Mr Holmes is busy investigating the scary message YOU – WILL – PAY burned into the lawn at Dendringham Hall when Sir Charles d’Auberley returns with Lady Sarah and Herbert. UH oh…
Seeing the little group on the lawn, Sir Charles spurred his horse towards them, closely followed by Herbert (who looked very muddy and bedraggled. He’d obviously fallen off during the hunt.)
But if he was in a state, it was nothing to way Sir Charles was when he saw the three huge words burnt into the grass!
“What the… what the devil…” he spluttered, gazing down on the damage with his eyes popping, turning so red in the face he was almost the same colour as his hunting jacket. “Of all the confounded - ”
“The d’Auberley Choleric” said Mr Holmes out of the side of his mouth to Dot. “The male side of the family is famed for its short temper – its choleric nature, in short!”
It was obviously something about her husband’s family that Lady Sarah
was well aware of too!
“Now Charles, dear” she said, as she too looked down at the threatening words burned into e smooth grass of Dendringham Hall’s huge front lawn. “Don’t get carried away! Remember what Doctor Handforth said about your heart!”
“Devil take him and his damned pills and exercises!” roared Sir Charles. “If a man can’t defend his own estate from the kind of… the kind of b… ” He saw Dot looking up at him and with an effort changed what he was going to say at the last moment “The kind of beggar who creates havoc on his own land, I don’t know what the world’s coming to! I’ll wager my hunter it’s the work of those damned Socialists! You mark my words!”
“Oh dear” murmured Lady Sarah, who’d obviously heard this kind of thing many times before. “Not the Socialists again!”
Dot tried not to giggle. Sir Charles reminded her of her Dad when he was trying to do his annual tax forms!
Then Herbert joined in.
“Blackguards!” he shouted. “I’ll have them for this, I swear!” He brushed a patch of dried mud off his cheek. He obviously hadn’t noticed the bit sticking out of his left ear! “I’ll give them such a thrashing they’ll - ”
“And how will you do that, dear cousin?” said a voice.
It was Laetitia Langton. Unnoticed by all of them she’d appeared on Hector, riding out of the Dendringham Woods.
“Oh boy! This is where I cop out!” said Mr Mouse, scampering into Dot’s hand and up her arm. “Too many big hooves stamping about round here for one little mouse!”
“Who do you think they are, in any case Herbert?” Laetitia went on, smiling at her cousin as he looked angrily back at her. “And how will you find them to give them this thrashing?”
“Now look here, Laetitia - ” began Herbert. It was obvious there was going to be another big row between brother and sister!
Miss Walsingham saw that too. “Dorothea!” she said sharply. “Come along! It’s time for you to get ready for supper. And just look at the state of your dress! What have you been doing!”
“I think I shall withdraw too!” said Mr Holmes, getting to his feet and putting his magnifying glass back in his pocket. He bowed to his hosts. “Lady Sarah! Sir Charles!”
With Miss Walsingham leading the way, the three of them turned, and, followed by Victor and Wizard and Angharad, made their way back to the house. The sound of Laetitia and Herbert arguing, Sir Charles still spluttering, and Lady Sarah trying to keep the peace, faded away behind them as they approached the grand steps that led up to the front door.
As Miss Walsingham strode up the steps, Mr Holmes paused and turned to Dot with a little smile. Then he spoke, softly.
“It took a very strong chemical to burn those words into the grass, you know Dorothea. An acid of some kind. Now… who do we know who might have such a chemical to hand, eh?”
Dot gasped. It couldn’t be!! No!
