Free Carola Dunn by Angel Page B

stood Sir Gregory Markham.
    “Good evening, Sir Gregory,” said Angel.
    * * * *
    The baronet had had a tiring day. He had left his Derbyshire estate early that morning and ridden all day, arriving at Grisedale Hall late in the afternoon. There he had found that his uncle’s bailiff had left undone an extremely urgent piece of business, so, stopping only for a bite to eat, he had ridden on to Penrith. The only thing in the world he wanted was to step into the steaming hip-bath that awaited him and rest his saddle-sore limbs. The bootboy had pulled off his boots and left with them. And then a hole appeared in the wall of his chamber and through it stepped Miss Evelyn Brand, née Lady Evangelina Brenthaven, only daughter of the Marquis of Tesborough, in her nightgown.
    For a moment he stared at her in disbelief, then he exploded.
    “What sort of damned silly lark is this, young woman? Get out!’’
    “I can’t,” said Angel, rather annoyed. “I do not know how to open the door upstairs, and you cannot expect me to wander about the inn like this.”
    “You appear to be doing just that!”
    “Well, but I did not mean to. I found a priest’s hole and got locked in.”
    In spite of himself, Sir Gregory was interested. He listened attentively as the whole story came out.
    “And I nearly forgot,” Angel closed, “there are two bags of treasure in there. At least I think they must be treasure. Wait a minute, I’ll get them.”
    A few moments later she emptied onto the dresser a gold crucifix encrusted with rubies and emeralds, a gold chalice set with diamonds and pearls, and a pile of gold and silver coins stamped with the profile of Queen Elizabeth.
    They stood and looked in silent awe. Then Angel sighed and broke the trance.
    “And now we have to smuggle you back to your chamber before anyone finds out you have been in mine, you tiresome child,” said Sir Gregory brusquely. “I suppose I shall have to go out and see what is going on. Wait here, and don’t open to anyone but me. Dash it, I’ve no boots!” Casting a darkling glance at his unwanted visitor and a longing one at his rapidly cooling bath, he went our.
    He was gone for a good quarter of an hour. Angel had time to pass from indignation to new wonder at the jewels, and then to worry, before he returned.
    “I spoke to your uncle,” he reported. “They were on the point of calling the landlord but had not yet done so. We will go up your secret stairs and see if I cannot find the catch.”
    “I’m taking the treasure,” Angel announced belligerently.
    “You don’t trust me with it?” For the first time since she had burst in upon him, Sir Gregory looked amused. “By all means, take it, but hurry. I shall go ahead.”
    As she scooped the money back into its sack, she heard him mounting the hidden steps, which creaked under his weight. When she joined him at the top he was looking around at those bare, bare walls. The room seemed even tinier with his large figure in it.
    “I hope they only sent small priests to England,” said Angel, squeezing out of his way.
    “How did you open the trapdoor?”
    She showed him the block of darker wood. The rest of the floor was all of the same paler shade.
    “I can’t see anything else,” he admitted helplessly. “There is nothing for it, you will have to wrap yourself in my coat and go through the corridors and up the main stair.
    “You could fetch my clothes for me.”
    “And stand outside the room in my stockings while you dress? No, the less coming and going there is, the better. I hope you are not going to be difficult,” he added as she pouted, “or I shall put you over my knee and spank you.”
    “You would not dare!”
    “Try me, Miss Brand.”
    Angel’s resistance collapsed. Then a thought struck her. “It will not be the least use for me to go up,” she pointed out gleefully, “for the key is locked in the chamber and we still cannot get in!”
    Already halfway down the stair, Sir Gregory