The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall: A Victorian Historical Mystery (The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire Book 1) by Syrie James

Author:Syrie James [James, Syrie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2025-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

The wind tugged at Diana’s bonnet as she made her way across the grounds. It was the second morning in a row that Miss Fallbrook hadn’t turned up on time for lessons. It was a bad habit and Diana would have to break her of it.

She had checked the riverbank first, thinking Miss Fallbrook might be digging for clay again, and was now on her way to investigate the beach. In all honesty, she could not blame her pupil for avoiding the schoolroom today. Their last reading lesson had ended with them both in tears.

Diana reached the edge of the bluffs and paused to take in the view, her bonnet ribbons flapping in the breeze. The air was so crisp and salty, she could taste it. The sea stretched to eternity, the vast blueness broken up here and there by rocky, black islets. Seagulls screeched over the foaming waves, which rushed up on the sandy beach. The scene felt vigorous and alive, a marked contrast to Diana’s inner anguish and doubt.

She zigzagged her way down the narrow path along the scrubby hillside. The tide was out. On the stretch of sand near the water’s edge, she noticed a trail of footprints disappearing around the cliffs at one side of the cove. Were they Miss Fallbrook’s?

Following the trail around the bend in the cliff, Diana found herself in a smaller, shallower cove. The beach here was only about a dozen feet deep. The footprints led to an immense cave cut into the rocky cliffside.

A shallow saltwater channel connected the cave with the sea. A ribbon of sand edged the channel, permitting entry to the cave. The footprints continued along it.

Diana entered the cave and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The interior was damp and gloomy, the wet, sandy floor strewn with rocks and pebbles. Moss clung to rocky walls. At high tide, Diana suspected, this part of the cave might fill with water. She moved further inward.

Rounding a bend, Diana found herself in a cavern that resembled a small indoor harbor at low tide. A sailboat that looked to be of recent vintage was beached and tethered to an iron post. Across the way, Diana spotted Miss Fallbrook on her knees, making a sand sculpture of a giant mermaid. So intent was she on her undertaking that she didn’t hear Diana’s approach.

Diana gently cleared her throat to announce her presence. Miss Fallbrook jumped and leapt to her feet. Her face flushed with guilt as she brushed sand from her skirts. “I’m sorry.” She seemed to be truly remorseful this time. “I got carried away and I guess I forgot the time.”

Diana felt bad now. It was a shame that her pupil had to sneak down here and sculpt in secret. “Your sand mermaid is lovely.”

“Thank you.” Miss Fallbrook smiled hopefully. “Unfortunately, she won’t last. When the tide comes in to Smuggler’s Cave, it will wash her away.”

“Smuggler’s Cave? Why is this called that?”

“Because smugglers used it years and years ago to import things from France.

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