Read Online The Lady and the Lake by Rosemary Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Rosemary Smith
Ads: Link
glanced out of the window towards the brooding lake, my thoughts with Phoebe, Annie and Gladys, wondering as Alice had done who would be next.
The lake lay calm and still in the evening sunlight as if it held no secrets, almost innocent to the fact as to what had happened in its depths.
So engrossed was I in my thoughts that the sound of a key turning in the lock of my door didn’t at first register itself in my head. As I laid the pink flowers on my blue dress thinking how becoming they were, I suddenly realised what I had heard but hardly given it any thought.
I went across to the door and turned the knob, pulling the door as hard as I could but it wouldn’t budge. The awful truth dawned on me that I had been locked in and was a prisoner in my own bedroom.
7
It must have been Mrs Grafton I thought, the cunning woman that she was. On her mistress’s instructions she had no doubt waited for me to return to my room after supper and turned the key in the lock, probably with jubilation that I had got my come-uppance.
I paced up and down, then tried to open the door again in the event that I had made a mistake. But to no avail, the door was locked fast. My only hope was Alice, I pounded my hands against the door as hard as I could, hurting my knuckles in the process but there was no response.
After a while I gave up and looked out of the window, watching as the sun fell farther in the sky, casting a pink glow on the still lake.
Even as I looked I could see a man walking on the path, I could tell by his clothes that it was Thomas which brought to mind the day’s events. What a horrid day this had been and it was by no means over yet.
I saw Thomas step into the summer pavilion and then I lost sight of him. Had he a tryst with someone I wondered and certainly wouldn’t put it past him. The sight of him had renewed my vigour and I proceeded to pound on the door again, but no-one heard me. Where was Alice?
My knuckles felt bruised now and I had to give up, hopefully someone would miss me in the morning. At the thought of all those hours spent in my room I felt utter despair and with my back against the door I slid on to the floorboards leaning wearily against the wood.
It seemed an eternity before I heard light footsteps in the corridor coming in my direction. I found some strength and got to my feet hammering on the door with one hand and at the same time shouting for help.
‘Is that you, Miss Sinclair?’ It was Maggie, I’d never before in my life been so pleased to hear another being’s voice.
‘Maggie, please help me, someone has locked the door of my room.’ I spoke trying to keep my voice as calm as possible.
‘Someone locked you in!’ she exclaimed, ‘I can hardly believe anyone could be so wicked.’
‘Maggie, I want you to fetch Mr Kershaw, he’s the only one that can get me out of here,’ I said, knowing that Henrietta and her minion would not help me as I was sure they were the perpetrators of this injustice.
‘But Mr Kershaw is drinking his port, Miss. I dare not disturb him,’ she said with some reluctance.
‘Maggie, you have to fetch him.’ I said firmly or I’ll be locked in here all night.
‘I may lose my job, but all right, Miss, I’ll go,’ she agreed.
It seemed an eternity before I heard footsteps again along the corridor. It was a man’s tread, and to prove it Antony Kershaw’s voice came to me through the door. ‘Miss Sinclair, what is going on?’
‘Someone has locked me in Sir, please get me out of here,’ I pleaded with anger.
‘Maggie, fetch Mrs Grafton please, now.’ His voice was more authoritative than I had heard it before.
‘Thank you, Mr Kershaw,’ I said with relief. It wasn’t very long before I heard Mrs Grafton’s voice and then Mr Kershaw’s.
‘Open this door, Mrs Grafton.’
She obviously did as she was bid for I heard the jangle of her keys and the key turning in the lock. When the door opened the three of them stood there like
The lake lay calm and still in the evening sunlight as if it held no secrets, almost innocent to the fact as to what had happened in its depths.
So engrossed was I in my thoughts that the sound of a key turning in the lock of my door didn’t at first register itself in my head. As I laid the pink flowers on my blue dress thinking how becoming they were, I suddenly realised what I had heard but hardly given it any thought.
I went across to the door and turned the knob, pulling the door as hard as I could but it wouldn’t budge. The awful truth dawned on me that I had been locked in and was a prisoner in my own bedroom.
7
It must have been Mrs Grafton I thought, the cunning woman that she was. On her mistress’s instructions she had no doubt waited for me to return to my room after supper and turned the key in the lock, probably with jubilation that I had got my come-uppance.
I paced up and down, then tried to open the door again in the event that I had made a mistake. But to no avail, the door was locked fast. My only hope was Alice, I pounded my hands against the door as hard as I could, hurting my knuckles in the process but there was no response.
After a while I gave up and looked out of the window, watching as the sun fell farther in the sky, casting a pink glow on the still lake.
Even as I looked I could see a man walking on the path, I could tell by his clothes that it was Thomas which brought to mind the day’s events. What a horrid day this had been and it was by no means over yet.
I saw Thomas step into the summer pavilion and then I lost sight of him. Had he a tryst with someone I wondered and certainly wouldn’t put it past him. The sight of him had renewed my vigour and I proceeded to pound on the door again, but no-one heard me. Where was Alice?
My knuckles felt bruised now and I had to give up, hopefully someone would miss me in the morning. At the thought of all those hours spent in my room I felt utter despair and with my back against the door I slid on to the floorboards leaning wearily against the wood.
It seemed an eternity before I heard light footsteps in the corridor coming in my direction. I found some strength and got to my feet hammering on the door with one hand and at the same time shouting for help.
‘Is that you, Miss Sinclair?’ It was Maggie, I’d never before in my life been so pleased to hear another being’s voice.
‘Maggie, please help me, someone has locked the door of my room.’ I spoke trying to keep my voice as calm as possible.
‘Someone locked you in!’ she exclaimed, ‘I can hardly believe anyone could be so wicked.’
‘Maggie, I want you to fetch Mr Kershaw, he’s the only one that can get me out of here,’ I said, knowing that Henrietta and her minion would not help me as I was sure they were the perpetrators of this injustice.
‘But Mr Kershaw is drinking his port, Miss. I dare not disturb him,’ she said with some reluctance.
‘Maggie, you have to fetch him.’ I said firmly or I’ll be locked in here all night.
‘I may lose my job, but all right, Miss, I’ll go,’ she agreed.
It seemed an eternity before I heard footsteps again along the corridor. It was a man’s tread, and to prove it Antony Kershaw’s voice came to me through the door. ‘Miss Sinclair, what is going on?’
‘Someone has locked me in Sir, please get me out of here,’ I pleaded with anger.
‘Maggie, fetch Mrs Grafton please, now.’ His voice was more authoritative than I had heard it before.
‘Thank you, Mr Kershaw,’ I said with relief. It wasn’t very long before I heard Mrs Grafton’s voice and then Mr Kershaw’s.
‘Open this door, Mrs Grafton.’
She obviously did as she was bid for I heard the jangle of her keys and the key turning in the lock. When the door opened the three of them stood there like
Similar Books
