to the next compartment, while Uncle searched the seat cushions for sustenance.
Georgie Grimsley followed me. "You and your smarmy friends thought you could ditch me."
"Ditch? Where do you come up with such words? You must be mistaken." My reply was made in an inattentive fashion because I had spotted another Colombian
peso
resting on the seat just where a trouser pocket would have deposited its contents. As I reached for the coin, however, Georgie Grimsley snatched it from beneath my fingers.
I sighed. Really, he was being too tiresome. "Mr. Grimsley. Would you be so kind as to hand me that coin?"
"Not until you look at me. You always ignore me."
I looked at him. It was not a pretty sight, especially his overlong nose hairs. "Now, please give me the coin." I held out my hand and was appalled to have him grab it and hold on. "Mr. Grimsley. My hand and the coin, please."
"Petronella, Pet. I may call you Pet, mayn't I?"
"No, you most certainly may not."
He pulled me closer. "You know I have loved you since I first set eyes on you. If we change trains in London, we can
make it to Gretna Green in a few hours and be married. I know you'd like that."
I struggled to disengage myself. The little fiend had a grip like a vise. "Is this about your impecunious family's debts? Much good marrying me will do you. I must tell you that I don't come into the majority of my inheritance until I'm twenty-one. Besides, I heard that you proposed to Jessalyn St. John last week."
"How can you speak of money when I'm declaring my undying devotion?" he cried as he grabbed my other hand.
At that moment, the train swayed and I was able to free one hand. Fortunately, that hand clasped the strap of my French crewel-embroidered handbag, which struck Georgie Grimsley in the eye with a satisfactory
thwop!
I was immediately released.
"Ow! Ow! and I say ow again!" Clutching his eye, Georgie stumbled backward and flopped onto the seat, where he writhed rather like one of the earthworms Uncle had plucked from among the rocks in my garden.
While he gyrated, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and fled back to the train car where I had left Uncle Augustus. I was followed by Georgie Grimsley's wailing, "You'll be sorry for this. I swear you will!"
Chapter Thirteen
In Which Sticky Buns Are Devoured
AS I SCUTTLED BACK TO Uncle, I reflected with growing indignation that one's first proposal of marriage should be memorable because of pleasant associations, rather than sweaty hands and struggles with a repugnant philanderer. I was so intent on retribution that when Uncle Augustus abruptly emerged from a compartment, we collided.
"There you are," he said, stuffing a bit of waxed paper into
Insectile Creatures.
"Oh, Uncle. I was nearly dragged off by that horrid Georgie Grimsley. He wanted me to go to Gretna Green with him."
"That young rapscallion. He'll not treat my niece so," Uncle said as he pushed past me with a look that bespoke ill for Mr. Grimsley.
I caught his arm. "Don't go, Uncle. The last thing we need is to give the police a reason to pay attention to you."
"Oh. I suppose you're right. But that young pup should not get off scot free after such an insult."
I remembered Georgie holding his eye while rolling around in agony and could not help but chuckle. "He did not get off scot free. I'm afraid he will be sporting a blackened eye for a while thanks to my rather sturdy handbag." I held up the bag to illustrate my point.
Uncle guffawed. "Good show, Petronella. You have a bit of the Percival in you, after all."
"I suppose I get it from both sides of my family. However, I'm afraid I have to report that Georgie Grimsley prevented me from acquiring another Colombian
peso
that was on a seat in the last car. It proves the man in the slouch hat is connected to the other
peso.
"
"No matter. We have the other coin."
At that moment James and Jane came down the corridor toward us. "What ho! Did you find anything? We found
Georgie Grimsley followed me. "You and your smarmy friends thought you could ditch me."
"Ditch? Where do you come up with such words? You must be mistaken." My reply was made in an inattentive fashion because I had spotted another Colombian
peso
resting on the seat just where a trouser pocket would have deposited its contents. As I reached for the coin, however, Georgie Grimsley snatched it from beneath my fingers.
I sighed. Really, he was being too tiresome. "Mr. Grimsley. Would you be so kind as to hand me that coin?"
"Not until you look at me. You always ignore me."
I looked at him. It was not a pretty sight, especially his overlong nose hairs. "Now, please give me the coin." I held out my hand and was appalled to have him grab it and hold on. "Mr. Grimsley. My hand and the coin, please."
"Petronella, Pet. I may call you Pet, mayn't I?"
"No, you most certainly may not."
He pulled me closer. "You know I have loved you since I first set eyes on you. If we change trains in London, we can
make it to Gretna Green in a few hours and be married. I know you'd like that."
I struggled to disengage myself. The little fiend had a grip like a vise. "Is this about your impecunious family's debts? Much good marrying me will do you. I must tell you that I don't come into the majority of my inheritance until I'm twenty-one. Besides, I heard that you proposed to Jessalyn St. John last week."
"How can you speak of money when I'm declaring my undying devotion?" he cried as he grabbed my other hand.
At that moment, the train swayed and I was able to free one hand. Fortunately, that hand clasped the strap of my French crewel-embroidered handbag, which struck Georgie Grimsley in the eye with a satisfactory
thwop!
I was immediately released.
"Ow! Ow! and I say ow again!" Clutching his eye, Georgie stumbled backward and flopped onto the seat, where he writhed rather like one of the earthworms Uncle had plucked from among the rocks in my garden.
While he gyrated, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and fled back to the train car where I had left Uncle Augustus. I was followed by Georgie Grimsley's wailing, "You'll be sorry for this. I swear you will!"
Chapter Thirteen
In Which Sticky Buns Are Devoured
AS I SCUTTLED BACK TO Uncle, I reflected with growing indignation that one's first proposal of marriage should be memorable because of pleasant associations, rather than sweaty hands and struggles with a repugnant philanderer. I was so intent on retribution that when Uncle Augustus abruptly emerged from a compartment, we collided.
"There you are," he said, stuffing a bit of waxed paper into
Insectile Creatures.
"Oh, Uncle. I was nearly dragged off by that horrid Georgie Grimsley. He wanted me to go to Gretna Green with him."
"That young rapscallion. He'll not treat my niece so," Uncle said as he pushed past me with a look that bespoke ill for Mr. Grimsley.
I caught his arm. "Don't go, Uncle. The last thing we need is to give the police a reason to pay attention to you."
"Oh. I suppose you're right. But that young pup should not get off scot free after such an insult."
I remembered Georgie holding his eye while rolling around in agony and could not help but chuckle. "He did not get off scot free. I'm afraid he will be sporting a blackened eye for a while thanks to my rather sturdy handbag." I held up the bag to illustrate my point.
Uncle guffawed. "Good show, Petronella. You have a bit of the Percival in you, after all."
"I suppose I get it from both sides of my family. However, I'm afraid I have to report that Georgie Grimsley prevented me from acquiring another Colombian
peso
that was on a seat in the last car. It proves the man in the slouch hat is connected to the other
peso.
"
"No matter. We have the other coin."
At that moment James and Jane came down the corridor toward us. "What ho! Did you find anything? We found
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