Hetty has decided to give up her teaching job to stay at home and help Olivia with the care of baby Montgomery. As such, Avonlea is in search of a new teacher. This is not an easy task as once the children are out from under Hetty's strict teaching methods, they have become a rambunctious lot who will run roughshod over any new teacher. Although not the perfect candidate, the School Board feel that applicant Clive Pettibone, a retired military Colonel, may be what is required to get the children back in line. He is a seemingly stern, strict and humorless disciplinarian. He is hired for a two week probationary period. Regardless of what the children may have to say about Mr. Pettibone, he may not want the position after an unfortunate incident with Hetty. Meanwhile, because of a conversation with Olivia and Sara about what she sees as the trash that passes as contemporary popular writing - most specifically the book "Pride of the Punjab" by C.L. Small - Hetty decides to write a story of her own just for fun. But after reading Hetty's story titled "The Lady and the Blade", Olivia decides to make it public by printing it in the Avonlea Chronicle under the pseudonym H.E. Le Roi (le roi being French for king). After being angry at Olivia for doing this behind her back, Hetty ends up being buoyed by the favorable public reception the story receives, all the while keeping the secret that she is the writer. However, one person in particular doesn't bestow praise upon H.E. Le Roi's story. It isn't until she meets writer C.L. Small that Hetty can share her writing glory with someone else who can fully understand through what she is going.
—Huggo