Free Uncovering Secrets: The Third Novel in the Rosemont Series by Barbara Hinske Page B

of
it.
    “Wow!
Look at this place,” David said as he set the box where Maggie indicated.
“What’s in here? I bet there’s all sorts of cool stuff.”
    “I
haven’t had a chance to get through it yet.” She turned to survey the attic.
“Just moving things around and cleaning it up will be a huge task. But I
agree—we’ll uncover some interesting things.” She pointed to the
secretary in the corner where she’d found a treasure trove of tarnished silver
during her fateful confinement. “That large cabinet—next to the
broken-down hat rack—is full of old sterling silver pieces. I’m dying to
bring all of them downstairs. They have to be cleaned and cataloged.”
    “If
you could use some help, I’m good at odd jobs.”
    “Really?”
Maggie said, turning to him. “Rosemont is full of odd jobs that need to be
done. Do you have time?”
    “We’ve
got a three-day weekend next week. I could get started then, and I can work over
spring break.”
    “You
and your mom won’t be going anywhere?”
    David
shook his head.
    “You’re
on! We’ll bring all of the silver downstairs and spread it out on the dining
room table.”
    “I’ll
see you on Saturday. Frank and I always go to Pete’s for breakfast right after
our agility lesson.”
    Would
wonders never cease? Maggie thought.
    “I’ll
come over as soon as we’re done.”

Chapter 20
    David arrived midmorning on the gray and cheerless
Saturday. “This looks like the perfect movie set for a haunted attic,” Maggie
remarked as she turned on the lights. David took a step back. “I’m kidding.
There’re no ghosts at Rosemont,” and as she said it, she wasn’t so sure.
    “Let’s
clear a path to that secretary in the corner,” she said, pointing with her
flashlight.
    “That
cabinet thing?” David asked.
    “Yes.
It’s called a secretary. Anyway—that’s where I found all of the silver.
There may be more up here, too. I didn’t find any downstairs in the butler’s
pantry, which is where it would have been stored back in the day.”
    David
shrugged. It was clear he had no knowledge of such things.
    “The
butler would have been responsible for keeping it polished and accounted for.
It would have been kept in a locked cabinet,” she continued. David moved boxes
and slid furniture aside as they made their way to the secretary.
    The
key remained in the lock where Maggie had abandoned it, and she slowly opened
the doors. The sight still made her gasp.
    “Where
do you want it?” David asked, reaching in to begin loading his arms with
pitchers.
    “We’ll
take it all down to the dining room. I’ve cleaned off the table and padded it
with blankets so nothing scratches the wood.” Maggie swiftly reached over and
took two pitchers from him that he was holding by the handles with one hand,
allowing them to knock against each other. “I know this stuff isn’t breakable,
but it can dent and scratch. We have to be careful with it.”
    “Are
we taking it all downstairs a piece at a time?” He wasn’t able to conceal his
incredulity.
    “I
brought some empty boxes and towels up here. We can cushion each silver piece
in towels so it doesn’t rub against anything else. How would that be?”
    David
nodded and they got busy, Maggie handing a piece of silver to David, David
placing it carefully in a box, and Maggie checking and eventually redoing everything
David did. Although it took all morning, they finally moved the contents of the
attic secretary to the dining room table.
    Maggie
was thrilled with what they’d found so far: an ornate tea set, a chocolate pot,
a large flatware set bearing a family crest, and a dozen demitasse spoons, each
engraved with a sign of the zodiac, along with trays, pitchers, and serving
pieces of every description. Her fingers itched to pull out the silver polish
to start restoring them to their former luster.
    “That’s
everything from the cabinet,” David said. “Do you want me to look in that stack
of boxes next to