Murder Has No Class (21 page)

Olivia didn’t even bother to answer her and Grace stared gloomily at the shiny black shoes poking out from under her skirt. She and Olivia had been separated from the students, and she could hear the girls arguing among themselves in the next room.

What if they all got expelled from the school? She and Olivia would be to blame. Everyone would hate them. Especially the teachers. That seemed even worse than being sacked, and tears began running down her cheeks at the thought.

She started as the door opened and a stern-faced P.C. Shipham looked in. “Come on, you two. I’m taking everyone back to Bellehaven.”

Grace’s stomach twisted even tighter. Now that it was time to face the music, she felt as if she would faint again. Oh, the disgrace. She’d never get another job. Unless she went to London. The thought of having to live in that big, bustling, dangerous city scared her to death. No, she couldn’t do it. She’d die there, she just knew it.

“Come on.” Olivia grabbed Grace’s arm and dragged her off her chair. “We might as well go back and get it over with.”

They passed through the main office of the police station, where an elderly man in shabby clothes leered at them as they walked close, his breath smelling worse than the public bar of the Dog and Duck.

Outside in the sunshine, as she breathed in fresh, clean-smelling air, Grace felt a little better. A black police wagon was lined up at the curb, pulled by a shiny black horse. P.C. Shipham had the back doors open and was pushing the students up and inside.

The girls didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they were laughing and joking, their voices loud and their words slurred. Two or three of them were actually singing hymns, though horribly out of tune. Grace couldn’t understand how they could be so happy when they were facing certain punishment.

Finally it was her turn to be helped into the wagon, though shoved was probably a better word. She landed on the floor, and Olivia tumbled in beside her. All the seats were occupied, so Grace made herself as comfortable as she could between the feet of the students seated on either side.

She had never been inside a police wagon before, though she’d once rescued Olivia from one in Witcheston. Staring at the bars on the window, Grace shivered. She felt like a criminal. What if they weren’t taking her and Olivia back to school at all? What if they were going to take them to prison? Wasn’t that what they did with the suffragettes when they caught them smashing things up?

It wasn’t fair. She hadn’t broken anything. It was Olivia what had broken the glasses, not her. Now she would have to pay for Olivia’s sins, and that wasn’t fair. Staring mournfully at her friend, she burst once more into tears.

 

 

Much to Meredith’s relief, she arrived back at Bellehaven ahead of the police wagon. It had taken all her powers of diplomacy and persuasion to get the students and maids released. Not only that, she’d had to promise that there would be no more trouble from the students in the future—a promise almost impossible to keep.

All was quiet in the building when she walked in, followed by Essie. “I think I’d better talk to the students in the library,” she said, as they stood in the quiet lobby. “Will you and Felicity wait here to make sure they are all present? I’ll go to the library and wait there.”

“Of course.” Essie seemed close to tears. “I just can’t believe they’d do such a thing,” she added, her voice breaking. “After all we’ve taught them about the importance of etiquette and making a good impression. How could they sully their reputations that way? They were drinking ale, in a public bar, of all places, with all those unruly men. They were all
inebriated
for heaven’s sake!”

Her voice had risen to a wail and Meredith shushed her. “Let’s do our best to keep this quiet. If Mr. Hamilton ever got wind of this—”

“Speaking of Hamilton,” Felicity said, from the open front door, “he’s coming up the driveway right now.”

Meredith gave her a stern glance. “That’s not amusing, Felicity. This is no time for jocularity. The students have committed an unforgivable transgression and have threatened the reputation of this establishment. I—”

“I’m not joking, Meredith.” Felicity pointed out the door. “Look for yourself.”

Unable to believe her, Meredith hurried to the door and peered outside. Sure enough, Stuart Hamilton’s carriage was bowling up the driveway and would arrive any second.

To make matters worse, turning in at the far end of the driveway was the black police wagon carrying two disobedient maids and thirteen drunken students.

“We have to shut him up somewhere,” Meredith said, ice clutching at her stomach. “If he finds out what happened heaven knows what he’ll do.”

“Well, since you seem to have a way with him, you should be the one to keep him occupied,” Felicity said, her smirk bringing heat to Meredith’s cheeks. “Try to get him out of the way as soon as he walks in here and we’ll get the students into the library.”

“He’s coming here to make sure we kept the students confined to their rooms,” Meredith muttered. “For heaven’s sake why can’t he trust us?”

“I’d say the reason he can’t is following him up the driveway this very minute,” Felicity said dryly. “His timing is impeccable, as usual.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Meredith stepped out onto the porch. “I’ll try to attract his attention so that he doesn’t turn around. Once I get him into my office, hustle the girls into the library and keep them there until I get rid of Stuart. I’ll come to the library as soon as he’s gone.”

“Stuart?” Felicity’s eyebrows shot up. “Since when have you been on a first name basis with Hamilton?”

Cursing herself for the slip, Meredith snapped, “Never mind that now. Just make sure you keep those students out of sight until after Mr. Hamilton has left.”

“Oh, dear, oh, dear,” Essie wailed. “What if he sees them? He’ll know they’ve been imbibing spirits.”

“Pray he doesn’t,” Meredith said grimly. Walking to the top of the steps, she started waving at the carriage as it pulled to a halt.

Holding her breath, she watched Hamilton climb out. The carriage obstructed his view of the driveway, and she prayed he wouldn’t hear the clip-clop of the constable’s horse, still quite a distance away.

“How nice to see you!” she cried out, as he mounted the steps, his astonished gaze on her face.

“My goodness, you certainly seem pleased to see me.” He took off his hat and swept a slight bow. “To what do I owe this unexpected honor?”

She backed into the hallway and he followed her. Glimpsing the wagon approaching, she frantically signaled to Felicity with her eyes.

Felicity hastily slammed the door shut, making Hamilton turn his head in surprise. “A welcoming committee. How very flattering.”

Essie uttered a small whimper, and Felicity took hold of her arm. “We were about to leave for the village,” she said shortly. “We’re just waiting for the carriage to arrive.”

“They are going to watch the maypole dancing,” Meredith said, wincing as the sound of a horse’s hooves could now plainly be heard. “That must be their carriage now. Won’t you please come to my office? I’ll ring for Mrs. Wilkins and have her send up a tea tray.”

Hamilton seemed a little bemused when he answered her. “Pardon? Oh, yes. I mean, no, thank you. Actually I came to ask you if you would . . .” His voice trailed off when he noticed both Essie and Felicity staring at him, one with fear and the other with ill- concealed impatience. “Ah . . . perhaps we should retire to your office after all. I can present my request there.”

“Good.” Hearing a door slam outside, Meredith turned and hurried across the lobby to the hallway. “I’ll ring for Mrs. Wilkins.”

“Oh, please don’t bother with the tea tray.” Hamilton was forced to call out after her since she was now practically running down the hallway.

The front door bell jangled as someone tugged on it. Meredith raised her voice and beckoned with her arm. “Come, Mr. Hamilton. I really can’t wait to hear what you want to ask of me.”

“Obviously.” Looking more perplexed than ever, Hamilton followed her into the office.

With a huge sigh of relief, Meredith hastily closed the door, then rushed over to her desk to sit down before her knees gave out on her.

Hamilton flipped his coattails and sat down opposite her.

“Something has happened to you, Meredith. You have never looked so eager to talk to me. May I ask what has brought about this rather intriguing transformation?”

Now she felt foolish. What on earth could she possibly say that would explain her outrageous behavior? She had practically lured the man into her office, and now here he was, sitting with an infuriating smug look on his face, just waiting for her to enlighten him.

Staring into his eyes, she had an uneasy feeling that this time she may have gone a little too far.

Chapter 17

Searching desperately for words, Meredith decided the only option open to her was to feign ignorance. “Transformation?” Her voice came out a little too high and she made a supreme effort to lower it. “I’m not quite sure I know exactly what you mean.”

Hamilton’s expression turned incredulous. “Oh, come now, Meredith. Surely you’re not going to deny that your welcome was a great deal more exuberant than usual? I’d just like to know why, that’s all. Not that it displeases me, of course. Quite the contrary.”

Meredith forced a laugh. “Exuberant? Oh, that must be because of the weather. It’s such a beautiful day out there. Lovely warm sunshine and absolutely no clouds in the sky. Summer can’t be too far away. I do love the summer, don’t you?”

Aware that she was prattling, she pretended to cough and covered her mouth with her hand.

Hamilton frowned. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had been keeping company with a bottle of gin.”

At his mention of spirits, guilt made Meredith hiccup. She had, after all, enjoyed a large glass of cider midday, which had given her a very pleasant glow for a while.

It was the thought of the inebriated students, however, that gave her the most concern. She could only hope that Felicity would be able to hold their noise down until she could get rid of Stuart Hamilton.

“And you would be quite wrong,” she assured him. “Now, what was it you wanted to ask me? If it’s about the students, I’m sure they are still confined to their rooms, as you ordered.”
At least most of them,
she amended silently.

Hamilton continued to stare at her for another moment or two, until she became quite uncomfortable. Then he said abruptly, “This has nothing whatsoever to do with the students. I was going to ask you the last time I was here, and somehow I got sidetracked.”

Thinking back to their last conversation, and the manner in which he had left, Meredith could quite understand why he had forgotten to ask her whatever it was he wanted. She waited, in tense silence, for his next words.

“I . . . ah . . . was going to invite you to come with me to the May Day festivities. We might be a little too late now to watch the dancing on the green, but I have been asked to present the trophy to the winning dance group at the May Day ball this evening, and I would like it very much if you would consent to accompany me as my guest.”

Meredith stared at him in stunned silence.

After an uncomfortable pause, Hamilton, who seemed unusually ill at ease, added, “I realize this is short notice and I deeply apologize for that, but I thought, perhaps, if I returned for you at six o’clock, that would . . . ah . . . give you time to prepare yourself for the evening. I . . . ah . . . understand there will be refreshments served, and . . . ah . . . if you were so inclined, we could dine afterward.”

Meredith swallowed. “Dine?” It seemed to be the only word she could form.

“Ah, yes.” Hamilton ran a finger around the inside of his collar. “At my house. I have an excellent cook, and I think you would enjoy whatever she prepares.”

Alone with him in his house? No, no, she couldn’t. Fighting a sense of panic, Meredith sought for a polite way to decline the unexpected invitation. She had never seen Hamilton this way. He was always so supremely confident and in control. This was a new side to him, and it made her even more uncomfortable in his presence. “That’s most kind of you, Mr. Hamilton—”

“Now, Meredith. I thought we agreed that you would call me Stuart.”

That sounded a lot more like the Stuart she knew. Taking a deep breath, she murmured, “Stuart, then. As I was saying, it’s most kind of you to think of me, and I appreciate the kind invitation, but I couldn’t possibly—”

“Don’t say no just yet.”

She closed her mouth and waited.

“I realize that sometimes we differ in our opinions on how the business of Bellehaven should be run, and I admit that at times, I can be a trifle stubborn.”

She raised her eyebrows at this, but allowed him to continue.

“I do, however, feel that in all other matters, we share a pleasant affinity in most subjects, and I would very much like the opportunity to explore that in further detail.”