Read Online The Curse of Deadman's Forest by Victoria Laurie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victoria Laurie
Ads: Link
safe,” said the earl as he stopped in front of Ian and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you, my lord.” Ian then greeted Professor Nutley, Thatcher, and Perry while the earl said his hellos to the headmistresses and the other children.
Once the greetings and salutations had been seen to, the earl called all the adults and Ian, Theo, Carl, and Jaaved to a closed meeting in the headmistresses’ private study. “Bestnot to worry the other children with our discussion,” Ian heard the earl say to Madam Dimbleby.
When everyone was comfortably seated in the study, the earl began. “I have spoken at length with Masters Goodwyn about today’s events, and while I am very glad to see the four of you safe, I am most troubled by the power of the forces against us. Professor Nutley has suggested to me that he would like to offer a plan to help keep you out of harm’s way, so I shall turn this discussion over to him.”
The professor nodded formally to the earl and cleared his throat. “I consulted with a few of my scientist friends this afternoon when word reached me of the waterspout off the coast, and they confirm our suspicions—barometric readings and the mild weather conditions over the channel could not possibly have supported a waterspout of the size and strength as struck the cliffs earlier today. Therefore, with the other evidence noted by Thatcher and Perry of the ice bridge running straight from Calais and the appearance of the beast, we must conclude that at least three of the four offspring of Demogorgon have now combined forces and are working against us.”
The professor seemed to pause for dramatic effect, but Ian was aware that everyone in the room had already concluded as much, so the poor old man was left looking slightly disappointed by the lack of reaction from the faces staring intently at him. He cleared his throat again and continued. “Dover is not safe,” he announced. “As long as Magus, Caphiera, and now Atroposa know that Theo resides at the keep, I fearanother attack is imminent, and I’m quite convinced that that will put all the children here in grave danger.”
Madam Dimbleby’s hand moved to cover her heart, and Madam Scargill frowned more deeply than usual. “What are we to do, Professor?” Theo asked meekly.
“Why, my dear girl,” the professor said with a twinkle in his eye, “we must go to Spain!”
The room fell into a stunned silence. Ian was the first to break it when he repeated, “Spain? Why would we go there, Professor?”
In response the professor reached into his blazer pocket and extracted a folded piece of paper. “I have in my possession a letter from Señora Latisha Castillo,” he said. Ian’s brow furrowed. He was quite certain he’d never heard the name. “Latisha,” the professor explained, “is the younger sister and only surviving heir of my former colleague Sir Donovan Barnaby.”
“Sir Barnaby?” Thatcher said. “Wasn’t that the archeologist chap who was with you in Greece and unearthed some of Laodamia’s scrolls?”
“It was indeed, Master Goodwyn,” replied the professor. “And as you also know, Barnaby was killed some years ago while on a return trip to Greece when the tent he was sleeping in caught fire, poor fellow.”
“And you’ve recently been in touch with his sister?” Ian asked, anxious for the professor to tell them why he wanted them to go to Spain.
The professor seemed to remember the letter in his handand got back to it. “Barnaby used to talk very affectionately of his sister years ago when we shared stories around the campfire in Greece. And I’d quite forgotten about Latisha until last year, when I came across some of my old friend’s notes.
“It took several months to locate her—she’s moved to Spain and married a banker, you see—but eventually, I tracked her to Madrid and began correspondence. And it was all rather ordinary until this letter arrived and Latisha mentioned that she had kept
“Thank you, my lord.” Ian then greeted Professor Nutley, Thatcher, and Perry while the earl said his hellos to the headmistresses and the other children.
Once the greetings and salutations had been seen to, the earl called all the adults and Ian, Theo, Carl, and Jaaved to a closed meeting in the headmistresses’ private study. “Bestnot to worry the other children with our discussion,” Ian heard the earl say to Madam Dimbleby.
When everyone was comfortably seated in the study, the earl began. “I have spoken at length with Masters Goodwyn about today’s events, and while I am very glad to see the four of you safe, I am most troubled by the power of the forces against us. Professor Nutley has suggested to me that he would like to offer a plan to help keep you out of harm’s way, so I shall turn this discussion over to him.”
The professor nodded formally to the earl and cleared his throat. “I consulted with a few of my scientist friends this afternoon when word reached me of the waterspout off the coast, and they confirm our suspicions—barometric readings and the mild weather conditions over the channel could not possibly have supported a waterspout of the size and strength as struck the cliffs earlier today. Therefore, with the other evidence noted by Thatcher and Perry of the ice bridge running straight from Calais and the appearance of the beast, we must conclude that at least three of the four offspring of Demogorgon have now combined forces and are working against us.”
The professor seemed to pause for dramatic effect, but Ian was aware that everyone in the room had already concluded as much, so the poor old man was left looking slightly disappointed by the lack of reaction from the faces staring intently at him. He cleared his throat again and continued. “Dover is not safe,” he announced. “As long as Magus, Caphiera, and now Atroposa know that Theo resides at the keep, I fearanother attack is imminent, and I’m quite convinced that that will put all the children here in grave danger.”
Madam Dimbleby’s hand moved to cover her heart, and Madam Scargill frowned more deeply than usual. “What are we to do, Professor?” Theo asked meekly.
“Why, my dear girl,” the professor said with a twinkle in his eye, “we must go to Spain!”
The room fell into a stunned silence. Ian was the first to break it when he repeated, “Spain? Why would we go there, Professor?”
In response the professor reached into his blazer pocket and extracted a folded piece of paper. “I have in my possession a letter from Señora Latisha Castillo,” he said. Ian’s brow furrowed. He was quite certain he’d never heard the name. “Latisha,” the professor explained, “is the younger sister and only surviving heir of my former colleague Sir Donovan Barnaby.”
“Sir Barnaby?” Thatcher said. “Wasn’t that the archeologist chap who was with you in Greece and unearthed some of Laodamia’s scrolls?”
“It was indeed, Master Goodwyn,” replied the professor. “And as you also know, Barnaby was killed some years ago while on a return trip to Greece when the tent he was sleeping in caught fire, poor fellow.”
“And you’ve recently been in touch with his sister?” Ian asked, anxious for the professor to tell them why he wanted them to go to Spain.
The professor seemed to remember the letter in his handand got back to it. “Barnaby used to talk very affectionately of his sister years ago when we shared stories around the campfire in Greece. And I’d quite forgotten about Latisha until last year, when I came across some of my old friend’s notes.
“It took several months to locate her—she’s moved to Spain and married a banker, you see—but eventually, I tracked her to Madrid and began correspondence. And it was all rather ordinary until this letter arrived and Latisha mentioned that she had kept
Similar Books
