“Your witness?” Hilary raised her eyebrows at Charlie and Claire. “Do you mean that the person who saw Miss Pimm disappear is here at the Eaglet?”
The inspector named Sturgeon scowled. “Certainly not,” he said.
“And she’ll be leaving soon,” his partner added.
Hilary grinned. “I’d be interested in speaking to your witness,” she said, “so if you’d please step aside—”
But Mr. Sturgeon blocked her way. “You’re not allowed in, pirate,” he said. “Neither are those other children.” He waved his hand at Charlie and Claire, who looked quite murderous. “And if that vicious stone creature doesn’t stop trying to bite my fingers, I’ll have the lot of you thrown in the Dungeons.”
The gargoyle bared his teeth. “Fine,” he said as he retreated into Hilary’s bag, “but you won’t like what I have to say about you in my memoirs.”
Claire grabbed Hilary’s shoulder. “We can’t just leave, can we? When the witness might be able to tell us what happened to Miss Pimm?”
“Of course not,” said Hilary. “Surrendering is hardly piratical. But let me think for a moment.” She pulled Cannonball Jack’s pouch of coins from her bag and weighed it in her hand.
Charlie tugged at the collar of his pirate coat. “What are you thinking of, Terror?”
“There’s no need to worry, Pirate Dove,” Hilary said. “I’m almost sure this plan will work.”
“Almost?” said Charlie.
Hilary steadied herself, shook a magic coin into her palm, and whispered a few words so the queen’s inspectors couldn’t overhear. The inspectors fumbled for their own magic pieces, but they were too late: to Hilary’s delight, her cutlass floated out of its sheath and hovered in front of the inspectors, directing its point at their chests when they attempted to move. Claire clapped her hands, and even Charlie looked very nearly impressed.
Hilary’s arms felt weak from the magic, and her breath was strained, but she had more than enough strength left to grin. “If you move an inch from this spot,” she told the inspectors, “or if you try to stop us in any way, my cutlass will run you through, so I suggest you stay put until I come back to collect it.” The inspectors began to nod, but they stopped at once when the cutlass moved closer to their heads. “I’ll give the witness your best regards.”
ONCE THE PIRATES were safely inside the Eaglet, Hilary leaned against the wall to catch her breath. “That was brilliant!” Claire cried. “And you didn’t make anything explode! I’m simply seething with jealousy.”
“I’m impressed you had enough strength to manage it,” said Charlie. “I’d think running someone through would take an awful lot of magic.”
“I may have exaggerated a bit,” Hilary admitted. “All I asked the cutlass to do was hover in front of the inspectors in a menacing sort of way—but I hope they’ll be too nervous to test its limits.” She stood up straight and tucked her magic coins away. “Now, do you see anyone here who looks like a witness?”
The small downstairs room was empty except for the harried-looking landlady, who made no secret of sighing as the pirates approached. “First queen’s inspectors,” she said, “and now pirates. I do hope you’re not here to do any pillaging. I won’t allow the Eaglet to gain a reputation for pirate attacks; it would attract quite the wrong sort of crowd.”
Hilary assured the landlady that her pirate crew wasn’t the pillaging sort. “Actually,” she said, “we’re here to see the same young lady the inspectors just visited. Can you tell us where she is?”
The landlady looked through a window. “Miss Tilbury is about to depart,” she said, “but if you hurry, I believe you’ll be able to catch her in the back drive.”
Claire stared at her. “Did you say Miss Tilbury?”
“That’s correct,” said the landlady. “Miss Philomena Tilbury.”
The color drained from Claire’s face, and Hilary could hardly blame her. Philomena Tilbury may have been from one of the noblest families in Augusta, but she had been the least pleasant student at Miss Pimm’s, and she’d particularly enjoyed threatening the other girls with her magic crochet hook. She had taken an immediate dislike to Claire, who was attending Miss Pimm’s on scholarship, and she wasn’t much fonder of Hilary.
“Philomena is the witness?” Claire cried as the pirates hurried around to the back of the Eaglet. “We’d just gotten rid of her at last! She turned seventeen in the spring and left school to enter High Society. Whatever is she doing back in Pemberton?”
“I don’t know,” said Hilary, “but I’d very much like to find out.” She rounded the corner, where a black carriage gilded with the Tilbury crest stood waiting in the lane. Four elegant, cream-colored horses chewed politely on carrots as a coachman in peacock-blue livery struggled to lift half a dozen trunks, carpetbags, and packages into the carriage. When Hilary cleared her throat, the coachman jumped, and a jumble of hatboxes crashed to the ground around him.
The carriage door swung open, and Philomena stepped out from behind it. “I’ve told you a hundred times, Lewis, that you must be more careful with my hats! If you insist upon tossing them to the ground, I shall have to tell Mama all about it, and the news will undoubtedly send her into a rage. But then I suppose one must not expect too much when one is traveling with one’s second-best coachman.”
“I’m ever so sorry, miss,” said Lewis, who looked as if he would prefer to climb into one of Philomena’s hatboxes and stay there until the danger had passed. “It’s just—well, the pirates, miss, they startled me.”
“Pirates?” Philomena turned to stare at Hilary. Her hair was drawn into a tight little bun, and her mouth was drawn into a tight little frown that only grew firmer as she took in the crowd in front of her.
“I’m afraid Lewis is right.” Hilary set the gargoyle down on the ground, and the four pirates gathered around Philomena and the trembling Lewis. “It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other, hasn’t it? I’m so glad we were able to catch you before you left the Southlands.”
“Miss Hilary Westfield,” said Philomena. “Whatever do you think you’re doing here?”
Hilary stepped forward, keeping one hand on her magic coins, for she had learned from her dueling lessons with Charlie that with certain opponents, it was best to be cautious. “We’re searching for Miss Pimm,” she said, “and we believe you know something about what’s happened to her.”
Philomena shot her a look of pure exasperation. “That’s true,” she said, “but I’ve already told the queen’s inspectors everything I know, and I don’t see why I should have to say a single word to pirates. Or to fishmongers’ daughters,” she added, aiming a sharp look at Claire. “Lewis, please send these intruders away at once.”
Lewis shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Er, miss,” he said, “I believe one of them’s got a sword. And I don’t like the look of that little one with the wings.”
“That’s all right, Philomena,” said Hilary. “Lewis doesn’t have to send us away. If he does, I’ll tell those queen’s inspectors about how little you care for Miss Pimm. The last time we met, I believe you were furious at her for taking your magic crochet hook away. You flew into a rage and stomped out.”
“And now,” said Claire, “you turn up at the scene of poor Miss Pimm’s disappearance. Don’t you think the inspectors would find that suspicious?”
The gargoyle looked up at Philomena. “If she doesn’t say anything,” he said, “can I bite her? Oh, Hilary, please?”
Philomena squirmed and stepped away from the gargoyle’s teeth. “Very well,” she said. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told the inspectors, if you pirates will promise to leave me alone after that. I’ve got to get back to Tilbury Park, and I’ve been delayed enough as it is.”
Hilary nodded. “All right, then. What’s happened to Miss Pimm?”
Philomena sat down on a hatbox. “I’d arranged to meet her yesterday morning at ten o’clock precisely. She was going to return my magic cr
ochet hook to me. She’d kept it locked away all year—no thanks to the lot of you—but she’d finally agreed that I should be allowed to have a magic piece again. And I should be!” Philomena looked up from the hatbox. “I’ve put childish games aside now that I’m entering High Society, and why shouldn’t I have a golden crochet hook just like any other Miss Pimm’s girl?”
Claire tucked her burned hand into the pocket of her dress.
“In any case,” said Philomena, “Lewis and I traveled down from Tilbury Park and arrived in Pemberton yesterday morning just before ten. I was relieved not to be late, for you know how much Miss Pimm values promptness. I waited outside her office, but she never appeared. At first I thought she’d been caught up in some bit of Enchantressing business, but then I saw a horrid, villainous pirate leaving her office. When he opened the door, I saw that Miss Pimm wasn’t at her desk, and I knew at once that something simply terrible had happened, so I sent a message to the queen’s inspectors immediately.” She glared up at Hilary. “I swear to you, that’s all I know. I haven’t got a clue how that wretched pirate made Miss Pimm disappear, but I’m sure he’s responsible.”
“That wretched pirate,” said Hilary, “happens to be a friend of ours—and a friend of Miss Pimm’s as well. He’s perfectly innocent. And in any case, Miss Pimm went missing on Friday night, not Saturday morning. Why would a villain return to the scene of the crime?”
Philomena frowned. Then she crossed her arms. “To hide the evidence, of course.”
Hilary decided that leaving school had not done much to make Philomena less infuriating. On top of that, her story didn’t seem to be the slightest bit helpful. She hadn’t even been in Pemberton when Miss Pimm had disappeared! No wonder the inspectors’ investigation was going so poorly. “Have you ever heard of a group of villains called the Mutineers?” Hilary asked.
Philomena wrinkled her nose. “I suppose that’s one of your nasty pirate terms. Honestly, Miss Westfield, I’m shocked by your crude seafaring language. I can’t imagine how disappointed your father would be if he heard you speaking in such a manner.”
Hilary’s fine pirate coat suddenly felt far too tight and unbearably warm. Philomena was hardly kind at the best of times, but mentioning Admiral Westfield was heartless even for her. Hilary rolled up the sleeves of her coat and wished she hadn’t left her cutlass floating in the air on the other side of the Eaglet. If she gave Philomena a hearty punch instead, would that be unpiratical?
“I’ve got a question,” Charlie said. “If you only came to Pemberton for one day, why do you have so much luggage?” He poked at a parcel with the tip of his sword.
Philomena laughed and snatched the parcel away. “I’m sure a boy of your upbringing can’t possibly imagine the amount of clothing one has to travel with if one doesn’t want to look like a grubby commoner.”
Charlie flinched.
“Ignore her, Pirate Dove,” said Hilary. “You’re perfectly right; even my dratted mama doesn’t bring her entire wardrobe with her when she visits her friends for a few days.” She looked back toward the Eaglet. “If I asked the landlady how long you’ve been staying here, Miss Tilbury, what would she tell me?”
Without a word, Philomena stood up from her hatbox. Lewis coughed as though he wished to say something, but Philomena glared at him and he looked down at his peacock-blue knees.
Hilary studied the pile of luggage. “I suspect that you’ve been here for at least a week. That means you were here in Pemberton on the very evening Miss Pimm disappeared.”
Philomena looked furious, but she didn’t deny it, and Hilary nearly broke into a jig right there in the lane. “You lied to us,” she said, “and I’m sure you lied to the inspectors as well. Is that because you kidnapped Miss Pimm yourself?” Hilary took another step toward Philomena. “Are you a Mutineer?”
Charlie raised his sword, and the gargoyle bared his teeth. “Oh my,” said Claire, tugging another row of stitches out of her cardigan.
“Stop!” cried Philomena. She looked around the lane and lowered her voice. “All right, you horrid pirates. It’s true that I’ve been in Pemberton for days—but I swear I didn’t kidnap Miss Pimm.”
“Prove it,” the gargoyle growled.
This seemed to be enough to terrify Lewis. “Perhaps you’d better tell them, miss?” he said. “About young Sir Feathering?”
Philomena looked as though she would like to step hard on Lewis’s foot.
“Who’s young Sir Feathering?” the gargoyle asked. “He’s not a bird, is he?” The gargoyle was not at all fond of birds, for they had a tendency to perch on his head.
Claire clasped her hands together. “Surely you can’t mean Sir Nicholas Feathering! The most eligible young gentleman in Augusta?” Her eyes went wide. “They say he’s terribly rich and handsome.”
“I don’t care one bit about that,” said Hilary. “What does he have to do with the Mutineers?”
Philomena rolled her eyes. “Not a thing,” she said, “but now that you pirates have stuck your noses into my business, I suppose I must make my confession.” She straightened her spine and raised her chin to its best advantage. “I’ve been in Pemberton this week to prepare for my debut ball.”
“Really?” said Hilary. “That’s your confession?”
“Why, it’s hardly news at all!” Claire said. “High Society has been buzzing about your debut for weeks.”
“How kind of you to say so, Miss Dupree,” said Philomena, looking anything but pleased. “What you must swear not to tell, however, is that during the ball, I shall announce my betrothal. I am marrying Sir Nicholas Feathering in a year’s time.”
Claire gaped at her. “The most eligible gentleman in Augusta is going to marry you?”
“An open mouth, Miss Dupree, is more suitable for herrings than for young ladies. My mama is simply dying to announce the news of our marriage in the grandest possible fashion, and if anyone discovers our plans before the ball, she’ll most likely send me to the Dungeons herself.” Philomena pressed her gloved fingers to her temples, as though the mere thought of her mama had summoned up a headache. “I’ve been spending the past week shopping for my trousseau; you must know how superior the Pemberton shops are to anything we’ve got in the Northlands.”
Hilary and Claire both grudgingly admitted that this was the case, but Charlie looked skeptical. “I can’t believe,” he said to Hilary, “that she expects us to think she couldn’t have kidnapped Miss Pimm because she was too busy shopping.”
“I don’t expect you to think any such thing,” Philomena said. “But you said Miss Pimm disappeared on Friday evening. Well, I was dining with Sir Nicholas Feathering at the time, here at the Eaglet.” She flushed, and for a moment she looked like nothing more than a nervous schoolgirl. “It was all perfectly proper, of course, but we had to slip past the landlady. If anyone had seen us dining unchaperoned, Mama would have had my head—just as I’ll have all your heads if you tell a soul.”
Hilary took a few steps back. Could Philomena be telling the truth? She did seem genuinely flustered, but if Hilary had learned one thing on the High Seas, it was the danger of taking a person at her word. “Perhaps,” she said, “I’ll pay Sir Nicholas a visit myself. If you’re telling us a pack of lies, he should be able to clear up the matter in no time at all.”
Philomena blanched. “Hilary Westfield, you’ll do no such thing!”
“Really?” Hilary gave Philomena her most piratical stare. “Why not?”
“Because . . .” Philomena hesitated. “Because the Featherings are one of the finest families in Augusta, and I won’t allow you to poke about in their affairs.”
“A pirate,” said Hilary, “may poke about wherever she wants to. And that’s exactly what I intend to do, no matter if you care for it or not.”
Philomena produced a hairpin from her reticule and jabbed at her bun so ferociously that the gargoyle hopped behind Hilary’s legs. “Don’t you dare say a word to Nicholas Feathering,” sh
e snapped. “It won’t do you a bit of good. If there’s anyone you ought to be suspicious of, it’s that horrid old pirate friend of yours. I expect he wrote that threatening note from the Mutineers himself.”
Philomena gave Hilary a triumphant little smile, but Hilary simply stared at her. “How did you know about the Mutineers’ note?” she said. “I never mentioned it to you.”
“She’s a villain!” cried the gargoyle. “I knew it!”
“For heaven’s sake, I’m no such thing.” The smile had slipped off Philomena’s face. “Everyone knows villains are always sending threatening notes to people, and I’m sure these Mutineers are no different.” She climbed up into her carriage. “Now, I’d thank you all to hurry off to some leaky rowboat and leave me alone—forever, if you can manage it.”
“What makes you think we’ll do any such thing?” Hilary asked.
“If you don’t,” Philomena said, “I shall drive directly to Miss Pimm’s and ask Inspector Hastings to arrest the lot of you. He’s a terribly obliging gentleman.” She slammed the carriage door shut. “Hurry up with my things, Lewis. We’ve wasted enough time already, and Mama will be furious if we’re late.”
Lewis nodded and stammered his apologies, and a few moments later the Tilbury carriage stormed away, leaving the pirates in an elegant and imposing cloud of dust.
“I do not like her,” the gargoyle said.
Hilary scuffed at the dirt with her boot, kicking up a far less elegant dust cloud than the one the carriage had produced. “She seemed awfully suspicious,” Hilary said, “but even if she is a Mutineer, we can’t prove it, and we still haven’t got any idea where Miss Pimm might be.”
“Perhaps the landlady can help us,” Claire said. But when they piled back into the Eaglet, the landlady proved to be no help at all. She hadn’t noticed Miss Tilbury engaging in any sort of suspicious behavior, nor had she seen the Enchantress pass through the guesthouse. When Hilary asked if Miss Tilbury had gone out on Friday evening, the landlady stiffened and said quite firmly that she would not engage in conversation about her guests with a band of pirates, no matter how honorable those pirates might be.
The Terror of the Southlands Page 8
