With everyone at Dendringham Hall still in a nervous state about the ghostly goings-on, Dot has come down to breakfast on the second day of her stay – meeting the other people at the Hall for the first time since she saw them in the drawing room on her computer screen. But then there’s a new arrival in the dining room! A total stranger… or is he…?
He was a bent-over, hunched up old man. He had a piece of string round the waist of his dirty old coat for a belt, and an old hat on his head all stained and battered, so you couldn’t tell what colour it was – or had been.
Two of his teeth were missing, and his face was lined with dirt. Below a pair of heavy old trousers, all splashed with mud, was a pair of cracked and scuffed boots – the sole of one of them was hanging off – which left a muddy patch on the dining room carpet.
“What the devil - !” said Sir Charles, springing to his feet. “How dare you come in here, whoever you are!”
“Eeek! Save us, Herbert!” went the old lady in a quivering voice.
“Not a step further, you villain!” said Herbert, pushing his chair over and shaking his fist – and knocking his tea cup all over his trousers, which made him look a bit silly.
Only Laetitia – I really MUST find out who all these people are, said Dot to herself – only Laetitia didn’t move, sitting back in her chair and staring at the unwelcome visitor with a little smile on her lips.
“Oh!” said Lady Sarah, her hand at her throat “What a FRIGHTFUL smell!”
RUDE, thought Dot – but it was true: the strange old man smelt just like Wizzie had when he’d rolled in some fox poo once in her local park. Totally DIS-gusting!
“Stand to, you!” said Herbert, putting up his fists in the old fashioned boxing style and dashing forward, only to bark his shins badly on a side table.
Just as he did so, in came Crabbings the butler, running as fast as his fat tummy would let him, and two of the stable lads.
“Sir Charles, Sir Charles, I’m so sorry” he puffed, his face all red and his eyes bulging out (just like Dad after one of his training runs with the Swanley Park Sabre Tooths, thought Dot, grinning to herself.) “This…” - puff, pant – “…fellow came round…” – puff, pant – “.. to the kitchen… said he wanted a glass of water…” – puff, pant – “ …and when cook turned her back, he made off!”
The two stable boys moved forward, rolling their sleeves up. “Now then you” said one of them “Let’s have no more of it, you old scrabber, you!”
“Calm yourselves, please!” said the old man. It was Mr Holmes’ voice again – it sounded really weird, coming out of the mouth of the stranger, but there was no doubt it was his voice!
And then, the old man straightened up. Took off the battered old hat to reveal dark hair brushed back from a bony forehead.
Brought out a handkerchief and rubbed the grime off his face.
Sucked his teeth to take off the black stuff that had made it look like there were no teeth there.
And finally, undid the string round his waist and pulled off the coat and the “trousers” beneath it – which were just the leg bits, sewn to the bottom of the coat – before pulling off the big clumsy boots to reveal a highly polished pair of black shoes.
It was Mr Holmes after all – in a very smart dark suit, buttoned up high, and a deep red tie!
“Good God, man!” said Sir Charles, looking crosser than ever. “What kind of tricks are you playing!”
Mr Holmes smiled. “I think our discussions would be easier” he said “if we removed my disguise!” He pointed towards the smelly pile of clothes on the floor and looked at Crabbings. Crabbings looked at the senior stable boy. The senior stable boy looked at the junior stable boy. The junior stable boy picked it up, wrinkling his nose.
That’s so not fair, thought Dot. But she couldn’t say anything – she had to remember that children were “seen and not heard” in those days!
“That’ll do Crabbings, thank you!” sad Lady Sarah, waving a pretty little lace handkerchief under her nose.
“So, Holmes” said Sir Charles as the door closed behind the butler and his two helpers. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Well, Sir Charles” said Mr Holmes, tucking his hands up beneath the tail of his jacket. “I have been about your business, never fear! Last night, I decided that a little private investigation without anyone knowing who I was would pay dividends – so early this morning I took a turn or two around the neighbourhood, in the character of a gentleman of the road, a tramp, to see what I could find. And very interesting it was too! I shall tell you all more about that later. But first can anyone tell me what this is?”
And suddenly, as if from nowhere, he brought out the strange wooden-handled device that had been dropped in the forest!
