Free The Alchemist's Key by Traci Harding Page A

emerged from the downstairs quarters to answer the door, though he did not unbolt it, only the small hatch that sat at eye level. ‘Can I help you?’
    ‘I demand this door be opened in the name of the Lord High Protector of England,’ a harsh voice yelled from beyond the doors. ‘A charge of treason has been brought against Gisborne, Baron Ashby, and we have been sent to escort him to answer these charges before Cromwell’s council.’
    As the guard was explaining to the soldiers outside that his Lord was not at the manor at present, another more distinguished gentleman had come to stand in the middle of the Great Hall.
    ‘Open the doors, O’Mally,’ the gentleman instructed, placing his hands on his hips to confront the soldiers as they entered.
    Reluctantly, the guard complied, and the half dozen soldiers barged into the room.
    ‘Gisborne Ashby. You are under arrest on suspicion of conspiring with, and harbouring, Jacobite supporters of Charles Stuart.’ The Lord in charge of the soldiers had the Baron seized.
    ‘That is ridiculous,’ Gisborne argued. ‘The Ashby family are not political.’
    ‘Is that so,’ the Lord challenged. ‘Search the house,’ he ordered his men. ‘If there are Jacobite spies herein, I want them alive … for now,’ he concluded with a grin.
    Only two of the soldiers headed up the stairs to the grand chamber and, rather fortunately, they moved to check the musicians’ gallery first. This gave Wade and his party time to withdraw into the main bedchamber, which was only lit by the flaming timber in the fireplace.
    ‘They are going to find us if we don’t get out of here,’ Andrew started barricading things against the door, and Wade lent a hand.
    ‘Well, how do we do that?’ Louisa beseeched them, having no desire to be carted off to some medieval dungeon.
    ‘Ah, we’re not exactly sure,’ confessed Wade, ‘but I think it’s got something to do with the cat.’
    Upon this revelation, all three of them bowed down low and began to chant, ‘Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.’
    ‘Arthur McCloud!’ Wade whispered hoarsely in desperation, as the soldiers were heard approaching.
    A strong meow was forthcoming from the adjoining dressing room. At the same time the soldiers tried to enter via the withdrawing room door and, finding it blocked, they began to ram it.
    ‘The cat’s got my vote.’ Wade headed into the dressing room to see Arthur disappear down the stairwell that led to the servant’s quarters.
    ‘Excellent.’ Andrew spied keys in the inner locks on both the dressing room doors. These security measures were no longer necessary in the twentieth century, but at this early stage of the house’s history this was the main cabinet room. Andrew turned the key in the inner cabinet room’s lock as the soldiers burst through their first barricade inside the main bedchamber.
    Louisa hesitated as Wade pursued the animal into the stairwell. ‘But they are searching downstairs!’
    ‘We don’t have much choice,’ Wade said as he grabbed Louisa’s arm and pulled her through the doorway after him.
    Andrew grabbed the key from the inside lock on his way through the stairwell door, and locked it closed behind them. The sound of the cabinet room door crashing open was to be heard behind them, but this final door was the sturdiest, and he expected it would hold the soldiers there for longer.
    As Wade and Louisa reached the bottom of the stairwell, the door upstairs yielded to the soldier’s relentless pounding and gave way. Wade eyed the corridor ahead, realising he’d lost the cat again. ‘Damn it.’ The rattling sound the soldier’s armour made as they hurried down the stairs sent chills down Wade’s spine. ‘Andy, let’s go!’ Wade urged his young friend to move it.
    ‘Can I help you?’
    Talbot startled the wits out of everyone as he stepped out of his bedroom into the corridor before them.
    But not one of the three young people would look at him, let alone answer