The breakfast terrace was shaded by an elaborate iron trellis that supported an ancient wisteria vine. The trailing blossoms perfumed the morning air with their delicate fragrance. Left to myself after the morning meal, I left the terrace and stepped out onto the manicured lawn. The green carpet rolled out before me and merged into the mist shrouded trees that bordered the lawn. A distant twitter announced the passage of some small birds. Not another building was visible from this vantage point. No other living soul followed me on my early morning walk. The few other guests who had risen for breakfast had already retreated into the fire-lit parlors and bedrooms of the main house.
The dew from the grass dampened my boots as I walked along. As the ground sloped upwards, I realized that I was walking outside the older part of the house. Even though I had not been here since early childhood, I could remember being told that this portion of the house had not really been used in the last century. The newer wing had been built with plumbing and gas lighting, so the older sections had been relegated to storage. A dim memory of legions of ancient chairs lining a hallway rose in my mind. The lower windows were hidden by a vine covered wall that reached far over my head. But the blank upper windows looked down on me like so many unseeing eyes. I always thought it rather sad for rooms that had seen so much life to sit silent and unused.
Then I noticed a gap in the wall occupied by an iron gate. It was frozen in place by a tangled clematis vine that appeared as if it had not been disturbed in decades. It would have taken enormous effort to shift the gate, but it was open slightly with a gap was just wide enough for me to slip through. Inside the garden, the roses had thrived in the absence of a gardener's care. The masses of red, white and yellow blooms climbed the inside garden walls and abandoned trellises. A veritable grandfather of an oak shaded the garden path as it winded away from the gate. I was startled at this point to see a small, young woman sitting on an old stone bench in the partial shade. She did not look like any of the other guests I had seen at dinner last night, or this morning at breakfast. Her head was bowed over a golden trinket in her lap, so that her nut brown hair fell around her face like a velvet veil.
She looked up as my footfalls crunched through the loose gravel of the path. Her eyes were the most piercing blue that I had ever seen. Though almost as small as a child, her well-formed face was that of a mature woman. Then the silken folds that I had taken to be her cloak lifted and became gossamer wings. I watched in utter shock as she darted into the air and vanished into the dense foliage of the oak that towered over me.
I blinked and realized that I had fallen to my knees. The insistent prodding of the rocks brought me back to awareness. A slight glint of gold caught my eye. There on the ground in front of me was an elaborately worked figure of a bird. Its tiny emerald eyes winked in the sunlight as I picked it up. Nestled in the palm of my hand, it was barely bigger than the signet ring on my right hand. My knees complained bitterly as I staggered to my feet.
Clutching the minute bit of gold in my fist I stood and strained to catch any sight or sound of her. On impulse, I set the trinket down on the stone bench where she had been sitting. After another moment I took a deep breath and started back to the old gate. It would have been nice to have something real to take away from this unreal encounter, but the practical side of me decided that it was best to put away all memory of this encounter.
A riding party was scheduled for later in the morning. This would culminate with a luncheon out in the great park. The morbid thought that my nephew was trying to impress me kept coming unbidden to my mind. The year allowed to me for mourning had been past for several months now. The loss of my wife and son had left me with a desire to retire from the world. But it seems I was not to be allowed this luxury until I confirmed my nephew as my heir. At forty-two I was considered young enough to remarry and start a new family. But I did not relish the thought of finding someone to take my late wife's place.
My younger brother had died some years before and left his young wife with two little boys. This house and estate had been his inheritance from our grandfather, along with a small trust fund. My brother had a passion for racing horses and following the hounds. It was the latter that had led to his death. Now his older son played host here. The younger boy was off in the Navy, in the Mediterranean as of last report. Barring any other changes in circumstances, it was my intent as of that moment to divide my estate equally between the two boys. Of course as the eldest, Rupert felt entitled to inherit everything, including my title, hence his efforts to impress me.
After changing into clothes more suitable for riding, I made my way to the courtyard where most of the other guests were already assembled. Most of us had been introduced at dinner the previous evening. I had noted then that I seemed to be surrounded by married couples. Uncharitably, I assumed that my nephew wanted to lessen my chances of finding someone to marry at this late date. The ladies in their colorful riding costumes made a bright contrast against the somber landscape of a world just emerging into spring. Rupert preferred a more staid type of mount than his reckless father had kept, so the cavalcade moved at a stately pace onto the lane. My mount was not overly eager for this outing, so I let him fall to the rear. This allowed me to observe the others as they exchanged pleasantries. It seemed that more people had arrived since yesterday. This was a much larger group than I had met at dinner. There were at least eighteen riders that I could clearly count, most of who were men. I do not wish to seem as if I was a silent specter following behind. I exchanged pleasantries with most of my fellow riders, but it is difficult to have much conversation on horseback.
The sun was well overhead when we reached the pavilions that had been set up for the noon meal. There were some people already there who had apparently forgone the pleasure of riding over on horseback. A pair of unhitched buggies stood a short distance away. That we were served champagne with our food surprised me a little. I would have thought it was too early in the day for the bubbly. Rupert kept an excellent staff and the quality of this outing testified to that. The food was excellent and the shade of the pavilion was welcome as the day warmed up. The conversations about politics and society washed over me and barely stirred my interest. One of the gentlemen present was a member of the Cabinet, though I could not recall his office. This meant that he was the center of attention much of the time.
Some time had passed when I realized that the warm day and the champagne had left me daydreaming in my chair. Quite a few of the guests had already returned to the house. I pulled out my watch to see what time it was and realized that my nephew would be expecting his guests to attend the afternoon races at the clay track nearby. I collected my mount and returned to the house.
An assortment of conveyances assembled in front of the house. Men and women chattering happily, gathered out front. A few started to step into the carriages. The thought of several hours more of idle chatter suddenly made me feel tired. My response was unplanned, as I shrank back into the hallway away from the door. Walking quickly, I made my way to the hallway that connected to the older part of the house. As I passed the empty parlor I picked up a candelabrum and some matches. The door hallway connected to the old wing was unlocked but years of disuse caused it to resist my efforts. After I finally managed to open the door, I entered and closed it again behind me.
I passed through a small dark antechamber into what was once a large reception hall. The massive stone fireplace loomed at the far end. The detailed friezes around the mantel were revealed by light streaming through gaps in the rotting drapery. Against the windows to my right was old sofa with faded upholstery that supported several chairs that were in various stages of repair. Through the windows on the left I caught a glimpse of the hidden garden that I had explored this morning. The garden wall must have been part of the original bastion. There were doors on either side of the fireplace, so I chose the one of the left as more likely to give access to the garden. I had forgotten, or perhaps never realized just how massive this fireplace was. My height was remarked upon frequently among my acquaintances, but I would have only had to stoop slightly to stand inside the cavern of the fireplace. Turning away from the fireplace, the door I went through this time was only slightly more difficult to open.
The long room that I walked into was considerably darker. Here wooden shutters blocked out the light. The glow from the candles created a small pool of light in the gloom. This room appeared to be entirely bare of furnishing. I followed its L shape to another door which stood open. This door led to the hallway of my memory. Old wooden chairs with faded velvet cushions lined a long dim hallway of closed doors. I could almost imagine a long dining table encircled by these ancient seats. The first door on the right revealed the first staircase that I had seen so far in this wing. The candles flickered in a phantom draft, so I closed this door.
The next door was on the right and was exactly what I was looking for. Once an office or parlor, it boasted a door to the garden with tall windows on either side. The door was of that style sometimes called a French door, a wooden frame set with glass. Unfortunately, the lack of maintenance had caused to wood to warp and stick in the door frame. A glance around the room revealed that an old iron candlestick had been left on a small table by the door. Using the base of this, I lifted the door enough to cause it to come unstuck from the frame. When I stepped outside, I saw that I had come further than the spot under the oak where I had been earlier. That tree was to my left from where I stood. After taking the precaution of propping open the door with the table, I snuffed out the candles and went back outside. I started through the garden towards the tree.
My heart pounded in my chest as I came up on the stone bench under the oak. I was shaken to the core when I saw that the little gold bird was gone. In its place was a sky blue stone shaped like a river pebble. Its smooth, polished surface was cool in my hand. My stomach quavered as I tried to think of a logical explanation for what I may or may not have really seen.
Still clutching the little blue stone I walked back the way that I had come. Past the open door, I continued through the garden. At one time, a fountain had graced this area of the garden. A cherub held an empty vase that had once poured water into a stone basin. A thin layer of greenish water lay in the bottom of the basin. A rosemary bush had grown up behind the cherub and attempted to embrace him around the waist. Navigating around a laurel bush in my path, I saw that there was another exit from the garden ahead. An iron gate like the other, this one was open and half choked with wild roses. I hastened my steps and walked up the gate.
As I stepped through the gate I caught a glimpse of velvety brown hair behind the tree that guarded this entrance. As I hurried forward a twig broke beneath my foot. My reward for my haste was to see a young woman leap up from a bench where she had been sitting, her book flying through the air. "I apologize for startling you" I told her as I retrieved her book from the ground. "Where on earth did you come from?" she gasped as she held out her hand for the book. "I was in the garden back there and just came out through the gate." I replied. She looked behind me towards the spot where the rose bushes were escaping from the garden. She looked back at me and said "My word. I didn't even realize there was a gate there, much less a garden." My heart did a little flip-flop as the implication of her words sunk in. Up until this point I had almost convinced myself that she had found the little gold bird and removed it. She retrieved her hat from the bench and stepped towards the gate. After a few hesitant steps she turned back towards me and asked "Is it alright if I see the garden?" I found myself drowning in the clear blue flash of her eyes.
"I asked if it was alright if I went to see the garden?" she repeated herself. I shook myself and answered, "I don't see why it wouldn't be. It's not as if we would be intruding on anyone else in this part of the house." I held some of the bramble back as she went through the gate. She gasped and smiled up at me and I felt as if a warm ray of sunshine had crossed my face. "This is so lovely." She commented "A wild and secret garden hidden away just for us." She turned her face to the sunshine and closed her eyes. As I drank in the sight of her face she continued, "I almost turned down dear Rupert's invitation for this week. But my husband was very fond of him, so I felt obligated to come." Those words were like an icy knife through my heart, followed by shock at the depth of my reaction. "So you are married then?" I asked as calmly as I could. Her smile seemed to turn a little sad as she opened her eyes and turned towards me. "Was married" she answered "I am now a widow without even a child to remind me of my husband." The same war that had claimed my son had taken her husband. "My deepest condolences madam" I told her "I myself am a widower, but through different circumstances." I had half convinced myself that I was falling in love with this woman. Now the utter foolishness of that was revealed as I learned that she was probably young enough to be my daughter. "Oh please" she pleaded through a returning smile "call me Alex. I can't bear to be called madam."
"Alex," I asked "Is that short for something or a nickname?"
She continued walking as she answered "It's short for Alexandra." I caught up with her and replied "I shall call you Alexandra. It sounds so much more elegant and mysterious, and so suits you better." She laughed and responded "I do believe you are flirting with me." I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and said "If it seems that way, I assure you it was unintentional. Would you be offended if I did?" Her light laughter was free of any malice. She stopped walking before she answered "I don't think I would be. I have no idea who you are, but for some reason I feel perfectly safe with you." I steeled myself for the reaction which I felt must surely follow, then I told her "I am Rupert's Uncle William. I assume he has mentioned me at some point." Her surprise registered in her face and she said "Truly? I cannot credit that it's possible. You are hardly the old fossil that I imagined from his comments." Her hand flew to her mouth and she continued "I am so sorry. I should not have said that. It was very impolite of me." I smiled ruefully as I confessed "I have been aware of Rupert's opinion of me for some time, so you need not fret yourself on that account." At this point we came to the door that I had propped open. "Have you been exploring in the old wing?" she asked. I chuckled and replied "Not very much. I ducked out on the racing party and only came as far as I needed to find an exit." Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she looked up at me again. Picking up the candelabrum, she said "Shall we go exploring?" By way of reply, I stepped inside and struck a match to light the candles.
She followed me out into the hallway and we turned to the left. We opened every door on the hallway. Most of the doors revealed dim empty rooms with the randomly abandoned chair or table in some. We climbed the stairs at the end of the hall into a large open room that was the library. I was disappointed at the number of books that had been left to decay in the old shelves. Many appeared as if they would crumble to dust at the slightest touch. The heavy wooden library table and leather chairs had been left up here also. The rooms beyond the hallway held more surprises. The old master chamber was still filled with furniture. A dark oaken bed that could have seen Queen Elizabeth dominated the center of the room. Only the mattress and linens were missing.
None of the bedrooms held any other real surprises. There were many pieces of abandoned furniture, all in various states of decay. We both were looking rather grimy by the time we had explored every room but one. At the end of the hall was an ornately carved door that I did not remember at all. My memories of this part of the house were clouded by the distance of thirty years, if I had been this far at all.
The door at the end of the hall opened to reveal an unexpected blaze of color. Alex stepped into the room and into the colored light. The setting sun poured through the stain glass window opposite the door. The colors that reflected off the dust motes in the air almost seemed like tiny luminescent butterflies. "This was the old chapel" I commented as I watched her walk towards the window. "Its beautiful" she said as she reached up to touch the glass. "Look here" she said "There is even a signature in the glass of the artist." I set the candelabrum on the wooden partition and stepped up beside her to see more clearly.
Alex jumped away from the windowsill as something started emitting a grinding noise. To my surprise, a section of the wall slid partially open. She turned to me with her palms held up and said "Something I touched on the windowsill shifted just before that wall panel opened." I ran my hand over the sill and found a piece that moved when pressed. A quick examination of the dislodged panel revealed a catch and some very old iron hinges. A good shove caused the panel to open fully, accompanied by a hideous groaning as the metal resisted. If the hinges had not been thoroughly packed in grease, rust would have frozen them in place long ago.
Alexandra and I exchanged a look before we stepped into the dark recess. A very narrow stairway made of wood and iron wound around to the left behind the wall. I thought about what we had seen on that side of the chapel. It had been an oddly shaped storeroom tucked behind an old fireplace. It made a perfect camouflage to hide this stairway. A few steps down brought us to a platform where the stairs split and continued down by two different routes. I turned and followed the stairs going down to the left. After some moments of walking through dusty cobwebs, we finally reached a wider area that appeared to be the ground floor. More stairs continued down ahead of us. The candle flames streamed sideways as I turned towards the wall. By holding the light near the wall, I was able to make out a catch that signaled another secret door. I undid the catch, but it took the strength of both Alexandra and I to pull the door open. When we stepped out into the light, we found ourselves next to the massive fireplace in the old reception hall.
Alexandra looked at me and burst out laughing. When I got a good look at her blackened face, I realized what she was laughing about. "We look a proper set of black-a-moors" I commented while I laughed. Her laughter subsided as she looked towards the windows. "It's almost dark" she said softly "we should probably go back to our rooms and clean up before someone else sees us like this." I grinned at her ruefully and nodded my head. As she turned towards the doorway out, I called to her "Would you like to continue exploring in the morning? We can come in through the garden." She turned towards and the smile that brightened her face made me feel years younger. "I would like that very much" she replied just before she slipped out the door.
Dinner that night was a trial of my patience. Even though I was pleasantly surprised to find that my appetite had returned, all I could think of was plans for the next day. Alexandra sat at the far end of the table from me. From her demeanor I could not discern any of the impatience that I felt. Rupert was frustrated in his attempts to engage me in conversation several times, but I just could not maintain an interest. I had to laugh inwardly as I compared myself to a schoolboy looking forward to an adventurous outing. As soon as politely possible, I excused myself to retire for the night.
My nephew did not appear for the early breakfast. I was pleased and surprised to find that Alexandra had arrived downstairs before I did. She was dressed in sensible clothes for a walk in the countryside. "May I join you?" I asked as I indicated the empty seat next to her. She smiled up at me and answered "By all means".
The tables nearby were sparsely occupied. There was a couple seated nearer the door. I believe the gentleman was involved in shipping. That his wife was dressed in an exceedingly formal costume at breakfast was slightly surprising. The only other person present was a retired colonel that I had met before. He was engrossed in his paper and coffee so that he hardly noticed my arrival. Alexandra nudged the small satchel that I had set on the ground at my feet. "I came better prepared this morning" I told her in a low voice "I brought more candles and matches as well as a few rags." We continued to sit and chat of inconsequential things until the other couple finished their breakfast and left.
The colonel looked up briefly as we passed him but when back to his paper when we did not stop to speak.
I retraced my steps of the previous morning. Was it only so short a time? As Alexandra followed behind me, I pondered on the change in my outlook that made yesterday morning seem like a vague memory from ages ago. The half-open gate remained as I had seen it last. The roses and overgrown bushes showed no signs of being disturbed since my last steps on this path. I paused as I neared the spot where my strange encounter had taken place. My disappointment was mingled with relief when the bench proved to be empty of eldritch creatures. There was nothing unusual to be seen as we continued through the garden to the door which we had left ajar. Here we stopped while I let a candle. The morning light was peeking in some of the windows, but the hallway was dim enough that I felt much secure with the additional light.
The hidden door from which we had exited yesterday still stood open. I lit another candle and handed it to Alexandra. "Up or down?" she asked. I peered around before I answered "Up, I think. I would like to see where that other branching of the stairs went.
I started up the stairs and she followed me closely. The branching of the stairs loomed up out of the gloom. This time we went down the ancient stairs that lead to the right and down again. It took some care to negotiate this narrow and steep stairway. Alexandra stopped her and started coughing. "I apologize" she said when she could breathe again "But the dust was making it difficult to breath." I brushed a cobweb remnant from her face before I replied "Maybe we should give this up if you can't breathe." She shook her head and told me "No, no, I wish to continue. I just needed a moment." I nodded and pressed on. The dust gave way to dampness as we traveled further down the stairs.
Eventually the steps ended at an old wooden doorway. The damp had caused the door to warp and stick in the frame. After a great deal of effort, I managed to budge the door open enough for us to pass through. As we stepped through the doorway, I held my candle aloft for a better look. As the stairs and walls had grown damper, I had begun to suspect we would find something like this. A long stone lined tunnel stretched out before us. I looked at Alexandra questioningly. "I'm game if you are" she responded. I shrugged and continued walking. While the tunnel was cool and damp, there were no water puddles. The floor was dry and appeared to be paved with shaped stones. Our candles barely penetrated the gloom around us. Suddenly a wider spot appeared in our path. Turning in to look, I discovered a niche about three feet deep by three feet wide. Stacked against the wall were some very old wooden crates, half covered by rotten cloth. Alexandra brushed away the cloth to uncover the crates. "I can't imagine what could be hidden here" she whispered excitedly. I snorted and replied "probably just some old ledgers or forgotten tools." The lids had been nailed shut at one time, but the wood had rotted to the point that I had no trouble removing them. The first box revealed nothing more interesting that some old clothes. They could have been silk, but they were so old that they fell apart at my touch. The new box however, revealed a set of blackened goblets and plates. While Alexandra pulled these out and examined them, I took a rag from my bag. I had brought these with the intention of cleaning our faces after our explorations. Now I used one to gingerly rub at one of the goblets. I was rewarded with the tiniest gleam of silver. I held it up for Alexandra's inspection. "I cannot tell how long these have lain here. I would guess more than a hundred years." She took the piece and looked it over. "This appears to be a complete set." She commented "I counted sixteen goblets and plates." The box appeared to be less than half full. "I think the rest is all knives and spoons." I told her "Let's check some of the other boxes."
When the boxes were all laid out single file, we opened each one in turn. Some contained nothing of value any longer, but several of the chests were filled with bits of silver things. Small silver candlesticks lay nestled against a silver pitcher. One box contained a score of smaller wooden boxes with intricate carving. Upon opening most of the contained the ancient remains of spices. I held up a box of cinnamon to Alexandra and told her "Once these imported spices were worth their weight in gold. These days my cook spills more than this on the kitchen floor." We continued opening boxes until Alexandra's gasp caught my attention. From one of the boxes she slowly pulled a necklace made of golden rosettes set onto links. Each one of theses rosettes was set with a red stone that winked in the candle light. Its length was just enough to fit around some slender lady's neck. Beneath the necklace rested a set of gold rings that were obviously meant for the same lady's fingers. Fingering the softly glowing gold I murmured "I have never heard anything like this described in old stories of the family." Then from the next box, Alexandra removed an object that made my vision blur and my knees go weak.
What she held in her palm was an elaborate figure of a golden bird, no bigger than my signet ring. When she turned it up in her palm, its tiny eyes were glowing red in the candle light. Then I remembered that the bird I had seen before had emerald eyes, and I began breathing again. "This is exquisite" she commented before she returned it to its box. After my heart stopped racing I looked into the box from which we had been taking the small boxes. The bottom of the box was filled with two small leather sacks. Gingerly I pulled one out and opened it. It was filled with a mix of silver and gold coins. The silver coins were too tarnished to read easily, but the gold coins were obviously from the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The other leather bag contained a small handful of polished gems. There were stones of various hues, and one that was an exact mate to the blue stone that I had in my pocket. This one, I slipped out and reunited it with its brother. "I wish I knew the significance of all this" I said aloud. Then I picked up the box holding the golden bird and handed it back to Alexandra. "Keep this" I told her "Somehow I think you were meant to have it." "Oh I couldn't" she protested as I closed her fingers around it "Surely all this belongs to your nephew." "I insist" I told her again "He needs not know of its existence. I'll call it a finder's fee." I winked at her and she desisted from her protests. She slipped the small box into a pocket in her skirt.
We spent some time moving the boxes out of the walkway before we resumed our exploration. I was glad that I had brought several candles because by now we had already burned through four of them. We walked a few moments towards what appeared to be a wall blocking our path. When we were closer, the candle lights revealed the truth. The corridor made a turn to the right and sloped downwards for a short distance. Just beyond the bend we found two old swords hanging on the wall. Their brass hilts were suspended from spikes driven into the stone. A coating of wax and grease was smeared over the metal of the blades, but I could see spots of rust where this protective covering had failed. "I have seen swords like that on medieval suits of armor" Alexandra commented "It is difficult to imagine how long these have lain here forgotten." I resisted the urge to touch one of them as I answered "Possibly far longer than either of us realize". After a moment she followed me when I turned to continue.
From this point on, the passageway was less finished. The mostly solid rock through which it tunneled showed the marks of tools. In spots the rock was less solid and here a few determined roots came through. I pointed out the differences to Alexandra and commented "I suspect that the nearer passage saw more frequent use as a place of emergency storage, until a long period of peace and safety negated the need for such places; as well as the need for this escape tunnel." She slowed to maneuver around some rubble on the floor as she asked "Do you think the other end is still open?" I looked around at the rough stones walls before I answered, "I hope so, but I doubt it. The exit may have been filled with rubble when some of the outer bastions were dismantled to provide material for other buildings." "That would be a pity" was her only reply.
The darkness and lack of sound made it hard to judge how far we had come. It took most of my concentration to walk on the uneven floor in the uncertain light. That neither of us had fallen over the loose rock was surprising. As much to break the silence as anything, I told Alexandra "I have no way of knowing how far we have come. I brought some bread and a flask of wine in my satchel. Would you like to stop for a rest?" She sank down onto a stone ledge and sighed "That sounds lovely".
I sat down across from her and handed her the linen with the loaf of bread. She broke this into four small pieces as I un-stoppered the wine. I looked up in chagrin and told her "I did not think about a cup or glass. We'll have to drink straight from the flask." She took the flask from me and replied "Needs must". She took a drink and burst out laughing. I cocked my head in puzzlement and asked "What was funny just then?" She caught her breath and replied "What popped into my head just then was a line of verse. 'A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou beside me'. Though I cannot remember the rest." I joined her merriment and chuckled at this as well.
Though this corridor was cool and dark, somehow it did not seem terribly gloomy. I would have expected the walking shadows beyond the feeble candle light to produce specters, of our imaginations or otherwise. There were no more treasures along our path, but we came to a place where the tunnel did a fairly steep drop. We scrambled down the incline, scattering the loose dirt under our feet. Here the tunnel ended up against a blank wall of finished stones. By holding the candle as high as possible I could see that the walls and ceiling were finished and buttressed with stone. Alexandra scuffed her feet along the floor at the base of the large center stone. "There's something sticking out from under here" she commented. I bent down to examine what she had found. "I looked back up at her and told her "There appears to be some iron runners under the stone that lead to the other side. Let's try pushing and see what happens". Alexandra carefully placed the candles where they would be safe. I pushed against the stone and it did not budge. I thought for a moment and then sat down with my back against the stone. Pushing with all my strength, I felt the stone start to shift. Alexandra bent over to add her effort to mine. The stone gave way suddenly and left us both sprawling on the ground. A blood curdling scream assaulted my ears.
My heart leapt into my throat as I reacted to the scream. I clambered through the opening left by the stone and stood up in a vault lit by several lamps. Alexandra pulled herself through the hole using my hand for leverage. The scrambling clatter of footsteps testified to the exit of the scream's source. "What was that?" Alexandra asked as she dusted herself off. I took in my surroundings and chuckled "I believe we may have just tested the faith of an altar boy." She gave me a confused look until I pointed to the crates marked 'Communion Wines' that were stacked against the wall. We started towards the door at the end of the vault when the Minister came running breathlessly through the door.
He stood there with his chest heaving, so I waited patiently for him to catch his breath. At last he gasped out "Young Jim came upstairs shouting that something was coming from the crypts. I did not think anyone had been buried under this end of the church, but something had obviously terrified him". I stepped closer before I replied "I apologize if I frightened the boy. But I had no clue as to where we were coming out." I turned to Alexandra and continued "The church foundations must have been built the same time as the outer wall of the old keep". The poor minister still looked puzzled so I explained "We stumbled upon a secret tunnel under the old house and followed it here." The puzzlement on his face had been replaced by amazement. "Imagine that" he blurted "Old tunnels under the manor house".
"I must admit it was a surprise to me also." I answered "And I could use your assistance, sir, to return this stone to its position." He gulped and nodded to me. The two of us managed to move the stone back into the opening. "I suppose this is something better left unspoken?" he asked tentatively. I chuckled and replied "Almost certainly, I'm sure you would prefer not to have adventurous small boys rooting around in your cellars." The minister waved to the altar boy who was peering around the edge of the doorframe "Jim, come here for a moment". He slipped into the room reluctantly and came to stand before the minister. "Jim" he began "We expect you to keep this secret within the church. It most certainly would not do for this to be bruited around the village. It would be detrimental to the church to have hordes of misguided treasure seekers continually poking around." He nodded and mumbled something that could have translated as a 'yes sir'. I thought about mentioning that the tunnels and exits were possibly unsafe, but the warning would seem hypocritical as I had just emerged from there. "Be about your duties Jim" the minister finished. The boy scampered off quickly.
He spoke to me again "I suppose you don't intend to return by the same route, so I will hitch up the buggy to take you back to the house". I acknowledged his offer "We would be eternally in your debt."
After we had clambered into the buggy I asked Alexandra "Where are you living now?" She paused before she replied "I live with my mother in London. I have a little money put back from Roger's Army pay. It's not much, but our expenses are few." I looked away from here before I spoke again "If you find my suggestion presumptuous, I beg that you not be offended, but I would like you and your mother come live with me at Hammerlin Hall." Her gaze burned the side of my face before she stated "It's a generous offer, but I must ask why." This time I managed to look at her and answered "In just the short time that I have known you, I have realized several things about myself. I have been living alone in self-pity for far too long. I may not be able to regain the life I had, but that doesn't mean I can't have a life worth living." My eyes dropped from hers and I continued "If you are comfortable with the idea, we can go on as if you were the daughter-in-law that I should have had."
Her hand touched mine and I felt the heat even through our gloves. "Is that truly the path you feel we should take?" she asked in an almost whisper. Not quite sure how to proceed at this point, I replied "Perhaps that is a question we can leave open until after we have explored the cellars. A few gruesome discoveries might cause you to change your mind about association with my family". Her laughter was warm and genuine as she reacted to my clumsy attempt at humor. She came back with "Let us hope that your nephew allows us the freedom to explore the cellars." I closed my hand over her slender fingers and held them until our journey ended.
Rupert was in a foul humor when Alexandra and I stepped down from the buggy. Since he clearly didn't wish to speak in front of her, I bid farewell to Alexandra and turned my attention to my nephew. "The baron was here for our luncheon today." He began very tersely "He was sorely disappointed that you could not attend. I made excuses for your absence by saying you were a little fatigued, even though you were nowhere to be found." I smiled half-heartedly at his irritation. I had grown accustomed to ignoring the demands of Society over the past year. "I apologize for your inconvenience, Rupert. I went for a long walk and lost track of the time. I dropped in on the Vicar and Mistress Rawlings was there. He was good enough to lend us his buggy so we returned together." That I had left a great detail out was another matter. By my lights, I did not yet owe Rupert a more complete explanation. After a short pause to gauge his reaction, I continued "I find that I am not yet energetic enough for the amount of activity that you have planned. I wonder if you would be so good as to limit your expectations to dinnertime." His conflicting desires ran across his face in a fascinating parade. Poor Rupert was torn between a desire to show me off to his circle of friends and political acquaintances while trying to impress me and avoid irritating me all at the same time. His shoulders sagged to signal his decision. I almost didn't need to hear his reply, "Very well Uncle. Of course I must honor your wishes. I only felt that being active and with company was in your best interest." I put my hand on his shoulder and told him "Of course you did my dear boy. Now if you will excuse me I must have some time to dress for dinner." He nodded and I walked away.
That evening's dinner was one I found more interesting than most I had attended in the past year. Whether by Rupert's design or by accident, Alexandra was seated almost as far away from me as it was possible to be. The ladies on either side of me were a study in contrasts. On my left was an elderly matriarch who did her best to impress upon me the qualities possessed by her grandchildren. On my right was a lovely slip of a girl who seemed to be terrified of uttering a word outside the presence of her husband. I did manage to gleam that he was a first time member of Parliament from a rural district. What is surprising is that I took a genuine interest in drawing these ladies into conversation. Once we had embarked upon the relatively safe topic of children, the two ladies enjoyed an animated conversation. When necessary, I related an amusing anecdote to maintain the flow of conversation. Thus the long dinner passed. Afterwards, I declined to join the other gentlemen for brandy and retired for the night.
With the reluctant assistance of my valet, the cook had been bribed to prepare a hamper of food and supplies. If she was puzzled as to why I would need candles for an afternoon picnic, this was not relayed to me. Alexandra had once again come down to breakfast earlier than I had. But instead of sitting with her, I dropped a note next to her plate. In the note I explained that I would like for her to meet me in the garden. I finished eating quickly and gathered my supplies. To avoid attracting attention to my destination, I went out through the front of the house. A roundabout walk took me to the furthest gate near which I had originally met Alexandra. A quick trip through that end of the garden brought me to the spot where she was waiting now. She was seated on the stone bench in a pose which caused my heart to tighten in my chest. A lock of her brown hair had escaped from its knot and hung down over her face. The tiny golden bird with ruby eyes gleamed in her fingers as she examined it. She looked up as the sound of my footsteps reached her. The smile which broke over her face took my breath away.
"Are you ready for the cellars?" she asked as she stood up. "Very much so" I replied "Will you be missed?" She wound her arm through mine and answered "I think your dear nephew has almost forgotten my presence in the midst of this august company. There is no one else here to miss me." The secret door next to the fireplace still stood ajar, so it was likely no one besides the two of us had been in this portion of the house since yesterday. I knew that the cellars used for storage had their access off the old kitchen area. An old wine cellar had once been part of that area. It was probably empty as the wines would have been moved to a cellar with better access to the current Butler's Pantry. Since this was accessed by a secret stairway, I suspected that this was something more than simple storage.
We crept down the narrow stone steps with the feeble light from our candles preceding us. The stone flagged floor finally came into view. The air here was musty and dry. I turned to the left at the base of the stairs and Alexandra turned to the right. We seemed to be in a very small empty room. I could hear the exasperation in her voice when Alexandra said "I can't believe that stairway was built just for this tiny room". I ran my hands over the two walls that were wood. "I am fairly certain that there is more here than meets the eye" I replied "Wooden walls were not the usual construction in cellars. Brick or stone would have been more likely." Wary of getting a splinter, we were both very careful in our examination of the walls. An exclamation from Alexandra brought me quickly to her side. She ran a finger down the edge of one board and explained "There are small hinges along the side of this board. But I can't seem to pull it open. I held my candle up close and said "It looks like they're pretty rusty. Maybe if we both pull on it, we will get it top open." Several minutes, some judicious application of red wine and some very sore fingers later, we managed to move the board on its hinges. The shallow recess behind the board concealed a latch. I moved this one with less effort. Once the latch was released we were able to push a small section of the wall inwards accompanied by the groans of protesting metal.
The smell of rotten leather rolled over us as the hidden door opened. A crusty iron candelabrum just inside the door still held four candles. I lit these for more light and noticed a small stack of candles next to it on top of an old wooden crate. The ancient wicks sputtered and smoked, but in the better light I could see oddly shaped bundles and crates stacked against the wall. The closest leather clad bundle turned out to be surprising heavy. Underneath the rotten leather was a layer of oily wool. The cords binding this parted easily enough to reveal its contents. To my surprise, the wool had been protecting several halberd points. "Some of those still look almost new" Alexandra commented. The oil in the wool had impeded the progress of rust on the weapons, but had not entirely stopped it. I carefully lifted one of the lethal items from its woolly bed. Even though the edge was sharp, the workmanship looked crude and hurried. This bundle and the next one held a dozen points.
I turned to the crate on which these bundles had rested. This contained several steel helmets, nestled in straw. Time had been far less kind to the helmets. I continued to explore. Other bundles held more weapons and armor pieces. A few barrels of gunpowder stood among them. By the time I uncovered the small cannon, I realized that we had uncovered a trove that a museum curator would die for. "I'm not positive" I began "but I believe some of these pieces date from earlier than Cromwell." I sat down on a wooden crate and looked around at our discovery. "Was this meant for some rebellion?" Alexandra asked in a hushed voice "Or was someone smuggling weapons?" I shrugged and answered as truthfully as I could "With my family history, it could have been any number of things. More than a few of my ancestors were said to be adventurous sorts." She sat down beside me and replied "Is that a polite was of saying outlaw?" I laughed out loud then "Very possibly, my dear, very possibly." Alexandra let out a heavy sigh and looked around the room "I can't imagine anyone just leaving all this down here and forgetting it." As I replaced a lid on a crate I answered her "Depending on the circumstances under which this was accumulated, the person responsible may have been killed before he could pass on any information." She started to help me put things back as best we could. Then she looked towards the door and said "I suppose we should close all this back up." I nodded in agreement "And lock everything back up too. I'll have to tell all, or at least most of this to Rupert eventually."
After we had re-wrapped what we had opened we left the room. With some effort, we closed up and latched the door. After we had climbed the stairs I carefully closed up the hidden door beside the fireplace. As we walked once again across the main hall Alexandra said "I suppose that is the end of our explorations." The wistful look on her face spoke volumes. "We could find something different to explore" I told her "How does Egypt sound?"
She looked at me in surprise "It sounds like it would be exciting, but I could never manage it". I swallowed the lump in my throat before I continued "Suppose that it was a honeymoon trip?" Her face drained of color and then flushed a most becoming pink. "What exactly do you mean?" she asked. "I apologize for my clumsy way of saying this" I managed to get out "But I am asking you to marry me." I dropped my gaze from her eyes and continued mumbling "I would not expect anything from you except companionship. I realize that the difference in our ages would understandably preclude any affection on your part" At this point I was stopped by Alexandra's hand on my lips. Silently she slid her arm around my neck. My arms went round her of their own accord. Then I could no more have stopped myself from kissing her, than I could have stopped the sun from setting.
Since Rupert was away from the house with some of his guests, I left him a message that stated that I wanted a private meeting with him before dinner. When I had been alerted to his return, I collected Alexandra and waited for him in his private drawing room. What Rupert expected from this meeting, I could just imagine. He entered the room in a good humor which faded as he took in Alexandra's presence. "Good afternoon Uncle" he said guardedly "I understood that you wanted to talk with me confidentially." I got up from my chair and stood behind Alexandra. "I did wish to speak to you in confidence as my closest relative" I told him "I have asked Miss Alexandra to be my wife and she has consented. She will be your aunt in just a few months." My hand dropped to her shoulder and she reached up to touch it with her fingertips. Rupert's face went through several stages of red and white before he blurted "You are old enough to be her father!" My face hardened before I replied "It is possible, but that is none of your concern. Will you not offer your congratulations?" Rupert deflated before my eyes as he watched my money slip away. It took a few moments, but my nephew swallowed any further commentary on Alexandra's age. "Of course Uncle" he finally answered "Congratulations are obviously in order. You will keep me advised as to the date?" I breathed a little easier and replied "Yes. While we don't plan on inviting half of London, I would like my family to come for my wedding. I will keep you apprised of our plans."
Alexandra's hand felt very cold on mine as I queried her "Shall we go get ready for dinner now, my dear?" My heart clenched at the trembling of her lip as she replied "Certainly, I think we've taken up enough of your.....dear Rupert's time." The catch in her phrasing restored my sense of humor.
I will not say that my life from that point was one of unadulterated bliss. Many of my family and friends were not happy with my new marriage, Rupert chief among them. Rupert was less vociferous in his objections after I guided him on a tour of his own house. What he could garner from his hidden treasures I did not know. But it distracted him from his lost inheritance. Alexandra's mother was happy to move to Hammerlin House. With her came her son's widow and two granddaughters. If she harbored any reservations about her daughter's new marriage, she kept them to herself. The ghosts of my past did not seem so daunting with the house is full of life and laughter again. Alexandra and I continued our love of exploration together, visiting many old and forgotten places. We traveled the world with only a brief pause when she presented me with a son. Our journeys are somewhat slower now with our son along. But we enjoy it all the more as we hope to instill a love of exploration in him.
I have often wondered about what I saw that morning in the old garden. I have gone over the incident in my mind many times wondering if it was real or not. The golden bird figurine has been the most difficult to explain to myself as I know that I had never seen it's like before. But real or not, what I saw saved me from living the remainder of my life as a despairing recluse. At the very least, I have decided that what I saw was a blessing. If not for what I believed that I saw, it is unlikely that I would have returned to the old garden. I would have gone along with Rupert's plans for the week and probably would have never met Alexandra. Years later she told me that she had decided to leave the house that afternoon and return to London. Our chance meeting had changed her mind.