“Then what is it?”
He handed the evil-looking object over. “Ah, a portable boot-blackening apparatus with pressure-controlled particulate emissions, and attached accoutrement to achieve the highest possible shine. For the stylish gentleman on the go.” He presented his own well-turned-out leg, proving that his boots were as shiny as could be, despite exposure to the outside environment.
Sophronia looked down the barrel of the thing and, accidentally, pulled the trigger. A fine mist of boot black hit her in the face, making her squeak, sputter, and drop the object.
She pulled out her handkerchief to repair the damage but left the apparatus where it lay in the leaves. “Automated shoe-shining kit?”
“Shoe-shining prong.” Felix picked it up and moved closer to her. “You are unhurt?”
Sophronia nodded, still trying to clean her face.
After a moment, Felix took the handkerchief away from her and began to tenderly remove all trace of the black. Sophronia submitted to his ministrations in a momentary lapse of training. Her mind went blank, and she couldn’t determine how to extricate herself from the intimacy. She was not prepared for tenderness.
A small cough and rustle of leaves interrupted the tête-à-tête.
Dimity was awake.
Sophronia grabbed her blackened handkerchief from Felix and ran to kneel next to her friend.
“What happened?” wondered Dimity.
“You fainted.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“And then Felix… uh… Lord Mersey came to our rescue with a shoe-shining kit.”
“Sophronia, have I told you recently that your explanations often lack a certain panache?”
“Well, you will keep fainting during the best bits.”
Felix ambled over. “How are you feeling, Miss Plumleigh-Teignmott?”
“Oh, perfectly topping, Lord Mersey. I’m always topping. And you?”
“Tolerably well. Shall we rejoin the rest of the party?”
“Jolly good idea,” said Dimity, accepting his hand up and his offer of an arm.
He offered his other arm to Sophronia. “Ria?”
Sophronia took it, not wishing to be churlish.
“Now, ladies, do we say anything of this to anyone?” he asked, not being trained by Mademoiselle Geraldine’s into the custom of never saying anything unless instructed otherwise.
“Of what, exactly?” wondered Sophronia.
“I fainted. I’ve no idea what you are on about,” added Dimity.
“Ah,” said Lord Mersey, “quite. I see,” just as if he did quite see.
Dimity and Sophronia looked at each other. Dimity nodded. Now, they both knew for certain that someone was after Dimity and Pillover. I hope their parents can shed some light on this situation, thought Sophronia. Or Dimity and I are going to have to take some seriously restrictive precautions. She was already planning ways to booby-trap their room of an evening.
THE SOOTIE CHALLENGE
Soap, where did you go after you let us off for the picnic?” Feeling she ought to take every advantage of the general befuddlement of a day spent groundside, Sophronia had decided to visit the boiler room that very night.
Soap paused in an attempt to sound out a word in his reading primer. “We went to take on more water, fuel, and a certain delivery.”
“Delivery of what?”
“Ah, miss, that I don’t know. But it must be important because we went well out of our way.”
Sophronia nibbled her lower lip. “Did Vieve notice anything?”
“Did Vieve notice any what?” asked Vieve, wandering up.
“This delivery the school took on. Soap says… wait a moment!”
“No, Soap didn’t say that,” said Soap.
Sophronia had noticed something unusual, or rather someone unusual, trailing Vieve. There was the expected crowd of nosy off-duty sooties, but there was also…