brats!â
Elspeth didnât dare look over her shoulder. She ran as fast as she could.
Elspeth knew Miss Crabb would stop at nothing to get the recipe. She and Rory launched themselves up three flights of stairs and into the kitchens with Miss Crabb behind them. She was so close that they could hear her wheezy breath.
âWhat the heck do you kids think youâre doing?â hollered Jimmy McScoff, as Elspeth and Rory raced through, knocking over a big vat of orange jelly.
âWhatâs the plan, Elspeth?â gasped Rory.
âJust keep running!â Elspeth said.
Miss Crabb wasnât far behind. She ran into the kitchen, skidded through the orange jelly and landed right in a huge chocolate cake.
âI just iced that cake, you idiot woman!â cried Jimmy McScoff.
âGah!â Miss Crabb shouted. Sheclambered to her feet, shoved Jimmy McScoff out of the way, leaving a big chocolatey handprint on his chest, and hobbled on.
Ahead of her, Elspeth and Rory burst into the empty dining room, swerving round chairs and tables, and skidding on the polished floor, as they weaved their way to the other side and out into a wide corridor.
They hurtled up another flight of stairs and ran towards the ballroom. They couldnât hear Miss Crabb any more, but they knew she couldnât be far behind.
âFaster!â cried Elspeth.
Then Rory gave a shout. âLazlo! No!â
There was a loud miaow from further down the corridor, and they could hear Lady Spewitt speaking to Tinkiewinks. Lazlo leaped from Roryâs shoulder and shotacross the corridor into the ballroom.
âLazlo! Come back!â cried Rory and, before Elspeth could stop him, he raced into the ballroom after Lazlo.
âNo!â Elspeth hissed. âWe have to keep going!â
But it was too late. Rory was gone.
17
The Dangerous Daily Tea Dance
Elspeth stared through the window in the double doors, her heart racing. The ballroom was full of elegant people twirling and swaying at the daily tea dance. Most of the passengers fancied themselves as rather good dancers, and the dance always went ahead, no matter how choppy the sea was. Even if you think youare an excellent dancer, dear reader, you would find it quite a challenge to dance on a floor that keeps tilting from side to side. But since the storm had calmed down, the ballroom was full.
Rory raced after Lazlo, right on to the dance floor. Before he knew it, he was swept around in a circle by Petunia Galoshes-Gallop, who was wearing an enormous peach ballgown. She screwed up her eyes as she looked down at Rory.
“I say. I don’t have my glasses on, so I’m afraid I don’t recognize you,” she said. “You’re a bit of a blur. Are you one of Lord Spewitt’s friends?” She twirled Rory around again at top speed before he could answer. “You’re rather short, aren’t you?”
Petunia Galoshes-Gallop was spinning Rory so fast that his feet were hardlytouching the ground.
Elspeth couldn’t wait a second longer – she could hear Miss Crabb coming up the stairs. She ran in after Rory, swerving through the couples on the dance floor. There was a long table at the far side of the ballroom and Elspeth flung herself under it, hiding behind the tablecloth before anyone noticed her.
She peeked out from under the tablecloth and spotted Lazlo instantly. She reached out and grabbed him. He bit her twice before she managed to wrestle a piece of chocolate from her pocket and offer it to him, which seemed to calm him down. Then Elspeth froze. A pair of feet in huge orange high-heeled shoes had appeared next to the table. Elspeth recognized the shoes: they belonged to Lady Spewitt.
Elspeth could feel Lazlo trembling with fear … which meant only one thing – Tinkiewinks. The orange high heels were so close that Elspeth could have reached out and touched them.
Elspeth knew she had to make a run for it before Lazlo escaped, but what if Miss Crabb had followed them
Elspeth didnât dare look over her shoulder. She ran as fast as she could.
Elspeth knew Miss Crabb would stop at nothing to get the recipe. She and Rory launched themselves up three flights of stairs and into the kitchens with Miss Crabb behind them. She was so close that they could hear her wheezy breath.
âWhat the heck do you kids think youâre doing?â hollered Jimmy McScoff, as Elspeth and Rory raced through, knocking over a big vat of orange jelly.
âWhatâs the plan, Elspeth?â gasped Rory.
âJust keep running!â Elspeth said.
Miss Crabb wasnât far behind. She ran into the kitchen, skidded through the orange jelly and landed right in a huge chocolate cake.
âI just iced that cake, you idiot woman!â cried Jimmy McScoff.
âGah!â Miss Crabb shouted. Sheclambered to her feet, shoved Jimmy McScoff out of the way, leaving a big chocolatey handprint on his chest, and hobbled on.
Ahead of her, Elspeth and Rory burst into the empty dining room, swerving round chairs and tables, and skidding on the polished floor, as they weaved their way to the other side and out into a wide corridor.
They hurtled up another flight of stairs and ran towards the ballroom. They couldnât hear Miss Crabb any more, but they knew she couldnât be far behind.
âFaster!â cried Elspeth.
Then Rory gave a shout. âLazlo! No!â
There was a loud miaow from further down the corridor, and they could hear Lady Spewitt speaking to Tinkiewinks. Lazlo leaped from Roryâs shoulder and shotacross the corridor into the ballroom.
âLazlo! Come back!â cried Rory and, before Elspeth could stop him, he raced into the ballroom after Lazlo.
âNo!â Elspeth hissed. âWe have to keep going!â
But it was too late. Rory was gone.
17
The Dangerous Daily Tea Dance
Elspeth stared through the window in the double doors, her heart racing. The ballroom was full of elegant people twirling and swaying at the daily tea dance. Most of the passengers fancied themselves as rather good dancers, and the dance always went ahead, no matter how choppy the sea was. Even if you think youare an excellent dancer, dear reader, you would find it quite a challenge to dance on a floor that keeps tilting from side to side. But since the storm had calmed down, the ballroom was full.
Rory raced after Lazlo, right on to the dance floor. Before he knew it, he was swept around in a circle by Petunia Galoshes-Gallop, who was wearing an enormous peach ballgown. She screwed up her eyes as she looked down at Rory.
“I say. I don’t have my glasses on, so I’m afraid I don’t recognize you,” she said. “You’re a bit of a blur. Are you one of Lord Spewitt’s friends?” She twirled Rory around again at top speed before he could answer. “You’re rather short, aren’t you?”
Petunia Galoshes-Gallop was spinning Rory so fast that his feet were hardlytouching the ground.
Elspeth couldn’t wait a second longer – she could hear Miss Crabb coming up the stairs. She ran in after Rory, swerving through the couples on the dance floor. There was a long table at the far side of the ballroom and Elspeth flung herself under it, hiding behind the tablecloth before anyone noticed her.
She peeked out from under the tablecloth and spotted Lazlo instantly. She reached out and grabbed him. He bit her twice before she managed to wrestle a piece of chocolate from her pocket and offer it to him, which seemed to calm him down. Then Elspeth froze. A pair of feet in huge orange high-heeled shoes had appeared next to the table. Elspeth recognized the shoes: they belonged to Lady Spewitt.
Elspeth could feel Lazlo trembling with fear … which meant only one thing – Tinkiewinks. The orange high heels were so close that Elspeth could have reached out and touched them.
Elspeth knew she had to make a run for it before Lazlo escaped, but what if Miss Crabb had followed them
Similar Books
