Suddenly the girl lost her temper and threw her hands up. “You know nothing about it. I know you mean well, probably the only one that does. Miss Graves and the others look the other way—always have, from the day Sallstone got here and started … well. You know nothing, and if you let on that you do, you will vanish like poor Miss Saunders, who suspected … and …” Her voice trailed off.
“Suspected what?” Sassy knew. That voice in her head began whispering to her, and she knew the answer.
“Nothing. I like you, Miss Winthrop, but there is nothing you can do about this. Look at me. I have nothing. Where will I go when I leave here? There is nothing out there for me when I leave.”
“What are you saying? Be clear, Caroline, so that I may help you.”
“You can’t help me, but you can get yourself in trouble. I’m tired, and I’m going to my room now. Don’t tell anyone. If you do it will cause you trouble.”
Sassy put out her hand. “The key, Caroline.”
“Aw, Miss Winthrop, you don’t know what you are getting involved in. Don’t take this key. It won’t do.”
Sassy took the key. “Here, take the candle,” she said softly, “but you and I, we are not done. I will get to the bottom of this, and I will help you!”
“I know you want to, but you can’t,” said Caroline as she left Sassy’s room.
* * *
Sassy sucked in air and knocked at the headmistress’s office door. She was told impatiently, “Come in.”
Sassy opened the door, closed it behind her, and went forward as Mistress Sallstone sat back and with narrowed eyes said, “What do you want?”
As an answer, Sassy put the key on her desk. “This is the key to the side entrance,” she told her more calmly than she felt.
“And the significance of this?” The headmistress was as cool as ever.
“Caroline Hughes used it last night to re-enter the school building. I heard her and met her at the students’ wing. Her face was painted, and she was dressed most inappropriately.” Sassy watched Miss Sallstone’s eyes and knew at once that the headmistress knew this—all of it. She did not think Caroline was out at a friend’s home.
“Have you told anyone else?”
“No,” Sassy lied. She had told Molly and asked Molly if she had noticed any of the other girls coming and going at odd hours. But now she needed to know more about the rest of the staff. “I thought of telling Miss Graves.”
“For heavens’ sake don’t do that!” Miss Sallstone seemed nonplussed for the moment.
Sassy felt some relief; perhaps the other teachers were not a part of the headmistress’s dark business. “Caroline tried to make me think she was meeting with a friend … but it isn’t that, is it, Miss Sallstone?” Sassy said boldly.
“How should I know what she was doing?”
“Of course, now that I have presented you with the facts, I am certain you will take precautions to see that this sort of thing no longer happens. In fact, I thought I might write Lady Devine for her opinion on the entire matter.”
“Nonsense. You must not bother her with such things. That is why I am in charge,” Miss Sallstone snapped.
“And are you, Headmistress—in charge?” Sassy had not meant to go this far, but after Caroline left her, she had used her magic; it had showed very clearly just where Caroline had been and what she had been doing. Her heart had broken over it, and her fury now took over and left wisdom behind.
“Yes, and I shall make sure this does not happen again.” Miss Sallstone’s eyes filled with hatred.
“You won’t be alone in that effort,” Sassy promised, staring the headmistress down and wondering where her courage was coming from.
* * *
It was still early, only seven, as Sassy paced in her room.
She had made up her mind to go have a chat with Delia and Caroline and let them know that she knew what was going on.
Quietly she padded down her hallway, took the stairs, and then made her way to the students’ wing.
She went stealthily to Caroline and Delia’s room, rubbing her ring and silently saying the words that would encase her in a magical darkness, just as an additional precaution. She was not quite invisible and yet concealed as s