Read Online The Derring-Do Club and the Year of the Chrononauts by David Wake - Free Book Online
Authors: David Wake
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having a fit and specks of spittle formed around his lips, before, all of a sudden, he went rigid and keeled over.
Madam Waggstaff screeched and wailed, and threw herself over his prostrate form.
As the Chief Examiner wrapped up his weapon, the other two Peelers removed the arrested man. This gave Charlotte the opportunity to confront the leader.
“Excuse me, Sir,” she said, “but what are you arresting that man for?”
The Chief Examiner paused, looking utterly blank, the white, slatted glasses staring down disconcertingly, before he spoke:
“He destroyed the world.”
Chapter IV
Miss Deering-Dolittle
Earnestine arrived home late.
She was tired after work and not one of her sisters had stayed up to thank her. Not that Charlotte should have been allowed, of course, but honestly. Again, she was the one looking after them; again, she was the responsible one and, again, she was unappreciated.
Cook had left her a cold collation.
Their house in Zebediah Row seemed completely quiet as if she were the only one there.
Well, good riddance to them, they could nap all day and all night for all she cared, but as she tried to sleep, she couldn’t.
She looked at the evening paper, but it was all full of news about arrests and there was nothing about any expeditions, so she turned out the gas again and lay in the dark with various inventions whirring around in her thoughts and eventually in her dreams, mutating slowly in a mad workshop of mechanical toys.
Mrs Arthur Merryweather
A strange half–voice sounded from the pitch darkness: “Miss?”
“Yes?” Georgina wanted to sound confident, but her enunciation cracked.
The man was short, bent over with wisps of white hair protruding from under his bowler hat. He seemed to look with only one eye.
“Are you the lady we have been expecting?”
“I am Mrs Arthur Merryweather, if that’s who you mean?”
“Merryweather, you say?”
“Yes, I say.”
“That is to be decided.”
“No it isn’t, it has been decided already.”
“We must examine–”
“I have my certificate.”
“And witnesses to–”
“God, and half a regiment of British officers as well as my sister were witnesses.”
“We will be asking Arthur.”
Georgina was outraged and then realised that the figure was shambling away.
Georgina followed: “Excuse me, but who exactly might you be?”
“I am Fellowes.”
“Yes, exactly what?”
“Fellowes, just Fellowes.”
They reached a small pony and trap. The man indicated that Georgina should climb aboard.
“My trunk?”
Fellowes considered this a while. He did not appear to be strong enough to pick up her trunk.
“I will send the boy back for it.”
“I can’t leave it there.”
“No–one will take it and it will save time if it is here already for the return train in the morning.”
“I need my belongings.”
Again, the man considered this and then, with a limp that he hadn’t had before, he went back to the platform and scraped the trunk along. Georgina stood with her hands together in front of her as she watched him struggle theatrically.
“Oh, let me help,” she said.
She took one end, and the man relinquished his part of the bargain immediately. He shambled back to the trap, leaving Georgina to struggle across the platform and heave the trunk up onto the transport. Perhaps she hadn’t needed the spare corset or those lovely shoes or the towel?
When she reached the trap, Fellowes was already sitting in the front with the reins in hand, staring out into the darkness, ready to face with fortitude the eternity that it took for Georgina to lift the trunk onto the back.
It didn’t fit exactly, so she had to bump it around until she believed it would stay in place. Finally, she brushed her dress down straight, stood as upright as possible to recover some dignity and then went to the passenger side.
Fellowes sat there without even looking at her.
A lady should not get into a carriage without assistance.
She
Madam Waggstaff screeched and wailed, and threw herself over his prostrate form.
As the Chief Examiner wrapped up his weapon, the other two Peelers removed the arrested man. This gave Charlotte the opportunity to confront the leader.
“Excuse me, Sir,” she said, “but what are you arresting that man for?”
The Chief Examiner paused, looking utterly blank, the white, slatted glasses staring down disconcertingly, before he spoke:
“He destroyed the world.”
Chapter IV
Miss Deering-Dolittle
Earnestine arrived home late.
She was tired after work and not one of her sisters had stayed up to thank her. Not that Charlotte should have been allowed, of course, but honestly. Again, she was the one looking after them; again, she was the responsible one and, again, she was unappreciated.
Cook had left her a cold collation.
Their house in Zebediah Row seemed completely quiet as if she were the only one there.
Well, good riddance to them, they could nap all day and all night for all she cared, but as she tried to sleep, she couldn’t.
She looked at the evening paper, but it was all full of news about arrests and there was nothing about any expeditions, so she turned out the gas again and lay in the dark with various inventions whirring around in her thoughts and eventually in her dreams, mutating slowly in a mad workshop of mechanical toys.
Mrs Arthur Merryweather
A strange half–voice sounded from the pitch darkness: “Miss?”
“Yes?” Georgina wanted to sound confident, but her enunciation cracked.
The man was short, bent over with wisps of white hair protruding from under his bowler hat. He seemed to look with only one eye.
“Are you the lady we have been expecting?”
“I am Mrs Arthur Merryweather, if that’s who you mean?”
“Merryweather, you say?”
“Yes, I say.”
“That is to be decided.”
“No it isn’t, it has been decided already.”
“We must examine–”
“I have my certificate.”
“And witnesses to–”
“God, and half a regiment of British officers as well as my sister were witnesses.”
“We will be asking Arthur.”
Georgina was outraged and then realised that the figure was shambling away.
Georgina followed: “Excuse me, but who exactly might you be?”
“I am Fellowes.”
“Yes, exactly what?”
“Fellowes, just Fellowes.”
They reached a small pony and trap. The man indicated that Georgina should climb aboard.
“My trunk?”
Fellowes considered this a while. He did not appear to be strong enough to pick up her trunk.
“I will send the boy back for it.”
“I can’t leave it there.”
“No–one will take it and it will save time if it is here already for the return train in the morning.”
“I need my belongings.”
Again, the man considered this and then, with a limp that he hadn’t had before, he went back to the platform and scraped the trunk along. Georgina stood with her hands together in front of her as she watched him struggle theatrically.
“Oh, let me help,” she said.
She took one end, and the man relinquished his part of the bargain immediately. He shambled back to the trap, leaving Georgina to struggle across the platform and heave the trunk up onto the transport. Perhaps she hadn’t needed the spare corset or those lovely shoes or the towel?
When she reached the trap, Fellowes was already sitting in the front with the reins in hand, staring out into the darkness, ready to face with fortitude the eternity that it took for Georgina to lift the trunk onto the back.
It didn’t fit exactly, so she had to bump it around until she believed it would stay in place. Finally, she brushed her dress down straight, stood as upright as possible to recover some dignity and then went to the passenger side.
Fellowes sat there without even looking at her.
A lady should not get into a carriage without assistance.
She
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