The Astonishing Adventure of Jane SmithWentworth, Patricia
General
The Astonishing Adventure of Jane Smith
Wentworth, Patricia
Adventure stories; Cousins -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories
Raymond Heritage had passed from the despairing mood of her first
interview with Anthony. Then to know him alive and to feel him
unforgiving had stabbed her to the quick. But that phase had passed.
During the many hours that she had spent alone the one amazing radiant
thought that he was alive had come to dominate everything. The cold
finality of death had been lifted. Instead of a blank wall, there opened
before her an infinite number of ways, any one of which might lead her
back to her lost happiness. She began to live in the past, to go over
the old times, to make a dream her companion.
She came into the study with Ember and waited to hear what he wanted,
giving him just that surface attention which he recognised and resented.
His first words were meant to startle her.
“Lady Heritage,” he said, “you know, of course, that there are certain
passages and rooms under this house?”
She did start a little, he thought. Certainly her attention deepened.
“Who told you that, Jeffrey?” she said, and hardly heard her own voice
because Anthony’s rang in her ears insisting, “I _know_ that you told
Ember.”
“Mr. Luttrell told me,” said Ember.
She exclaimed incredulously. At least her thoughts were not wandering
now. Ember felt a certain triumph as he realised it. He went on speaking
quite quietly:
“It was when Sir William and I were down here the year before Mr.
Luttrell died. He, Mr. Luttrell, was taken very ill and I sat up with
him. In the night he was delirious. It was obvious that he had something
on his mind. He began to talk about the passages and to say that the
secret must not be lost. He took me for his nephew Henry March, and
nothing would serve him but he must show me the entrance in the hall. He
got out of bed, and was so much excited that I thought it best to give
way. When he had shown me the spring he calmed down and went quietly
back to bed. In the morning he had forgotten all about it.”
Raymond listened, frowning.
“Why do you tell me this?” she said. “I knew Mr. Luttrell had told
Henry.”
“Henry March knows?” said Ember.
“Yes, I think so. Yes, I’m sure he does. Why, Jeffrey?”
Ember was too busy with his thoughts to speak for a moment. What an
appalling risk they had run. If Henry March knew of the passages, then
they had been on the very brink of the abyss all along. He spoke at
last, very seriously:
“I want you to come down with me into the passages if you will. There’s
something I want to show you—something which I think you ought to know.”
“Something wrong?”
“I think you ought to see for yourself. I’d rather not say any more if
you don’t mind. I’ll show you what I mean. I really think you ought to
come and see for yourself. This is a good time, as the servants are
safely out of the way and Miss Molloy seems to have taken herself off.”
“Very well, I’ll come. I must get a cloak though, or I shall get into
such a mess. Those passages simply cover one with slime.”
Ember stood still with his hand on the half-opened door.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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