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Authors: Stephen M. Giles
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light.”
“Yes,” said Silas, with a certain admiration in his voice, “you always did, as I recall.”
***
“It’s such a beautiful day,” said Adele brightly, “that we thought you might like to see more of the grounds. We could show you the stables if you like.”
Milo was peering out from behind his partially open bedroom door. His cousins had not laid eyes on the boy since that first meeting in the library. In fact, he had barely said a single word to either of them, and Isabella had already decided he was not to be trusted.
“He is up to no good, cousin,” she declared with certainty. “I just know it.”
So it was hardly surprisingly that when Adele suggested they invite Milo for a walk around the grounds, Isabella hated the idea. She claimed it would be a waste of time, as Milo was too short to see over the hedges. But Adele insisted that it was the right thing to do. In truth, she felt sorry for Milo and wanted to make him feel welcome—even if he was her main rival for Uncle Silas’s fortune.
“So, would you like to come with us?” she asked.
Milo shook his head. “No, thank you.”
“Well, maybe you’d like to see the orchard,” Adele suggested next. “There’s a huge swimming pool nearby with fountains and everything.” She smiled warmly at her new cousin. “I know how strange it feels on your first day here. Everything’s so new…and big. Isabella and I just want to make you feel welcome.” She nudged Isabella in the shoulder. “Don’t we?”
“Ouch!” shrieked Isabella, grabbing her arm like she had just been shot. “That hurt! Please remember, Adele, I wasn’t blessed with the thick arms of a lumberjack like you—I’m very delicate.” She beamed girlishly at Milo. “But, of course, we want you to feel right at home.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Milo said, clearing his throat nervously, “but it would be better if you just pretended I wasn’t here.”
“Pretend you’re not here?” said Adele curiously.
“That’s right. You see, I didn’t come to Sommerset to make friends, so there’s really no point in us getting to know each other.”
“Oh.” Adele blushed, her freckled cheeks burning at Milo’s rebuff. “Oh, I see.”
“I’m sorry,” said Milo, immediately wishing he’d kept his mouth shut. “I don’t mean to be rude…honestly. I just think it’s better this way.”
“What an ungrateful little orphan you are!” declared Isabella crossly. “We go out of our way to be nice and this is the thanks we get.”
Milo did not know what to say. He’d never been called an ungrateful orphan before.
“It’s just—” he stammered. “I’d rather stay here if you don’t mind.”
“It’s okay, Milo,” said Adele diplomatically. “Really, it’s no big deal.”
“I know what’s going on here!” announced Isabella, wagging her finger at Milo. “Beware, cousin, this boy is utterly devious! He wants us out of the way so he can have Uncle Silas all to himself.”
“I do not!” said Milo.
“Oh, yes, you do!” accused Isabella. “Just because you’re poor and your parents are dead, you think Uncle Silas will take pity on you and leave his entire fortune to you.”
“Isabella!” said Adele. She was stunned by her cousin’s cruel accusation.
“That’s not true!” said Milo firmly, his cheeks glowing with anger. “I don’t want Uncle Silas’s money. I don’t want anything from him!” He shook his head, his eyes narrowed to dark slits. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Isabella.”
“Then tell me, Milo,” she said, stepping toward the half open door and looking intently at the young boy, “if you didn’t come to meet your long-lost cousins and you say you’re not after Uncle Silas’s fortune—why exactly are you here?”
“Revenge,” Milo answered softly. “I came here for revenge.”
***
Deep under Sommerset House the master moved easily through the complex grid of tunnels, the
“Yes,” said Silas, with a certain admiration in his voice, “you always did, as I recall.”
***
“It’s such a beautiful day,” said Adele brightly, “that we thought you might like to see more of the grounds. We could show you the stables if you like.”
Milo was peering out from behind his partially open bedroom door. His cousins had not laid eyes on the boy since that first meeting in the library. In fact, he had barely said a single word to either of them, and Isabella had already decided he was not to be trusted.
“He is up to no good, cousin,” she declared with certainty. “I just know it.”
So it was hardly surprisingly that when Adele suggested they invite Milo for a walk around the grounds, Isabella hated the idea. She claimed it would be a waste of time, as Milo was too short to see over the hedges. But Adele insisted that it was the right thing to do. In truth, she felt sorry for Milo and wanted to make him feel welcome—even if he was her main rival for Uncle Silas’s fortune.
“So, would you like to come with us?” she asked.
Milo shook his head. “No, thank you.”
“Well, maybe you’d like to see the orchard,” Adele suggested next. “There’s a huge swimming pool nearby with fountains and everything.” She smiled warmly at her new cousin. “I know how strange it feels on your first day here. Everything’s so new…and big. Isabella and I just want to make you feel welcome.” She nudged Isabella in the shoulder. “Don’t we?”
“Ouch!” shrieked Isabella, grabbing her arm like she had just been shot. “That hurt! Please remember, Adele, I wasn’t blessed with the thick arms of a lumberjack like you—I’m very delicate.” She beamed girlishly at Milo. “But, of course, we want you to feel right at home.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Milo said, clearing his throat nervously, “but it would be better if you just pretended I wasn’t here.”
“Pretend you’re not here?” said Adele curiously.
“That’s right. You see, I didn’t come to Sommerset to make friends, so there’s really no point in us getting to know each other.”
“Oh.” Adele blushed, her freckled cheeks burning at Milo’s rebuff. “Oh, I see.”
“I’m sorry,” said Milo, immediately wishing he’d kept his mouth shut. “I don’t mean to be rude…honestly. I just think it’s better this way.”
“What an ungrateful little orphan you are!” declared Isabella crossly. “We go out of our way to be nice and this is the thanks we get.”
Milo did not know what to say. He’d never been called an ungrateful orphan before.
“It’s just—” he stammered. “I’d rather stay here if you don’t mind.”
“It’s okay, Milo,” said Adele diplomatically. “Really, it’s no big deal.”
“I know what’s going on here!” announced Isabella, wagging her finger at Milo. “Beware, cousin, this boy is utterly devious! He wants us out of the way so he can have Uncle Silas all to himself.”
“I do not!” said Milo.
“Oh, yes, you do!” accused Isabella. “Just because you’re poor and your parents are dead, you think Uncle Silas will take pity on you and leave his entire fortune to you.”
“Isabella!” said Adele. She was stunned by her cousin’s cruel accusation.
“That’s not true!” said Milo firmly, his cheeks glowing with anger. “I don’t want Uncle Silas’s money. I don’t want anything from him!” He shook his head, his eyes narrowed to dark slits. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Isabella.”
“Then tell me, Milo,” she said, stepping toward the half open door and looking intently at the young boy, “if you didn’t come to meet your long-lost cousins and you say you’re not after Uncle Silas’s fortune—why exactly are you here?”
“Revenge,” Milo answered softly. “I came here for revenge.”
***
Deep under Sommerset House the master moved easily through the complex grid of tunnels, the
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