Read Online Behind the Mask (House of Lords) by Meg Brooke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Meg Brooke
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coming undone.
They followed her across the river. “The Bolling,” she explained. “It’s not usually this high so late in the summer, but we had a rainy spring.”
“So this is where the village gets its name,” Strathmore said.
“Yes. If you follow the river it will take you across the flats and right through the village out to the sea. Down there you can see for miles up and down the coast. It’s mostly flatlands here, you know. Our little valley is unique.” There was a note of pride in her voice.
The river cut through the valley east to west, and now she took them along the banks and back towards the main road. The trees thickened as they went.
“There is an old gamekeeper’s lodge here,” she explained, “though it hasn’t been used in decades. The last gamekeeper died when my father was a child, and after that the family didn’t see a use for another. But the lodge has been kept up, and it’s still in good repair.”
Through the trees Colin spotted a low building constructed of the same sandy stone as the great house. It had a thatched roof that looked relatively new and shiny mullioned windows. “Is the door kept locked?” Colin asked.
“No. We’ve never seen the need for it, though I suppose we could have a lock fitted to it if it’s necessary.”
Strathmore shrugged. “I don’t suppose it will be.” He looked at Colin. “One of us will ride the perimeter each day, just to be sure.”
“I see. Well, shall we ride the south hill up to the ruins first?”
As they followed her along a worn trail towards the southern edge of the valley, Colin marveled at the woman’s resilience. Her life and the lives of her family were in danger, her home under threat, and yet with every complication or surprise her resolve only seemed to strengthen.
“Now, from here,” Miss Chesney said as they crested the low hill to the south, “you can see the roof of the house, as well as the stableyard, but the village and the river are out of view behind the north hill. The windows of the house itself provide a much clearer view of the north hill, so if I were going to try to sneak onto the grounds I would do it from this end of the valley.”
Colin was uncertain how to respond to this. Did she suspect that someone was planning to infiltrate Sidney Park, or was she simply trying to be informative?
“What is that house to the south?” Strathmore asked, pointing to a spot far away across the flatlands beyond the hill, where a country house of middling size stood out against the landscape.
“That is Havenhall, the home of the Holliers,” Miss Chesney said. “Local gentry. Mr. Hollier and his wife live there with their son, Toby. Their daughters are both married and live out of the county. Toby has just returned from India, I understand,” she added, her voice taking on a strange tone. Colin glanced over at her. She was staring fixedly at the red brick house, as though she could see the inhabitants within. One tendril of pale hair had come loose from its pins, and she tucked it absently behind her ear. “No doubt we will see the Holliers at some point now that we have returned. They are old friends of the family.”
“Hollier, you say?” Strathmore said, looking thoughtful. “The name sounds familiar.”
“Were you in India?”
He nodded. “For two years. But I don’t think it was there that I heard the name.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll meet the family soon,” she said. “Now, if you’ll follow me, the trail gets a little rocky up ahead.”
She led them along the ridge towards the east. Just before the hill began to drop back down to the flats, the ruins of an old tower built from the familiar sandy stone stood. There wasn’t much left, just the circular base of the tower, one side fallen in all the way to the ground, the other being supported by an ancient, crumbling staircase.
“It dates back long before the Chesneys were given the viscountcy and Sidney Park was built. It was a
They followed her across the river. “The Bolling,” she explained. “It’s not usually this high so late in the summer, but we had a rainy spring.”
“So this is where the village gets its name,” Strathmore said.
“Yes. If you follow the river it will take you across the flats and right through the village out to the sea. Down there you can see for miles up and down the coast. It’s mostly flatlands here, you know. Our little valley is unique.” There was a note of pride in her voice.
The river cut through the valley east to west, and now she took them along the banks and back towards the main road. The trees thickened as they went.
“There is an old gamekeeper’s lodge here,” she explained, “though it hasn’t been used in decades. The last gamekeeper died when my father was a child, and after that the family didn’t see a use for another. But the lodge has been kept up, and it’s still in good repair.”
Through the trees Colin spotted a low building constructed of the same sandy stone as the great house. It had a thatched roof that looked relatively new and shiny mullioned windows. “Is the door kept locked?” Colin asked.
“No. We’ve never seen the need for it, though I suppose we could have a lock fitted to it if it’s necessary.”
Strathmore shrugged. “I don’t suppose it will be.” He looked at Colin. “One of us will ride the perimeter each day, just to be sure.”
“I see. Well, shall we ride the south hill up to the ruins first?”
As they followed her along a worn trail towards the southern edge of the valley, Colin marveled at the woman’s resilience. Her life and the lives of her family were in danger, her home under threat, and yet with every complication or surprise her resolve only seemed to strengthen.
“Now, from here,” Miss Chesney said as they crested the low hill to the south, “you can see the roof of the house, as well as the stableyard, but the village and the river are out of view behind the north hill. The windows of the house itself provide a much clearer view of the north hill, so if I were going to try to sneak onto the grounds I would do it from this end of the valley.”
Colin was uncertain how to respond to this. Did she suspect that someone was planning to infiltrate Sidney Park, or was she simply trying to be informative?
“What is that house to the south?” Strathmore asked, pointing to a spot far away across the flatlands beyond the hill, where a country house of middling size stood out against the landscape.
“That is Havenhall, the home of the Holliers,” Miss Chesney said. “Local gentry. Mr. Hollier and his wife live there with their son, Toby. Their daughters are both married and live out of the county. Toby has just returned from India, I understand,” she added, her voice taking on a strange tone. Colin glanced over at her. She was staring fixedly at the red brick house, as though she could see the inhabitants within. One tendril of pale hair had come loose from its pins, and she tucked it absently behind her ear. “No doubt we will see the Holliers at some point now that we have returned. They are old friends of the family.”
“Hollier, you say?” Strathmore said, looking thoughtful. “The name sounds familiar.”
“Were you in India?”
He nodded. “For two years. But I don’t think it was there that I heard the name.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll meet the family soon,” she said. “Now, if you’ll follow me, the trail gets a little rocky up ahead.”
She led them along the ridge towards the east. Just before the hill began to drop back down to the flats, the ruins of an old tower built from the familiar sandy stone stood. There wasn’t much left, just the circular base of the tower, one side fallen in all the way to the ground, the other being supported by an ancient, crumbling staircase.
“It dates back long before the Chesneys were given the viscountcy and Sidney Park was built. It was a
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