Silence followed and all Cait could assume was that the girls were reading through the books as she and Julian had done.
Julian! She was practically pressed against him as they stood in silence in the closet.
She glanced up and he was staring down at her, the corner of his mouth tipped and humor danced in his eyes.
When they started their mission, she never dreamed that she would be hiding in a narrow closet with him, nor did she mind. And he seemed to be enjoying himself.
Maybe this was what he needed to take his mind off the sad news that he had received today.
“Here it is!” Mary proclaimed before she read aloud the same story that Cait had shared with Julian.
“It does not give a very good description of what the cloak or tail looks like,” Ruth complained.
“Seals are grey, so the cloak must be as well,” Abigail determined.
“Now we just need to find it,” Ruth said.
“What will we do when we do?” Mary asked. “Give it back to Miss Doyle?”
“Except, she may be the one who hid it and is just waiting to return,” Ruth suggested.
“She has been here too long. If it was not missing, she would have left by now,” Abigail reasoned.
“Then, if we find it, we should give it back,” Mary suggested again.
“Or keep it. It may be useful in the future and benefit us when needed.”
Cait straightened and had she not been in hiding, would have certainly spoken up.
Julian grinned down at her, and his shoulders shook as he held in his laughter.
As there was no cloak, it was silly to think they would use it for a selfish purpose, but it was also outrageous that students might try something so petty as blackmail.
“We need to get back to the school, then we can try and determine where the cloak might be hidden,” Mary insisted.
Beyond the door was shuffling and then silence.
Cait blew out a sigh. “They are gone.” She reached to open the door, but Julian gently grasped her wrist.
She glanced up and he shook his head, just as she heard the outside door open again.
Who else was here?
“I told you that they would come looking for the books.” Eliza, one of the older students laughed.
Cait frowned as she wondered why the original terrible trio, with the addition of the twins, were in the conservatory.
She couldn’t yet make out what they were saying, but she recognized each of the five voices.
“Now they will be looking for a non-existent cloak and leave us be,” Eliza said and Cait could only assume that they were now in the room where the books were stored because the voice was louder and clearer.
“They may have seen us come in here,” Sophia laughed.
“Then they will likely try even harder to find the cloak before we do,” Rosemary agreed.
“But do you really think that will stop them from being a nuisance as you once were?” Victoria asked.
“First, they will never reach my notoriety,” Eliza insisted. “Second, they do not have the imagination that I possess, and thus will grow bored.”
