The Missing Mortals, page 31
After they left the skating rink, they stopped at a restaurant in Benton’s downtown area to have supper before heading back to the academy. During the meal, most of the conversation centered on the new recreation complex and what it could mean for the school. Dean Harwood was counting on it helping enrollment at the academy. Emma didn’t mention that she’d seen Ray Sutton and Mrs. Bertram that afternoon. After all, it wasn’t really any of her business what the man did when he wasn’t working. Doug apparently felt the same way because he didn’t mention it either.
Later, on the way back to school, Emma found herself getting sleepy. Dean Harwood and Miss Jennings were talking quietly in the front seat, while she and Doug sat in comfortable silence in the backseat. Emma yawned and laid her head against the back of her seat. That was the last thing she remembered. She awakened with a start when one of the doors was opened and the overhead light came on. It took her a moment to realize that her head was resting on Doug’s shoulder. Embarrassed and hoping desperately that she hadn’t drooled on him, Emma quickly sat up.
“Sorry about that. I guess I fell asleep,” Emma said as she examined his shirt for any wet spots. Thankfully, there were none.
“No problem,” Doug answered with a casual shrug.
“I’ll let you all out here,” Dean Harwood told them. He had stopped the car in front of the school’s main entrance.
“Thank you for taking me today,” Emma said to Doug’s dad as she opened the door. “I really had a good time.”
“You’re welcome, Emma. I’m glad you had fun. You looked like a natural on the ice.”
“Thanks.” Emma knew she had a long way to go to be as good as Doug, but at least she hadn’t totally embarrassed herself.
As Miss Jennings and the two youngsters climbed the front steps, Dean Harwood drove the car around the castle to park it in the bus barn.
“I don’t know about you two, but I’m exhausted,” Miss Jennings said once they were inside. “I think I’ll go on up to bed. Good night, you two.”
“Good night, Miss Jennings,” Emma and Doug replied in unison.
Once Miss Jennings had disappeared down the main hall in the direction of the elevator, Doug and Emma were left standing alone in the lobby. Suddenly, Emma felt nervous. She wondered if Doug would try to kiss her again.
“Doug, thanks for asking me to go ice-skating. I had a great time,” she said, breaking the silence that had fallen upon Miss Jennings’s departure.
“Was it everything you’d hoped it would be?” he asked, looking at her intently with those dark eyes of his.
“Yes. I just wish I was as good as you.”
“You will be in no time. Dad was right. You’re a natural.”
Silence fell between them again as they stood looking at each other. Doug had just taken a step toward her when suddenly a group of students came bustling out of the lounge. Their sudden appearance broke the spell, and Doug quickly backed away from her.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Doug said, eyeing the noisy group with a frown.
“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” Emma agreed quickly. With nothing else to say, Emma turned to go. She could almost feel him watching her as she headed to her room. As she walked down the hall, Emma thought about what had just happened. She was certain that Doug had intended to kiss her. Instead of being disappointed that it hadn’t happened, she felt a thrill of excitement because she was equally certain that he would try again when the next opportunity presented itself. She went to sleep that night dreaming of when that might be.
Martha returned to school the following afternoon. When the two girls were alone together in their room, Emma quickly filled Martha in on all that had happened the last few days. She even told Martha about seeing Mrs. Bertram and Ray Sutton together in Benton.
“Those two just don’t seem like they go together,” Martha said in surprise.
“That’s just what I said,” Emma exclaimed, “but Doug didn’t seem to think it was strange at all.”
“Well, there’s no accounting for taste,” Martha replied. Then she shrugged her shoulders and added, “Mrs. Bertram is probably lonely.”
“I never thought of that. You’re right, Martha. She’s probably just glad to have someone to do things with.”
“Now that the mystery is solved, tell me more about the ice-skating. Did you like it as much as you thought you would?”
“I loved it! I just wish I was better at it.”
“It just takes practice,” Martha pointed out.
“I’m not likely to get that any time soon. That was probably my one and only ice-skating experience,” Emma lamented.
“Not necessarily. Doug says there’s a pond not too far to the north of the castle. If it stays as cold as it’s been lately, it’ll freeze over, and then we’ll be able to go skating.”
“Sounds great. There’s only one problem. I don’t have any skates.”
“I’m sure we can round some skates up somewhere,” Martha answered with a suspicious twinkle in her eye.
Emma was just about to ask Martha where these mythical skates might be when Clarice and Susie came in. Emma was surprised to find that she was genuinely glad to see them. Things between her and Clarice had changed since their time together in the infirmary.
The rest of the afternoon was spent unpacking suitcases and sharing stories about all of the things everyone had done on their break. Emma listened with rapt attention as Susie and Clarice described in detail all the shops they’d visited. Then the two girls showed her and Martha the new clothes they’d bought. Martha’s holiday had been more about spending time with her parents and siblings. Emma couldn’t help feeling envious as Martha described all the fun her family had had playing games and watching movies together.
“What did you and Doug do while we were gone?” Clarice asked Emma with a knowing smile when Martha had finished her narrative.
Emma decided to let the suspense build a bit before telling Clarice and Susie about her ice-skating trip.
“Well, I finished all of my projects,” Emma began with a woeful expression.
“What?” Clarice interrupted. “Do you mean to tell me that Douglas didn’t spend any time with you at all? Well, that’s just the meanest thing I’ve ever heard!”
Clarice was getting so upset on her behalf that Emma decided to put an end to her suspense building.
“Wait,” Emma said, putting up a hand to halt Clarice’s tirade. “That’s not all I did.”
Emma then went on to tell Clarice and Susie all about her day in Benton.
“Well, that’s more like it!” Clarice declared with an unladylike snort.
“That Doug is so nice,” Susie commented.
“Yes, he is,” Emma agreed.
The talk then turned to Christmas. Wednesday would be December first. The entire student body would be invited to help decorate the castle on that day. Afterward, all of the volunteers would be treated to cookies and hot chocolate as a reward for their hard work. Emma was looking forward to the day. It had been a lot of fun last year. Much to Emma and Martha’s amazement, Clarice even sounded enthusiastic at the mention of the event.
The rest of Sunday passed all too quickly. They had supper and then played games in the lounge until curfew.
Later that night, Emma lay in bed thinking about the upcoming Christmas holiday. She still didn’t know what to get Doug, and she only had until Saturday to figure it out. Emma made a mental note not to forget to ask Sebastian for some ideas tomorrow. She finally drifted off to sleep and dreamed that she was skating on a frozen pond with Doug by her side.
Monday morning came all too soon, and classes resumed. Emma didn’t mind the classes. It was the homework she hated. At least she wasn’t alone. Homework was an integral part of the school’s teaching philosophy, and all Dinswood students suffered equally under the burden. Emma had to admit she was learning more at Dinswood than she’d ever learned at her other schools. Students at the academy consistently earned the highest scores on national tests. Emma was proud to be a Dinswood Academy student, so she applied herself diligently to her assignments with the realization that all of her hard work would pay off someday.
Wednesday finally arrived. There were no hobby classes after school so that students could spend the time decorating if they wished. Emma, Martha, Doug, and Sebastian volunteered to decorate the tree in the lounge as they had done last year. While the four of them worked on the tree in the lounge, other students worked on the trees in the library and lobby and assisted with the other decorating jobs.
When the foursome had finished with the tree in the lounge, they spent some time wandering around to check out all of the other decorations. The trees in the library and lobby were finished and the main staircase looked festive strung with garland and twinkle lights. Poinsettias had been placed in the windows and on some of the tables, and the castle’s front doors were adorned with the largest wreaths Emma had ever seen.
“I think we’ve outdone ourselves this year,” Sebastian exclaimed as he looked around.
“It’s all beautiful,” Emma agreed. “I just wish it would snow. The castle would really look Christmassy then.”
“The snow needs to hold off until after Saturday. We don’t want our trip to Windland canceled,” Sebastian reminded her.
“You’re right, Sebastian. I can’t believe I forgot about that.”
Emma had gotten a chance to talk to Sebastian about gift ideas for Doug at supper on Monday. Doug had stayed late in shop class to work on his rocking chair, so Sebastian had been alone when Martha and Emma had entered the dining hall. Sebastian had told her that Doug’s dad was getting him a new pair of hockey skates for Christmas since he’d outgrown his old ones. Sebastian had then gone on to suggest that the girls go together to get him a hockey stick.
“I’m pretty sure I’m getting skates and a hockey stick too,” Sebastian had said with a sly grin. “At least, that’s what I asked for. If you guys get Doug one, then we can play hockey this winter on that pond Doug told us about.”
The girls had agreed that Sebastian’s suggestion was a good idea and were planning on getting Doug’s present in Windland on Saturday. Sebastian was going to help them pick it out. Emma just hoped that the small town of Windland, with its limited shopping options, would have what they were looking for.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” Sebastian said with an exaggerated groan. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
Hearing no argument from the others, Sebastian started off in the direction of the dining hall. The others dutifully followed, and in no time, they were seated at a table—each with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of goodies.
This year, the cooking class had produced a wider variety of sweets to choose from. In addition to an assortment of cookies, there were pecan tarts and little pastries stuffed with cream.
“These pastries are delicious!” Martha exclaimed after taking a bite. “They’re so flaky, and the cream filling is yummy.”
“I made the pastries,” Sebastian announced proudly. “I wanted to try something a little harder than cookies.”
“They’re really good, Sebastian,” Emma said after trying one. “You’re going to be a great chef someday.”
“I hope so, but I’ve still got a long way to go and a lot to learn,” Sebastian answered with a pleased expression. “There’s only so much they can teach me in my hobby class. I’ve been reading through the book Martha got me for Christmas last year and learning a lot about sauces and stuff. At least when I go to culinary school after graduation, I’ll know a few things.”
“Maybe Mrs. Bertram would let you try a few dishes over Christmas break,” Martha suggested. It made her feel good that Sebastian liked the present she’d gotten him last year. She had already planned to get him the second cooking book in the series this Saturday when they were in Windland.
“Maybe,” Sebastian said with a shrug in response to Martha’s suggestion. His tone wasn’t too hopeful. “Mrs. Bertram’s pretty fussy about her kitchen, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
Hearing the head cook’s name reminded Emma about seeing her with Ray Sutton in Benton. When she told Sebastian about seeing the two of them together, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Wow, I never would have figured that,” he said. “They don’t seem like they go together.”
“That’s just what I said when Emma told me,” Martha said.
“Come on, guys,” Doug said. “It’s not like they’re getting married or anything.”
No more was said on the subject of Mrs. Bertram and Ray Sutton, but Emma still couldn’t shake the feeling that something about the pairing was wrong. Her worry about what Mrs. Bertram and Ray Sutton could possibly be up to was completely forgotten with Doug’s next statement.
“I delivered the third sculpture. I did it the Friday after Thanksgiving. I figured it would be a good time to do it, you know with most of the students gone and the cooking staff on rotation.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were planning to deliver one?” Emma asked in an accusing tone. “I would have gone with you.”
“There wasn’t any need for you to go. I didn’t run into any problems, and I’ve gotten pretty good at moving that refrigerator out by myself. Besides, one person sneaking around is less conspicuous than two people.”
Doug had some valid points, but Emma still didn’t like it. “Please promise me you’ll at least take Sebastian with you when you deliver the next one,” she begged.
Doug didn’t want to make that promise, but he could see the worry not just in Emma’s face but the faces of Sebastian and Martha as well.
With a sigh and a shake of his head, he gave in. “Okay, I promise.”
“I’m staying at school over Christmas break,” Sebastian informed the group. “We can deliver the next sculpture over Christmas break.”
“I’m staying too,” Martha chimed in.
Doug shook his head at Sebastian. “I agree it would be a good time to do it, but the sculpture of Mary is the only one we’ve got left. What if we can’t find the other two? Mr. Munsen told me to let him know before we delivered the last sculpture because he’s working on some kind of trap. If we don’t find the other two sculptures, we’ll need the one of Mary to spring the trap.”
“I get it,” Sebastian said. “We’ve got to keep one sculpture in reserve.”
Doug simply nodded. He was glad Sebastian and Martha were staying at Dinswood over the Christmas holiday. He was hoping the four of them would get a chance to look for the other two sculptures. There were still a couple of places within walking distance of the castle that he thought were worth checking out even though they weren’t on the list they’d made. He wouldn’t relax until he had the last two sculptures in hand. Only then would his dad and Lord Dinswood really be safe.
It still hadn’t snowed by the time Saturday arrived. Thus far, the fall season had been unusually cold and dry. Emma had mixed feelings about the lack of snow. She was glad they would be able to make their last trip to Windland before winter set in, but she missed seeing the castle draped in winter white. Oh well, she thought, there’s still plenty of time left for a good snowstorm. After all, winter doesn’t officially begin until the twenty-first of December. With that happy thought, Emma gathered the two afghans she needed to mail home and waited while Martha, Clarice, and Susie finished getting ready. The four girls then left the room together.
Dean Harwood had leased extra buses from a company in Benton so that any student wanting to take this final Windland trip could do so. As a result, the halls were crowded with noisy students—all headed in the direction of the castle’s front entrance.
The buses were already idling out front, so the girls went on outside and boarded the second bus in the row. Emma got on first and took a moment to scan the faces of the other occupants to see if Doug and Sebastian might be on board. Not seeing them, she chose a seat near the front and, after stowing her gifts for her brothers under the seat, slid over to the window to make room for Martha. Clarice and Susie took the seat directly behind them. The bus was filled with the sound of excited voices. Everyone appeared to be in high spirits and looking forward to their last trip to Windland for a while. Emma wasn’t paying attention though. She was watching out the window for Doug and Sebastian. Of course, it was possible that they were already on one of the other buses, but Emma hoped this was not the case. Emma’s vigilance was rewarded when the two boys appeared a moment later. She began waving her hands to get their attention as they scanned the row of buses. Doug finally saw her and returned her wave. He and Sebastian boarded the bus a second later. As there were no seats available close to the girls, Doug led the way down the aisle to the back. Once the boys were settled, Emma turned back around and prepared to enjoy the ride to Windland.
They had all agreed that they would split up once they got to town so that they could Christmas shop for each other. Then they would meet for lunch at the Windland Inn.
The inn was designed like a ski lodge and was one of Emma’s favorite places. One end of the inn was a good-sized restaurant; the other side was an enormous lounge area. The lounge area had a high ceiling that was supported by a network of crisscrossing wooden beams. Ceiling fans hung from some of the beams, and couches and comfortable-looking chairs were scattered around a large central circular fireplace. A carpeted hallway on the backside of the lounge led to the hotel rooms. The town of Windland had a regular restaurant on Main Street, but Emma much preferred the homey feel of the inn. The food was equally good at both places.
The foursome had made no plans beyond lunch, but Doug had mentioned that he was hoping for a chance to talk to Mr. Munsen. That meant a trip to the bookstore. Most likely, Mr. Munsen’s daughter Becky would be working behind the counter today. Even though she was two years older, Becky showed too much interest in Doug as far as Emma was concerned. The truth of the matter was that Emma was jealous. Becky was a very pretty girl. Thus far, Doug hadn’t paid her much attention, but things could change.
