for inviting us into your humble home, young Alfred. Our chauffeur is waiting. Wouldnât do to leave the Bentley in view of all and sundry.â
âBloody tree-huggers,â Alfie heard him mutter as they left.
âIâd like to assure you that there are some relatively normal people in the village,â said the red-haired woman with a grin. She held out her hand. âHazel Reynard. I teach English and history at Wyrmwald House.â
âItâs a pleasure to meet you, Miss Reynard,â said Alfieâs dad. Alfie followed his dadâs lead and shook the teacherâs hand a little clumsily.
âMiss Murkle and Miss Snitch might not have wanted the grand tour, but Iâd love to see the library if Alfie doesnât mind showing me around instead?â
At that moment a slightly worse-for-wear Gertie Entwhistle dragged Alfieâs dad away to judge whether her beetroot-and-chocolate cake or Mrs Arbuckleâs lemon meringue pie was nicer.
The twins joined them as Alfie led the way upstairs. Nearing the library, he was surprised to hear voices coming from inside. Miss Reynard put her finger to her lips and they crept towards the door to listen. It sounded as though furniture was being moved and drawers opened and closed.
âThere must be something round here that can tell us where it is and how to open it,â said an irritated voice.
âOf course there is â youâre not looking hard enough,â snapped someone else.
âDo you think thereâs a key?â
âThatâs why weâre looking, to find out! Now stop wasting time and keep a lookout. Brats are swarming over this place like ants, and that Merryweather woman seems to be there every time I turn around.â
Footsteps approached the door. Miss Reynard quickly flung it open and breezed into the room as though in mid sentence. â⦠and that is the gruesome reason it is called a portcullis. Oh, hello, Miss Murkle. Sorry, did the door hit you? Miss Snitch, how lovely to see you at a social event. Have you met our host and his cousins? Theyâll be attending Wyrmwald in September.â
Alfie was growing more and more impressed with Miss Reynard. Murkle rubbed her bruised nose and glared. Snitchâs voice cut through the silence.
âYes, we have met the boy. Iâm afraid we got rather lost and noticed several children running amok in here. We sent them packing and are making sure they havenât damaged anything.â
Miss Reynard smiled. âIâm sure Alfie is very grateful.â
âEr, yes, thank you so much,â said Alfie, taking his cue and earning a glare from Snitch that nearly knocked him over.
âWell, everything seems to be in order, so weâll be going.â Miss Snitch cast one final sharp glance at Alfie as she left the room. Murkle waddled after her as Robin whispered in Miss Reynardâs ear.
âMiss Murkle, I think you forgot something,â she called, pointing at something the headmistress was trying to conceal under her cardigan.
âMy mistake,â spluttered Murkle. âIt was on the floor when we came in. I, um, wasnât sure where to put it.â She grudgingly handed over a roll of paper. Alfie watched them march away down the hallway and wondered what they had really been up to.
âWhat did you take from Miss Murkle?â he asked, when he was sure that they had gone.
âThey appear to be plans of the castle.â Miss Reynard rolled them out carefully on to the table. âI wonder what they were looking for?â
âWhatever it was, it sounds as if they didnât find it,â said Alfie.
âThatâs true, but it could be a reason to be careful around them. Murkle and Snitch are not the sort of people you want to take an interest in you.â
Alfie was surprised to hear her refer to the head teachers by their last names alone.
âNow thatâs enough about them.â She