Read Online The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Juvenile Fiction, Detective and Mystery Stories, Women Detectives, Girls & Women, Scotland, Adventure stories, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Mystery and detective stories, Drew; Nancy (Fictitious Character), Lost and Found Possessions, Lost Articles - Scotland, Heirlooms
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good plan,” Bess agreed at once. “Since I’m sure it’s you he’s after, why don’t you let him follow you, and George and I will follow him!”
Nancy nodded. “I’ll walk on this side of the street with George. Then she can stop and pretend to look in a window and drop behind the man when he goes by. Bess, you cross over, and in case he does too, see where he goes.”
The plan worked nicely until they neared the Scottish law-court buildings on Bess’s side of the street. Then, suddenly, the strange man dashed into one of them.
Bess’s heart was beating fast. But she took a deep gulp of air and plunged after him.
The guard at the door stopped her. “Have you a pass?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Then I’m afraid I cannot let you in. The building is closed to visitors today.”
Bess flushed. “I wanted to find out about the red-haired man who came in here.”
The guard eyed Bess a bit suspiciously. Then he said stiffly, “I cannot tell you anything about him except that he had a pass.”
Chagrined, Bess turned away. She waited for several minutes, but the bearded stranger did not reappear. She was puzzled. Why had he been following the girls if he were on legitimate business? And if he were not, how did he happen to have a pass to the building?
Disappointed that her part in the sleuthing had brought no results, Bess started down the street and finally came to the grounds of Holyrood Palace. Nancy and George were waiting.
“Any luck?” George asked her cousin.
Bess shook her head and told what had happened. “If that man isn’t honest, how did he obtain a pass?”
George sniffed. “I’ll bet it was a phony—or stolen!”
Nancy was cudgeling her brain—wondering why the stranger seemed familiar. But she could arrive at no conclusion. “I guess there’s nothing more we can do,” she said finally.
The girls turned to gaze at the palace, built in 1128 as an abbey. The reddish-brown stone structure was still intact. It was surrounded by a large garden and a high iron picket fence.
A guide took them through the fabulous dwelling. Each room was exquisitely furnished, and the girls learned that the present royal family of Great Britain had a large apartment in the palace which they used when visiting Edinburgh.
When the girls reached the enormous, elegantly furnished dining room, Bess burst out, “Imagine eating here with your husband at one end of the table and you at the other. You couldn’t even hear each other!”
The guide grinned. Then he told them a bit of Scottish history, highlighted by the final amalgamation of England and Scotland in 1603.
“This was the union of the crowns,” he said, “which occurred upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England. At that time James VI was king of Scotland; thus he also became King James I of England.”
“You mean he had both countries to run?” Bess asked, wide eyed.
“Yes. And, by the way, he had a very interesting start in life. When he was an infant, his mother had him lowered out of a high tower window in Edinburgh Castle to prevent her enemies from taking him for baptism in another faith. It was a dangerous descent.”
“The poor baby!” Bess said sympathetically.
“He didn’t do so badly,” George remarked, “becoming king of two countries!”
Again the guide smiled, then presently escorted them back to the entrance. The girls thanked him for a most interesting tour, and a few minutes later found a taxi to take them back to their hotel. At the entrance they met Mr. Drew, who had just finished his work for the day. He and the girls went in to have tea.
The lawyer asked for an account of their day’s sightseeing and frowned upon hearing about the red-bearded stranger following the girls. “If you ever see him again,” he said, “I hope you can find out who he is.”
“Next time I won’t fail!” Nancy declared.
The lawyer reported that his conferences had been successful, but he must remain in Edinburgh
Nancy nodded. “I’ll walk on this side of the street with George. Then she can stop and pretend to look in a window and drop behind the man when he goes by. Bess, you cross over, and in case he does too, see where he goes.”
The plan worked nicely until they neared the Scottish law-court buildings on Bess’s side of the street. Then, suddenly, the strange man dashed into one of them.
Bess’s heart was beating fast. But she took a deep gulp of air and plunged after him.
The guard at the door stopped her. “Have you a pass?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Then I’m afraid I cannot let you in. The building is closed to visitors today.”
Bess flushed. “I wanted to find out about the red-haired man who came in here.”
The guard eyed Bess a bit suspiciously. Then he said stiffly, “I cannot tell you anything about him except that he had a pass.”
Chagrined, Bess turned away. She waited for several minutes, but the bearded stranger did not reappear. She was puzzled. Why had he been following the girls if he were on legitimate business? And if he were not, how did he happen to have a pass to the building?
Disappointed that her part in the sleuthing had brought no results, Bess started down the street and finally came to the grounds of Holyrood Palace. Nancy and George were waiting.
“Any luck?” George asked her cousin.
Bess shook her head and told what had happened. “If that man isn’t honest, how did he obtain a pass?”
George sniffed. “I’ll bet it was a phony—or stolen!”
Nancy was cudgeling her brain—wondering why the stranger seemed familiar. But she could arrive at no conclusion. “I guess there’s nothing more we can do,” she said finally.
The girls turned to gaze at the palace, built in 1128 as an abbey. The reddish-brown stone structure was still intact. It was surrounded by a large garden and a high iron picket fence.
A guide took them through the fabulous dwelling. Each room was exquisitely furnished, and the girls learned that the present royal family of Great Britain had a large apartment in the palace which they used when visiting Edinburgh.
When the girls reached the enormous, elegantly furnished dining room, Bess burst out, “Imagine eating here with your husband at one end of the table and you at the other. You couldn’t even hear each other!”
The guide grinned. Then he told them a bit of Scottish history, highlighted by the final amalgamation of England and Scotland in 1603.
“This was the union of the crowns,” he said, “which occurred upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England. At that time James VI was king of Scotland; thus he also became King James I of England.”
“You mean he had both countries to run?” Bess asked, wide eyed.
“Yes. And, by the way, he had a very interesting start in life. When he was an infant, his mother had him lowered out of a high tower window in Edinburgh Castle to prevent her enemies from taking him for baptism in another faith. It was a dangerous descent.”
“The poor baby!” Bess said sympathetically.
“He didn’t do so badly,” George remarked, “becoming king of two countries!”
Again the guide smiled, then presently escorted them back to the entrance. The girls thanked him for a most interesting tour, and a few minutes later found a taxi to take them back to their hotel. At the entrance they met Mr. Drew, who had just finished his work for the day. He and the girls went in to have tea.
The lawyer asked for an account of their day’s sightseeing and frowned upon hearing about the red-bearded stranger following the girls. “If you ever see him again,” he said, “I hope you can find out who he is.”
“Next time I won’t fail!” Nancy declared.
The lawyer reported that his conferences had been successful, but he must remain in Edinburgh
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