Read Online The Bluebeard Room by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Ads: Link
feeling rotten, and—oh dear, nothing seems to have gone right for us!”
Lisa’s voice quavered and her eyes glistened.
Nancy patted her hand. “All right . . . you can tell me all about it when we have that cozy chat.”
Penzance seemed a colorful, bustling summer resort. But once they were outside the town on the road to Polpenny, the landscape became rugged and stark, and Nancy began to glean a sense of Cornwallas a remote peninsula jutting out into the wild Atlantic.
“I should probably be giving you the standard tourist lecture,” said Lisa.
“Never mind,” Nancy chuckled. “I’ve already had one from an old gentleman on the train.”
Polpenny actually lay beyond Penvellyn Castle, so Nancy had little chance to take it in before she was overwhelmed by the spectacle of the castle itself. The ancient, mossy stone pile stood on a rugged headland overlooking the sea, just as she had seen it in the photo, with the fishing village a mere cluster of roofs around the harbor at the foot of the grassy slopes of the cove.
“Well?” Lisa smiled as they parked in the courtyard and got out of the car. “How do you like it?”
Nancy stared up at the gray walls, wide-eyed. “I’m breathless!”
“We only live in one wing—oh, here comes Hugh!”
Nancy had met the present Lord Penvellyn at the time of his wedding to Lisa, soon after he inherited the title. Black-haired and in his late twenties, he was a tall, powerfully built young man with a strong jaw and thick dark brows that almost met over a fierce hawk nose. He had been a foreign correspondent, but since his marriage, he had been writing a book on international politics.
Nancy thought that, like Lisa, he looked drawnand tired. His mood seemed almost somber, though he smiled cordially as he took her hand. “I’m so glad you’ve come, Nancy. I know how much Lisa’s been looking forward to your visit.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fun for both of us, Hugh!”
Nancy had time to rest and change for dinner, which was served in a high-ceilinged, paneled room, on a large refectory table. The long summer twilight had faded when they finally moved into the drawing room for coffee.
Hugh was telling Nancy about the progress of his book. “It’s coming rather slowly, I’m afraid. The world situation’s changing so fast th—”
He broke off as a scream suddenly rent the air from the courtyard outside!
11
Spook Attack
Hugh leaped to his feet. “What the deuce was that?!”
“Someone’s been hurt!” cried Lisa.
The three ran from the drawing room into the great hall of the castle.
Landreth the butler and one of the maids came rushing into the small anteroom that lay between the great hall and the front door.
“What’s happened, Landreth?” Hugh inquired.
“I don’t know, m’luv. I’ll turn on the ground lights.”
The whole courtyard was brightly illumined as they stepped outside, but no one was in sight.
“Perhaps someone’s outside the gateway,” said the butler after peering around.
He and Hugh hurried to check. Moments laterthey returned, supporting a woman between them. She looked close to sixty and was somewhat disheveled, with her broad-brimmed felt hat askew over one eye, but seemed otherwise unhurt.
“Why, it’s Ethel Bosinny!” gasped Lisa.
“A friend of yours?” Nancy asked.
“Yes, one of the few I’ve made in Polpenny! She’s a retired games-mistress from a girls’ school near here. She instructed the girls in sports there. A bit dotty, but she’s been a great comfort to me!”
When Miss Bosinny was seated in the drawing room and given a cup of tea, they learned that she had been bicycling up to the castle gateway when a startling figure loomed out of the darkness.
“Was it anyone you recognized?” Hugh asked.
“I—I really couldn’t say.” Ethel Bosinny gave a hoarse, embarrassed laugh. “Perhaps it was all my imagination. Anyhow, my bicycle went off the path and turned over, and I lay there stunned
Lisa’s voice quavered and her eyes glistened.
Nancy patted her hand. “All right . . . you can tell me all about it when we have that cozy chat.”
Penzance seemed a colorful, bustling summer resort. But once they were outside the town on the road to Polpenny, the landscape became rugged and stark, and Nancy began to glean a sense of Cornwallas a remote peninsula jutting out into the wild Atlantic.
“I should probably be giving you the standard tourist lecture,” said Lisa.
“Never mind,” Nancy chuckled. “I’ve already had one from an old gentleman on the train.”
Polpenny actually lay beyond Penvellyn Castle, so Nancy had little chance to take it in before she was overwhelmed by the spectacle of the castle itself. The ancient, mossy stone pile stood on a rugged headland overlooking the sea, just as she had seen it in the photo, with the fishing village a mere cluster of roofs around the harbor at the foot of the grassy slopes of the cove.
“Well?” Lisa smiled as they parked in the courtyard and got out of the car. “How do you like it?”
Nancy stared up at the gray walls, wide-eyed. “I’m breathless!”
“We only live in one wing—oh, here comes Hugh!”
Nancy had met the present Lord Penvellyn at the time of his wedding to Lisa, soon after he inherited the title. Black-haired and in his late twenties, he was a tall, powerfully built young man with a strong jaw and thick dark brows that almost met over a fierce hawk nose. He had been a foreign correspondent, but since his marriage, he had been writing a book on international politics.
Nancy thought that, like Lisa, he looked drawnand tired. His mood seemed almost somber, though he smiled cordially as he took her hand. “I’m so glad you’ve come, Nancy. I know how much Lisa’s been looking forward to your visit.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fun for both of us, Hugh!”
Nancy had time to rest and change for dinner, which was served in a high-ceilinged, paneled room, on a large refectory table. The long summer twilight had faded when they finally moved into the drawing room for coffee.
Hugh was telling Nancy about the progress of his book. “It’s coming rather slowly, I’m afraid. The world situation’s changing so fast th—”
He broke off as a scream suddenly rent the air from the courtyard outside!
11
Spook Attack
Hugh leaped to his feet. “What the deuce was that?!”
“Someone’s been hurt!” cried Lisa.
The three ran from the drawing room into the great hall of the castle.
Landreth the butler and one of the maids came rushing into the small anteroom that lay between the great hall and the front door.
“What’s happened, Landreth?” Hugh inquired.
“I don’t know, m’luv. I’ll turn on the ground lights.”
The whole courtyard was brightly illumined as they stepped outside, but no one was in sight.
“Perhaps someone’s outside the gateway,” said the butler after peering around.
He and Hugh hurried to check. Moments laterthey returned, supporting a woman between them. She looked close to sixty and was somewhat disheveled, with her broad-brimmed felt hat askew over one eye, but seemed otherwise unhurt.
“Why, it’s Ethel Bosinny!” gasped Lisa.
“A friend of yours?” Nancy asked.
“Yes, one of the few I’ve made in Polpenny! She’s a retired games-mistress from a girls’ school near here. She instructed the girls in sports there. A bit dotty, but she’s been a great comfort to me!”
When Miss Bosinny was seated in the drawing room and given a cup of tea, they learned that she had been bicycling up to the castle gateway when a startling figure loomed out of the darkness.
“Was it anyone you recognized?” Hugh asked.
“I—I really couldn’t say.” Ethel Bosinny gave a hoarse, embarrassed laugh. “Perhaps it was all my imagination. Anyhow, my bicycle went off the path and turned over, and I lay there stunned
Similar Books
