Soon Bill is banned altogether from seeing Thunder in the stables. Her horse obsession soon leads to disagreements and confrontations with the Third Form mistress, Miss Peters, even though Miss Peters is a keen horsewoman herself. Wilhelmina, who has never attended school before, explains that she is always known as Bill and is looking forward to riding her horse Thunder every day, even if it means missing some lessons. She is on horseback and is accompanied by her seven brothers, also on horseback. The following day another new girl, Wilhelmina Robinson, arrives. Jean, the practical and forthright Scottish girl who is now head of the Third Form, has little patience with Mavis, and the other girls regard her as all voice and vanity. Her one topic of conversation is her future career as an opera singer. Her great redeeming feature is strong, deep singing voice, of which she speaks incessantly. Mavis, who had arrived at Malory Towers the previous term, has not been a success because of her laziness and selfishness. Upon realising that Zerelda is a new girl, Miss Williams orders her to remove her makeup and rearrange her hair. On her first day the Fourth Form mistress, Miss Williams, initially mistakes her for a new member of the teaching staff. She is placed in North Tower, but in the Fourth Form, one form higher than Darrell and her friends. For the others, the question everyone asks is 'Seen Zerelda?' Nobody has ever seen anyone quite like Zerelda. The single exception is Gwendoline, who is overcome with admiration. When they arrive at the school, the other girls can hardly believe their eyes at the sight of Zerelda's makeup and startling hair styling. Darrell excitedly talks about Malory Towers on the journey and is indignant when she discovers that Zerelda has fallen asleep.

Her hair is styled in an extravagant adult fashion and she wears makeup and lipstick. Although only fifteen, Zerelda appears older.

On the way, they collect a new girl, Zerelda Brass, an American girl who has been staying with her English grandmother. Sally Hope, her best friend, is in quarantine for mumps and will be late arriving at the school. The novel was first published in 1948.ĭarrell is on the way to Malory Towers once again. It is the third book in the Malory Towers school story series.

Third Year at Malory Towers is a children's novel by Enid Blyton set in an English girls' boarding school.

Third term at malory towers