The Secret of Dinswood

by Ellen Alexander

  Doug had spent the entire afternoon trying to summon up the courage to speak to Emma. He had known precisely where she was and that she was alone. No better opportunity was likely to present itself, but still, he hesitated. She had made it very clear on many occasions that she didn’t want anything to do with him. Doug wasn’t sure that anything he had to say to Emma would change that, but he had finally decided that at the very least he owed her an apology. If she couldn’t forgive him, at least he would have the comfort of knowing that he had said he was sorry. Now, with her staring wide-eyed at him like a frightened rabbit about to scamper off, he almost lost his nerve. When Emma moved as if to get up, Doug finally found his voice. “Please don’t leave, Emma. I need to talk to you. Actually, I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time.”

  Doug paused and waited for Emma to say something, but when she only continued to look up at him, he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and forged ahead. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry for the way I acted the night of the dance.” Doug paused again, but there was still no response from Emma. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him, and he realized he really couldn’t blame her. He broke out in a sweat and was beginning to get a crick in his neck from looking down at her. Hoping she wouldn’t bolt once he was no longer standing in front of her, he sat down in the armchair on the other side of the lamp table. Doug shortened the distance between them by turning sideways in his chair and leaning his elbows on his knees, all the while keeping an eye on Emma for signs of intended flight. Satisfied that she would stay put for a few more minutes, he inhaled deeply and continued. “The night of the dance didn’t go the way I’d planned at all. You were the only girl I really wanted to dance with. I was waiting for you to come in when a girl came up and asked me to dance. I didn’t really want to, but I didn’t know how to get out of it. Then another girl came up and asked me to dance, and then another, and then another, and before I knew it, the dance was almost over, and I hadn’t danced a single time with the only girl I’d really wanted to dance with.” Doug could hear himself rambling on like an idiot, but he was determined to finish. He continued to look at Emma while he was talking but was finding it difficult to gauge her reaction from her expression. Emma was pretty sharp, and he found himself listening to his explanation from her point of view. If he were Emma, he wouldn’t be buying anything he’d said thus far. He decided he’d better tell her the whole truth.

  For the first time since he’d begun his explanation, he looked away from Emma, his face flushing red in embarrassment. “The truth is, Emma, I started to feel flattered that all those girls wanted to dance with me—even Clarice, who’s never said two words to me, wanted me to dance with her. I guess I let it go to my head. I realized later how stupid I’d been, and I just wanted you to know I’m really sorry. I did eventually come to my senses that night, but by then you’d left the ballroom, and well—you know the rest.” There, he’d said it all. He hung his head and waited nervously for Emma to speak. When she didn’t immediately respond, he risked a glance at her and was relieved to see a smile on her face. It was the prettiest smile he’d seen in a long time, because it meant she had forgiven him and that they could be friends again. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he found himself smiling in return.

  When Doug had first begun his explanation, Emma had still been angry, but things had started to swing in Doug’s favor when he’d said she was the only girl he’d really wanted to dance with that night. She had decided to forgive him completely when he’d been honest enough to admit that all the attention from girls he didn’t even know had gone to his head. She guessed that was a natural reaction for a guy. She had to give him points for his courage and honesty. She certainly hadn’t made it easy for him. It was obvious from what he’d said that the strain between them had been weighing on his mind almost as much as it had hers. Besides, the real truth was, he was free to dance with whomever he wanted to. They weren’t going together or anything. Looking back, Emma realized that one of the reasons she’d gotten so angry was that she’d been jealous of those other girls. She’d been jealous of their money and clothes, but mostly she’d been jealous of their self-confidence—a confidence that enabled them to go up to a boy they barely knew and ask him to dance. Emma couldn’t have done that in a million years. She was simply too shy and unsure of herself. The thought occurred to her that the evening of the dance might have gone much differently if she’d just had the courage to ask Doug to dance instead of waiting around for him to ask her. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Doug had just been being a guy, and every girl knew how dumb guys could be sometimes.

  Doug had been open and honest, so Emma decided to grant him the same courtesy. “I’m sorry too, Doug. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad. You have a right to dance with whomever you want. I guess I was just jealous of those other girls.”

  Doug won even more points when he said, “You don’t have anything to be jealous about. Most of the girls around here are spoiled and selfish. They only care about themselves. You’re not like that at all.”

  It wasn’t exactly the compliment that Emma had been expecting, but she was pleased nonetheless. Doug wasn’t just interested in the way a girl looked but in the kind of person she was. Emma was fully aware of how unusual it was for a young man Doug’s age to look beyond a person’s exterior. Perhaps growing up without his mother had forced him to mature faster than other boys. Whatever the reason, Emma’s respect for Doug went up a notch.

  Doug had wanted to tell Emma that she was just as pretty as those other girls, especially with her new hairstyle, but he was too embarrassed. He guessed he’d already used up his quota of courage for the day. Feeling awkward all of the sudden, he stood up and said, “I’m starving. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Emma found that she was famished as well and agreed to meet Doug in the dining hall after she put her book away in her dorm room and washed up. She found herself practically skipping down the hall to her room. This was the happiest she’d been since the night of that awful dance. It was such a relief to finally have everything resolved between her and Doug. She was glad to have her friend back, and she had to admit she had missed Sebastian as well. Now the four of them could get back to the business of finding the treasure. She couldn’t wait to tell Martha the good news. Sunday, when Martha would be returning to the school, seemed like a year away.

  Emma returned to the dining hall to find Doug waiting for her with an anxious expression. “Emma, thank God you’re all right!” he said immediately upon seeing her.

  “Why wouldn’t I be all right?” Emma asked as a sinking feeling began to creep over her, clearly something bad had happened. Before she could ask him what was going on, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to a deserted corner of the dining hall.

  Once they were seated, he began to explain. Despite his obvious agitation, he managed to keep his voice low. “Emma, when I went to my room just now, it was a total wreck. Someone had ransacked it. Whoever it was, they were obviously looking for something.”

  “The riddle,” Emma guessed after her initial shock.

  Doug nodded. “That’s the first thing that came to my mind too. But how would they know about it? We haven’t told anyone.”

  “Maybe they don’t know about the riddle, but somehow they know that we’re looking for the treasure. Maybe they think we have some information that might lead them to it.”

  “Like a map or something?” Doug asked.

  “Exactly,” Emma agreed, then something occurred to her. “Wait a minute. You were worried about me because you figured if they went through your room, they’d go through mine too.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of. You could have walked in on them and then there’s no telling what they would have done. We don’t know the kind of person, or people, we’re dealing with here. They must be getting pretty desperate to do something like this.” Doug ran a hand through his hair and shook his hea
d, still visibly upset. It spooked him that someone with evil intent had been in his room. Suddenly he looked up, and speaking quickly, in a manner most unlike his usual banter, asked, “Where’s the riddle now? Do you think they’ve been in your room?”

  “No. If they had gone through my room, they probably would have left it a wreck like yours,” Emma said. “Besides, they wouldn’t have found the riddle there. It and the book we got from the Windland bookstore are upstairs in my locker.”

  Doug sighed in relief, and then furrowing his brow in concern said, “Emma, you can’t stay in your room alone. Just because they haven’t gone through your room yet doesn’t mean they won’t. It’s just not safe for you to be there by yourself.”

  “I don’t really have a choice. There’s no place else for me to go.” Emma wasn’t trying to be brave, she was genuinely frightened, but she didn’t see any alternative.

  “You can stay with me,” Doug said, and seeing that she was about to object, he hurried on to explain. “Dad has a whole suite of rooms. I stay with him in his suite during the summer. He’s already asked me to stay with him over the Thanksgiving holiday since Sebastian, Phil, and Tom are gone. I’ll just ask him if I can have a friend stay too. I’m sure Dad won’t mind, and you’d have a room all to yourself.”

  “I don’t know, Doug. I’d feel a little strange staying with the dean of the school. Besides, if you ask if you can have a friend stay, he’ll be expecting a boy, not a girl. How are you going to explain that you want a girl to stay with you?”

  Doug hadn’t thought about that. It was going to be a little awkward explaining his choice of guest to his dad, but it had to be done. Emma simply could not stay in her dorm room by herself.

  While Doug had been hesitating, Emma had been thinking. “You know, Doug, maybe you should tell your dad what’s happened.”

  Shaking his head, Doug replied, “I’ve thought about it and decided against it. I’d have to do too much explaining. Why would someone go through my dorm room, especially when I’m the only one in residence at the time? Also, Dad would probably beef up security around here and that would make it harder for us to look for the treasure.” Doug paused and then shook his head again. “No, it’s best if we don’t tell my dad about this.”

  Emma wasn’t so sure, but she decided to defer to Doug’s judgment. “I didn’t know treasure hunting could be so dangerous,” Emma said softly.

  “It’s not if you’re the only one hunting.” Doug looked at Emma for a long time, and then said just as quietly, “Maybe we should give up before something really bad happens. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to any of you guys over this.”

  “We can’t give up now!” Emma said quickly, her voice rising. Looking around to make sure that no one had noticed her sudden outburst, she continued more calmly. “The future of the school depends on us finding that treasure. Besides, whoever ransacked your room thinks we know something. It’s too late to back out now.”

  Doug sat for a few moments as he weighed what Emma had said in his mind. She was right. They’d come too far to stop now. They’d just have to be more careful. Gradually, he became aware of the clinking of plates and general noises around him. “We’d better get something to eat before we start looking suspicious.” As he was speaking, he looked up to where his dad was sitting at the head table with the rest of the faculty. Fortunately, his dad was engaged in a conversation with Mr. Godfrey and wasn’t looking their way. Doug hoped his dad hadn’t noticed he and Emma huddled together like thieves planning their next robbery.

  Later, when they’d returned to the table with their trays, Doug stated in no uncertain terms that Emma would be spending the rest of the Thanksgiving holiday with him and his dad. “As soon as we’re done eating, I’m going to tell Dad I want you to stay with us, and then we’ll go upstairs and get the book and riddle out of your locker. After we get the riddle, I’ll go with you to your room while you pack an overnight bag.”

  “We’re not supposed to be on the second floor when classes aren’t in session, and boys aren’t allowed in the girls’ dorm,” Emma said, still uncertain about the whole arrangement. Not only was she uncomfortable with the idea of staying with Doug and his dad, but once again, they were going to be breaking school rules. It was becoming a habit that she detested.

  “I don’t care about that. If I get caught, I get caught. You can’t go alone. It’s just not safe!” These last words were said with emphasis. Doug felt compelled to impress upon Emma how dangerous things were becoming.

  Emma had never seen Doug so adamant. It was obvious from his tone and the set of his shoulders that it would be useless to argue. Shrugging her shoulders in reluctant acceptance, she picked up her fork and began to eat, even though she had no appetite. All she could think about was what Dean Harwood would make of his son wanting a girl to stay with them. What possible explanation could Doug give his father that would make sense? Soon, Emma gave up trying to eat. It was getting increasingly difficult to move food past the lump in her throat.

  Sensing her discomfort and in an attempt to soothe his own anxieties as well, Doug said, “Don’t worry, Emma. It’ll be okay. Dad’s a great guy. He knows you and I are good friends, so he won’t even question it when I ask him if you can stay with us.” Smiling, he added, “I can just tell him you’re a big scaredy cat who’s afraid to stay in a room by herself.”

  “Don’t you dare!” Emma protested, and then couldn’t help smiling to herself when Doug started laughing.

  When they had finished eating, Emma waited at the table while Doug went over and spoke to his father about having her stay with them. She watched as Doug leaned close to his father’s ear so he could be heard above the general din in the dining hall. Emma had to admit she was greatly relieved when she saw Dean Harwood smile and nod his consent. Soon Doug was back at the table with a smile on his face. “I told you it would be okay. Now let’s get rid of our trays and go get the riddle.”

  They didn’t run into anyone as they left the dining hall and headed toward the main entrance. Things seemed to be working in their favor. When they reached the large central staircase leading to the second floor, they looked around once more to make sure no one was watching and then started up the stairs. Emma was a little ahead of Doug and reached the landing before him. She had just turned the corner and started up the second flight of stairs when a loud voice from below stopped her in midstride.

  “Where do you think you’re going, Douglas?”

  Doug turned around to see Mrs. Perkins standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at him with a disapproving frown. “I was going to go up to Dad’s room,” Doug lied. He hated lying to Mrs. Perkins but hoped he’d be forgiven under the circumstances. He didn’t look at Emma. It was apparent that Mrs. Perkins hadn’t seen Emma, and he didn’t want to give her away.

  “Then you should take the elevator to the third floor. Students are not allowed on the second floor when classes are not in session,” Mrs. Perkins scolded.

  The elevator had been installed during the castle’s recent renovations and was to be used only by the faculty. Because Doug was the dean’s son, he could be viewed as an exception to the rule, even though there were stairs that led to the third floor at the east and west ends of the second floor. The elevator actually served a dual purpose—one was to make it easier for the more elderly members of the faculty to access their apartments on the third floor, the other was to make the classrooms on the second floor handicap accessible. As there were currently no disabled students attending Dinswood Academy, its use had been restricted to the faculty, and it rarely stopped on the second floor.

  It was obvious from her firm stance that Mrs. Perkins was not going to leave until Doug came back down the stairs. He didn’t want to leave Emma but didn’t see any way around it. Again, without looking at Emma, he turned around and made his way down to the ground floor where Mrs. Perkins waited.

  Emma could hear Mrs. Perkins chatting away to Doug as they mov
ed down the main hall in the direction of the boys’ dorm. When their voices had faded, Emma continued up the stairs to the second floor, thinking that she might as well retrieve the riddle and book from her locker. By the time Doug was able to shake Mrs. Perkins, she’d be waiting for him, and they could go get what she needed from her room.

  Emma arrived on the second floor to find it in almost total darkness; the only light a dim red glow coming from the signs over the emergency exits at each end of the hall. She’d taken only a few steps when she realized that it was too dark for her to be able to see the numbers on her combination lock. Assuming she could even find her locker, she wouldn’t be able to open it.

  Emma had just decided she was going to have to go back downstairs and get a flashlight, when she heard a soft pinging sound behind her. Startled, she whirled around in time to see the light above the elevator door come on, signaling that the elevator was stopping on the second floor. In seconds, the doors would be sliding open. Not wanting to be caught breaking a school rule, Emma looked around for a place to hide. Her only option was the nearest classroom door. Quickly she dashed over to the door, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t be locked. The doorknob turned easily in her hands and she rushed inside. Emma was in the process of closing the door when she heard the elevator doors slide open.