“Oh,this is quite lovely, my dear,” said Lady Malmsby when the carriage pulled up before a tidy, white-washed, two-story building with an obviously new thatched roof. The groom handed them down before an open gate with a slate walkway leading to the front door.
“Please go to the nearest stable to tend to the horses and return in two hours,” the Duchess told the man. Then she turned to Bella and Gwinnie. “Two hours should suffice, I think, don’t you? We can go to the park to have our picnic, then return home.”
“Yes, two hours should be ample for decorating discussions with Mr. Gladely,” Bella said. “I wonder where he is? He said he would meet us here.”
“Maybe he’s inside,” Gwinnie said as she looked around. “Maybe I should look for my own establishment. I could see myself living in a place like this.”
Her grandmother frowned at her. “Much too far from town and your music and your opportunity to make a parti.”
Gwinnie laughed. “Give it up, Grandmother.”
They walked toward the entrance porch. It had decorative woodwork scrolls painted a bright, light green, while the front door was a rich, dark green. The door was slightly ajar. “I think you are right, Gwinnie,” Bella said as she pushed the door open. “Mr. Gladely!” she called out.
There was no response. They looked around. Someone tied a note to the newel post at the base of the stairs.
Come upstairs–JG
“He says to come upstairs, and those are his initials.” Bella told Gwinnie and Lady Malmsby.
“But why hasn’t he answered?” Lady Malmsby asked.
Bella shook her head and called again. “Mr. Gladely!”
After a moment, they heard a hoarse“Here!”followed by coughing.
“We are too easily spooked,” Gwinnie said with a short laugh. She climbed the stairs followed by Lady Malmsby and Bella.
“Mr. Gladely where are you?” Bella called out as she got to the top of the stairs.
They heard a loudthump,thumpfrom a room on the right, which was odd, for Bella thought the voice had come from the left. Empty houses had odd acoustics.
Gwinnie opened the door before Bella could stop her.
“Bella!” she yelled, as she rushed in.
Bella and Lady Malmsby followed swiftly.
They were in a small corner room with windows on two sides letting in bright sunlight in a broad swath across the floor.
In the bright beam lay a man bound hand and foot, with a gag in his mouth, his eyes wide and fearful.
The door slammed shut behind them, and with asnick, they heard the door lock.
Lady Malmsby grabbed the door handle. They were locked inside.
“Stupid, stupid,” Bella said in disgust. “The oldest trick in the book and I fell for it.” She dropped to her knees beside the man to loosen his gag.
“Mr. Gladely?” she asked.
“Yes,” he managed to get out.
“I’m Lady Blessingame,” she said, as she worked to pick apart the knots binding his wrists together. “And this is her grace, the Dowager Duchess of Malmsby, and her granddaughter, Lady Guinevere Nowlton,” she told him tersely as she worked on the knots.
“Who did this?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Don’t know. Foreigner,” he said.
Bella and Gwinnie exchanged glances. “Spanish?” Bella asked.
