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

Chapter One

"I suppose you think you're clever."

Standing in front of Miss Violet Hunter, I couldn't keep from shifting from foot to foot. "I wouldn't use that term exactly, ma'am," I said, careful to keep my tone respectful. I hurried to explain myself. "I am by no means without intelligence, of course, but 'clever' is a word used far too often in my opinion."

Miss Hunter, the headmistress of the girl's school I attended, shook her head as though to hide how the corners of her mouth quirked up. Seeing her amusement eased some of my nervousness. "Miss Norton, your way with words will not get you out of trouble," she said sternly.

"I wasn't aware that I was in trouble," I couldn't keep from saying.

"Would there be any other reason for you to be summoned to my office?"

No, there was not. It was only by biting my tongue that I was able to keep from saying anything else on that point. Until I knew what I had done wrong, no doubt it would be best to keep quiet. To do otherwise would run the risk of making things worse. With Miss Hunter amused, however, it couldn't be all that bad. Could it?

For a moment, the headmistress focused her attention on some unopened correspondence on her desk. "I know you have learned a great deal from your encounters with Mr. Sherlock Holmes and found ways to apply it in your life," she finally said, lifting her gaze. "Only a fool would fail to do so after spending a few moments in the company of the great detective. I found myself a little more observant of those around me."

Miss Hunter rarely spoke of her brief involvement with Sherlock Holmes, which had initially disappointed me. Aside from my own parents, she was the only person I had ever met who had been involved in one of the detective's cases. To be able to compare experiences would have been marvelous, but had not happened.

"I have studied his monographs," I said in the ensuing silence. I could not deny that I admired Mr. Holmes. After all, he had saved my life once, and I had managed to be of some assistance to him on another occasion. It was my determination to keep my wits sharpened in case such an opportunity ever arose again.

"I am aware of your reading habits," Miss Hunter said with a quickly suppressed smile. "A few of the other teachers have remarked on it with concerns about the suitability for a young woman to read such...scientific offerings. I have seen nothing harmful and did not call you here to forbid you from reading the monographs. I know how important they are to you."

Hearing those words sent a rush of relief through me. My original set had been stolen and destroyed, leaving me with a paranoia that I would always have to keep the second set under lock and key. I only took one out of the chest I kept them in when I was sure of a few moments of privacy. Studying the contents was no small task and committing the information to memory would take time.

"Miss Norton, did you hear a word of what I just said?"

Startled, I refocused on Miss Hunter. "Forgive me. My mind must have wandered. You were saying, Miss Hunter?"

Shaking her head, Miss Hunter straightened a stack of papers. "Serena, please sit down," she said, gesturing to the chairs that were across from her desk. Quickly, I obliged her, folding my hands in my lap. "You are aware Miss Genevieve Walters left the school this morning."

"I was not," I said cautiously. The news was hardly surprising, though. Miss Walters had not been behaving in a manner at all appropriate for a young lady, what with her habit of going out at all hours to meet with a man. A fact that I had deduced from the mud on her shoes. I would have thought she would have taken care to clean away that evidence, or at least order a maid do so for her.