Could Mr Holmes really mean what Dot thinks he means about who might have burnt the threatening words into the lawn in front of Dendringham Hall? More clues… more to think about… but first there’s the matter of some COMPLETELY ruined clothes to deal with!
"Yes dear" said Miss Walsingham in a way that reminded Dot of her Mum when she was in what her Dad called "automatic" mode and thinking about something else. "A very interesting day out indeed! Now if you take your shoes off, I'll see that Boots cleans them."
"Who's Boots?" said Dot before she could stop herself. It was obviously something else she was meant to know as a Victorian girl, oops!
"Well... the boy who cleans all the boots and shoes here at the Hall, of course!" said the governess, kneeling down to undo the really A-NNOYING button-up boots.
That sounded like an AWFUL job, thought Dot! There must be LOADS of pairs to do, every single day.
But she couldn't say anything like that or she really might give the game away about how she came to be at the Hall... not that Miss Walsingham would know what net-voyaging was of course…
She was still puzzling away to herself about what Mr Holmes had said. He
was clearly hinting that Giles Langton the inventor would have had the strong chemicals needed to burn the threatening message “YOU – WILL – PAY” into the grass on the lawn.
But could he really have done that? And could he really be the one doing the scary noises and the ghost rider and all that? He seemed so nice… AND they’d had such a great tea at his cottage, too…
Miss Walsingham suddenly paused in the middle of undoing a specially stiff button on Dot’s boot. She looked up at her in a puzzled way. "You know… you do ask the strangest questions, Dorothea! It's almost as if you come from another world sometimes!"
Ooops double oops, thought Dot. Must change the subject, quickly!
"Oh NO!" she said. "Look! I've torn the sleeve of my jacket too! I'm SO sorry Miss Walsingham!"
They were back in Dot's room after her adventure in the woods - but the rough riding that had taken Dot and Mr Holmes to Fernbank Cottage, home of Giles Langton the inventor, hadn't done her tartan dress and jacket much good!
Apart from what had happened to her sleeve, there was mud all down one side of her dress, and all over her boots (Good, Dot thought - maybe I won't have to wear them for a bit!) The hem of her dress had come undone nearly all the way round, and there were bits of twig and leaf in her hair.
"Well you've certainly made a good deal of work for Jenny in the Sewing Room!" said Miss Walsingham. It was starting to get dark, so she turned on the light. It flickered and it was a bit dim, but it showed the damage!
"Oh dear, oh dear!” she said, running her finger down the long jagged tear in Dot’s jacket. “I don't know what Mr Holmes was thinking about, gallivanting round the woods with you on Thunderer like that! Such a difficult horse, too!"
Then her pale, worried expression relaxed and she smiled - the kindly, gentle smile that lit up her face and reminded Dot how beautiful she must have been when she was younger.
"Still, your dear parents wanted you to enjoy yourself while you were here, and you certainly seem to be doing that!" She pulled a twig out of Dot's hair. "Let's get you changed and Rosie can brush your hair out for you too."
Great, Dot thought. That'll be really nice.
"And then we can fit in your afternoon lesson before supper! Geography, I think!"
Aaarggh, thought Dot. Not so nice!
What also wasn’t so nice was a strange flickering light… in the shape of a ghostly rider… that flashed across the darkening face of the Dendringham hills… and vanished unnoticed by both governess and pupil, into the gathering dusk…
