Request #627 From Robin (ourladyunderground)

Hi, I’m looking for a YA book, possibly published 1950s-1980s, as a broad range. But I believe it would have been more likely published 1960s-70s. I read the book sometime between 1981 and 1984 in elementary school. The book was a mystery, and involved a girl who is sent to some type of boarding school or summer program in a castle or chateau, possibly in France, or Italy. She has an injury that causes her a lot of pain, and she has to have some type of physical therapy treatments that are also very painful. She’s doesn’t like being in the school/program, and doesn’t make friends there easily. She and some of the other students go on an outing in one scene of the book. The teacher buys the younger students some ice cream and asks if she would like some, too, but she opts for some type of fruit drink or squash, because she is afraid it will make her look like a “baby” to choose the ice cream, even though she really doesn’t like the fruit drink, and finds it sticky and tasteless. She meets a boy about her own age who has some connection to the castle or chateau, and he also has some physical issue with his back, like scoliosis or a hump on his back,  and is quite surly with her at first. But they eventually become embroiled in a mystery together and (I think) become friends or allies in solving the mystery. I think the mystery involves a missing treasure or painting or some other piece of art. I have tried Googling, and have also searched Google Books many times with varying key words, to no avail. Someone here on the old blog post suggested And Both Were Young by Madeleine L’Engel. However, I don’t think this is it. I checked out the book and read through a great deal of it. While it is admittedly similar, this doesn’t seem to be the one I’m searching for. I don’t recall any hint of romance in the book I read so long ago, and in my memory, the girl and boy meeting for the first time is quite contentious, and doesn’t involve a heart to heart by a lake. I also don’t recall the protagonist skiing (as in ABWY); I feel like it is set in warmer months. I have also posted on the What’s the Name of that Book Goodreads page and some very kind folks have linked me to some lists of YA fiction set in different countries, but as of right now, none of these are a match. Many of the YA books suggested are heavy on the bad girl sent to boarding school angle, and/or romance.  I don’t feel this was very present, if at all, in the book I read.  The only other scene I remember is at one point, the girl looks outside in the night and sees the boy’s face looking up, reflected in the moonlight.  I feel his name might be Andre or Rene.  Many thanks!