The Duchess (Montgomery/Taggert 16)

“Hello,” Brat said, great delight in her voice.

Claire started to say something, but she didn’t want to in front of the butler. She tried to act as though her sister always entered her room from behind a portrait. Claire took the envelope from the butler’s tray and opened it.

I am being held prisoner. Please help me. The old summerhouse. Come at once.

Leatrice

Claire read the note three times before she understood what it said. She looked up at the butler but his face was impassive. Claire knew she had to get rid of Miss Rogers, who was now in the dressing room. (Claire was back from dinner four and one-half minutes earlier than Miss Rogers thought she should have been so she had therefore not come in to help Claire.) And she had to get rid of Brat.

“May I be of assistance, miss?” the butler asked.

“Miss Rogers…” was all that Claire could get out.

The butler bowed. “I will see that she is busy for the evening,” he said, then walked through the bedroom and toward the dressing room.

“Oh!” Claire said, “and…” She glanced toward the doorway where Brat still stood.

The butler permitted himself the smallest smile. “In this house one learns not to see a great deal.” With that he left the room.

Brat sauntered into Claire’s bedroom. “You can’t believe this place. I found a map. Actually this old man gave it to me. I hadn’t met him before. He’s in a wheeled chair and there’s a legend that he killed four of his wives until the last one shot him, but now he lives at the far end—”

“I don’t have time for your stories now. You have to go back to your room and stay there.”

Brat looked at her sister. “What’s the letter say?”

Claire pulled her riding habit from the wardrobe and Brat’s eyes widened. Brat used the opportunity to grab the note from Claire’s hand. “I want to go too.”

“Absolutely not. I want you to go back to your room and I don’t want you to tell anyone about this. I don’t know what this is about but I mean to find out.”

“Why did Harry’s sister send the note to you? Why not to Harry?”

Claire

paused a moment in her dressing. “That’s a good question, but I have no answer. Now get out of here. And don’t tell anyone about the tunnels.”

Brat stood there and looked at her sister, then she took a deep breath. “If you don’t let me go with you I’ll tell Mother you’ve been seeing another man besides Harry and I’ll tell Father you’ve been mean to me and I’ll tell Harry there are footprints in the dust in the tunnels leading to your room and I’ll tell—”

“All right!” Claire said. She had no time to argue with her sister. “You may come with me but you must stay in the background and do what I say. Do you understand?”

“Of course.” Brat cut her eyes at her sister. “Do you have any idea where the old summerhouse is?”

Claire didn’t have to give an answer because at the next moment there was a quick knock at her door, then Harry entered. “Claire, did you receive one of these?” he asked, waving a note just like the one Claire held. He was frowning, but then he saw Brat and his face changed to a smile. “Hello, Sarah. You get prettier every day.”

“I do, don’t I?”

Claire groaned. “Harry,” she snapped, making him look back at her. “Yes, I received a note just like that one. We have to go to the summerhouse.”

Harry didn’t seem to think there was any urgency in the message. In fact, he acted as though every day his sister sent him notes saying she was being held prisoner. “I must say that this is a great deal of bother. Who do you think is holding her?”

Claire paused as she pulled her boots from the wardrobe. Sarah Ann gave Claire a look that said Harry wasn’t the brightest person on earth, but Claire ignored her. “I have no idea, but it looks as though she wants us both there, or else her captor wants us both. Harry, could you leave the room while I get dressed? I’ll meet you downstairs in ten minutes.”

“Of course,” he said and left the room.

Brat sprawled on Claire’s big bed. “I bet the two of you have some real interesting talks. Harry has a mind like a fiery blaze.”

“Would you stop talking for a moment? I don’t know why the two of you are taking this so lightly. This could be serious.”

“I don’t think it is. If it were, there would be ransom demands and they’d go to the old hag, wouldn’t they?”