Free The Trouble at Wakeley Court (An Angela Marchmont Mystery Book 8) by Clara Benson Page B

‘I’m sure I don’t need to remind you to be very careful, William,’ she said lightly. ‘There is more than one kind of danger.’
    ‘Yes, ma’am,’ said William.
    ‘Now, don’t forget to see what you can find out about Edwards.’
    ‘No, ma’am,’ said William.
    Angela bade him goodnight and walked off, leaving William staring at the Bentley and rubbing his head in some perplexity.
    Friday morning was spent in discussing formal arrangements for the Mathematics scholarship with Miss Bell and three of the trustees, worthy-looking gentleman to a man, and with conversation to match. At lunch-time Angela was set free, much to her relief, and went to the dining-room to endure more of the school’s hearty fare.
    In the afternoon, Miss Bell insisted on escorting her around the school to see the girls at work. Angela was taken to see the Fifth Form as they received a Classics lesson from the stern Miss Finch. The class was quiet and studious—Miss Finch evidently had no trouble in keeping order—and Miss Bell nodded approvingly. Irina and Florrie looked up and smiled when they saw Angela, who was slightly surprised, for she had assumed they were in the Fourth with Barbara. Then she remembered that Henry Jameson had spoken of Irina as being almost sixteen—which perhaps went some way to explaining the girl’s apparent maturity in other respects.
    They then looked in on Miss Devlin’s Geography lesson with the Fourth, and there found quite a different atmosphere, for despite her imposing build, Miss Devlin was clearly known to the girls as an easy mark. When Miss Bell opened the door they were greeted by the noise of twenty girls all chattering at once, and the first thing Angela saw was Barbara in the very act of tying a knot in the long pigtail of the unsuspecting girl sitting in front of her. The room fell silent as Miss Bell entered, and Barbara sat back hurriedly after receiving a glare from Angela.
    ‘Quiet, please, girls,’ said Miss Bell stiffly, and Miss Devlin looked flustered.
    ‘Yes, quiet please,’ she said. ‘I have already told you several times.’
    Miss Bell and Angela went out and Angela immediately heard the noise begin again.
    ‘Miss Devlin is a good teacher in many respects,’ said Miss Bell, ‘but I am afraid she finds the discipline side of things a little difficult—in the classroom at least. She also teaches Games, however, and her manner when instructing the girls in physical exercise is quite different. She becomes quite a different woman then—as you will see shortly, when we go to watch the Games lesson, which is next.’
    Miss Bell was quite right, for some time later Angela found herself wincing a little as she stood at the edge of the lacrosse field and watched the Games mistress tearing about and shrieking orders to the players.
    ‘It is so good for the girls to spend time racing around in the open air, getting up a nice, healthy perspiration,’ said Miss Devlin, running up to Angela, her face glowing and her hair curling up in damp wisps. ‘I do it myself as often as I can. There’s nothing quite like it.’
    ‘Oh, I agree with you entirely,’ said Angela, cool and immaculate under her parasol.
    ‘If you will excuse me,’ said Miss Bell, ‘I am expecting a visit from the parents of a prospective new girl shortly, and I dislike keeping my visitors waiting.’
    She went off, and Angela, for want of anything better to do, remained to watch the lesson. It was the Fourth again, and Miss Devlin appeared to be getting her revenge for their inattention during Geography, for she did not let them rest for a second. During a particularly lively point in the game, one girl dropped her lacrosse stick and tripped over it, and sat, nursing her knee in pain. Miss Devlin rushed over to see to her, and while her attention was distracted, Angela saw a sly-looking girl she had not noticed before hit Barbara hard on the shin deliberately with her lacrosse stick. Barbara yelped, and