“I need to know if you’ve been tinkering with any inventions lately that have to do with skunks.”
The suspicion that had been niggling at him only a moment before turned into reality. “I’m sorry to say that I’m afraid I have been tinkering with some essence of skunk, due to an idea I had for that personal safety device I’ve been making for Norma Jean.”
Annaliese began rubbing her temple, quite as if it had begun to ache. “And I was afraid you were going to say that because I’ve been searching for skunks for over an hour and haven’t gotten so much as a glimpse of one.” She nodded to Harriet, who was in the process of unwrapping her scarf, which drew attention to a necklace the monkey was wearing, undoubtedly one she’d nicked from someone. “Harriet just dragged me across the great hall where we both began gagging once she stopped, given that the stench there was downright overwhelming. She then pointed out some shards of glass that were lying in a small pool of an oily substance underneath a table.” She caught Seth’s eye. “The thought then struck me that we weren’t dealing with a living, breathing skunk, but something else, which is why I immediately thought of you. Might that broken glass be the remnants of that personal safety device of yours?”
He couldn’t quite refuse a wince. “Considering that you didn’t find a single skunk, I’m afraid it might very well be the device I named theskunkdeterrent, and, regrettably, it seems as if that device might be more effective than I anticipated.”
Twelve
For the briefest of moments, Annaliese found herself devoid of anything to say to that—until her gaze drifted over the front lawn and settled on a group of students who were sprawled on their backs in the grass, many of whom sported cloths over their faces, something that implied they were in the process of recovering from some form of the vapors.
She returned her attention to Seth. “How many of those skunk deterrents did you give Norma Jean?”
“I didn’t give her any of them because, as I mentioned yesterday, I haven’t had time to test them out.” He raked a hand through his hair. “She must have helped herself to some of them last evening when she and Mother stopped by my house to drop off a set of dishes my aunt Thelma wanted me to have.”
“You left skunk deterrents lying around in the open when you know Norma Jean has a tendency to help herself to your possessions?”
“Of course not. They were in a box in my workshop, and frankly, I’m surprised Norma Jean helped herself to even a single skunk deterrent since I specifically labeled that boxDanger of Extreme Skunk Smellif Broken.”
“One would have thought that would have been enough to warn her off, but exactly what is this skunk deterrent invention of yours?”
“I’m not sure it rates the wordinventionas it’s just essence of skunk contained in a thin vial, the thinness chosen so that when it’s tossed to the floor, it’ll break on impact.”
“And you created this gadget with the intention of giving it toadolescent girlsas a safety device?”
Another hand rake through the hair was Seth’s first response to that. “I might not have thought through the ways in which this skunk deterrent could be put to use by girls who have yet to reach their majority.”
“Clearly, although Norma Jean certainly seems to have thought of different ways to put the skunk deterrent to good use. But speaking of your sister...” Annaliese lifted her chin. “I believe it’s past time I have a chat with her since it’s now obvious that the academy was not invaded by a surfeit of skunks and—”
“How delightful to learn that you know a group of skunks is called a surfeit, Miss Merriweather,” Phoebe suddenly interrupted as she stole up beside Annaliese and promptly directed a bright smile her way. “Seth knows that as well, and as I believe I mentioned, people who share common knowledge...” Phoebe abruptly stopped talking, undoubtedly because Seth had stepped directly next to her and had, if Annaliese wasn’t much mistaken, given Phoebe a bit of a nudge.
“I don’t really think this is the time for furthering your agenda,” Seth said, earning a widening of the eyes from Phoebe before she nodded.
“An excellent point. I’ll just go help Riley with the water, but know that I’ll be available if the two of you want to continue talking about common interests with me after you get the skunk situation under control.”
As Phoebe skipped away, Annaliese arched a brow at Seth. “I take it you’ve figured out what all the plotting is about?”
“As well as figured out that the girls aren’t interested in becoming inventors.”
“Which is probably a good thing considering what yourecently invented, but speaking of that invention ...” She frowned. “I suppose I should show you what Harriet found in the dining hall before speaking with your sister. I would hate to accuse her of skunking up the school if it turns out your skunk deterrent isn’t what Harriet found.”
Holding out her hand, Annaliese waited until Harriet abandoned her interest in the necklace she was wearing and scrambled over to take the offered hand before she nodded to Seth. “Shall we?”
“I suppose we have no choice but to find proof of Norma Jean’s skullduggery, but know that I’m truly sorry about all this, and also know that I’ll be certain to destroy the rest of the batch just as soon as I get home, as well as clean up the mess in the academy that my deterrents undoubtedly caused.”
“Apology accepted,” Annaliese began as she headed for the castle. “And thank you for offering to destroy the rest of your deterrents, although there is every chance Norma Jean helped herself to all of them.”
Falling into step beside her, Seth frowned. “If that’s the case, I may have far more cleaning up to do than I imagined, although know that, after I track my sister down, Norma Jean will be helping with the cleanup as well.”
“A fitting punishment, even though cleaning up the mess won’t be the only repercussion Norma Jean, and whomever else was in on this, will face.”
“Should I assume you’re going to expel my sister if it turns out she’s responsible?”
Annaliese shook her head. “I won’t go so far as to expel her or anyone else involved, as it’s not as if there are any girls here who’ve amassed disciplinary actions against them. But they will be suspended, although for how long, I’m not sure. I’ll need to confer with Seraphina about that.”
“That sounds fair, even if Norma Jean won’t be in agreement,since she’ll probably find herself confined to the house for months after my mother finds out she’s been suspended.”
“If your mother is like my mother, Norma Jean will probably only face a month’s sentence for this first suspension. But you might want to tell her that you know someone—that being me, although don’t tell Norma Jean that—who was confined to her room for two months after getting suspended a second time.”
