Chapter Nine
Emma was so exhausted from the day's excursions that she tumbled into her bed. She expected sleep to come instantaneously, but something kept her awake. After a restless hour, Emma decided she needed a drink to soothe her nerves. There was a portable bar in her room, and Mrs. Peel poured herself a glass of sherry. She sipped it slowly, savouring it.
Yes, she was tense because of the fight she had had in the gardens. The sherry would unravel her nerves enough so she could sleep-or so she thought. But once back under her bed covers, Emma was wide awake again.
You've got to de-stress, she told herself, but her body refused to listen. Emma began to think it was more than her nerves that were agitated; it was her spy instincts flaring up. What had alerted her? Emma lay absolutely still, drinking in every sight in the dim room and every sound, even if it was almost inaudible. As the minutes ticked by, Emma realised that was exactly what was keeping her awake: the ticking of the clock.
What was so disturbing over a simple alarm clock? They were supposed to tick and then wake you up at the appointed time. Emma sighed, rolled over on her side, and shut her eyes.
TICK . . . TOCK . . . TICK . . . TOCK.
Emma groaned and ignored the noise.
TICK . . . TOCK . . .
Mrs. Peel tried to let the simple sound lure her to sleep, but her action was in vain. Emma glanced at the alarm clock and was dismayed to find another hour had gone by. She was getting irritable from sleep deprivation, and still the minutes relentlessly wore on.
After another hour had passed, Emma listened to the noise from the clock again. This time she heard another fast ticking sound, one that seemed to be counting milliseconds.
TICK, TICK, TICK . . .
Alarm clocks need not have millisecond hands. They counted minutes and seconds, that was all, so what was making that clamour? Emma knew that stopwatches frequently had milliseconds hands, but what would a stopwatch be doing in her room?
Emma went through a list of items that used a timer. Stopwatches. bombs, ovens . . . wait a minute! What if there is a bomb in this room, ready to explode at any moment? Emma thought frantically.
She snatched the clock from its nightstand but was aghast when she did not discover any strange package that was undoubtedly a bomb connected to the clock. She bounded out of bed, switched on her lights, and began examining every corner of her bedroom. If there was a bomb in here, she would soon have it out!
When every inch of the chamber had been scrutinised, Emma let out a cry of dismay. She still heard the ticking, but she couldn't find the bomb. Another uneventful hour had slipped away; Emma climbed back into bed. She bolted upright a moment later and was listening keenly for the sound.
With an exasperated shake of the head, she realised the TICK, TICK, TICKing had been coming from the clock the entire time! The alarm clock was the actual bomb! With the clock in her hand, Emma sprang from her bed. She opened a window and hurled the clock as far as she could out it.
Expecting the bomb to go off on impact, Emma dove for cover. Not another sound was heard. Mrs. Peel peered out the window, surprised when she discovered that the clock was lying harmlessly on the grass. Shrugging, Emma collapsed onto her bed.
The noise was gone, that was all that mattered. She was asleep in seconds.
Chapter Ten
Emma awoke the next morning, feeling disgruntled and tired. That fake bomb was the most sickening joke she'd ever witnessed. After getting dressed, she trudged downstairs, ready to demand what was the matter with Mother and Charles.
Tara was aroused from her sleep by the sound of her alarm clock. Glancing at the clock, she observed it was seven in the morning, an hour earlier than what she had sent the alarm for. Gasping, Tara noticed a red sign sticking out of the top of the brass clock. In bold, black words was the message, "If this was a real bomb, you would be dead- Mother and Charles."
This fake bomb had undoubtedly been another test! Tara shuddered as the idea that she had failed it sunk into her head. She could only hope that Ethel Huffy had also been unsuccessful. Then there would be a rematch!
Tara King scurried downstairs, feeling rather cheery considering the latest events. She entered the dining room for breakfast and was appalled at what she saw. Ms. Huffy, her hair in upheaval and with dark circles under the eyes, was shouting at Charles and Mother! Didn't Ethel realise she was jeopardising her chance of winning by yelling at her superiors? Steed stood nearby, his face as placid as ever. Tara shook her head; Ethel Huffy had ruined it.
As the notion that she had won entered her brain, Tara exclaimed, "Isn't this a wonderful morning?" Four pairs of eyes fastened on her. Tara decided this would not be the time to gloat over her victory and asked sweetly, "Did you have a bad night, Ms. Huffy?"
"You could say that," replied Emma coolly.
"Didn't you have a terrible night as well?" Steed asked. He cringed as the girl with the pale eyes grinned in return.
"No, I slept marvellously, except for the fake bomb threat."
Mother and Charles simultaneously nodded, and two guards entered with clocks in their hands. "This was found in your room, was it not, Miss King?" demanded Charles.
Tara saw the ghastly alarm clock from her room. "Yes, that's the wretched beast." She noted that the other clock was dirty and dent. "The clean one is mine."
"Yes, I chucked mine out the window last night," Emma said shortly.
Tara gasped. The strain of all the tests must have made Ethel Huffy insane!
"I thought it was a bomb," explained Mrs. Peel.
Mother and Charles both grimaced before Mother declared, "Tara, you did not hear the distinctive sound of a bomb at all last night. What kind of a partner for Steed would you make? If there had been a real bomb, you would be dead. I suggest you go back to training school and take a refresher course in recognising weapon sounds."
Tara flushed as his words registered.
Charles continued, "Ms. Huffy, your spy instincts alerted you to the noise and you 'saved your own life,' so to speak."
Both of the bosses concluded, "Therefore, you will be John Steed's new partner."
"No, this can't be happening!" moaned Tara, as two guards dragged her from the estate.
For the first time since the tests had begun, Steed broke into a wild grin. Despite her lack of sleep, Emma felt wide awake and extremely happy. She smiled back at Steed.
"We're very impressed by your talents, Ms. Huffy," Mother admitted.
"Yes, even if you weren't Ethel Huffy and were just a talented amateur, we feel you'd be worthy of being Steed's partner," agreed Charles.
"Gentlemen, if this is true, then would like to make a confession." Emma flashed her winning smile before announcing, "I am not Ethel Huffy. I am Mrs. Emma Peel, widow to test-pilot Peter Peel and, if I'm not mistaken, Steed's new partner."
"If you'll excuse us, gentlemen, we have work to do," Steed added, escorting Emma from the room.
"Well, I'm dashed!" Charles uncharacteristically exclaimed.
"Humph," Mother rejoined.
Epilogue
Emma was Steed's best partner. No case was too difficult to solve, no villain too hard to defeat. The twosome soon became inseparable.
Tara King graduated from spy school again and became a successful spy. An infamous criminal kidnapped her once, but Tara outwitted him and escaped. Unfortunately, she fell in love with her captor and tricked him into marrying her, much to his chagrin. She decided from then on that her life-long goal was to reform criminals; so she quit the spy business to accomplish this. Her husband was less than enthusiastic, especially since she used him as her best example when teaching her pupils.
Steed's first partner Catherine Gale married a doctor and moved to Africa where she was involved in several tribal wars, monsoons, and other natural catastrophes. Through it all she kept her composure and never stopped helping the people.
Trudy Peel never saw Emma again and assumed she really had killed her daughter-in-law. Trudy then went to the Amazonian Jungle in search of her son, who she refused to admit was dead. She and Peter Peel were never heard from again.
Despite minor drawbacks, everything was as blissful as could be for Steed and Peel, and after many years they decided to get married so they would never be separated. So it is only befitting to say:
And They Lived Happily Ever After.
~*~ The End ~*~
Emma was so exhausted from the day's excursions that she tumbled into her bed. She expected sleep to come instantaneously, but something kept her awake. After a restless hour, Emma decided she needed a drink to soothe her nerves. There was a portable bar in her room, and Mrs. Peel poured herself a glass of sherry. She sipped it slowly, savouring it.
Yes, she was tense because of the fight she had had in the gardens. The sherry would unravel her nerves enough so she could sleep-or so she thought. But once back under her bed covers, Emma was wide awake again.
You've got to de-stress, she told herself, but her body refused to listen. Emma began to think it was more than her nerves that were agitated; it was her spy instincts flaring up. What had alerted her? Emma lay absolutely still, drinking in every sight in the dim room and every sound, even if it was almost inaudible. As the minutes ticked by, Emma realised that was exactly what was keeping her awake: the ticking of the clock.
What was so disturbing over a simple alarm clock? They were supposed to tick and then wake you up at the appointed time. Emma sighed, rolled over on her side, and shut her eyes.
TICK . . . TOCK . . . TICK . . . TOCK.
Emma groaned and ignored the noise.
TICK . . . TOCK . . .
Mrs. Peel tried to let the simple sound lure her to sleep, but her action was in vain. Emma glanced at the alarm clock and was dismayed to find another hour had gone by. She was getting irritable from sleep deprivation, and still the minutes relentlessly wore on.
After another hour had passed, Emma listened to the noise from the clock again. This time she heard another fast ticking sound, one that seemed to be counting milliseconds.
TICK, TICK, TICK . . .
Alarm clocks need not have millisecond hands. They counted minutes and seconds, that was all, so what was making that clamour? Emma knew that stopwatches frequently had milliseconds hands, but what would a stopwatch be doing in her room?
Emma went through a list of items that used a timer. Stopwatches. bombs, ovens . . . wait a minute! What if there is a bomb in this room, ready to explode at any moment? Emma thought frantically.
She snatched the clock from its nightstand but was aghast when she did not discover any strange package that was undoubtedly a bomb connected to the clock. She bounded out of bed, switched on her lights, and began examining every corner of her bedroom. If there was a bomb in here, she would soon have it out!
When every inch of the chamber had been scrutinised, Emma let out a cry of dismay. She still heard the ticking, but she couldn't find the bomb. Another uneventful hour had slipped away; Emma climbed back into bed. She bolted upright a moment later and was listening keenly for the sound.
With an exasperated shake of the head, she realised the TICK, TICK, TICKing had been coming from the clock the entire time! The alarm clock was the actual bomb! With the clock in her hand, Emma sprang from her bed. She opened a window and hurled the clock as far as she could out it.
Expecting the bomb to go off on impact, Emma dove for cover. Not another sound was heard. Mrs. Peel peered out the window, surprised when she discovered that the clock was lying harmlessly on the grass. Shrugging, Emma collapsed onto her bed.
The noise was gone, that was all that mattered. She was asleep in seconds.
Chapter Ten
Emma awoke the next morning, feeling disgruntled and tired. That fake bomb was the most sickening joke she'd ever witnessed. After getting dressed, she trudged downstairs, ready to demand what was the matter with Mother and Charles.
Tara was aroused from her sleep by the sound of her alarm clock. Glancing at the clock, she observed it was seven in the morning, an hour earlier than what she had sent the alarm for. Gasping, Tara noticed a red sign sticking out of the top of the brass clock. In bold, black words was the message, "If this was a real bomb, you would be dead- Mother and Charles."
This fake bomb had undoubtedly been another test! Tara shuddered as the idea that she had failed it sunk into her head. She could only hope that Ethel Huffy had also been unsuccessful. Then there would be a rematch!
Tara King scurried downstairs, feeling rather cheery considering the latest events. She entered the dining room for breakfast and was appalled at what she saw. Ms. Huffy, her hair in upheaval and with dark circles under the eyes, was shouting at Charles and Mother! Didn't Ethel realise she was jeopardising her chance of winning by yelling at her superiors? Steed stood nearby, his face as placid as ever. Tara shook her head; Ethel Huffy had ruined it.
As the notion that she had won entered her brain, Tara exclaimed, "Isn't this a wonderful morning?" Four pairs of eyes fastened on her. Tara decided this would not be the time to gloat over her victory and asked sweetly, "Did you have a bad night, Ms. Huffy?"
"You could say that," replied Emma coolly.
"Didn't you have a terrible night as well?" Steed asked. He cringed as the girl with the pale eyes grinned in return.
"No, I slept marvellously, except for the fake bomb threat."
Mother and Charles simultaneously nodded, and two guards entered with clocks in their hands. "This was found in your room, was it not, Miss King?" demanded Charles.
Tara saw the ghastly alarm clock from her room. "Yes, that's the wretched beast." She noted that the other clock was dirty and dent. "The clean one is mine."
"Yes, I chucked mine out the window last night," Emma said shortly.
Tara gasped. The strain of all the tests must have made Ethel Huffy insane!
"I thought it was a bomb," explained Mrs. Peel.
Mother and Charles both grimaced before Mother declared, "Tara, you did not hear the distinctive sound of a bomb at all last night. What kind of a partner for Steed would you make? If there had been a real bomb, you would be dead. I suggest you go back to training school and take a refresher course in recognising weapon sounds."
Tara flushed as his words registered.
Charles continued, "Ms. Huffy, your spy instincts alerted you to the noise and you 'saved your own life,' so to speak."
Both of the bosses concluded, "Therefore, you will be John Steed's new partner."
"No, this can't be happening!" moaned Tara, as two guards dragged her from the estate.
For the first time since the tests had begun, Steed broke into a wild grin. Despite her lack of sleep, Emma felt wide awake and extremely happy. She smiled back at Steed.
"We're very impressed by your talents, Ms. Huffy," Mother admitted.
"Yes, even if you weren't Ethel Huffy and were just a talented amateur, we feel you'd be worthy of being Steed's partner," agreed Charles.
"Gentlemen, if this is true, then would like to make a confession." Emma flashed her winning smile before announcing, "I am not Ethel Huffy. I am Mrs. Emma Peel, widow to test-pilot Peter Peel and, if I'm not mistaken, Steed's new partner."
"If you'll excuse us, gentlemen, we have work to do," Steed added, escorting Emma from the room.
"Well, I'm dashed!" Charles uncharacteristically exclaimed.
"Humph," Mother rejoined.
Epilogue
Emma was Steed's best partner. No case was too difficult to solve, no villain too hard to defeat. The twosome soon became inseparable.
Tara King graduated from spy school again and became a successful spy. An infamous criminal kidnapped her once, but Tara outwitted him and escaped. Unfortunately, she fell in love with her captor and tricked him into marrying her, much to his chagrin. She decided from then on that her life-long goal was to reform criminals; so she quit the spy business to accomplish this. Her husband was less than enthusiastic, especially since she used him as her best example when teaching her pupils.
Steed's first partner Catherine Gale married a doctor and moved to Africa where she was involved in several tribal wars, monsoons, and other natural catastrophes. Through it all she kept her composure and never stopped helping the people.
Trudy Peel never saw Emma again and assumed she really had killed her daughter-in-law. Trudy then went to the Amazonian Jungle in search of her son, who she refused to admit was dead. She and Peter Peel were never heard from again.
Despite minor drawbacks, everything was as blissful as could be for Steed and Peel, and after many years they decided to get married so they would never be separated. So it is only befitting to say:
And They Lived Happily Ever After.
~*~ The End ~*~