companion exchanged a glance and with a dignified gait started to ascend the stairs.
Mr. Sebastian, who was everything that John disliked, being heavily wigged, heavily jowled and heavily stomached, stood awaiting them at the top, fiddling with his watch chain. Well?” he said.
Digby came straight to the point. “You, Sir, are a jackanapes. A young girl was raped beneath your roof and you have done nothing whatsoever about it.”
The red complexion deepened to purple. “Simply because I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sir. How dare you come here uninvited and make false accusations against me.”
John spoke up. “You recently had a pupil called Lucas Drummond in your charge. Is that not so, Sir?”
Mr. Sebastian frowned, pretending, not very convincingly, to be deep in thought.
“Drummond? Drummond? The name’s familiar. I think you’d best step into my study, gentlemen.” He produced a book from his desk. “Ah, yes, here he is. There are two of them, of course. Lucas and Frederick.”
“I rather think you mean were. Lucas - or shall we call him by his real name, Lucinda - ran away yesterday and has put herself under my protection.”
Sebastian went from purple to deep violet. “Under your protection? What rubbish is this? And why are you calling the boy by a girl’s name?”
“For the simple reason he is a girl and you damn well know it.”
He was a good actor, John had to give him that. “Girl! Girl! We do not have girls in this establishment, Sir.”
Digby came in furiously. “You not only had a girl here but you deliberately turned a blind eye to the fact. So much so that the poor creature was raped in her bed the other night by one of your older pupils and was so terrified that she has run away.”
“Now I know who you’re talking about,” Sebastian snarled. “A snotty little fellow, very effeminate looking. Yes, it’s true, he went missing yesterday. I have informed his parents.”
The Apothecary was lost for words. Was it remotely possible, he wondered, that Mr. Sebastian had actually been deceived about Lucinda’s gender? He caught Digby Turnbull’s eye and saw that he was thinking the same thing.
The headmaster continued to speak. “So you say you have the boy in your care?” His voice took on a nasty edge. “And what do you intend doing with him might I ask?”
“If you are hinting what I believe you may be,” John answered, “you can cease to do so forthwith, or the consequences will not be pleasant for you. The creature in my charge is a girl, and before your mind goes down that path as well, I have engaged her as a servant for my wife.”
“For the last time,” growled the headmaster, his cheeks so discoloured he looked fit to have a stroke at any moment, “there are no girls at the Brampton Park Boarding School.”
He had won, there was no doubt about it. By the simple means of denying everything and refusing to budge, Sebastian had silenced them. Inwardly John seethed with rage but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Mr. Turnbull tried one last thrust. “You say you have informed Lucinda’s parents. May I know who they are so that we may write and assure them that all is well with the child.”
“Certainly not,” said the headmaster, rising to his feet to indicate that the interview was at an end. “All such information is strictly confidential. How dare you even ask it, Sir. Now to the practicalities. I want Lucas Drummond handed back into my care within the next twelve hours.”
“That, Sir,” said John, also standing up, “you can sing in the street for. There is no Lucas and as you deny the existance of Lucinda you cannot demand her return. Besides the child is of an age to speak for herself. You can pursue me through the courts if you want to claim her. And then what a pretty can of worms shall be opened. I promise you that I would spare you nothing.”
Mr. Sebastian glared at him. “You have not heard the end of this
Mr. Sebastian, who was everything that John disliked, being heavily wigged, heavily jowled and heavily stomached, stood awaiting them at the top, fiddling with his watch chain. Well?” he said.
Digby came straight to the point. “You, Sir, are a jackanapes. A young girl was raped beneath your roof and you have done nothing whatsoever about it.”
The red complexion deepened to purple. “Simply because I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sir. How dare you come here uninvited and make false accusations against me.”
John spoke up. “You recently had a pupil called Lucas Drummond in your charge. Is that not so, Sir?”
Mr. Sebastian frowned, pretending, not very convincingly, to be deep in thought.
“Drummond? Drummond? The name’s familiar. I think you’d best step into my study, gentlemen.” He produced a book from his desk. “Ah, yes, here he is. There are two of them, of course. Lucas and Frederick.”
“I rather think you mean were. Lucas - or shall we call him by his real name, Lucinda - ran away yesterday and has put herself under my protection.”
Sebastian went from purple to deep violet. “Under your protection? What rubbish is this? And why are you calling the boy by a girl’s name?”
“For the simple reason he is a girl and you damn well know it.”
He was a good actor, John had to give him that. “Girl! Girl! We do not have girls in this establishment, Sir.”
Digby came in furiously. “You not only had a girl here but you deliberately turned a blind eye to the fact. So much so that the poor creature was raped in her bed the other night by one of your older pupils and was so terrified that she has run away.”
“Now I know who you’re talking about,” Sebastian snarled. “A snotty little fellow, very effeminate looking. Yes, it’s true, he went missing yesterday. I have informed his parents.”
The Apothecary was lost for words. Was it remotely possible, he wondered, that Mr. Sebastian had actually been deceived about Lucinda’s gender? He caught Digby Turnbull’s eye and saw that he was thinking the same thing.
The headmaster continued to speak. “So you say you have the boy in your care?” His voice took on a nasty edge. “And what do you intend doing with him might I ask?”
“If you are hinting what I believe you may be,” John answered, “you can cease to do so forthwith, or the consequences will not be pleasant for you. The creature in my charge is a girl, and before your mind goes down that path as well, I have engaged her as a servant for my wife.”
“For the last time,” growled the headmaster, his cheeks so discoloured he looked fit to have a stroke at any moment, “there are no girls at the Brampton Park Boarding School.”
He had won, there was no doubt about it. By the simple means of denying everything and refusing to budge, Sebastian had silenced them. Inwardly John seethed with rage but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Mr. Turnbull tried one last thrust. “You say you have informed Lucinda’s parents. May I know who they are so that we may write and assure them that all is well with the child.”
“Certainly not,” said the headmaster, rising to his feet to indicate that the interview was at an end. “All such information is strictly confidential. How dare you even ask it, Sir. Now to the practicalities. I want Lucas Drummond handed back into my care within the next twelve hours.”
“That, Sir,” said John, also standing up, “you can sing in the street for. There is no Lucas and as you deny the existance of Lucinda you cannot demand her return. Besides the child is of an age to speak for herself. You can pursue me through the courts if you want to claim her. And then what a pretty can of worms shall be opened. I promise you that I would spare you nothing.”
Mr. Sebastian glared at him. “You have not heard the end of this
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