Mirabel Unwin

**Mirabel Unwin** is a student at St Clare's School. She first appears in Second Form at St Clares.

## Backstory

Mirabel lives at home with her mother, father, brother and sister. She often ruled the roost at home and was domineering, so much so that her father decided that she must go to boarding school.

## Storylines

### Second Form at St Clares

Mirabel arrives late for the term, at the end of the first week, declaring openly to the girls that she isn't staying a day beyond half term. The second formers become exasperated with her rude, disruptive behaviour. Mirabel ruins the end of Miss Quentin's drama lesson by fooling around. Mirabel mocks Alison, who bursts into tears, just as Carlotta Brown slaps Mirabel. Miss Quentin is horrified at the behaviour of the girls, as Carlotta refuses to apologise. Afterwards, Hilary Wentworth and Janet Robins threaten Mirabel to stop her behaviour. As she doesn't, the girls decide to carry out their threat. The second formers hold a meeting, led by a spiteful and excited Elsie Fanshawe, to get back at Mirabel by playing unpleasant pranks on her and making her life difficult. Hilary feels that it has got very spiteful.

\*In later reprints this was changed to Carlotta treading on Mirabel's toe.

That night, Mirabel plays the violin and the piano in a dark music room to make herself feel better, as she is an excellent player. Unbeknownst to her, Gladys Hillman has been hiding in the music room with her, and cries at her beautiful playing. Mirabel and Gladys get talking and Gladys unburdens herself, telling Mirabel about her sick mother. Mirabel tries telling Gladys about her own family problems, but Gladys is scornful when Mirabel refers to herself as 'unlucky'. Gladys goes and Mirabel cries to herself in the music room, making a decision to turn over a new leaf. When she gets to the dormitory, however, she finds that the second formers have made her an apple pie bed, and Elsie, not content, put a spray of holly over the sheets. Mirabel tears her sheet and throws the holly at Elsie.

That night, Mirabel's mind is full of good resolutions, but the next day is a day of shocks and pranks for her. Elsie goes into the classroom early and drops ink on a maths paper Mirabel did, and hides her maths and French books in the cupboard. She also emptied all the water from the flower vases, as it was Mirabel's turn to keep them full. Mirabel gets into trouble that morning with Miss Jenks and Mam'zelle for her missing books, ruined homework and empty vases. She loses her break doing her homework again. After break, she is late for games because Alison had sewn up the sleeves of her coat, and she had to hunt for a pair of scissors. Also, she found stones in her Wellington boots, and had to take them out. Miss Wilton, makes her stand out until half-time, but she doesn't sneak on the girls, which makes Hilary decide that they must stop their mean tricks. Elsie disagrees, and the second form dismiss her as a head girl when she goes against the other head girl, Anna Johnson, and none of the form wish to follow her. The girls try to think of ways to set Mirabel right, and Gladys tells the girls that she is good at music. Pat and Isabel O'Sullivan are tasked with being friendly with Mirabel and encouraging her. That night, there is a row in the twins' dormitory, and they tell Mirabel, from the other dormitory about it; Mirabel laughs. Anna has replaced Mirabel's books, and the class are open and friendly.

Pat and Isabel ask Mirabel to play the piano and violin in the second form concert, and she agrees. Mirabel asks Miss Theobald to let her send for her violin, but Miss Theobald refuses, as Mirabel makes it sound like she has changed her ways because she is tired of being silly, not because she is ashamed of herself. Miss Theobald then sends for Miss Jenks, asking if Mirabel's behaviour has improved, and Miss Jenks says yes. The head sends for the head girls, but the second form prevent Elsie from going and only Anna goes. What Anna says makes Miss Theobald send for Mirabel's violin, and look forward to hearing her at the concert. Mirabel has forgotten about Gladys' troubles, and tells the second form about them. Hilary is annoyed with her for forgetting about someone else's worries. Mirabel goes to find Gladys, to ask how her mother is, and finds her rehearsing a scene in The Tempest. Mirabel discovers she is the best actress in the second form, but is never given a chance by Miss Quentin. Gladys refuses point blank to perform for the second formers. Mirabel tells Gladys that she is silly for telling her mother how miserable she is, and Gladys storms out. Mirabel goes and finds Hilary, Bobby Ellis, Janet and the twins, and asks for their advice. Isabel points out she can't be in the concert as it is too late. The girls encourage Mirabel to befriend Gladys, as Gladys has chosen to take her into her confidence. Mirabel encourages her to perform for the second formers, and Gladys asks Mirabel to be her friend. Bobby, Doris Elward and Carlotta fall ill and the concert is postponed until after half term. Mirabel is disheartened as she vowed to leave after half term. Gladys convinces her to stay by pointing out she is being weak by refusing to go back on her word, even when she knows she has changed her mind. Mirabel asks Miss Theobald if she can stay, and Miss Theobald is happy that she is staying.

At half term, Mr and Mrs Unwin come and see Mirabel, and she shows them all over the school. They are pleased she has settled down so well. Mirabel asks if she can take Gladys out with her. Mirabel's parents like Gladys very much and Mrs Unwin offers to go and visit Gladys' mother. In the concert, Mirabel is given several encores for her performance, as does Gladys. Mirabel is invited to Carlotta's birthday feast along with the rest of her form, apart from Elsie, who refuses to come. Mirabel and Gladys are chosen to play in a lacrosse match together, and Gladys shoots a goal.

Mirabel's mother sends her a letter about Gladys' mother, saying she is worried about her and that she is about to have an operation. Mirabel doesn't show the letter to Gladys, but is extra warm and friendly to Gladys as a result. Gladys' mother pulls through the operation and she is all right. Mirabel is thrilled for Gladys, and asks Gladys to stay with her in the holidays, so she doesn't have to stay at school.

### The Third Form at St Clares -- Claudine at St Clares

In The Third Form at St Clares, Mirabel is cast as Lord Derwent, one of the lead characters in Rachel Denman's play, Lady Dorinda's Diamonds. She is invited to Libby Francis' birthday party and Pat and Isabel's birthday feast, along with the rest of the third form. Mirabel plays in a tennis match late in the term, and sprains her ankle, meaning she can't play Lord Derwent and create the chaos she is supposed to. However, Alison suggests that Mirabel sits in a wheelchair, then she can crash around the stage the way she should.

In Kitty at St Clares, Mirabel joins in the form feud against the second form, and takes part in the midnight feast. She is not very prominent in this book.

In Claudine at St Clares, it is Mirabel's birthday after half-term, and the fourth formers decide to have a midnight picnic by the swimming pool to celebrate. The whole form is invited, apart from Eileen Paterson. For her birthday, Angela Favorleigh gives Mirabel an expensive book of music, and Pauline Bingham-Jones, not to be outdone, bought Mirabel a new leather music case. Claudine gives her a pretty bag, and the twins, being broke, give her two drawing pencils with her name on. Eileen gives her a little hanky of her own, admitting to having no money.

### Fifth Formers of St Clares

Mirabel is made games captain of the whole school in the fifth form, and shares a study this year with Gladys, who is made vice captain. As a result, she becomes a bit swollen headed, and becomes annoyed when the likes of Claudine, Alison, Angela and Carlotta refuse to turn out for practice and play games. When Mirabel discovers that Jane Teal is doing Angela's mending, she orders Jane to stop and tell Angela she can't do her mending. Angela is furious and orders Jane to clear out. Gladys notices that Jane doesn't look very happy about all the extra practising and the row Angela gave her, but Mirabel brushes her concern off. In fact, whatever Gladys says, Mirabel picks and chooses when she listens, and quite often she doesn't. Angela mentions to Hilary that Mirabel is throwing her weight around far too much this term. Mirabel works very hard to raise the sports standard for the school, but Gladys does not approve of the intense drive for sports, and warns Mirabel of making the girls fed up and obstinate. Mirabel ignores her. Mirabel makes herself a nuisance to the fifth, as she is always trying to make them take practice games with the younger girls. Hilary points out that they have to work, and that Mirabel is doing very little extra work for the fifth form exam, just trusting to scrape through.

As the girls are discussing her, she comes in and informs them she has asked Miss Theobald to let her hold a big sports meeting in the hall on Saturday. The girls are annoyed, as they were going to have a dance, and they had been working hard and wanted a break. Mirabel refuses to put the meeting another time, and tells the girls they all have to come to set a good example to the younger forms. The girls are irritated, but they turn up through fear of being reported to Miss Theobald. The meeting is ruined by Antoinette ringing the fire bell, and when Mirabel requests to hold it the next Saturday, Miss Theobald refuses as Hilary has already been to see her about the dance. Mirabel moans about it to Gladys. She ponders the mystery of who rung the fire bell, as she doesn't know who it was. As Jane left the assembly, she suspects and accuse Jane in front of the first form, upsetting her. Mirabel leaves Jane out of matches, as she is not satisfied that she didn't have anything to do with the bell. Gladys is infuriated by Mirabel. Mirabel makes Jane's life miserable, and Angela plays up to her as a result of this.

Alma Pudden sends Mirabel an anonymous note to stop the first and second formers' midnight feast, and Mirabel sends a note to the head of the second form, Katie, to prevent the feast, as there is a lacrosse match the next day. The two forms take the decision to hold the feast anyway, and Mirabel begins to suspect. So that night, she goes to try and catch them in the act. A misunderstanding leads to Mam'zelle locking her in a bathroom, but Mirabel assumes it is the second formers, and that they will release her soon. Miss Theobald releases Mirabel, and she is scolded for being out of bed and rudeness.

Mirabel cancels the match, in revenge on the first and second forms, and decides to hold a practice match instead, where every girl from the two lowest forms must attend. The first and second forms are furious at their public humiliation, and decide to go on a nature ramble instead. Mirabel is informed by the third form where they have gone, and Mirabel returns to her study, recognising defeat. In the study, she finds a formal resignation from Gladys.

Mirabel struggles in the fifth form exam, as she did little work for it. Jane is ill with flu, and kept raving about the fire-bell, Angela and Mirabel, and Mirabel is the only person who hasn't been to see her. Mirabel fails the exam, and is humiliated beyond words. Gladys sees the results, and goes to comfort her friend, and makes up with her. Antoinette admits to ringing the fire-bell, and Mirabel goes to apologise to Jane. The younger girls, thanks to Jane, begin to get over their dislike of her. They float back, and Mirabel turns into the successful captain she was in the beginning.

### The Sixth Form at St Clares

Mirabel is given a lecture from her father and some intensive coaching in the holidays, as she has to take the exam again. She is not games captain again; Gladys is chosen. Mirabel is asked by Miss Theobald to share a study with Angela, as they are both studying for the exam again. Mirabel is also excluded from the 'agony aunt' sessions in order to work, which she is bitterly disappointed about. Later in the term, Mirabel admits to Gladys that sharing a study with Angela isn't unbearable, but she misses Gladys. At the end of term, Mirabel passes the exam, and get the grades she wanted. She joins the leaving party for Hilary.

## Quotes

* "She just drives on like a tank." said Bobby. "Nobody can stop her. She'll have us all trailing after her helping her in her sports ideas just because we're so tired of arguing with her."
* "You can't argue with Mirabel." said Doris. "She never listens to a word anyone says. I doubt if she even listens to Gladys now. It's a pity Gladys isn't a stronger character. She might have some influence over our headstrong Mirabel!"
* "But Mirabel has got a swelled-head now she's sports captain.' said Bobby. "Gladys can't do anything with her. I heard her arguing with Mirabel the other day, and al that happened was that Mirabel got angry and shut her up."