Whileladling soup into my bowl Mrs Miggins stood close and whispered,“Have you two had a tiff, Miss?”
She wasthe fount of all gossip in the house and seemed inordinately putout by not knowing why Katherine was absent.
“No,” I whispered back, “Have you heard anything?”
“I’ve asked the rest of my staff but they only know she leftshortly after noon. Destination… unknown,” she added, needlesslymelodramatically.
I couldtell how rattled she was by her lack of information as I needed toindicate to her that my soup bowl would soon beoverflowing.
“Oh, sorry, Miss.”
SirPercival raised his hairy eyebrows at me as she moved off scowlingto serve the Liaison.
“She received two letters,” I whispered at him.
Helooked blankly at me, “Who?”
“Katherine.”
Thatdidn’t seem to aid his memory.
“Girl that works here? Long dark hair? Hazel eyes you couldlose yourself in?”
“Dab hand with a pepper grinder?”
Well,yes.
“What do you know about Southend-on-Sea?”
Heconsidered the question while somehow navigating Mrs Miggins’excellent soup past his luxuriant beard and moustache into hismouth.
“Nothing springs to mind.”
I knewit was a long shot anyway so wasn’t too disheartened.
“I’ve not looked through all her things yet, but I doubt MrsMiggins had found anything of use in her staffquarters.”
SirPercival nodded his agreement. “I’m sure she’d have been mostthorough.”
When I’dfirst been taken on as Sir Percival’s companion I quickly appraisedMrs Miggins that my room was out of bounds. On learning whatmiracle I’d achieved, Sir Percival similarly advised her, with theresult that she informed me in no uncertain terms that I nowresponsible for making sure that both our rooms were habitable. Itwas a small enough price to pay for privacy. I did though have asneaking suspicion that neither she, nor her staff, wanted to delvetoo deeply under his bed.
“Maybe if I take a leave of absence? Say my family is of needof me?”
“You wish to go there?”
Was SirPercival actually following the conversation? Had the airshipdebacle addled his brains?
“Yes, I wish to find out if Katherine is safe,and…”
Emotionmade me stop. Thankfully I believe I hid it by dabbing my lips witha napkin before the Liaison could notice, though he did seem moreinterested in the non-steaming vegetables that Mrs Miggins had just‘accidentally’ served him.
Iregathered myself as my soup dish was taken away and the maincourse served. I caught Mrs Miggins’ looking at me and shewhispered, “You’re going after her?”
“Yes.”
A fewmore carrots found their way to my plate. And they were steaminghot.
I’dnever wondered about Mrs Miggins as she was already a part of thefurniture that came with the stately house. Was there a Mr Miggins?I had no idea.
Athought occurred to me and I quickly whispered to her, “What do youknow of Southend-on-Sea?”
Shepondered the question while absently giving Sir Percival far toomany French beans for his constitution (I was extremely glad I hadno reason to be in his room tonight).
“Hmm, there’s some nasty places in Southend.”
I wasn’tsure I wished to be delving too deeply into her reminisces. Then athought occurred to her and she took out a well-used pencil andpiece of paper. After licking the end she quickly scribbledsomething on the paper.
Handingit to me she said, “Here’s a place I know. Food was better thanexpected. Hmm… a passable hotpot. A tad too much salt in the fishsauce–”
I feltit prudent to cut in and stop her before she critiqued the wholemenu. Taking the piece of paper with a heartfelt, “Thank you!” Inoted that ‘The Whale’s Gizzard’ was probably a unique name for aguesthouse.
Whatbetter recommendation did I require? The only thing was to give aplausible explanation for my absence. Luckily the day’s events hadtaken their toll on the Liaison and he was nodding off over MrsMiggins’s excellent steamed pudding. I didn’t rate his chances ofever receiving edible food again.
QuicklyI flattened my napkin against the tablecloth, scribbled a quicksentence on it and headed over to him.
“Hello,” I said to his slightly sooty, bald, droopinghead.
Blearyeyes in his hippo-like face looked up at me.
“Mmh?”
Thatseemed the best I’d get.
“It came to me that we needed some special equipment; if you’dcare to initial this requisition order…?”
Hisslab-like hand raised itself and I pushed the pencil into it andplaced the napkin on the table in front of him. He blinked at it acouple of times and my heart found its way into my throat. Would myruse work?
Idecided not to smile at him as that always seemed to set him onedge.
With asigh he slowly scrawled on the napkin. I knew his normal signatureand it seemed similar enough.
“Thank you.”
“Mmph?”
“Yes, yes it was.”
I headedout of the dining room after flashing a smile at Sir Percival, wholooked like the French beans had begun their invidious assault uponhis digestive system, and back to my room.
I sat onthe carpet with Katherine’s clothes and scent surrounding me. I’dfound nothing else of use. It was like she was a blank slate. Wherehad she gone? Why had she gone? It seemed I’d never be whole againuntil I found her.
QuicklyI packed my travelling case and headed to bed. I needed to be up intime to catch the first train to Southend.
Back toTop
Three
The skywas overcast as I closed the large front door behind me and beganthe walk along the long drive to the front gate. I’d struggled outof bed not long ago – escaping from destroying a blimp the daybefore did rather take it out of one – and hoped the morning airwould clear my head. The only other umbrella I had tapped theground beside me. I hoped I wouldn’t need it to save my life as thefirst one had done.
The darkblue travelling dress and hat I wore seemed to match the day’smood.
As thiswas personal business I wasn’t allowed to make use of theDepartment’ steam carriage, so it was with quite some surprise thatit came round the side of the house and stopped next tome.
From thedriver’s seat Wilkins raised his hat revealing his craggy face,“Lift, Miss?”
“You won’t get in trouble for this?”
Hisresponse was to spit on the ground. “If you can’t help friends whatuse are you?”
I smiledup at him, “Thank you.”
“I can only take you to the station, mind.
