen's spelling.
I heard Potty likes to surprise

everyone with a spot
test towards the end of term.

Aren't surprises meant
to be a good thing?

Now, that's a good surprise,
if I ever saw one!

It's just a box. Not just any box.
See the ribbon?

The crepe.
That's a couture dress,

or I'm a Dutchman!

It's the season.

Malory Towers must have a debutante.
What's a debutante?

A girl taking her first
steps into society.

Coming of age.

Meeting the King!

King George?!

The actual King?!

At Buckingham Palace?! What are we
waiting for? Let's go see who it is!

A debutante at Malory Towers!

Are you worried about the test?

I could help you practise, if you
like.

No point. My spelling's appalling.

A-P-A-L... Actually, it's double P.

Not helping, Mary Lou!

Thankfully, Pamela's tutoring me
for spelling!

I told you, West Tower. They'll have
gone to the art room with it.

He went that way.
No, it was this way.

Don't be ridiculous! The art room's
the last place anyone would...

That's a ball gown. It's stunning!

Margaret, is it Dior?

It looks like Dior. No, but it is
couture. Beautiful, isn't it? Can I?

No-one is going anywhere near it
till the final fitting.

Look at those pearls. It is
for a debutante. Who is she?

Not my place to tell, is it?

Now, grubby fingers off. Scoot.

Bet you anything it's the Right
Honourable Camilla in West Tower.

Or Lady Sarah in upper sixth.

Just try one more time.
You're so close.

I'll never be able to do it!

And now I have word blindness,
what's the point?

Getting a diagnosis
is a positive thing.

It means we can start to remedy it -
that's why it's called remedial.

Well, I thought I wanted to be
a doctor, but how can I?

Just look at my writing.

Doctors have famously
terrible handwriting.

If anything, yours is too good.

Well, I'm awful at exams
and I'll need to pass my school

certificate
and then my university entrance.

Darrell Rivers, you can do anything
that you put your mind to.

The important thing is not giving
up. Follow your dreams.

I... I suppose, if you got through
the remedial process

and got a place at university,
I think I can, too.

Breakfast, as ordered.

Gwen, forgive me, but I don't think
this is your best, as monitor.

Actually, I was hoping
to have a word.

I...

There's a debutante in sixth form

and I think my skills would be
better used on her.

I'm not going to force you to be my
monitor. You're such a sport,

it's been an honour,
but I think it's time to move on.

Shall I make you some more?
Well, there's a position going.

Yes, please!

Would you like butter or jam?
Both, thank you.

I love teaching art - it reveals
so much about the artist's mind.

Nice detail to that gown,
Gwendoline.

Were you a debutante, Miss Potts?

Goodness, no!

I went to teacher training college -
marvellous opportunity.

I recommend further
education to any girl.

The only further education
I want is finishing school.

What's that?

It's where you learn to be a lady.

I can't think of anything worse
than more schoolwork.

Well, you're lucky to have a choice.

Girls, fold up your easels
and pack your things away.

We have the lower sixth
coming in here next.

Why is Pamela's name on this one?
She gave it to me.

We're discussing
options for the upper sixth.

This is my old college.

Pamela would make
a marvellous teacher.

I agree, Darrell.

But her plans have changed.
Pamela's leaving.

She isn't staying for upper
sixth form.

Mary Lou! Oh! Did you hear that?

Yes. I thought
it might be you sleepwalking again.

Were you sleepwalking?

No. Whoever it was just went out
the door. Come on! Let's go!

What if it's a ghost?

I'm not going anywhere. Fine.

Stay, then.

Be careful!

And pay your respects
to Lady Jane, Irene,

just in case!

Right.

Emily. What are you doing here?
I... I was following you.

Why? I thought
there must be a midnight feast.

Why else sneak around in the middle
of the night? I heard footsteps.

They just disappeared.
I think it's the ghost.

Don't tell me you still
believe in all that nonsense.

And I was so hungry!

Evening, Lady Jane.

Miss Potts, if there was someone,
let's say a friend of mine, who

started off in remedial but is doing
well and showing lots of promise...

Who is this friend,
who's tongue-tied,

who can't speak for themselves?

I think Pamela Worthington's family
are having financial problems.

She shouldn't have to leave school
because she can't afford it.

Darrell. I think
I need to show you something.

Come with me.

Excuse me. Excuse me.

What a frock! Who is she?

Girls! This is not a spectacle!
Everyone, please leave.

How come Darrell gets to stay?
It's my understanding that helping

with the dress fitting falls
within the remit of monitor.

That's why I'm here. I want to
be the debutante's monitor.

Until today, I thought you were.

You're the debutante?

This is never going to stay put.
We need a hair pin. Darrell.

Please could you pass me...?
No! Don't worry, Darrell. I will.

I've got an antique one you
could borrow - with a pearl.

It would match perfectly.
That's very nice of you, Gwen,

but it's my monitor's job to
fetch me things.

And a plain hair pin will do fine.
Darrell.

You never said you were
leaving this term.

The truth is, I only found out
myself very recently.

I'd hoped to stay for upper sixth,
but why prolong the inevitable?

This dress is to die for!

It really is magical.

What about Gosworth College?

What about it?

Well, I saw a clipping
with your name on it.

It was a nice idea, but... But what?
Why did you change your mind?

College can't be for me,
not now, anyway.

But if you want it,
you should fight for it.

You've always told me
to follow my dream.

Maybe I don't want it.
Maybe it's not my dream.

I don't believe that's true.
I have responsibilities, Darrell,

to my family.

A debutante's job is to find
a husband and provide an heir.

If she's a debutante,
she's not poor.

So, she could stay on.
She could go to college.

She's just choosing not to. Well,
maybe she doesn't have a choice.

Maybe her family are making her.
I'm not sure if she wants to.

All we really know for sure is that
it's not what you want.

What do you mean?

She's been so good to you, you'd
love for her to stay another year.

It's not about me. We know she was
looking into teacher training,

we know she's a marvellous tutor.
Yes.

Yes, but instead,
she's stuck in a frilly frock,

practising her curtsies.
I wish there was a way to help her.

She might be perfectly
happy with it.

She might be a Gwen, not a Darrell,
have you thought about that?

Put me through to Gosworth College,
please.

Do you really believe it was
the ghost we heard last night?

Debutante season is a very
traumatic time for her. Why?

She was madly in love. She didn't
want to have to marry someone else.

On the night of her first ball,

her highwayman crept in
and tied a love knot to her door

to show that his heart was hers,
no matter what.

That's actually quite a sweet story.
I was expecting something creepy.

And now the ghost in her debutante
dress returns at the same

time every year to look in vain
at the love knot at her door.

Yes, that's the sort of thing
I was expecting.

Wait.

What if there was a way to put
the ghost

of Lady Jane Malory to rest forever?

How?

What, if this year,
the love knot was there? What?

We tied it onto the door ourselves?
Exactly.

That might be all
she needs to find peace

and to stop haunting Malory Towers.
Brilliant!

Do you think it might work?

It's worth a try.
We'll do it tonight.

I've got a ribbon in my trunk.

Argh!

What are you doing in here?!
I'm Pamela's monitor, remember?

She asked me to fetch her shoes.

What are you doing here? I...

I just wanted to feel it. Careful!

I'm not going to do anything to it.

Satin's so flattering to the skin.

It makes you glow.
It's just a dress.

It's the most beautiful thing
I've ever seen!

I can't believe you don't
want to try it on.

I do. I don't.

You saw what it did to Pamela.

One minute, she was a school girl
and the next...

She's the same old Pamela.

She was a princess.

Don't you want to know how
that feels?

To be grown up?

You wanted to see me,
Miss Potts? Ah, yes, Pamela.

I thought we agreed you wouldn't be
pursuing Gosworth,

given the circumstances.
We did, I'm not.

Then why did the college call
about your place on the open day?

My what?!

If you go, another young lady,

who perhaps desperately wants
a place, may lose her chance.

I know that. I haven't booked...
I spoke to the head directly.

She said you called this morning.
I didn't, I swear to you.

Then who did?

Well?

It's...

I... I suppose it's pretty.

Rainbows are pretty.
This dress is breathtaking!

Well, I don't know.
It's just not very me.

That's the whole point.
I shouldn't have put this on.

Quick, help me
out of it before someone sees.

What on Earth?!

I'm sorry... Take it off!

Right now! I need that for tomorrow!

I trusted you, Darrell.

I'm deeply disappointed
in both of you!

It was you, wasn't it, Darrell?

You called the college and booked
me a place on the open day.

I'm sorry, I was only trying...
How dare you!

Do you really think you know
better than I do

what I want for my own life?

What's she talking about?

Just help me out of this.
I need to apologise and explain.

Stop! Wait!

Now look what you've done!

But that was you!

It certainly was not!

It was both of us.

Now, we need to find a way to fix
this before Pamela finds out.

Emily. Emily, we need you.

Quickly, your sewing kit.

Come on.

Where are we going? Doesn't matter.

Yes! Oh, no!

Please say you can fix it.

It's getting crumpled.

I'll put it on.

It'll be much easier
and quicker that way.

Golly, it's beautiful.

Ooh. Ouch. Gwen?

Yes, yes, perfectly fine back here.

All right, now read this as we walk.
What is it? A message to the ghost.

This better not be
one of your pranks, Alicia.

How could you think that?
I'm trying to help you.

Go on, before Matron comes
back for lights out. Read.

Lady Jane Malory,
hear us we implore,

find peace in the other world
with your love forever more.

Now... do it like it you mean it.

Lady Jane Malory... Sh!

Hear us we implore,

find peace in the other world
with your love forever more.

Forever more.

Maybe try singing it.

We're not singing it.
We're not singing it.

It must be there somewhere.

Well, if it is, I'm not seeing it.

Isn't there anything you can do?
Not without the last pearl.

Wait. Gwen...

didn't you say you had a pin
with a pearl on it?

Yes.

A pearl like the one
we're trying to find?

So?

A pearl, Gwen.

If it matches, I can fix it.

Six, seven, eight.

♪ Lady Jane Malory
Hear us we implore

♪ Find peace in the other world

♪ With your love forever more

♪ Mo-o-o-o-o-o-re. ♪

It's not working.

Maybe we got the wrong door.

Maybe we need more knots. Maybe...

Well, maybe...

I made the whole thing up.

That's not funny, Alicia.

Why would she do such a thing?

To teach you two a valuable lesson.

Don't believe
everything you're told.

You two are so gullible.

What's that?

It's the ghost!

Hold on.

Is that Gwen?

Here.

It does match, it's perfect.

Oh, Gwen, could we use it,
please, to save the day for Pamela?

It's very special to me.

You do realise I'm never
going to get it back?

I know, but... Oh, all right.

I'll make the sacrifice.
Oh, Gwen, I could hug you.

I'd rather you didn't. Hmph.

If it's all right with you two,

I have to go find Pamela
to explain everything.

Yes, yes, off you go.

Everything's under control here.

It suits you.

Hm. Most dresses do.

Hello, Darrell.

I know I'm the last person
you want to see right now,

but I just have to say
I'm sorry for everything.

I shouldn't have interfered.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have
snapped at you like that.

I shouldn't have called the college.

I thought that's what you wanted

and I thought you were being forced
to give up your dream.

Dreams can change.

There was a time when I thought I
might like to teach,

but my mother was a debutante.

She met my father
in her first season.

Well, you don't have to be one
just because your mother was.

It's not just about being
presented at court,

it's a whole tradition
in high society.

What do you mean?
I have no brothers.

The family estate will pass to me

and I'll need to run it
with my husband by my side.

It's a way of life
and it's one that's dying.

But do you want it?

I love that there are girls
out there, you know,

breaking with tradition,

who'll make new paths for
the rest of us to follow.

We can't all be pioneers,
Darrell Rivers.

It's what I want -

for my family and myself.

I hope I don't let you down.

You won't.

I, I don't know what
I'll do without you next year.

Miss Potts and Miss Grayling
will get you through -

they know a lot more about
word blindness than I do.

I wasn't talking about schoolwork.

Write to me next year, we can stay
friends. Can we? I'd love that.

So, I heard a rumour
about a spelling test.

It's late, but we might be able
to squeeze in one last lesson.

Pass me that.

We're going to do the hard ones.

I can't believe
you thought Gwen was the ghost.

Wait, Alicia thought Gwen
was the ghost?

We'll tell you all about it later.
No, you won't. Sh!

She's coming.

Have fun at the ball. I want
to hear all about it tomorrow.

Good luck with your curtsey.
Thank you.

You're going to be
head girl one day.

Hurry, the driver's waiting.

All right, girls, back to class.

She's wearing my pearl, do you know?

Come on.

My pearl is going to see
King George -

it's almost as if I'll be there.

All right, Your Royal Gwendoline,
give it a rest.

Oh, did you see her dress?

Girls, do you like surprises?

It's such a lovely day out,
I thought perhaps we should have...

a spelling test.

Pencils and papers out.

You've got this. I know.

Number one - appalling.

Miss Potts, could you put
it in a sentence for context?

A doctor's handwriting
can be appalling.