Not Forgotten by Elizabeth Johns

Author:Elizabeth Johns
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781733958714
Published: 2019-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Philip pulled himself out of bed just as the sun was creeping over the horizon. He knew it would be his best chance to look for whatever was in that hidden cave. Seeing La Glacier standing there yesterday had only confirmed it was some kind of secret entrance. He put on a jacket and trousers of bleached nankeen cloth, being close to the colour of the rocks should he be seen by any of the guards. Then he secured a rope he’d borrowed from the stables around the heaviest piece of furniture he could find—a solid walnut chest of drawers—so that he would have a safer and quicker way to return to his room.

He pushed into his pockets everything he could think he might need—a gun, a small lamp, and a drawing book and pencil. Checking the rope one more time, he had opened the window to climb out when he heard a light knock on his door.

Philip muttered a curse. He had locked it, of course, but now he had to answer.

For less than a second, he stared at Lady Amelia. Reaching out, he hauled her into his room and thrust the door to with a snap.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded in an angry whisper. “Do you realize you could compromise everything?”

“Good morning to you too, sir,’ she whispered. “I have come to make sure you are safe.”

“You are more likely to cause the opposite,” he snapped. This interference in his plans was not what he needed. Why had he trusted her with such information? “Very well. Since you are here, you can be my lookout. There is a spyglass on my table. Pull the rope three times if you see something I need to return for. Pull four times if there is danger and I need to remain below.”

“Three to return, four to stay. I can manage that.”

Philip climbed out of the window and hoped Amelia would do as she was told. With the aid of the rope, he scaled the cliff quickly. It was far less daunting by daylight. By his best estimate, it was only about thirty feet to the opening in the cliff and he tied the end of the rope around his waist once he reached the landing so he would feel Amelia’s warnings should she need to give them.

It soon became dark inside, since the sun did not reach beyond the first few feet. He pulled out his lanthorn and lit it; before long he found a door, some fifteen feet or more hidden inside the cave. He tried the latch, and although it was rusted, it was not locked.

Once inside, he prayed he would not find any unpleasant surprises... such as a guard dog or bats…

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light. The smell was much the same as the one he had noticed when below in Madame’s office; a salty, musty odour of damp. Somewhere in the distance, there was the sound of dripping water, which indicated he was in a large, open space.

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