In the corridor, having seen the underbutler

The blast of the train whistle startled Lucy awake. She was leaning away from the centre of the seat. She opened her eyes to darkness as the train rumbled through a tunnel. Lucy passed her hand to her side. Emptiness. "Cook? Cook, where are you?" she called.

"Mphm," coughed a man's voice from the opposite seat. "She stepped out a few minutes ago. They light the corridor if you want to look for her. Or you can wait till we're out of the tunnel. You can borrow my torch if you like."

The click of an electric switch revealed a pale yellowish beam of light slanting up from the hand of the man across from Lucy. The light glinted off his gold-rimmed round-lensed glasses, but his face was indistinct.

"Miss?" he asked.

"Thank you, sir," Lucy said. "I will." She accepted the electric torch. "Miss Lucy Longbottom," she introduced herself.

"Mister Ruddigore Fitch," he replied. "I hear by next year the railway will light the second-class compartments day and night."

With the torch illuminating the ceiling of the train compartment, she could see him a bit better. A gentleman in early middle age wearing decent traveling clothes without much to mark his class. A gleam from his shoes caught her attention. She couldn't resist steering the torch beam for a quick look. They were well kept and of excellent worksmanship.

"I'll be looking to my companion now, Mister Fitch," Lucy said. "Thank you for the torch."

"Please don't mention it, Miss. I trust she will be nearby," he said.

The train corridor was lit by dim gas mantles in thick, wire-armoured glass chimneys. The train continued to rumble loudly through the confined space of the tunnel. Lucy looked up and down, guessing that Chop-Chop had headed for the ladies' convenience. She picked a direction and walked toward the end of the carriage.

"Miss Lucy!" she heard Chop-Chop's voice from behind her.

"Cook, there you are!" Lucy said. She turned to see Chop-chop, still carrying her box of knives, at the other end of the carriage. She approached her companion.

"I was coming back for you, Miss Lucy," Chop-Chop said. "I saw Hawkins, he's underbutler at Old Netherwood. He stepped into a compartment while I was on the way to the jakes. We should go ask him how things are."

"That sounds like a good idea," Lucy said. "Where is he?"

"Back this way," she said.

The windows brightened as the train exited the tunnel. Lucy snapped off Mr. Fitch's electric torch to preserve the cell.

Chop-Chop led Lucy back to the next car, which appeared to be a baggage car, though it did have a compartment door to one side. "Here," she said. She raised her voice. "Hawkins, Miss Lucy and Cook to see you," she said loudly to the door. She turned the handle, which stuck. She leaned on it and twisted the handle harder until the door yielded and sprang open.

"Hawkins?" Lucy called through the door.

"M-Miss Lucy?" a shaky voice replied.

Lucy's eyes focused on the unlikely scene of Old Netherwood's underbutler Hawkins in partial but strategic undress, carnally united with...