The Curse of Deadman's Forest (23 page)

The earl paused and seemed to be waiting for Ian to say something, but Ian was still confused about why the earl should be telling him this, so he attempted to be polite. “That’s very nice, my lord. I’m glad to hear of such a kind young lady.”

The earl sat up straight and exclaimed, “But it’s more than that, Master Wigby! Don’t you see the importance of this information?”

Ian shook his head. “No, I’m afraid I don’t.”

Again the earl leaned forward. “Vanessa is our Healer,” he whispered. “She is the one that Laodamia spoke of, I’m convinced!”

Ian’s jaw dropped. “She is?” He was wondering how the earl could arrive at such a conclusion.

“Yes,” the earl insisted. “I rest my theory upon the final prophecy that was discovered by Sir Barnaby. I believe it was written sometime after Laodamia had scribed the other prophecies found in your silver treasure boxes, and I also believe—counter to the professor’s theory—that you were indeed meant to hear it.”

“But …,” Ian began before words failed. He couldn’t imagine why the earl would be so convinced.

The earl, however, wasn’t paying a bit of attention to Ian’s outward expression of doubt. “Think of it, lad,” he continued. “The greatest Oracle of all time must have known that after reading this latest prophecy, I would forbid you to go through the portal, and I believe she wrote it for that reason. She must have sensed that if you and Theo went through the portal in search of the Healer, you would both be killed. Therefore, she took great pains to warn you, and also provide us with the solution, by allowing me to bring the Healer directly to the keep!”

Ian scratched his head. “But,” he said, trying again, “have the schoolmasters told you that Vanessa is actually able to
heal
these children she’s attending to?”

The earl’s pacing paused for a brief moment, and he turned to face Ian again. “Not in so many words, but their enthusiasm for her natural nurturing abilities and the comfort she brings to the sick orphans must not be overlooked. Hence, I have instructed them to bring Vanessa to the keep as quickly as possible. She will be arriving this
evening with a young lad who she’s been attending to and refuses to leave behind. She and the little boy—his name is William, I believe—will take up the two beds left by Jon and Emily.”

Ian looked up at the earl with a mixture of thoughts and emotions. He knew that if the earl was correct, and Vanessa was in fact the Healer from Laodamia’s prophecies, Theo would never agree to continue with their escape plan without her, and convincing a new orphan to run away with them was certainly a risky endeavor. What if Vanessa said no? What if she told the earl or the headmistresses of their plans?

Alternatively, staying at the keep almost certainly ensured that Theo would be sent away to live with Major Fitzgerald. And Ian thought that if that happened, he would surely go out of his mind with worry.

“Well, my lad?” asked the earl. “What do you think?”

Ian stared back down at his birthday present as yet another wave of guilt washed over him. “I think it’s likely best to ask Theo what she thinks, my lord. I suspect we won’t know if Vanessa is the Healer until Theo tells us so. And if Vanessa is not the Healer, then we’ll know that we might still consider venturing through the portal again.”

The earl eyed him thoughtfully for a moment. “Lad,” he said, “did Theo immediately recognize Jaaved as the Seeker?”

Ian’s breath caught. The earl had a point. Theo had not recognized Jaaved as the Seeker until he’d received a burn on his hand in the shape of a diamond, which had happened
several days
after
they’d met him. And this further complicated matters, because if Theo couldn’t positively rule Vanessa either in or out as the Healer, she might well
insist
on remaining at the keep until she was certain. But Ian could hardly express this concern to the earl, so he settled for saying, “Of course you’re right, my lord. Time will tell, I suppose.”

The earl gave him a broad smile. “Excellent!” he said. “I’m glad that you see it my way. Now, I’ll not keep you from your adventures with Mr. Bilbo Baggins. Why don’t you fetch Landis and go on back to the keep? I believe I saw him entering the laundry room earlier….”

When Ian and Landis arrived back at the keep, Ian immediately alerted the headmistresses to the impending visit from the earl, the schoolmasters, and two new orphans in time for dinner.

He could well have saved his breath, because no sooner had he finished telling them the news than Madam Dimbleby smiled and said, “Yes, Ian, Theo told us about tonight’s guests an hour ago.”

Ian smiled ruefully. It was no fun having anything exciting to share with Theo around.

He didn’t have long to dwell on his spoiled surprise, however, because not a moment later a motorcar arrived from the earl’s personal fleet with a small staff and enough food for a feast.

Ian wanted to find Theo and tell her about the earl’s theory, but Madam Scargill ordered him to help with the
dinner preparations and he was quickly so busy that he lost track of time. Before he knew it, their guests were arriving, and Ian moved with the rest of the crowd outside to greet the visitors.

All of the keep’s children turned out on the front steps when the earl’s motorcar arrived. Carl and Jaaved sidled up to Ian as the earl, Thatcher, Perry, and the two new orphans got out of the car.

The young lady—Vanessa—was introduced first. Ian studied her closely, but she didn’t seem at all special. Slight of frame, with large brown eyes and long dark hair, she appeared shy and waiflike.

The boy next to her was introduced as William, and he looked pale, sweaty, and sickly. Madam Scargill seemed to notice that the boy might be ill, because she bent down to him and felt his forehead, then whispered something to Madam Dimbleby and took the poor little lad by the hand, leading him quickly through the crowd back into the keep.

Ian overheard her mumbling something about a fever as she passed him, and then he remembered the earl’s prediction that Vanessa was the Healer. He scanned the faces still gathered round their guests, looking for Theo, and he found her on the edge of the crowd, staring at Vanessa, her face stricken.

Alarmed, Ian began to edge his way closer to Theo to see why she appeared upset, but well before he could get to her, she turned and dashed back into the keep. Hampering his efforts further, at that moment the earl waved everyone indoors for the evening meal, and the eager and hungry
children surrounding Ian blocked his entry for several moments. When he finally managed to get inside, Theo was nowhere to be found.

“What’s the matter?” Carl asked from beside him as Ian turned his head this way and that.

“Did you see where Theo went?” Ian asked.

“I saw her run up the stairs a bit ago,” Carl told him.

Ian felt a knot of anxiety form in the pit of his stomach. Theo wasn’t often given to theatrics. Something must be terribly wrong. “I’ve got to find her.”

“Why? Is something the matter?”

Ian sighed. “I believe so,” he admitted. “But I’ve no idea what.”

“Do you think she might be upset about that man claiming to be her father?”

Ian had almost forgotten about that awful business, and immediately his mind settled on it as the probable cause. “Perhaps,” he said.

“Come along to the table, lads,” said Madam Dimbleby from behind them. “We’ve quite a few mouths to feed this evening.”

Ian turned to her and said, “Ma’am, I believe Theo might be upset again about that whole Major Fitzgerald business. Might I be allowed to find her and see that she’s all right?”

Madam Dimbleby’s mouth turned down as she frowned. “Oh, the poor lass,” she said. “Yes, of course, Ian. Go, see to Theo. I’ll save you both a plate of food and make your excuses at the table.”

“Did you want me to go along?” Carl asked, and Ian had to give him credit for the offer, as Carl’s eyes kept drifting toward the dinner table.

“Naw, mate. You go on. I’ll be down with Theo in a bit.”

With that Ian dashed up the stairs and looked first in his room. Then he knocked softly on the loo door, but no one answered. He looked back down the hallway and wondered where she could have gone when he got the smart idea to ask his sundial. Pulling it from his pocket, he said, “Sundial, show me where Theo is.”

Immediately, Ian received his answer and he looked to his left at the door leading to the tower. Making haste up the stairs, he found Theo pacing the floor in quite a state of distress. The moment he crested the landing, she flew across the room and gripped his arms tightly. “Ian!” she gasped.

“What is it?” he replied, now very much alarmed.

“The serpent!” she whispered. “It’s here!”

Ian wrapped an arm around Theo protectively, his eyes darting about the tower room as he expectantly looked for anything that slithered. “Where?” he demanded.

“That girl!” Theo told him. “It’s the new girl!”

Ian blinked. He focused on Theo again and asked, “What? Theo, what do you mean it’s the girl?”

Theo pulled away from him and returned to her pacing. “The new girl the earl brought here! She’s the serpent!”

“You’re talking about Vanessa?”

“Yes!”

For a long moment Ian simply stared wide-eyed at Theo,
wondering if all the stress she’d been under lately had finally caught up to her. “Theo,” he began in a calm, even tone.

“I know what you think!” she snapped, looking at him with accusing eyes. “But she
is
the serpent!”

“She’s a harmless girl!”

But Theo was not to be dissuaded, and she shook her head vehemently back and forth. “She’s not! She’s the serpent Laodamia warned us about!”

Again Ian was left speechless. How could he argue with such a ridiculous statement?

Theo’s frantic pacing continued. “We must leave at once!” she announced. “Tonight, if we can! We’re all in terrible danger if we stay!”

Ian ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Theo,” he said, trying again. “We cannot possibly leave tonight.”

“Why not?” she demanded.

Ian sighed. She was being unreasonable. “Because it’s Saturday! You know as well as I do that the ferries don’t run on Sunday.”

Theo stopped her pacing abruptly and her eyes misted over. “We’re doomed,” she whispered, and dissolved into a fit of tears.

Over the next half hour, Ian did his best to console her, but it was to no avail. Theo clung to him and cried and he began to wonder if she would ever stop. He was quite relieved when Carl found them after supper. “Is she all right?” he asked, cresting the landing, carrying two plates loaded with food.

Ian squeezed Theo tightly. “She’s fine,” he said, hoping that saying it aloud would make it true.

“Oh, Carl!” Theo wailed.

Carl set down the plates and moved quickly over to Theo, who shifted away from Ian to hug his friend fiercely and continue her wailing. Carl looked questioningly at Ian, but all Ian could do was shrug. How could he explain Theo’s theory when he didn’t even understand it himself?

Carl patted Theo’s back and whispered, “The earl has requested a word with you, Ian.”

“Now?”

“Yes. He’s going back to London to meet with his barrister and he’s leaving first thing in the morning. He’s waiting for you downstairs right now, in fact.”

“Will you …?” Ian asked softly, pointing to Theo.

“Yes,” Carl assured him. “I’ll look after her.”

Ian smiled gratefully and dashed down the steps. He found the earl standing in the foyer, addressing Thatcher. “You look a bit peaked, Master Goodwyn. Are you feeling all right?”

Thatcher put a hand to his head and attempted a smile. “I must admit, I’ve had a bit of a chill this evening, my lord. Nothing a good night’s rest won’t cure me of, I’m certain.”

“Yes, well, we’ll be off just as soon as I speak with Master Wigby.” The earl spotted Ian on the stairs then and added, “Ah, there you are, lad! I’ve heard from Madam Dimbleby that Theo has had a bit of an upset this evening.”

Ian nodded as he went the rest of the way down the stairs. “Yes, my lord. She’s been most distressed.”

“Ah, I should know better than to try to keep any recent
developments from her. She’s always one step ahead, isn’t she?”

Ian had no idea what the earl was talking about, and wondered if by some coincidence he knew about the serpent too. “Er …,” he said. “Yes, my lord. She’s very adept at ferreting out the state of things.”

The earl sighed and wrapped an arm around Ian’s shoulders. “Well, I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t have bargained you two a little more time,” he said sadly. “But I’m afraid at the moment there is little I can do to halt these proceedings.”

Ian’s heart thumped loudly, a foreboding stealing over him. “My lord?” he asked. “I’m afraid I don’t know exactly what you mean.”

The earl looked taken aback. “Really? So Theo hasn’t told you?”

“She’s been a bit too upset to talk,” Ian said.

The earl nodded, as if he understood completely. “My barrister sent word yesterday, but I did not receive the message until just before supper. It appears that our Major Fitzgerald has a most influential friend in the courts, and he has been awarded custody of Theo. He will be here tomorrow afternoon, in fact, to collect her and take her to his home in Debbonshire.”

Ian felt as if all the blood rushed out of him at once. The world spun, and he was certain that if it were not for the earl’s arm about his shoulders, he would fall down. Through a muddled haze he noticed that the earl was looking at him with such sympathy it only made him feel worse, and he knew he should say something, but words refused to form.

“I’m terribly sorry, Ian,” the earl told him. “You have my word that I will do
everything
within my power to bring her back, but for now, I’m afraid we’ve no choice; we must comply with the court’s directive.”

Ian looked away. He felt almost faint, and he saw Madam Dimbleby across the room, her eyes red and watery. She knew too.

The earl gave a final squeeze to Ian’s shoulder and released him. Ian heard him say something about needing to be off, and Thatcher and Perry followed him, but not before each of them gave Ian a soft pat on the back and looked at him with care as they departed.