Wild Grows the Heather in Devon by Michael Phillips

Author:Michael Phillips [Phillips, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042030, FIC042000, FIC026000
ISBN: 9781441229564
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2015-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

†See the introduction for a longer explanation of the historical context for the theological issues raised in this discussion.

49

The Keys

It was several weeks after their visit to Devon that Gifford Rutherford became aware of what his son had discovered behind a loose wall-stone in the small tower room at Heathersleigh Hall.

“What did you and Amanda talk about when you were alone?” the father had just asked.

“Oh, nothing,” replied Geoffrey. Immediately he began to sweat. But the boy needn’t have worried. His father was after information, nothing more. “She said her father knew the queen,” added Geoffrey quickly. “I said so did you, and that you were rich besides.”

“Good boy,” smiled Gifford with fatherly pride. “Nothing more? She said nothing about the estate or her father?”

Geoffrey squirmed slightly in his chair. This was the portion of the conversation with Amanda about which he would do just as well to keep quiet.

“No . . . nothing,” he said. “She locked me in the tower.”

“What—in that little room on top?”

Geoffrey nodded.

“The impertinent little vixen! She’s as high and mighty as her father,” said Gifford.

“I found these when I was there,” said Geoffrey. From his pocket he pulled out a brass ring with two keys around it—one large, one very small and ornate.

“Let me see those,” said Gifford. He leaned forward in his chair with sudden interest.

Geoffrey handed them to his father.

Gifford took them and jingled them in his hand for a moment. His expression grew serious. “What do they belong to?”

“I don’t know, Father. They were behind a rock in the wall.”

“Behind a rock—what do you mean?”

“A loose rock. I was sitting on the floor after Amanda locked me in, and I felt that one of the stones was loose against my back. I fussed at it with my fingers and it came out.”

“What was there?”

“A hole in the wall, with these keys in it.”

“After you took them, then what?”

“I replaced the stone.”

“Did Amanda know about the keys?”

“I don’t know.”

“I mean, did she know that you had them?”

“I never said a thing.”

“Good fellow! Let’s just continue to keep this our little secret, shall we?”

“Yes, Father.”

“I shall keep the keys, my boy, and put them in a safe place.”

This was indeed a stroke of brilliant luck, thought Gifford to himself. He knew what kind of keys they appeared to be. Only time, and the chance to find out for himself, would prove whether he was right. It would not do to seek such an opportunity immediately. If the keys were found to be missing, another visit too soon might give him away. He could afford to be patient. He was doing all this for his son anyway, and Geoffrey was yet young.

In the meantime, he would keep his own counsel.

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