The Schoolgirl Affair (A Sherlock Holmes and Serena Norton Story #3)

Chapter Six

With little fuss, I sent off my telegram and then left the telegraph office with the understanding that they would hold the response for me. There would be no immediate answer, of that I was sure. Miss Hunter would undoubtedly have questions if she were to become aware I was communicating with Mr. Holmes.

"Miss Norton?"

Surprised to hear someone say my name, I turned and found myself face to face with one Quentin Kennedy. I'd met the young man while I'd been assisting Mr. Holmes on a case, and had considered him a self-centered and annoying man. "Mr. Kennedy. This is a surprise."

"It is you," he said, his brown eyes dancing with delight. He removed his hat and made an elaborate bow. "I thought I recognized you, but couldn't know for sure until you spoke. Only you have ever spoken so disdainfully to my face, but what are you doing so far from London?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" If there was anyone I didn't want to see, it was Mr. Kennedy. He'd paid me far too much attention and took it for granted that I would appreciate it. "Don't you know it is bad manners to approach a lady like this?"

"Certainly, but I don't see a lady."

 Given that I had precious little time to return to the school before someone realized I was once again out and about, and I wanted to examine the scene of the tragedy, I came to the decision that it was useless to waste time with him. Also, that cocky grin of his was nothing short of insulting.

Spinning on my heel, I continued on my way. A few seconds was all that passed before Kennedy was by my side once again. "You haven't told me why you're here."

"I fail to see why you wish to know," I said sharply. He must know by now that I was not a debutante. Courtship was the furthest thing on my mind and I had bigger concerns to be worried about at the moment.

"I suppose this explains why I have received no responses to my messages," he continued thoughtfully as though I hadn't spoken. "You're a very hard person to track down."

Note that he referred to me as a 'person' and not as a lady. "Not to those who need to know where I am," I said, keeping my eyes forward. Was he going to stay with me all the way? "Shouldn't you have some task or errand to attend to? I assume that's why you're here?"

"Not at the moment. Where are we headed?"

I gritted my teeth and kept walking. "We are not going anywhere. I have something I wish to see and you happen to be shadowing me. Could you kindly let me be now?"

Never let it be said I didn't know how to be polite. However, as was often the case I had found, politeness didn't get the result I wanted.

"Are we on a quest to discover a charming hat?"
A hat? Was he serious? "Do you imagine that is all a young lady has on her mind?" I didn't even try to keep the annoyance out of my voice. He had annoyed me before and he was annoying me again.

Kennedy let out a laugh. "You make it sound as though you are on a serious mission of some sort, Miss Norton. Really, you intrigue me. What can you be up to at this time of day?"

We were approaching the church. Bile rose in my throat as I saw the dark stain of blood on the steps. Was my mind playing tricks on me or could I smell the metallic tang in the air? I shook my head to clear it.

The doors of the church were closed so it wasn't likely I would be able to get in. "Perhaps I am on a serious mission, Mr. Kennedy," I said softly. I paused in front of the stain and tilted my head to look up. "What was she doing up there in the first place?"

My unwelcome companion frowned at the bloodstain. "What happened here? That looks a lot like..."

 "Blood. It is. A young woman fell to her death," I said bluntly. Maybe that would get him to move along. "The constable believes she did so deliberately but I am not convinced that was the case."