Tewkesbury and I sat in the apartment, silence reigning over our heads as we mulled over what had happened. Mugs of tea sat in our hands, long gone cold in the silence. My mind was racing—what would happen to Enola?

It had been about an hour since we had left her, an hour of uncertainty and questions. Tewkesbury and I had scaled off into the crowd right after Enola had sacrificed herself. The man in the bowler hat was sure to follow, so we stuck to the main roads, and lost ourselves in the crowds of London.

It would have been enjoyable, if it weren't for the hitman assigned to murdering Tewkesbury and the loss of Enola. We had only gone back to the shop once we were sure the man in the bowler hat was not following.

And now, here we are, mulling over the events of what had happened today.

"Well, we're going to find her." I said pointedly, remembering my last words to Enola before she was swept away.

"That's for sure." Tewkesbury replied, sipping his tea and furrowing his brows. "I'm just now exactly sure how."

"Loop back to every single conversation we've had with her." I rubbed my temples. "We might find some clue as to where she'll be headed."

It seemed like hours before we finally came up with a reasonable explanation to as where she might have been forced to go. Tewkesbury had madly tried to remember all the events on the first night we met—when we slept under the stars and ate a feast of plants, courtesy of Tewkesbury.

"Octavia, I remember something. She...she said that she ran away because she didn't want to go to a finishing school." He muttered, closing his eyes in concentration.

"That gives us a possible location." I began. "But there are at least 5 finishing schools in this area-we're gonna have to dig deeper."

"Mrs. Harshaw's Finishing School?" He furrowed his brows. "No...it began with Miss..."

"Miss Harrison's Finishing School!" I shouted, memories flooding back from when Enola mentioned the school in a sour tone.

"Yes! Yes that's it." Tewkesbury smiled, punching the air in delight. His eyes met mine, and I saw a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"I have a plan."

-

"This is a terrible plan." I muttered, pushing a cart with force. On the cart, was a simple, plain basket. Big enough for a human to fit in.

"Do we have any other ideas?" A voice sounded from inside the box. Tewkebsury moved around, opening the lid of the box, revealing his tossed up hair. "And i'll have you know, this is how I met Enola. Disguised myself in a bag, and revealed myself to Enola on the train. Right before the bowler hat man came and before we met you."

I huffed, panting as we neared the school. Nature surrounded us, and the dirt road ahead was empty, leaving me free to converse with Tewkebsury without arising suspicion.

"Alright...we're here." I mumbled, gazing at the cleared area, where a lone building sat. Even from here, I could smell the stench of misery emitting from the school.

Tewkebsury peeked up from the basket, glowering at the building with fierce determination in his eyes. He nodded, and closed the lid of the basket.

I attempted to look my nicest, plastering a smile on my face and making my movements as dainty as possible.

A man stood at the front of the school, his eyes suspiciously glancing at me and my cargo.

"What do we have here?" He said, surveying the basket.

"A delivery to one of the students, Enola Holmes." I pleasantly said, extending my arm to the basket. "From her guardian, Mr. Mycroft Holmes."

The man's eyes widened. I smiled. Mycroft was well-known, and his influence certainly reached this school.

"I'll have it taken to her right away." He said, lifting the basket from the cart, huffing and straining to heave the box up the stairs.

The first phase of the plan was complete. Now all I had to do was wait.

"Good day, then." I replied serenely, turning away and pushing the empty cart with me.

My heart was hammering. If Tewkesbury failed the next phase, then all would be ruined. Who knows what would happen to him? To Enola? To me?

I did my best to stay confident, although a nervous knot formed in my chest.

I pushed the cart against the hedge, hiding myself from view of the school, but still close. I sat on the empty cart, heart pounding. If all went correctly, Tewkebsury would be running out with Enola at any moment.

Minutes passed by, and with each and every one of them more worries filled me, fuelled by the silence. I paced around, glancing at the school every minute or so.

Relief filled me when I saw Tewkebsury walking out of the school. I sighed, strolling as calmly as I could to meet him. But my blood ran cold when I realised that he was alone.

Enola...?

His face was pale, his movements jerky as he moved to meet me. His eyes met mine, and I knew that something had gone terribly wrong.

"I-It was going well. I had Enola in the basket, and we were moving outside." He began, gulping. "But I reached the headmistress, and she asked me who the basket was for. I...I said it was for the headmistress...I didn't know she was the head of the school."

I paled, mirroring Tewkesbury's forlorn expression.

"And...Enola...?" I whispered with fear.

"The basket is going to the headmistress's office. She's going to open it alone." He said. "I...what should we do, Octavia?"

I thought it over. The man had seen my face...and the headmistress had seen Tewkesbury's.

"I think we both know what we should do." I said, bowing my head down, crestfallen. "We have to wait."

Tewkesbury nodded, his face full of hope and faith. "Enola...she's stronger then the two of us combined. She'll find a way out."

"She will." I said, determination in my eyes. I snaked my hand into Tewkesbury's, comforting him. "If anyone can escape this place, It's Enola."

And so we waited. And, only a minute or two later, a familiar face came running out from the back of the school.

Enola raced towards us, glee and joy in her eyes as she opened her arms and hugged us tight. Tears welled up in my eyes and I hugged back, embracing my dear friend.

"We did it!" Tewkesbury smiled, "We did it!"

I pulled away from both of them. "Not yet, we still need to get away from this darn place."

Enola tore her eyes away from us, glancing at an automobile which stood stoically, waiting to be mounted on.

She glanced back at us, a spark of familiar mischief in her eye. I smirked, heading towards the vehicle, tugging Tewkesbury with my hand as I went. He stood firmly in place, sputtering and wide-eyed.

"We're going to die." He muttered, finally relenting and letting me tug him along. "After everything we've been through, we're now going to die."

Enola snorted, hoisting herself onto the driver's seat. "Not likely. I know the fundamentals of driving this. The worst that'll happen is a few scratches."

I seated myself onto the plush seat, Tewkebsury and Enola on either side of me.

"Let's do this." I firmly said, sparing one last glance to the finishing school. Enola nodded, and started to drive, nearly colliding with the green hedge.

"I'm not finished yet!!" Enola screamed as we made our getaway, laughter filling the air and adrenaline running in our veins.

After some time, we reached a fork in the path. The right leading back to London, and the left...to Basilweather. Enola stopped the automobile, her eyes gleaming.

"Enola." I warned, knowing where this was going. "Whatever you're thinking, drop it."

"We need to go back to Basilweather." She said, voice firm. "An injustice has occurred. It's time to right some wrongs."

She turned to Tewkesbury, who looked at Enola as if she were insane. "When we're you sure to be seated in the House of Lords?"

"I-imminently!" Tewkesbury sputtered.

"And how would you have voted?" Enola inquired, pressing further.

"The same as my father. I'd be for it..." Tewkesbury said.

"And who knew that? Who stands to gain the estate with your father and you dead?" She finished, blazing fury in her eyes.

Tewkebsury's eyes hollowed, and his voice dropped. "...My uncle."

I gasped. "No..."

"Yes, Octavia." Enola's stood firm, resting her case.

"But he's a powerful man." I continued. "What on Earth could we do?"

"Solve the crime, of course." Enola nonchalantly said, breezily looking at Tewkesbury and I.

Tewkesbury's eyes widened as Enola started the automobile up. "Enola, we're all extremely lucky to have lived for this long, and now you want to send us into the place where there's the most danger?!"

"Sometimes, Tewkesbury," Enola shouted, now heading left at the fork and towards Basilweather, "You have to dangle your feet in the water to attract the bloody sharks!"

"Why would we want to attract the bloody sharks?!" I shouted back, fear in my face.

Enola's face softened for a second, before she grumbled.

"...Good point."

-

word count: 1546 words