TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
FRIDAY THE 14TH NOVEMBER
The river has been dragged; Louise is not there. I am weak with relief but in that case where is she?
Jay Faldren has called into the school, he has news. He says that he and his cronies saw Louise boarding a train for London. She had told them she was to start a new life there.
"Oh, heaven help her!" said poor Jess.
Honey Vinegar started to gloat and said that it was obvious that Jess had turned to whoring in her past to earn her keep. She did not realise that lovely Ethan was behind her when she said it. How his eyes flashed!
He picked up the Vinegar bodily and stood her not too gently in the big waste bin. How she wept and wailed. Ha ha, my set and I had been eating squishy plums earlier and now Vinegar's skirt is stained with plum juice.
"You deserve to be in that bin because for all your pious façade, your soul is filthy!" declared darling Ethan.
"I shall write to my mother!" screamed Vinegar.
"Do so; I shall tell her plenty of home truths about you" said Ethan, his face all set like an old fashioned hero's.
SATURDAY 15TH OF NOVEMBER
Oh journal, even worse news! Dylan and Benjamin set out for the station, to search for Louise in London, but as they waited, a stone with a message wrapped around it flew in through the open window. A gang have Louise and are holding her to ransom. The message stated that if somebody from the school did not leave fifty pounds and a bag of cakes and ale under the big oak tree in the village, Louise's throat will be slit! Alicia fainted on the spot when we were told the news.
Oh journal, I am bad. Darling Caleb said that he hoped Miss Bateman would not give in to blackmail. I told him loud and clear that he had no heart. I expected him to be angry but he was not, he just sat me down and explained to me that if the ransom was paid the kidnappers would either then kill Louise anyway (although he doesn't think that is likely) or demand even more ransom payment. I apologised and he was so sweet. He said I was just defending a friend, and that made me a good person.
SUNDAY THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER
The ransom demand has increased to a hundred pounds and pies are to be added to the cakes and ale. Caleb said if he didn't know better he'd expect the kidnapper to be Ethan. Now why would be joke like that? Vinegar put in her oar; she said that Louise was paying for her past sins and, that if her throat was slit, she would go straight down to hell. Lily reacted badly to the comment; Vinegar's nose will heal in time but poor Lily has a week of detentions.
MONDAY THE 17TH NOVEMBER
Dr Keogh, Benjamin and Caleb are supervising Lily's detentions. Now we wish we had all broken Vinegar's nose.
TUESDAY THE 18TH OF NOVEMBER
We have all been fools! Today, Denham, Faldren and Boris Fletcher have all been called into Miss Bateman's study. She wished to question them about seeing Louise boarding the train, and if there were any suspicious characters around. Their stories all contradicted each other. It was then that Miss Bateman realised the truth. Those three hateful thugs themselves are the kidnappers! Fletcher gloated that we would not find Louise until it was too late. My gallant Caleb, Dylan and Benjamin have organised a search party for Louise. Miss Bateman had her own method of extracting information from the three wrongdoers. Her cane swished for a very long time. I really must stop eavesdropping, it is not ladylike.
WEDNESDAY THE 19TH OF NOVEMBER
The search has gone on all day for Louise. Even Ethan has not stopped to eat. The Fletchers have been evicted and Denham and Faldren threatened with imprisonment but they will still not tell us where our poor friend is. Finally Miss Bateman ordered the teachers to rest. Benjamin was almost white with fatigue. Ethan looked relieved when his supper was put before him but I cannot blame him; men cannot search on thin air. Suddenly little Lucius ran in, and ran straight to Benjamin for a hug. He was crying a little. Benjamin and Dylan spoke to him so gently and asked him what was wrong. "I don't want to play in the attic any more" he sobbed, "I think there's a ghost."
Dylan scooped him up in his arms and shouted: "Lucius, you're a wonder."
He, Benjamin and Caleb ran up to the attic and broke down the door between the attic and the observatory room. There was Louise, bound, gagged and weeping! Caleb carried her downstairs in his strong arms and said:
"See, Lucius, this was the lady you heard and she is no ghost."
"I nearly was one!" sobbed poor Louise.
We all crowded round Loulou and hugged and kissed her. Miss Bateman says Lou must stay in bed all tomorrow and have no lessons.
Poor Benjamin fell asleep over supper and had to be carried upstairs by the village strong man, lovely Mr Chalker. Miss Bateman has given Fletcher's old job to Mr Chalker on the spot.
All this time, Ethan just ate and ate. He is a gannet, but an adorable one. Jessica just smiled upon him with so much love in her eyes!
THURSDAY THE NINETEENTH OF NOVEMBER
Ethan and Jessica have announced the wedding date. We have all been invited but Vinegar Guts has declined. Her loss. Lou says she is resigned to Ethan's betrothal now and will put it behind her and enjoy life from now on.
TUESDAY THE 24TH OF NOVEMBER
A frightening incident has happened during our walk to the village and has made us all feel so uneasy. This time it was Mr Chalker, who has already cheerfully accepted his nickname of 'Big Mac', his first name being McKenzie – who accompanied us. He is new and does not realise we should not have visited the gypsy woman, Cassandra, who comes to the village twice yearly in her gaudy caravan and charges a fee for a fortune. Miss Bateman disapproves of such things. We stepped into Cassandra's caravan one by one and were all told the same thing; that next year our lives would change drastically. We were all somewhat frightened.
Lovely Caleb, Dylan and Benjamin obtained Miss Bateman's permission to treat us to High Tea at the Copper Kettle to make up for the scare we had experienced about Loulou – poor Jessica is not feeling well so Ethan stayed in with her – and we had a scrumptious tea and good company. I saved a cinnamon roll for Ethan because I believe they are his favourites. But the gypsy's warning still lingers in my head.
What could be so terrible about the year 1914?
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