In the dark of the night, deep in the woods, Mr Holmes has found his first clue to the strange and spooky events at Dendringham Hall - and Dot was there. It's a strange curved wooden handle, beautifully carved. But Angharad the Welsh Terrier seems to know more...
"What on earth were you thinking of, Dorothea! Just LOOK at the state of your dress! Thank heavens Sir Charles didn't see you coming in... I shudder to think what he'd have had to say!"
“I’m really sorry” said Dot. “But I thought I might be able to catch whoever it is who’s doing all those bad things!”
Miss Walsingham, Dot’s governess, shook her head, holding up Dot’s sailor dress to the light – it was electric light, a real new thing in those days, but it was very yellow and a bit dim.
“Well you shouldn’t have” she said, tut-tutting anxiously as she looked at all the mud on the hem of the dress and the big jagged tear that the thorn bush had made. “And if anyone finds out about this, it won’t be just you Dorothea, I shall be in such trouble too, for not keeping a proper eye on you!”
Oh NO thought Dot, hadn’t thought of that. She put on her best I-know-I’ve-done-a-bad-thing-but I-won’t-do-it-again look – what her Dad called her “Get out of jail” face!
“I won’t tell anyone, I know it was bad” she said. “And I never wanted to get you into trouble, Miss Walsingham, honestly!”
Miss Walsingham looked down at her and smiled – the kindly smile that changed her pale, tired face. “I know my dear” she said. “I know! Well, we’ll just have to see what we can do.”
Truth to tell, after they’d found the strange wooden “handle” in the Dendringham Hall woods, they hadn’t got much further. The dogs had looked around a bit more, but there was no scent for them and they’d not been able to find anything. Or anyone! Dot longed to be on her own with them for a bit to find out what Angharad knew about the scent.
Mr Holmes stepped forward, and took a handkerchief out of his pocket. Very carefully, he picked up the strange handle-like thing and held it close under the light of his torch. “Wish I had my magnifying glass with me!” he muttered to himself.
But now it was getting really cold, and darker too - more clouds had appeared, scudding across the face of the moon.
Then, Mr Holmes’ torch started to flicker. (Well, Dot thought of it as a torch, but it was an old-fashioned lamp really, like one of those ones you see on vintage cars, with a handle on the top.)
“Now, what a nuisance!” said Mr Holmes, giving the “torch” a shake. It flickered again and then burnt more brightly - but it didn’t look as if it would last. “You can never rely on these confounded new devices – Watson thought it was the best he’d ever found, but then he loves sending away for gadgets from those tiresome advertisements in the newspapers!”
Just like someone living in our house that I can think of, thought Dot, grinning to herself. Then she felt a little pang of sadness – it seemed a long time since she’d been standing with Dad in the Grand Drawing Room at Dendringham Hall and he was wondering if he could have a coffee… and Mum was getting all excited about the Chippendale sideboard…
Of course though it seemed a long time to her, not so much as a millisecond had passed back in the world where Mum and Dad still were – that was the magic of travelling inside the internet…
“The ‘Everlasting Blaze of Light’ Lamp Supreme, indeed!” said Mr Holmes, as his torch dimmed again. He gave it another shake.
And it went out. Right out!
“Confound it!” said Mr Holmes shaking the thing so it rattled. But it stayed out. “Come on my dear, and you dogs – and stay close to me!” And he took Dot’s hand again and marched off – toward the lights of the hall, which they could just see through the trees.
The walk back seemed much shorter than the walk into the woods, the way it always does.
But it was only after they came out of the woods and were back under the lamplight outside the stables, and Mr Holmes had gone to look for someone to open the door – which had slammed shut in the wind, and jammed – that Dot was able to ask Angharad about what, or who, who she’d scented back in the clearing.
“Yes, we’d like to know too!” said Victor and Wizzie together, and laughed at each other because they’d both said exactly the same thing.
Angharad looked up at Dot fiercely. “Whoever held that handle thing – it’s someone who’s been to the hall!” she said “And… and… there’s something strange about the scent… but I can’t work out what! If only - ”
“Here we are!” said Mr Holmes, coming back with Old Josiah the head groom. Angharad lay down with her head on her paws and gave a little groan. “We shall soon have everything in order now!”
“Don’t know what them dogs was doing out this time o’ night anyways!” grumbled Josiah as he fiddled with the lock.
Mr Holmes smiled at Dot and put a finger to his lips.
CREEEAKKK – CLANG! Back came the door. In went the dogs, ready for a sleep – Wiz looking back at Dot with a goodnight grin.
“Thank you Josiah!”
Josiah nodded grimly. “I’ll bid you goodnight then sir – miss!” he said, lifting his battered old cap to Dot and stumping off.
“Well!” said Mr Holmes, smiling down at Dot. “It looks as though I have a new assistant to help me in my investigations, doesn’t it?”
Cool!
But then she had to go and face the music!
