Having made up his mind that he wants to go to boarding school, Jamie is excited, although Tillie still has reservations. However, it doesn't match up to his expectations. Then there is the worry that he won't be home to protect Alice from the nanny who he thinks might harm her, now he is not there to bear the brunt of her spite. He finds it hard to make friends and the other boys snigger when he falls back into his old way of speaking. He is bullied and falls out of a window but will not tell anyone how it happened. During the summer holiday the family goes to Scarborough, taking Sarah, but the holiday is cut short because Jamie has an accident. Will he ever get anything right?