Doctor Who_ Wolfsbane - Jac Rayner [30]
„On the death of Miss Ryan,‟ the Doctor clarified.
„Ah yes,‟ said Hester. „Lucinda was such a sweet girl. Don‟t you think so, Emmy?‟ She turned to the other woman. „Didn‟t you find Lucinda sweet?‟
Emmeline nodded.
„George is quite, quite devastated,‟ Hester continued. „Not that she was what I‟d call exactly right for him, you know, but to have one‟s fiancée brutally murdered... well. It‟s not pleasant.‟
„No,‟ said Harry. „Er, no, I‟m sure it isn‟t.‟
The front door slammed, and a second later George Stanton breezed in. „What ho, what ho everybody,‟ he said. „I say, have all the muffins gone?‟
„Devastated,‟ muttered Harry. The Doctor shot a sympathetic glance at him.
„We came to offer our condolences on the loss of your fiancée,‟ the Doctor told George.
George nodded in understanding. „Awfully good of you.
Still, what I say is, at least I had a fiancée, which is better than some, eh?‟ He waved a hand at Emmeline Neuberger.
„Poor cousin Emmy here‟s desperate to get hitched so she can stay in the country, eh Emmy?‟
Miss Neuberger‟s colour heightened. But her voice was calm as she said, „That is not the only reason I look for a man, cousin George.‟ She crossed her legs, suggestively. And stared straight at Harry. Harry took a sudden and all-absorbing interest in his teacup.
„Oh, I say, your young friend was outside when I arrived,‟
George said to the Doctor. „I asked him in for tea, of course, but he said he‟d already had some.‟
„Ah, that‟s where he‟d got to,‟ said the Doctor, jumping up
„Well, time I was joining him. But anything we can do, of course...‟
„Thank you,‟ said Hester, graciously.
Harry got up too.
„Yes, I‟ll see you later, Harry,‟ said the Doctor. „Don‟t bother to see me out.‟
„But didn‟t we have some things we had to discuss?‟ said Harry desperately.
„Oh no, I think we sorted all that out,‟ the Doctor said.
„Don‟t forget when we‟re meeting next...‟
Harry sank back to his seat, shaking his head dumbly as his compatriot left the room. Surely he could have stayed a bit longer? Another hour or so at least?
He became aware that it had suddenly got darker. This was because Emmeline Neuberger was now perched on the arm of his chair, blocking the sunlight. He leapt hurriedly to his feet again. „Do have a seat,‟ he said, gesturing at the still warm cushion he‟d just abandoned. But she stood up too.
„I am so glad you are staying, Lieutenant,‟ she said, placing a red-nailed hand on his arm. „Fresh company is a delight always. And company which is so charming...‟
„Ah,‟ said Hairy.
„You must have many stories of the sea which are most exciting...‟
„Er,‟ said Harry.
„These stories I wish to hear. Perhaps you could tell them to me now...‟
The hand moved down his arm. Stroked his arm.
Oh,‟ said Harry. „Um.‟
The door opened again. Emmeline didn‟t even bother to look up. She could smell it was the man in tartan, alone, and she really didn‟t care why he was here.
„I‟ve been through all their notes,‟ he said to her, seemingly not caring that she hadn‟t acknowledged his presence.
„Observed all their small-minded experiments. And, of course, I know exactly how to fix things so they work property.‟
She shivered.
„I say, aren‟t you rather uncomfortable down there? No?‟
She felt him lean down closer to her, and pulled herself away, holding in the cry of pain as the silver moved on her wrists again. „Come on, let‟s get you out of here.‟
She blinked, turned to face him. He was holding a strange wandlike device near her hands. Was this a trick? A strange attempt to gain her confidence? Or just another experiment?
„Atomic mass 107.870, should be easy enough. It‟s a question of frequency.‟ He twisted the top of the wand, and there was a buzzing sound. „Grit your teeth,‟ he told her. The buzzing became higher and higher, and if she hadn‟t heeded his advice she would have cried out in pain. The cure was worse than the problem, and she cursed her sensitive ears.
Just as she thought she couldn‟t stand it any more, the man said „Here we go,‟ and a second later,