chocolate out of his pocket. “This’llkeep him quiet for a minute or two, but it won’t be long before he starts biting.”
There was muffled thumping outside. Elspeth held her breath as the trunk was lifted up. Then, judging by the slow, jerky movements, it felt like they were being carried aboard.
“Weighs a flipping ton, this does,” said one of the porters. “What’s she got in here, solid gold?”
“Wouldn’t be surprised,” said the other. “Hope she tips us!”
Thud-drag, thud-drag, thud-drag.
“At least those two passengers aren’t as bad as the women getting on earlier,” the first porter said. “Did you see them? One’s got purple hair and one’s got dark hair in a fancy do. They were so bossy with Bill the security guard!”
The second one laughed. “Yeah, they looked like trouble! Bill said they didn’t have the right papers, but they work in the hair salon, so he had to let them on. He said the short fat one doesn’t smell too good though!”
THUD . Elspeth felt them put the trunk down, then she heard a door bang closed.
“Get out, quick,” Elspeth hissed.
They scrambled out.
“Did you hear what those porters were saying?” Elspeth asked in excitement.
“Yes! They must have been talking about Miss Crabb and Gladys Goulash in disguise. You were right – they’re on board!” Rory said. He picked up his satchel. “But where should we go first?”
Elspeth looked around. They were in a beautifully furnished cabin with a viewout to sea. She could see another door leading to a fancy bathroom. It was all very luxurious, but Elspeth knew they couldn’t stay there for long without getting caught.
“I think we should…” Elspeth stopped and put a finger to her lips. She could hear a voice from the corridor and it sounded like the lady they’d seen at the docks.
“Albert, I’m in FRIGHTFUL pain with these new shoes,” the woman was shouting. “I must find those plasters at once. My poor feet!”
Rory and Elspeth looked at one another in a panic.
“They’ll find us!” Rory whispered.
“Bathroom!” Elspeth replied.
They leaped in to the bathtub and drew the shower curtain across, just as the door to the cabin flew open.
“Frightful, frightful, frightful!” the woman was shouting.
Elspeth peeked around the curtain. She could just see the woman’s bottom as she bent over, hauling everything out of a trunk and throwing it on the floor. “It’s a DISASTER, Albert. I’m in agony. Take me home at once. I shan’t sail.”
“Oh, calm down, Petunia,” said the man. “Come and have a nice drink up on deck.”
“Nice drink!” Petunia whacked him over the head with a purse. “You stupid man – I can’t walk another step in these shoes!”
“I believe Lord Spewitt might be up there,” the man said in a sly voice.
“What? Why on earth didn’t you say so?” shrilled his wife. “What are you standing about here for, you silly fool? Hurry, let’s go!”
The door slammed shut again and Rory and Elspeth breathed out in relief.
“Right,” Elspeth said. “We can’t stay here. We need to get a better hiding place, so we can find Crabb and Goulash before they find us.”
What Elspeth didn’t know was that, at that very moment, Miss Crabb was directly beneath them, in the HMS Unsinkable Extremely Elegant Hair and Beauty Salon.
6
The Extremely Elegant Hair and Beauty Salon
Poppy and Pippy, the ladies in charge of the HMS Unsinkable Extremely Elegant Hair and Beauty Salon, were setting down their cases and looking around the smart new salon in excitement. They were cousins who came from a long line of ladies who had done the hair of important people in history – they had just finished a stint helping thequeen try out some new hairstyles.
“Isn’t this ship smashing, Poppy?” said Pippy, who had long purple hair with a fringe.
“Yes, it’s smashing, Pippy!” said Poppy, who wore her black hair in a sweeping style.
Poppy and Pippy were very
There was muffled thumping outside. Elspeth held her breath as the trunk was lifted up. Then, judging by the slow, jerky movements, it felt like they were being carried aboard.
“Weighs a flipping ton, this does,” said one of the porters. “What’s she got in here, solid gold?”
“Wouldn’t be surprised,” said the other. “Hope she tips us!”
Thud-drag, thud-drag, thud-drag.
“At least those two passengers aren’t as bad as the women getting on earlier,” the first porter said. “Did you see them? One’s got purple hair and one’s got dark hair in a fancy do. They were so bossy with Bill the security guard!”
The second one laughed. “Yeah, they looked like trouble! Bill said they didn’t have the right papers, but they work in the hair salon, so he had to let them on. He said the short fat one doesn’t smell too good though!”
THUD . Elspeth felt them put the trunk down, then she heard a door bang closed.
“Get out, quick,” Elspeth hissed.
They scrambled out.
“Did you hear what those porters were saying?” Elspeth asked in excitement.
“Yes! They must have been talking about Miss Crabb and Gladys Goulash in disguise. You were right – they’re on board!” Rory said. He picked up his satchel. “But where should we go first?”
Elspeth looked around. They were in a beautifully furnished cabin with a viewout to sea. She could see another door leading to a fancy bathroom. It was all very luxurious, but Elspeth knew they couldn’t stay there for long without getting caught.
“I think we should…” Elspeth stopped and put a finger to her lips. She could hear a voice from the corridor and it sounded like the lady they’d seen at the docks.
“Albert, I’m in FRIGHTFUL pain with these new shoes,” the woman was shouting. “I must find those plasters at once. My poor feet!”
Rory and Elspeth looked at one another in a panic.
“They’ll find us!” Rory whispered.
“Bathroom!” Elspeth replied.
They leaped in to the bathtub and drew the shower curtain across, just as the door to the cabin flew open.
“Frightful, frightful, frightful!” the woman was shouting.
Elspeth peeked around the curtain. She could just see the woman’s bottom as she bent over, hauling everything out of a trunk and throwing it on the floor. “It’s a DISASTER, Albert. I’m in agony. Take me home at once. I shan’t sail.”
“Oh, calm down, Petunia,” said the man. “Come and have a nice drink up on deck.”
“Nice drink!” Petunia whacked him over the head with a purse. “You stupid man – I can’t walk another step in these shoes!”
“I believe Lord Spewitt might be up there,” the man said in a sly voice.
“What? Why on earth didn’t you say so?” shrilled his wife. “What are you standing about here for, you silly fool? Hurry, let’s go!”
The door slammed shut again and Rory and Elspeth breathed out in relief.
“Right,” Elspeth said. “We can’t stay here. We need to get a better hiding place, so we can find Crabb and Goulash before they find us.”
What Elspeth didn’t know was that, at that very moment, Miss Crabb was directly beneath them, in the HMS Unsinkable Extremely Elegant Hair and Beauty Salon.
6
The Extremely Elegant Hair and Beauty Salon
Poppy and Pippy, the ladies in charge of the HMS Unsinkable Extremely Elegant Hair and Beauty Salon, were setting down their cases and looking around the smart new salon in excitement. They were cousins who came from a long line of ladies who had done the hair of important people in history – they had just finished a stint helping thequeen try out some new hairstyles.
“Isn’t this ship smashing, Poppy?” said Pippy, who had long purple hair with a fringe.
“Yes, it’s smashing, Pippy!” said Poppy, who wore her black hair in a sweeping style.
Poppy and Pippy were very