Free Carolyn Jourdan - Nurse Phoebe 02 - The School for Mysteries by Carolyn Jourdan Page A

“Hello!”
    When no one responded, she took a few paces toward a particularly large rock, and then went around the side of it. There was a large natural crevice between two of the massive stones that was wide enough to walk through.
    When she stepped through the gap she found herself in an open area filled with immaculately maintained gardens. On the other side of the garden was a house, or at least what she presumed was a house. It was built right into the jagged rocks at the edge of the cliff.
    As she made her way along a neat path through the garden toward what looked like it might be the front door, she noticed the landscaping was mostly edible. It was vegetables mixed with herbs and flowers, but it was so artfully done, it was even more appealing to Phoebe, who’d been raised on a farm, than a purely decorative grouping of non-native flowers planted for curb appeal.
    The stacked stone and boulder walls that enclosed the garden were faced with trellises that supported espaliered fruit trees, vines, and various types of running and climbing plants. Near the front door was a large expanse of vertical garden mounted on a metal grid. Phoebe smiled to see several varieties of salad greens sprouting at eye level.
    A row of beehives stood along one side of the garden. The stacks of wooden boxes were painted in a charming hodgepodge of pale blues and pinks. Each hive had a name painted in large ornate letters on the topmost box—Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, Samael, and Oriphiel.
    There was a large ornate metal knocker in the shape of a winged angel mounted on an ancient-looking gothic-shaped wooden door. Phoebe used it to tap twice and then she waited. After a couple of minutes a woman near her own age opened the door and said, “Ms. McFarland, I am Arabella Devlin-Forrest, please forgive me for not meeting you outside and escorting you in, but I was engaged on a telephone call.”
    The woman wore an immaculate coatdress that looked like one of designs Catherine Walker made especially for the royal family. And she spoke with the same upper class English accent Phoebe remembered hearing on the phone. “If you will come this way, please. I will take you to your patient.”
    Phoebe reminded herself to do her best to speak Standard English to these people. They obviously were not local. She followed Arabella down a short flight of wide shallow stone stairs into the house, expecting to enter a cave-like space, but it was quite the opposite. The far wall of the house was all glass, giving a view across the mountains like something she thought eagles might have. The floor was concrete that had been ground and polished until it shone like a mirror. It was reflecting the light from skylights, creating a mirage so that the large expanse stretching out before them was shimmering like the surface of a lake.
    The house was built atop, within, and around boulders—and the natural rock had been left exposed. As they walked, Phoebe saw that the house was lit not only by skylights and a glass wall, but also occasionally from the side by windows with eccentric shapes made to fit the natural crevices.
    She stole quick glances into the rooms they passed as Arabella escorted her through the house. A small creek ran through the center of what looked like a living area, and she heard and then saw a natural waterfall at the far end of a hall.
    The house was quiet except for the sound of water. It had a soothing effect on her frazzled nerves.

Chapter  18
    “I don’t know my patient’s name,” Phoebe said.
    Arabella hesitated a moment and then said, “You may address him as Le Seigneur .” She pronounced his title in French to sound like sane-yeur .
    “Like senior ?” Phoebe asked.
    “If you are enquiring about the etymology of the word, yes, the roots are the same. If you are enquiring about the modern meaning, Le Seigneur is a French honorific that means Lord .”
    “ Lord ?” Phoebe repeated, flabbergasted. She couldn’t help herself